Art News. Vasari Codex

trending_up market schedule Jun 11, 2025 visibility 22 link 38 artists, 1 gallery

top 10 german art collectors

Artnet News has published a list of the top 10 German art collectors, coinciding with the opening of Art Cologne 2015. The list includes notable figures such as Frieder Burda, who opened his own museum in Baden-Baden; Nicolas Berggruen, the "homeless billionaire" who favors contemporary American and German artists; Christian and Karen Boros, who display their collection in a repurposed Berlin bunker; industrialist Reinhold Würth, whose collection spans from Renaissance to contemporary; former dealer Désiré Feuerle, known for his eclectic mix of Khmer sculpture and contemporary art; and Hasso Plattner, co-founder of SAP and a major collector of Impressionist and modern works.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Nov 19, 2025 visibility 14 link 3 artists, 2 galleries

ripleys buys maurizio cattelan gold toilet sothebys

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has been revealed as the buyer of Maurizio Cattelan’s 18-karat gold toilet sculpture “America” (2016), which sold for $12.1 million at Sotheby’s “Now & Contemporary” auction on November 18, 2025. The work, consigned by billionaire collector and Mets owner Steve Cohen, hammered at $10 million after a single bid, just above the value of its raw gold. Sotheby’s had previously only identified the buyer as a “Famous American Brand.” Ripley’s announced the acquisition on Instagram, calling it the most valuable object in its collection and noting plans for public display, possibly allowing visitors to sit on the fully functional toilet.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Nov 7, 2025 visibility 23 link 13 artists, 2 galleries

steve cohen consignor maurizio cattelan golden toilet sothebys

Top 200 Collector Steven A. Cohen has been revealed as the consignor of Maurizio Cattelan's golden toilet sculpture, *America* (2016), which will be auctioned at Sotheby's on November 18. The work, made of 18-karat gold and weighing over 100 kilograms, was purchased from Marian Goodman Gallery in 2017. It will be displayed in a bathroom at Sotheby's Breuer Building before the sale, with a starting bid expected around $10 million based on the price of its weight in gold. The piece has a notable history: one version was exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum, offered to the Trump White House as a loan alternative to a van Gogh painting, and another was stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019, making Cohen's the only extant version.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Nov 5, 2025 visibility 20 link 23 artists, 2 galleries

consignors november 2025 new york sales christies sothebys

As the fall auction season returns to New York, Christie’s and Sotheby’s are preparing for evening sales amid an uneven art market. The article reveals key consignors behind major lots, including a Frida Kahlo painting from 1931, estimated at $6–8 million, owned by Miami-based Francisco and Fiorella Pérez Díaz, and three French Post-Impressionist works from the collection of the late Argentine patron Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier. The market context includes underwhelming results at Art Basel in Switzerland but strong attendance at Frieze London and Art Basel Paris, with collectors showing willingness to spend only on exceptional, well-priced works.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Apr 30, 2025 visibility 19 link 16 artists, 1 gallery

emily fisher landau sothebys preview

Sotheby's will auction the collection of Emily Fisher Landau, a prominent Whitney Museum board member and avid art collector who died in March at age 102. The sale, comprising about 120 works from her estate, is led by Pablo Picasso's "Femme à la montre" (1932), estimated at over $120 million, alongside major pieces by Ed Ruscha, Jasper Johns, Cy Twombly, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, and Glenn Ligon. Fisher Landau amassed roughly 1,200 works over decades, displayed at her private Fisher Landau Center for Art from 1991 to 2017, and donated 417 works to the Whitney in 2010 alone.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 13, 2026 visibility 44 link 23 artists, 8 galleries

At Frieze New York, Business Plunks Along, Leonardo DiCaprio Alights

At the VIP opening of Frieze New York, collectors were present but subdued, with galleries presenting modest displays and sales proceeding at a sensible, sedate pace. Despite the lack of urgency, business has improved since last year, buoyed by upcoming top-tier auctions. Thaddaeus Ropac confirmed four early sales, including a George Baselitz canvas for €1.4 million and an Alex Katz work for $400,000. David Zwirner’s booth of Joe Bradley paintings was among the buzziest, with all works on hold by early afternoon, while Cindy Sherman photographs at Hauser & Wirth sold steadily. Leonardo DiCaprio made visits, and Kelly Sinnapah Mary’s paintings at James Cohan Gallery sold out, the largest to a museum.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Apr 23, 2025 visibility 16 link 12 artists, 2 galleries

bass house art auction christies

Christie's is offering nine artworks from the collection of Anne and Sid Bass as part of its Spring Marquee Week in May. The works, which include pieces by Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin, Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, Morris Louis, and Gino Severini, were displayed in the Bass House in Fort Worth, Texas—a Modernist residence designed by architect Paul Rudolph in the early 1970s. The house was built to serve both as a home and a gallery for the couple's renowned art collection.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Apr 22, 2025 visibility 20 link 11 artists, 2 galleries

