British artist Lincoln Townley has launched a new series titled "Success," which explores the psychology of ambition and achievement through gestural, abstract portraits. The collection, available through his partnership with the Prague-based Eclipse Art Group, expands his market into Eastern Europe, following successful sell-out exhibitions at the London Art Fair 2025 and a planned presentation at the Palazzo Bembo during the 2026 Venice Biennale.
Beijing concluded its inaugural "Beijing Art Season" from May 22 to June 1, comprising the long-running Gallery Weekend Beijing and two local art fairs, Beijing Dangdai and Art021 Beijing. The event took place shortly after a diplomatic breakthrough in U.S.–China tariff tensions, but amid China's economic slowdown, the atmosphere was subdued: the Visiting Sector for international galleries and the large-scale group show were scrapped, and satellite events were fewer. Despite this, collectors, curators, and institutional directors from Germany, the UK, Korea, and Japan attended, with some noting China's strategic importance due to its deep collector base. French billionaire Laurent Dassault reported better market sentiment in Beijing than in Europe, while Berlin galleries PSM and Galerie Thomas Schulte made their first appearances at Beijing Dangdai, collaborating with Hua International for a "Berlin Section." The fair grew from 32 galleries in 2018 to 87 this year, reflecting local collectors' appetite for international and experimental contemporary art.
The article highlights 10 galleries that achieved significant growth and recognition in 2025, despite a challenging market environment marked by tariffs and trade uncertainty. Featured galleries include Tokyo's CON__, which gained global visibility through standout presentations at Frieze Seoul and NADA New York; Munich and New York-based LOHAUS SOMINSKY, which debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach and opened a Tribeca outpost; and Chicago's Hans Goodrich, which quickly established itself with a cross-generational exhibition program and international fair appearances.
A rediscovered portrait of Prince Rupert, long attributed to the studio of Anthony van Dyck and later to Jacob Huysmans, sold for CA$217,250 ($153,000) at Heffel Fine Art Auction House’s Spring Sale on May 21, more than double its low estimate. New research identified the work as by Peter Lely, court painter to King Charles II. The painting had belonged to the Hudson Bay Company for centuries and was part of a court-approved sale of the company’s collection following its 2024 bankruptcy. The 80-lot sale also saw a record for E.J. Hughes’s "Coastal Boats Near Sidney, BC" (1948), which sold for CA$5.7 million ($4.1 million), and strong results for Group of Seven artists Arthur Lismer, A.J. Casson, and Lawren Harris.
A Star Wars painting by illustrator Tom Jung, used as the original half-sheet poster for *Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope* (1977), sold for $3.88 million at a Heritage Auctions sale of Hollywood memorabilia in Dallas. Consigned by the family of film producer Gary Kurtz, the work first appeared in national newspapers on May 13, 1977, and later became the film’s official promotional image. The sale broke the previous record for a Star Wars object, surpassing the $3.6 million paid for Darth Vader’s lightsaber prop.
Christie’s New York concluded its Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Sale on November 10, 2023, generating a total of $66.3 million. The auction saw strong performance across the board, selling 85% by lot and achieving 102% of the hammer price against low estimates. High-profile works by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Hans Hofmann led the results, contributing to a massive Marquee Week running total of over $814 million.
Art Basel Paris has announced a new ultra-VIP preview program called "Avant Première" for its upcoming edition at the Grand Palais. Scheduled for Tuesday, October 21, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., the initiative allows all 203 participating galleries to invite select clients for an exclusive early viewing, ahead of the fair's official VIP days on October 22–23. The fair declined to disclose how many invitations each gallery can extend. The program was first reported by the Baer Faxt, and Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz described it as "for the market, by the market."
Frida Kahlo's painting *El sueño (La cama)* (1940) sold at Sotheby's for $54.7 million, setting a new auction record for Latin American art, for the artist herself, and for any work by a female artist. The sale surpasses Kahlo's previous record of $34.9 million set in 2021 for *Diego y yo* and eclipses the $9.76 million record for her husband Diego Rivera's *The Rivals* from 2018.