Sale of Robert Rauschenberg’s Captiva Compound to Developers Ignites Backlash

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation has sold the artist’s 22-acre Captiva Island estate to South Seas, a neighboring resort developer, for $45 million. The sale includes Rauschenberg’s former home, studio, and several cottages where he lived and worked for decades. The Foundation defended the move by citing the prohibitive costs of protecting the site against rising sea levels and hurricane damage, confirming that the prestigious Rauschenberg Residency program will now come to an end.

Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Estate Sold to Florida Resort

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation has sold the late artist’s twenty-two-acre estate on Captiva Island, Florida, to the neighboring South Seas resort for $45 million. The sale includes ten buildings, most notably Rauschenberg’s custom-built 8,000-square-foot studio and his historic "Beach House." While the resort plans to integrate the property into its operations and host art-related programming, the foundation cited escalating maintenance costs and environmental risks from climate change as the primary reasons for the divestment.

Artemisia Gentileschi Masterpiece Goes to Auction—Without Its Face

The Dorotheum auction house in Vienna is set to auction a rare, autograph replica of Artemisia Gentileschi’s 'St. Mary Magdalen' (c. 1620) that is missing its central focus: the saint's face. Discovered in a private German cellar in 2011 and likely mutilated during the looting of postwar Berlin, the fragment has been authenticated by experts Roberto Contini and Riccardo Lattuada. Despite the missing section, infrared analysis confirms Gentileschi’s hand, and the work is estimated to fetch between $120,000 and $170,000.

Yves Saint Laurent’s Lalanne Mirrors Set for $15 Million Sale

Sotheby’s has announced the sale of a monumental set of 15 gilt-bronze mirrors by Claude Lalanne, originally commissioned by fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent for his Paris apartment. The mirrors are the centerpiece of a 123-lot auction from the collection of Jean and Terry de Gunzburg, scheduled for April 22 at the Sotheby’s Breuer building. Estimated to fetch between $10 million and $15 million, the mirrors represent a significant appreciation in value since the de Gunzburgs acquired them for approximately $2.4 million at the historic 2009 Saint Laurent estate sale.

Jennifer Gilbert Consigns Blue-Chip Works to Sotheby’s to Fund Detroit Arts Space

Philanthropist Jennifer Gilbert is consigning a selection of blue-chip postwar artworks to Sotheby’s this spring to fund Lumana, a new arts nonprofit in Detroit. The auction highlights include Joan Mitchell’s 'Loom II', estimated at $5 million to $7 million, and a significant target-style painting by Kenneth Noland that could set a new auction record for the artist. The collection also features works by George Rickey and Harry Bertoia, emphasizing a cohesive blend of midcentury abstraction and design.

Collector Jennifer Gilbert Is Selling Modernist Masterpieces to Fund Her New Arts Space

Jennifer Gilbert, the Detroit-based entrepreneur and philanthropist, is auctioning a selection of Modernist masterpieces from her private collection to fund Lumana, a new nonprofit arts organization. The sales, scheduled for May and June at Sotheby’s New York, include high-profile works by Joan Mitchell and Kenneth Noland, with an overall fundraising goal exceeding $10 million.

Lost Bob Dylan Lyric Sheet Resurfaces After 60 Years—and Other Rare Finds Heating Up the Market

A rare, typewritten lyric sheet for Bob Dylan’s song “I’m Not There” has resurfaced after being hidden for nearly 60 years inside a first-edition book of poetry by Allen Ginsberg. The document, which was discovered by a book dealer handling the estate of Sally Grossman, is set to be auctioned by Omega Auctions with an estimate of £20,000–£40,000. Other high-profile collectibles hitting the block include Stephen Curry’s game-worn sneakers at Sotheby’s and a signed Albert Einstein etching.

A Faceless Mary Magdalene by Artemisia Gentileschi Goes to Auction

Va in asta una Maria Maddalena di Artemisia Gentileschi senza volto

The Viennese auction house Dorotheum has announced the sale of a rare, fragmented painting of Mary Magdalene by the Baroque master Artemisia Gentileschi. Dating from the artist's influential Florentine period (1615–1618), this autograph version of a work held in Palazzo Pitti is notably missing its central element: the head and shoulders of the saint have been physically cut from the canvas. Despite this dramatic mutilation, which experts speculate may have occurred in post-war Berlin, the work is estimated to fetch between €100,000 and €150,000 at the Old Masters auction on April 28, 2026.