christies auction anne sid bass mark rothko paul rudolph

Christie’s will sell nine works from the Bass House, a Fort Worth, Texas home designed by architect Paul Rudolph for collectors Sid and Anne Bass, in its 20th century evening sale this May in New York. The group, with estimates totaling over $60 million, includes pieces by Mark Rothko, Alexander Calder, Ellsworth Kelly, Frank Stella, Agnes Martin, Gino Severini, and Morris Louis, with the top lot being Rothko’s *No. 4 (Two Dominants) [Orange, Plum, Black]* (1950–51) estimated at around $35 million. The works were carefully placed throughout the house, which was custom-built to prioritize art display, and most remained in their original positions after installation.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Nov 18, 2025 visibility 30 link 21 artists, 8 galleries

shanghai art021 west bund art recap

Shanghai's West Bund Art & Design fair and Art021 opened last week with unexpectedly strong sales, despite economic headwinds and regional competition. Many galleries reported brisk first-day sales, with Thaddaeus Ropac placing five works including a Martha Jungwirth painting for €500,000, and Hauser & Worth selling two works for over $1 million. However, major blue-chip galleries like Gagosian and Pace opted out entirely, while others like Almine Rech, White Cube, and David Zwirner scaled back their participation. The fairs took place against a backdrop of China's ongoing property slump and the overlapping Art Collaboration Kyoto, which siphoned attention from international collectors.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Oct 9, 2025 visibility 25 link 18 artists

christies arnold joan saltzman fernand leger picasso matisse

Christie’s will sell over 70 works from the collection of Arnold and Joan Saltzman during its fall marquee sales in November, with a group estimate exceeding $70 million. The modern art collection includes pieces by Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Edvard Munch, František Kupka, Robert Delaunay, Henri Matisse, and Henry Moore. The top lot is Léger’s 1914 painting *Composition (Nature Morte)*, estimated around $20 million, from his celebrated 'Contraste de formes' series. Other highlights include Henry Moore’s bronze sculpture *Reclining Woman: Elbow* (1981), estimated at $9–12 million, and Henri Matisse’s *Femme au chapeau fleuri* (1923), estimated around $10 million. The collection, built over 60 years, will be featured in Christie’s 20th century evening sale on November 17 and day sales on November 18.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 23, 2025 visibility 15 link 9 artists, 1 gallery

work of the week pablo picasso tete dhomme a la pipe

Loïc Gouzer, founder of the auction app Fair Warning, partnered with Christie's to sell Pablo Picasso's drawing *Tête d'homme à la pipe* (1971) in a hybrid in-person and digital auction on May 15. The work, estimated at $6–8 million, hammered for $6.6 million ($7.79 million with fees) to a phone bidder at Coco's at Colette in New York's GM Building, with Jussi Pylkkänen officiating. Notable attendees included collectors Alberto Mugrabi and David Mugrabi, and dealer Joseph Nahmad. The drawing, executed two years before Picasso's death, depicts a musketeer inspired by *The Three Musketeers* and had never been auctioned before.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Dec 4, 2025 visibility 21 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

warhol muhammad ali 18 million art basel miami beach sale

Lévy Gorvy Dayan sold Andy Warhol's 'Muhammad Ali' (1977) for $18 million during the VIP preview of Art Basel Miami Beach. The painting, autographed by Ali and formerly owned by Richard L. Weisman, was displayed just a few hundred feet from the Miami Beach Convention Center, where Ali defeated Sonny Liston in 1964. The consignment was kept secret until ten days before the fair, and the work drew crowds of buyers and admirers, including Ali's sons and figures connected to Warhol's 'Athletes' series.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 15, 2026 visibility 9 link 20 artists, 9 galleries

TEFAF New York Opened to Crowded Aisles, Bullish Collectors, and Strong Booths

TEFAF New York opened at the Park Avenue Armory with unexpectedly strong crowds and a buoyant mood, defying the typical afternoon lull. Dealers reported heavy foot traffic and sustained conversations, with gallerist Sean Kelly calling it the best edition in years. The fair, running through May 19, features a mix of antiquities, design, modern, and contemporary art, with standout booths including Alison Jacques’s pairing of Dorothea Tanning, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Gordon Parks, and Sean Kelly Gallery’s display of works by Shahzia Sikander and Sam Moyer. The newly launched Pace Di Donna Schrader Galleries made its TEFAF debut with works by Eugène Delacroix, Willem de Kooning, and Alexander Calder.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 1, 2026 visibility 25 link 6 artists

