Kurt Cobain’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Guitar Sells At Auction
Rock and roll memorabilia is a big business, and guitars used by the biggest rock stars command big prices. According to Rolling Stone, the most expensive guitar ever auctioned was Kurt Cobain’s guitar from his 1993 MTV Unplugged performance. The … More…
Sotheby’s Belle Époque Splendor: The Discerning Eye Of A Collector
Well, Sotheby’s presented a group of paintings from one collection titled Belle Époque Splendor: The Discerning Eye Of A Collector. I think you will soon agree that “The Discerning Eye” part of the title was very misleading. From the images … More…
Experts Disagree Over Stolen Titian Portrait
Italy’s Cultural Heritage Protection Unit has successfully recovered a stolen portrait by a Renaissance master. In 2004, a work by Titian entitled Portrait of a Gentleman with a Black Beret went missing. Created when the master was around 24-years-old, the … More…
Homeward Bound: The Elgin Marbles’ Continuing Story
I’ve written about the Elgin Marbles multiple times, most recently last August. For those unfamiliar, the Elgin Marbles are a series of sculptures and friezes kept in London’s British Museum that was originally part of the Parthenon in Athens. Lord … More…
Christie’s American Art Sale
On May 17th, Christie’s presented their American Art sale featuring 20th-century paintings, sculptures, and works on paper. There were some surprising results, both good and bad, but overall, I am sure Christie’s is more than a little disappointed with how … More…
Christie’s New York Bass Collection & 20th Century Sales
Christie’s Rockefeller Center saleroom in New York hosted back-to-back sales last Thursday, May 12th, kicking off a string of very successful auctions between Thursday and Saturday. There were actually a trio of sales that evening, but I won’t be talking … More…
Left Hanging: Dictator’s Wife Caught With A Stolen Picasso
Ferdinand Marcos was president of the Philippines between 1965 and 1986 and was known as one of the most prominent dictators of the Cold War. He kept a hold on power through electoral fraud, corruption, and violent repression, aided by … More…
New Rules At The Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Institution is the largest museum complex in the world, made up of nineteen museums and twenty-one libraries across the United States. As one of the world’s cultural giants, the Smithsonian is often used as an example of how … More…
Christie’s New York Post-War & Contemporary Sale
Day two of Christie’s Thursday through Saturday sale streak involved an enormous post-war and contemporary collection. The entire sale took nearly all day Friday, lasting from 9:30 in the morning to around 7:00 at night. Christie’s broke up the several … More…