A First Look at the Big-Ticket Artworks that Galleries Are Bringing to Art Basel 2026

ARTnews previews the high-value artworks that galleries are bringing to Art Basel 2026 in Basel, Switzerland. The fair introduces a new opt-in program called Basel Exclusive, where 193 of the 240 exhibitors agree to withhold at least one top work from pre-fair previews to encourage in-person attendance. Among the highlighted offerings are a Francis Picabia canvas priced up to $600,000 at Galerie 1900-2000, and a 10-foot-square Robert Rauschenberg work from the ROCI MEXICO series at Gladstone, alongside a 1984 Keith Haring painting. Gallery principals express optimism about the market, noting the absence of competing auctions during the fair.

Arne Glimcher’s $50M Pollock Falls Flat in Sotheby’s Private Auction—and More Art Industry News

Sotheby's attempted a private auction of Jackson Pollock's "Number 19, 1951" at its Manhattan headquarters on June 2, with an asking price of $50 million, but the sale collapsed due to insufficient bidders. The work was owned by Pace Gallery founder Arne Glimcher, and Sotheby's star auctioneer Oliver Barker was flown in from London for the event. In other news, Pace Gallery downsized by cutting 50 artists and laying off 50 staff, Sotheby's London announced a Lewis Collection sale headlined by a Modigliani estimated at over £45 million, and Freeman's appointed Muys Snijders as CEO. The British Art Fair returns to Saatchi Gallery in September, and Art Basel released its "Basel Exclusive" artist list.

Almine Rech Now Represents Famed Surrealist Leonora Carrington

Almine Rech gallery has become the exclusive partner of the Consejo Leonora Carrington in France, representing the estate of the famed Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington. The partnership will debut with a bronze sculpture cast from a life model Carrington created in 2010 at Art Basel in June, followed by a solo exhibition at the gallery’s Paris Turenne location in September. The exhibition, organized with the Consejo Leonora Carrington (founded by Carrington’s son, Pablo Weisz Carrington) and the art advisory firm Rossogranada, will feature paintings, drawings, sculptures, tapestries, and writings.

Sotheby’s London to Offer Two Monets With Blue-Chip Provenance, Estimated at up to $67 M.

Sotheby’s London will offer two Claude Monet paintings at its June 24 modern and contemporary art sale, with a combined estimate of up to $67 million. The works—Nymphéas (1907), depicting his water lily pond, and Camille assise sur la plage à Trouville (1870–71), a portrait of his wife—come from a single unnamed seller and have blue-chip provenance, having passed through the collections of Anne Bass and Peggy and David Rockefeller, respectively. Nymphéas previously sold for $56.5 million at Christie’s in 2022, while the Camille portrait last sold for $12.1 million at Christie’s 2018 Rockefeller sale.

‘London Needs Some Lobbying’: 50,000 Attend London Gallery Weekend as Dealers Fight Narrative of City’s Decline

London Gallery Weekend (LGW) launched its 2026 edition with a panel discussion titled “How is London’s contemporary commercial gallery scene thriving in times of flux?” featuring mega-dealer Thaddaeus Ropac, Pale Horse Gallery cofounder Emma Hodgson, and Kate MacGarry. The event drew approximately 50,000 attendees and included 120 galleries across the city, with more than 80 free public events. The weekend comes amid troubling headlines for London’s art scene: Pace Gallery cut 50 staff and dropped 50 artists, is downsizing its London operation, and stalwart Stephen Friedman Gallery entered insolvency. New UK tax rules have driven many ultra-wealthy collectors to leave, and Art Basel Paris has drawn attention away from Frieze London.

What Comes After Grow-or-Go? How Goodman Gallery Changed Course

Goodman Gallery, founded in 1966 in Johannesburg and now with spaces in Cape Town, London, and New York, is undergoing a major restructuring amid a prolonged art market downturn. Owner Liza Essers, who has run the gallery since 2008, saw profits fall 58% in 2024 despite rising revenue, and decided to cut costs aggressively while investing in a more sustainable business model. The gallery is launching a new digital platform ahead of Art Basel, where it will present high-value works by artists including El Anatsui, Kapwani Kiwanga, and Yinka Shonibare. Essers has also dropped several underperforming art fairs, including Frieze London, Singapore, Miami Basel, and FOG.

Argentinian artist Pablo Bronstein joins Olney Gleason.