Botticelli Painting Banned from Export Will Stay in the UK

A Botticelli painting, *The Virgin and Child Enthroned* (1470s), previously placed under an export ban to keep it in the UK, has been acquired by the Klesch Collection. The work, valued at £10.2 million, will remain in England through a three-year loan to the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford. The painting was bought in 1904 by Harriet Sarah Jones Loyd (Lady Wantage) from Italian dealer Elia Volpi, who had acquired it from the Magherini Graziani family.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Feb 24, 2026 visibility 29 link 12 artists

berkeley art museum women artists gift

The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) has secured a major promised gift of over 150 modern and contemporary artworks from collectors Penny Cooper and Rena Rosenwasser. This significant bequest focuses exclusively on women artists, featuring works by major figures such as Louise Bourgeois, Julie Mehretu, and Kara Walker. To celebrate the acquisition, the museum is launching "Rhapsody: Works from the Cooper Rosenwasser Collection," an exhibition showcasing 65 pieces that trace the impact of second-wave feminism on artistic production.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Feb 12, 2026 visibility 25 link 15 artists

bonhams new hq 111 west 57th street

Bonhams has opened its new U.S. headquarters at 111 West 57th Street in New York, moving from its longtime Madison Avenue location into a 42,000-square-foot space within the restored Steinway Hall. The design features an 80-foot glass atrium, a grand staircase, and restored historic elements, aiming to create a transparent, cultural-center-like atmosphere rather than a traditional salesroom.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jan 30, 2026 visibility 17 link 3 artists

perugino decemvriri altarpiece sothebys morgan

Sotheby's is launching its inaugural Old Masters Week at its new Breuer building location in New York with a special exhibition of works heading to auction. The centerpiece is the 'cimasa' (top panel) of Pietro Perugino's 'Decemviri Altarpiece' (1495), on an exceptional loan from Italy's National Gallery of Umbria and traveling outside Italy for the first time. After its display at Sotheby's, the panel will be exhibited at the Morgan Library and Museum alongside Giovanni Bellini's newly restored 'Pietà' (c. 1470), which is also making its U.S. debut.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jan 1, 2026 visibility 16 link 7 artists

sothebys abu dhabi collectors week results

Sotheby's held its inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors' Week at the St. Regis Island Resort on Saadiyat Island, transforming the venue into a luxury showcase with handbags, diamonds, watches, a non-selling art display worth $500 million, and rare cars. The week culminated in open-air auctions under a full moon, netting $133 million—far exceeding the $17 million from Sotheby's first Middle East luxury sale in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Highlights included a 1994 McLaren Formula 1 car sold for $25.3 million, a Jane Birkin Hermès handbag that fetched $2.9 million, and a 31.68-karat pink diamond called The Desert Rose that went for $8.8 million. A jewelry and timepieces sale achieved white-glove status, taking $25.4 million.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Dec 15, 2025 visibility 29 link 18 artists

malba acquires 1200 works

Eduardo F. Costantini, founder of the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (Malba), announced the acquisition of the Daros Latinamerica Collection in Zurich, adding 1,233 works by 117 artists to the museum's holdings. This roughly doubles Malba's collection to 3,000 works, with a major expansion project planned to accommodate the new pieces, set to begin next fall to mark the museum's 25th anniversary. Highlights include works by Doris Salcedo, Ana Mendieta, Julio Le Parc, Alfredo Jaar, Lygia Clark, and Jesús Rafael Soto, with 75 artists new to Malba.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Nov 18, 2025 visibility 16 link 7 artists

norman rockwell president white house paintings auction 2

A four-panel suite of paintings by Norman Rockwell, titled *So You Want to See The President!* (1943), sold for $7.2 million at Heritage Auctions on November 14. The work, which hung in the White House for decades, was bought by the White House Historical Association, marking its most expensive acquisition to date. The sale followed a bitter ownership dispute among descendants of the original commissioner, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's press secretary Stephen T. Early, with a federal judge ruling in favor of the current owner, William Elam, in 2023.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jul 9, 2025 visibility 22 link 18 artists

crystal bridges art bridges horseman collection native art

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Art Bridges Foundation in Bentonville, Arkansas, have acquired 90 works of contemporary Native art from the John and Susan Horseman Collection. The acquisition includes pieces by prominent Indigenous artists such as Kent Monkman, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Kay WalkingStick, and Cannupa Hanska Luger. Nine works will go to Crystal Bridges, while the remaining 81 will join Art Bridges' collection, which now totals around 250 works, with Native art making up a third. The works will be displayed in upcoming exhibitions at the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine and Crystal Bridges' expanded campus, with loans to partner institutions planned.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jun 5, 2025 visibility 15 link 4 artists

the national portrait gallery getty museum jointly acquire joshua reynolds portrait of omai

