Eden Xu-Martinez, a collector and art administration professional, has built a personal collection centered on the accessibility and intimacy of prints. Her journey into collecting was catalyzed by a lithography course at Columbia University and a profound encounter with a Louise Bourgeois print, which shifted her perspective on the medium from mere reproduction to a deeply personal form of artistic expression.
The estate of movie poster artist John Alvin is seeking a single buyer for his entire archive of over 1,000 pieces, including original posters, sketches, and illustrations from the 1970s through the 1990s. The collection, stewarded by his widow Andrea Alvin since his death in 2008, features iconic work for films like E.T., The Lion King, and Blade Runner.
Sotheby's has announced the headline lots for the upcoming sale of British socialite and arts patron Pauline Karpidas's collection, set to take place September 17–19 in London. The 250-item auction, described as the 'greatest collection of Surrealism to emerge in recent history,' is led by René Magritte's oil painting *La Statue volante* (1940-41), estimated at £9–12 million ($12–16 million). Other highlights include ten more Magritte works, four Andy Warhol pieces from his 'Art from Art' series, and works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Leonora Carrington, along with furniture and design objects.
Despite a general art market downturn, modern Indian art auctions have seen extraordinary demand. Over the past two weeks, sales at Christie’s in New York, Saffron Art in New Delhi, Pundole’s in Mumbai, and Sotheby’s in London all sold out. Sotheby’s London sale raised £19 million, more than five times its estimate, led by record-breaking works from Francis Newton Souza, including *Houses in Hampstead* (1962) sold for £5.6 million and *Emperor* (1957) sold for £5.2 million. The article traces Souza’s rebellious career, from his expulsion from school in Mumbai for pornographic graffiti, to his founding role in the Progressive Artists’ Group, his struggles in England and the US, and his eventual death in 2002 with little recognition.
Arnaldo Pomodoro's 2003 etching "Untitled for Art and Research (Ca…" is being offered for sale. The work is an artist's proof on wove paper, signed and annotated p.a., one of only 15 proofs aside from the regular edition of 150. It was created to support the "Art and Research" event in Milan, sponsored by the Mario Negri Pharmacological Research Institute, and published by Art 3, Alberto Serighelli. The piece is framed under UV Plexiglass and measures 12.75 x 12.5 x 1.5 inches framed.
Daniel Humm, the chef behind Eleven Madison Park, has curated a selection of artworks for Sotheby's Contemporary Curated sale, drawing parallels between composing a meal and assembling an exhibition. In an interview with CULTURED, Humm discusses his approach, which was influenced by a transformative encounter with Claude Monet's Water Lilies at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris, and his selections include works by Roni Horn, Alex Katz, Keith Haring, and Sarah Crowner.
A rediscovered watercolor sketch by Man Ray, created in 1913 when he was in his early twenties, has resurfaced after decades in an attic and sold for £18,000 ($24,000) at Dreweatts auction house in Newbury, England, on July 10. The work, titled *Nude Playing Musical Instrument [Study for “Tapestry Painting”]*, is a preparatory study for a lost larger oil-on-linen tapestry and offers rare insight into the artist's pivotal transition from traditional painting to avant-garde experimentation inspired by European modernism encountered at the 1913 Armory Show.
Tamara de Lempicka's portrait of her lover, *La Belle Rafaëla* (1927), sold for £7.47 million ($10.05 million) at Sotheby's London Modern and Contemporary Evening Sale on June 24. The work, estimated at £6–9 million, hammered just above its low estimate to a buyer in the room. It had last appeared at auction in 1985, when it sold for $242,000, then a record for the artist. The painting depicts Rafaëla, a sex worker Lempicka encountered in Paris's Bois de Boulogne, who became her lover and muse.
Chef Daniel Humm, the renowned culinary figure behind Eleven Madison Park, has guest-curated Sotheby's Contemporary Curated auction series, selecting artworks with the same rhythmic and intentional approach he uses in menu creation. In an interview with CULTURED, Humm describes how a transformative encounter with Claude Monet's Water Lilies at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris inspired his curatorial philosophy, emphasizing stillness, contemplation, and dialogue between works. His selections include pieces by Roni Horn, Alex Katz, Keith Haring, Sarah Crowner, and Jean Dubuffet, reflecting personal friendships and a desire to create an immersive, sensory experience akin to a multi-course meal.
Former Sotheby's CEO Tad Smith, who led the auction house from 2015 to 2019, has emerged as a prominent supporter of blockchain art. The article traces his connection to artist Robert Alice, who first encountered Smith while working as a porter at Sotheby's. Alice, a pioneer in NFT art, sold the first NFT through a major auction house at Christie's in 2020. Now, his blockchain-based painting BLOCK 1 (24.9472° N, 118.5979° E) from the Portraits of a Mind series is being offered at Sotheby's with an estimate of $600,000 to $800,000. Smith, who owns another work from the series, is not the consignor or guarantor but expresses hope the sale will promote Alice's work, Bitcoin, and Sotheby's, particularly among younger generations.
This is a sales listing for Aude Herledan's bronze sculpture "Black Venus" (2015), an editioned work from her series "Faithful To My African Roots." The piece is offered by 1831 Art Gallery in Paris, with a certificate of authenticity and price available on request. The listing also provides a biography of Herledan, a French-born artist raised in Kinshasa who studied at the École Estienne, Parsons School, École des Beaux-Arts, and École du Louvre, and who has shown at major fairs including TEFAA and Art Paris.
Augmented reality (AR) headsets like the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest II are gaining traction as tools for the art trade, according to experts interviewed in this article. Gallerists Will Shott and Hal Bromm see potential for virtual tours, studio visits, and previewing artworks in situ, while adviser India Price notes that seeing works at scale in one's own space could boost buyer confidence. However, Martin Murphy of Ringling College of Art and Design argues that practical barriers—such as device personalization and generational divides—may limit adoption among traditional collectors.
Sotheby's Paris sold the original Hermès Birkin prototype that belonged to the late actress Jane Birkin for a record-breaking €8.6 million on July 10. The 50-year-old scuffed handbag, which Birkin carried for years, sparked a ten-minute bidding war among nine collectors and ultimately went to a buyer in Japan. The sale far exceeded the previous world record for a handbag at auction, set in 2021.