New York gallery Olney Gleason has announced representation of London-based Argentinian artist Pablo Bronstein, in collaboration with London gallery Herald St and Galleria Franco Noero. Bronstein’s first exhibition with Olney Gleason is scheduled to open in September 2026.

Murdoch’s Basel Squeeze & Sotheby’s Takes Zurich

The article reports on two major developments in the art world: the impact of Rupert Murdoch's media empire on the Art Basel fair in Switzerland, and Sotheby's expansion into Zurich. It details how Murdoch's influence is creating a 'squeeze' on the Basel art scene, likely through media coverage or business pressures, while Sotheby's is establishing a stronger presence in Zurich, a key European art market hub.

Yayoi Kusama | Pumpkin (White Y) (Executed in 1992.) | For Sale

The article announces that Yayoi Kusama's iconic 1992 sculpture *Pumpkin (White Y)* is available for purchase through Artsy. The work, executed in 1992, is one of the artist's most recognizable motifs, featuring her signature polka-dot pattern on a white pumpkin form.

‘It's a work of art’: rare, cloth-bound first edition of Wuthering Heights to be auctioned at Christie’s

A rare, cloth-bound first edition of Emily Brontë's *Wuthering Heights* (1847) is coming up for auction at Christie’s this month, with an estimate of up to £600,000. The copy, one of only a handful surviving in its original binding, is being sold by the trustees of an undisclosed aristocratic private collection and will be displayed at Christie’s London from 26 June before the Exceptional Sale on 30 June. Christie’s rare books specialist Mark Wiltshire notes that the last time such a copy appeared at auction was in 1908, making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors.

Pace Plans to Give Up 8,600-Square-Foot London Gallery as It Continues to Cut Costs

Pace gallery is giving up its 8,600-square-foot London space in Hanover Square, seeking a smaller, less corporate location. CEO Marc Glimcher confirmed the move to the Financial Times, praising the efficiency of its teams in Korea, Tokyo, and Berlin as a model for the future. The decision follows last week's announcement that Pace is cutting about 50 jobs and dropping some 50 artists, leaving staff and artists uncertain about their status. The London gallery, renovated by Jamie Fobert Architects, opened in fall 2021 with a performance by Torkwase Dyson and was seen as competitive positioning against mega-galleries like Gagosian and David Zwirner. Rumors suggest Pace may move to a smaller space on Grafton Street near Zwirner and Sprüth Magers.

Grimm Expands With New Headquarters and Residency

Grimm gallery is expanding with a new headquarters in Amsterdam and launching an artist residency at Château Val Croissant in Provence, France. The Amsterdam space, a larger ground-floor canal house in the city center, will open in September with a show by Dutch painter Robert Zandvliet. Founder Jorg Grimm also recently expanded his London gallery to a Victorian storefront in St. James and maintains spaces in New York. The residency, inspired by the Santa Maddalena Foundation, will offer a home-away-from-home for artists, writers, and curators, with families welcome.

Templon Gallery Shutters New York Branch

Templon Gallery has closed its New York branch in Chelsea, becoming the latest international dealer to downsize its presence in the city amid a prolonged art market downturn. The Paris-based gallery, founded in 1966 by Daniel Templon, opened its 6,500-square-foot space in 2022 but decided to leave after the landlord demanded a substantial rent hike as the lease neared renewal. Mathieu Templon, who oversaw the New York operation, said the gallery was paying $55,000 a month and that the increase was unsustainable. The closure follows similar moves by London-based galleries Stephen Friedman and Timothy Taylor, which also shuttered New York locations after expanding during the post-pandemic boom.

Private Jackson Pollock Auction Falls Apart at Sotheby’s: Report

Sotheby’s attempted a private auction for Jackson Pollock’s *Number 19, 1951* on June 2 in New York, with an asking price of $50 million. The painting is owned by Pace Gallery founder Arne Glimcher. The sale failed after the auction house could not attract enough bidders, and Sotheby’s chairman Oliver Barker reportedly sent a video to prospective buyers noting Glimcher’s reluctance to sell. The auction was called off entirely, marking what sources describe as Sotheby’s first significant attempt at a private auction.

Galerie Templon Pares Back NYC Presence

Galerie Templon has closed its Chelsea outpost in New York after four years, citing a rent increase from $55,000 per month for the 6,500-square-foot space. Mathieu Templon, who oversaw the New York location and is the son of founder Daniel Templon, plans to move back to Paris with his family but intends to open a smaller operation in TriBeCa or the Upper East Side. The gallery's last Chelsea exhibition was a solo show by Jamaican-born painter David Smalling, which closed at the end of April. Templon currently maintains works at a Midtown Manhattan design studio and uses Mathieu Templon's SoHo rental as an appointment-only showroom for private sales.