The National Portrait Gallery in London and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles have jointly acquired Joshua Reynolds's 1776 painting *Portrait of Omai* for an estimated £50 million ($62 million). This marks the first time museums in the UK and US have partnered on a single acquisition, with each institution paying half and sharing ownership of the artwork, which will be displayed alternately in both countries. The painting depicts Mai (Omai), a young Tahitian man who visited Britain in 1774 with explorer James Cook, and had never before been held in a museum collection.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jun 5, 2025 visibility 22 link 9 artists

museum launches public appeal to buy rare barbara hepworth sculpture

The Hepworth Wakefield museum, supported by the Art Fund, has launched a public appeal to raise £3.8 million ($5 million) to acquire Barbara Hepworth's rare 1943 sculpture *Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red*. The work was purchased by a private collector at Christie's London in March 2024 for the same amount, but the UK government imposed a temporary export ban in December 2024, citing its outstanding historical and aesthetic significance. The museum has until August 27 to raise the remaining £2.9 million; the Art Fund has already contributed £750,000. If the goal is not met, the collector may export the piece.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jun 5, 2025 visibility 22 link 5 artists

sir joshua reynolds portrait inheritance tax

The Tate in London has acquired a full-length portrait by Joshua Reynolds of the 5th Earl of Carlisle (1748–1825) through the UK's Acceptance in Lieu scheme, which allows art to be transferred to the nation in place of inheritance tax. The painting, valued at $6.1 million (£4.7 million), was painted in 1769 and had hung at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire for over 200 years. It will remain on public display there but will also travel to other venues including Tate Britain.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 15, 2025 visibility 20 link 6 artists

met receives photography collection walter artur

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has received a promised gift of more than 6,500 photographic works from German American collector Artur Walther and the Walther Family Foundation. The collection spans 19th-century vernacular photography to contemporary video, with strengths in African studio photography, German post-war photography, Chinese conceptual art, and early vernacular images. Artists represented include Malick Sidibé, Zanele Muholi, Ai Weiwei, Thomas Struth, and Bernd and Hilla Becher. A selection will debut when the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing reopens this month, with further displays planned for the Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing opening in 2030.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Apr 23, 2025 visibility 11 link 5 artists, 3 galleries

mexico francisco toledo dobel tequila

Francisco Toledo, the renowned Mexican artist, collaborated with Maestro Dobel Tequila on a limited-edition luxury tequila vessel before his death. The Dobel Tequila Grandes Maestros Collection: The Francisco Toledo Edition features the world's first extra añejo tequila finished in mezcal barrels, housed in a hand-engraved bottle with a sculptural wooden cube display. Only 15 of the 281 editions are available in the U.S. market, each priced at $5,000, and are now being auctioned via Artnet.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 15, 2026 visibility 12 link 20 artists, 4 galleries

7 Artists to Watch at the New York Fairs This Weekend

The article highlights seven artists and presentations to watch at the New York art fairs this weekend, including Frieze, TEFAF, Independent, and NADA. Key highlights include Comme des Garçons' sculptural fashion display at Independent, Danish painter Eva Helene Pade's U.S. debut at Thaddaeus Ropac's TEFAF booth, and sold-out booths for Kelly Sinnapah Mary at James Cohan and Rachel Youn at G Gallery during Frieze. The piece notes that while no single viral spectacle dominates this fair week, a quieter but compelling mix of works and sales is drawing attention across venues.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 21 link 6 artists, 4 galleries

‘I told his family he was HIV positive’: Keith Haring’s best friend on life with the artist as unseen works go on show

A collection of unseen Keith Haring works, including a crib he painted for his best friend's unborn child, is going on display at Sotheby's New York before being auctioned in May 2025. The collection belongs to Kermit Oswald, Haring's childhood friend, and features 20 works, with a 1985 self-portrait estimated at $3m-$5m and the crib valued at $250,000-$350,000. Oswald shares intimate stories of their friendship, from childhood pranks in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, to their move to New York to study at the School of Visual Arts, and Haring's later collaboration with William Burroughs.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jan 23, 2026 visibility 14 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

robert burns portrait rediscovered

A long-lost portrait of Scottish poet Robert Burns, painted by Henry Raeburn in 1803, has been rediscovered after 200 years. The painting was found at a house clearance sale by Wimbledon Auctions in London, where it was estimated at just £300–£500 but sold for £68,000 after a bidding war. It has since been conserved and authenticated by the National Galleries of Scotland, and is now on public display in Edinburgh alongside the original 1787 portrait by Alexander Nasmyth, just in time for Burns Night celebrations.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Mar 31, 2026 source 3 sources visibility 17 link 2 artists

Rare Complete Triceratops Skeleton Snags $5.5 Million at Auction

A 66-million-year-old Triceratops skeleton, nicknamed Trey, sold for $5.55 million at the online auction platform Joopiter. The fossil, excavated in 1993, had been on continuous public display at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center for three decades and represents the first dinosaur skeleton sold by Joopiter, a platform founded by Pharrell Williams.

newspaper Artnet News Also: ARTnews, The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original