Rare Winnie-the-Pooh Drawings Surface for the First Time

Two previously unseen preliminary drawings of Winnie-the-Pooh by illustrator E.H. Shepard have surfaced for the first time on the centenary of the children's classic. Brought forward by Shepard’s family, the pencil sketches depict scenes from A.A. Milne’s original 1926 book that were never fully realized or published. These rare works, along with several other preliminary sketches that did make it into print, are currently on display and for sale at Peter Harrington Rare Books in London before traveling to the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Art Monte-Carlo marks 10th anniversary with 26 galleries and new curatorial section

Art Monte-Carlo is celebrating its 10th anniversary at the Grimaldi Forum from April 29 to May 1, featuring 26 international galleries and a newly introduced curatorial section. Held under the patronage of Prince Albert II, the fair includes a mix of returning heavyweights like Almine Rech and Galleria Continua alongside newcomers from Paris, Stockholm, and Busan. The event coincides with Monaco Art Week, creating a concentrated period of commercial art activity across the Principality.

Two Hubert Robert paintings from Madame Geoffrin offered to the museum by the Friends of the Louvre

Deux Hubert Robert de Madame Geoffrin offerts au musée par les Amis du Louvre

Two paintings by Hubert Robert, once owned by Madame Geoffrin, were acquired by the Musée du Louvre through a preemptive purchase at Christie’s Paris on March 25. The works sold for €1,950,000 hammer (€2,439,000 with fees) and are being donated to the museum by the Société des Amis du Louvre. The paintings, described as 18th-century snapshots, were part of the historic Veil-Picard collection and will undergo restoration before being displayed.

Collectors' collective: Private art enthusiasts work together to bring world-renowned artists to Daejeon

Fourteen Korean collectors have formed a collective called Arche II to jointly acquire and display works by world-renowned artists in Daejeon, a city 140 km from Seoul. Their exhibition "Tracing the Unfinished" at the multidisciplinary complex Heredium features 30 works, including 14 jointly owned pieces, by artists such as Le Corbusier, Robert Longo, Olafur Eliasson, David Hockney, Yang Hae-gue, Anicka Yi, and Choi Byung-so. The group, founded in 2017 by business leaders including a radiologist and a former prosecutor, contributes a fixed annual budget to purchase three to five works at major art fairs, focusing on emerging artists rather than established names.

Robert Moore | Lil’ Lucy Figure (2022)

This article presents Robert Moore's "Lil' Lucy Figure" (2022), a mold-injected vinyl sculpture measuring 8 × 3 3/20 × 3 inches, available through APC Gallery in Miami Beach and Los Angeles. The work is hand-signed by the artist, comes with a certificate of authenticity, and is part of Moore's "Lil Lucy" series. Moore, a self-taught multidisciplinary artist born in 1983 in Des Moines, Iowa, creates paintings, sculptures, and installations that explore mental health, Black identity, and social justice, drawing on personal biography, art-historical references, and American iconography.

The $53 M. Wingate Collection Comes to Sotheby’s, Led by a $25 M. Giacometti

The collection of modern and contemporary art assembled by David and Shoshanna Wingate over seven decades will be sold at Sotheby's in New York and London on May 19 and 20. The sale, comprising over 50 works by artists like Alberto Giacometti, Mark Rothko, and Wassily Kandinsky, is estimated to fetch between $37 million and $53 million, led by Giacometti's sculpture "La Clairière (Composition avec neuf figures)" with an estimate of $18 million to $25 million.

Diane Keaton’s Iconic Wardrobe and Art Collection Head to Auction

Bonhams auction house, in collaboration with the Fine Art Group, is organizing a four-part, 550-lot sale of Diane Keaton's personal belongings. The sales, taking place online and in New York from late May to mid-June, will include her iconic wardrobe, Hollywood memorabilia, home furnishings, and a significant portion of her art collection, featuring works by artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Ed Ruscha, as well as her own mixed-media collages.

Roberto Bernardi | The Unknown Event (2025) | Available for Sale

Roberto Bernardi | L'evento sconosciuto (2025) | Available for Sale

Italian hyperrealist artist Roberto Bernardi has listed a new oil on canvas painting titled "L'evento sconosciuto" (2025) for sale through GALERIE VON&VON. The work, priced at €14,400, is being featured in conjunction with his upcoming exhibition "Unfolding," scheduled to run from April 16 to June 20, 2026. Bernardi, known for his meticulous attention to detail and photorealistic style, has a long-standing presence in the international art market and museum circuit.

CONTEMPORARY ART Day Sale on 6 December at 2pm - Christie's

Christie’s Paris has announced two major contemporary art auctions scheduled for late 2023, consisting of a live sale on December 6 and an online sale running from November 28 to December 8. The auctions feature over 200 lots with a combined global estimate of €8.5 million to €12.3 million, highlighted by two previously unseen paintings by Pierre Soulages and works by Jean Dubuffet and Georges Mathieu. A significant portion of the online sale is dedicated to "A Lifetime Collection," a prestigious private Parisian collection featuring works by David Hockney, Sol LeWitt, and Robert Combas.