London Art Dealers Take the City’s Temperature

London Gallery Weekend (LGW) kicked off on June 4 with a salon-style conversation among dealers Thaddaeus Ropac, Kate MacGarry, and Emma Hodgson, moderated by Melanie Gerlis. The panel discussed London's position as the second-largest art market hub after New York, with the UK accounting for 18% of the global art market according to the Art Basel & UBS report. Topics included post-Brexit challenges, rising costs, the exodus of wealthy collectors to Milan, Dubai, and Australia, and the evolving role of art fairs versus physical gallery spaces. Nine first-time participants joined LGW this year, including younger galleries like Pale Horse, DES BAINS, General Assembly, Matt Carey-Williams, NORITO, piloto pardo, and TINA.

Roy Lichtenstein | Roy Lichtenstein - "I Know How You Made Me Feel, Bra… (1987) | For Sale

Artsy lists for sale a 1987 work by Roy Lichtenstein titled "I Know How You Made Me Feel, Bra…" from the artist's late-career series. The piece is being offered through the online marketplace, with no specific price or seller details disclosed in the snippet.

How A.I. Helped Identify a Lost Scottish Masterpiece

A painting purchased for under $100 at a White Plains, New York thrift store in the 1960s has been identified as a lost masterpiece by Scottish Colorist F.C.B. Cadell, thanks to Google's A.I. assistant Gemini. The portrait, titled "Interior: The Lady in Black" (mid-1920s), was bought by art history major Helene Plotkin, who admired its Fauvist style. Decades later, her son Barry uploaded a photo to Gemini, which detected Cadell's signature and led them to Lyon & Turnbull auction house. The work sold at Lyon & Turnbull in June 2025 for £189,200 ($254,000), within its presale estimate.

Auctions of the week: manuscripts, design and ancient art

A roundup of auctions scheduled between June 11 and 17, 2026, highlights a busy week for the art and collectibles market across Italy and internationally. Italian houses including Pandolfini, Il Ponte, Capitolium Art, Cambi Casa d’Aste, Finarte, and Bertolami Fine Art hold timed and live sales in Florence, Milan, Genoa, and Rome, covering categories from manuscripts and design to jewelry, modern art, and ancient art. The week also features online sessions by Blindarte and Maison Bibelot, with international giants in Paris, London, and New York drawing global buyers.

Lucian Freud Sleeping By The Lion Carpet £35 Million Auction

Lucian Freud's monumental painting *Sleeping by the Lion Carpet* (1995–96) is heading to auction this June at Sotheby's London with an estimate of £25–35 million. The work, depicting benefits supervisor Sue Tilley, has been held in the Lewis Collection since 1996 and has never before appeared on the open market. It is the final and most ambitious of Freud's quartet of portraits of Tilley, following the record-breaking sale of *Benefits Supervisor Resting* for $56.2 million in 2015.

At this year’s Art Basel, only the spectacular will do

The Financial Times reports that galleries participating in this year's Art Basel are under pressure to present spectacular, attention-grabbing works. In an increasingly competitive and high-octane art fair environment, dealers recognize that merely showing quality art is no longer enough; they must create memorable, buzz-worthy presentations to stand out among hundreds of exhibitors and attract collectors, curators, and media coverage.

A portrait of Gérôme for Washington

Un portrait de Gérôme pour Washington

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has acquired a portrait of the French painter Jean-Léon Gérôme, painted by his friend and fellow artist Édouard Delessert. Delessert, a multifaceted figure who was also a writer, photographer, and traveler, was mentored in literature by Prosper Mérimée and contributed to the Revue de Paris before founding the journal L'Athenaeum français. The acquisition adds a significant work to the museum's collection, highlighting the interconnected circles of 19th-century French art and letters.

Christie's Paris Sales: Burning Coals and Circles of Hell

Ventes Christie's Paris : charbons ardents et cercles de l'enfer

Christie's Paris is offering a painting by Guido Reni depicting Porcia, the wife of Brutus, who died by swallowing burning charcoal after learning of her husband's suicide. The sale, scheduled for June 11, 2026, also includes a rare work by Johannes van Bronchorst, a largely forgotten Dutch artist whose paintings are often misattributed to his father, Jan Gerritsz. van Bronchorst. The article highlights the historical and artistic significance of these works, with the Reni painting being one of several versions of the composition, as shown in a recent exhibition at the Musée d'Orléans.

Two Sales at Sotheby's Paris

Deux ventes chez Sotheby's Paris

Sotheby's Paris is holding two sales in June 2026: a live auction on June 9 and an online sale running through June 10. The live sale features two notable 17th-century French paintings with unusually low estimates: a portrait of Sister Angélique Arnauld by Philippe de Champaigne (estimated €60,000–80,000), a previously unseen autograph replica of a work in the Louvre, and a portrait of Nicolas de Brisacier by Nicolas Mignard. The Champaigne portrait is particularly significant due to the sitter's role as abbess of Port-Royal and the artist's connection to Jansenism.

How the Pace Layoffs Went Down—And What Comes Next

Pace Gallery laid off roughly 50 employees and cut about 50 artists from its roster, as first reported by the New York Times just before a company-wide town hall on Thursday morning. CEO Marc Glimcher held a brief Zoom call instead of the usual in-person gathering, where he acknowledged that his own decisions—including rapid international expansion and rising costs—had led the gallery to this point. The cuts affected sales, communications, art resources, operations, and other departments almost evenly, leaving many staffers uncertain about their jobs and reluctant to speak publicly while severance arrangements were finalized.

A Prized Lucien Freud Nude, Estimated at $47 M., is Poised to Break Records at Sotheby’s

A Lucian Freud nude portrait, *Sleeping by the Lion Carpet*, is expected to fetch between £25 million and £35 million ($33.4 million to $46.8 million) at Sotheby’s London on June 24. The painting depicts Sue Tilley, a model and frequent Freud muse who posed for the artist in the 1990s. Tilley expressed surprise at the market frenzy, recalling her sessions with Freud as “very pleasant.” The work is the final and most ambitious of Freud’s four monumental portraits of Tilley, and the last from the series to appear at auction since a 2015 sale set a record for a living artist.

What Do Next-Gen Collectors Want From the Art World?

A new book by art writer Georgina Adam, *NextGen Collectors and the Art Market*, examines how Millennial and Gen Z collectors are reshaping the art world. These younger buyers are often self-made, globally dispersed, and digitally native, prioritizing transparency, sustainability, and new ownership models over traditional collecting norms. Avant Arte's annual survey, “A Changing of the Guard,” reinforces these findings, showing that collectors under 45 are actively pushing for change and treating art as a personal storytelling device rather than a mere asset.

Goodman Gallery restructures and launches digital platform

Goodman Gallery has restructured its operations, cutting staff, reducing its artist roster from 50 to 40 artists, and scaling back its participation in art fairs. At the same time, it has launched a digital platform featuring a monthly screening programme called Goodman Screenings and a quarterly curated series named South South, whose inaugural edition in July is curated by Dr. Zoé Whitley. Founded in Johannesburg in 1966 by Linda Givon during apartheid, the gallery expanded under owner and director Liza Essers, who took over in 2008, opening spaces in Cape Town, London, and New York. Its roster includes prominent artists William Kentridge, El Anatsui, and Carrie Mae Weems.

Da Sotheby’s Londra l’asta da record della Lewis Collection. Degas, Modigliani e tutte le altre opere che hanno fatto scandalo

Sotheby's London will auction the Lewis Collection, a group of 48 artworks valued at over £200 million, on June 24-25, 2026. Assembled over decades by collector Joe Lewis and his daughter Vivienne Lewis, the collection features works by Modigliani, Degas, Picasso, Magritte, Klimt, Schiele, and Bacon, among others. The sale is led by Modigliani's 'Nu assis au collier' (1917-18), estimated at over £45 million, and includes Degas's 'Petite danseuse de quatorze ans' (estimated £18-25 million) and seven Picassos. The collection will be publicly exhibited at Sotheby's London from June 10-23 before the auction.

Un panneau de l'atelier de Francken entre au MahJ

The Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme (MahJ) in Paris has acquired a large panel attributed to the workshop of Frans Francken II, depicting Esther and Ahasuerus. The painting, which previously belonged to Marcel Proust after he inherited it from his mother in 1905, was purchased directly from the writer's descendants in spring 2025, funded by a donation from a Rothschild family foundation. The work was already on loan to the museum as part of a private collection and has now been added to its permanent display.