Brunnen aus Kolbe-Museum gehört nun zu US-Privatsammlung

A bronze and travertine fountain by German sculptor Georg Kolbe, titled 'Brunnen mit der zierlichen Tänzerin' (1922), was auctioned at Grisebach in Berlin for €4 million, far exceeding its estimate of €1–1.5 million. The fountain, which had been in the garden of the Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin since 1979, was recently restituted to the heirs of its original owner, Heinrich Stahl, a Jewish insurance director who perished in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. The winning bid came from a private collection in the United States, and the buyer's future plans for the work are unknown.

Heir of Margarethe Lieser Sues for Restitution of Gustav Klimt Portrait That Fetched $37.5 M. at Auction in Austria Before the Sale Fell Through

A woman claiming to be the sole heir of Margarethe Lieser has filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court seeking restitution of Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Fräulein Margarethe Lieser." The painting was sold at Im Kinsky auction house in Austria in 2024 for $37.5 million, setting a record for any artwork sold at auction in Austria, but the Hong Kong collector buyer withdrew their offer after the sale. The suit, filed by Patricia J. Leahy on behalf of herself and others, names Austria's Eva Ropper and Im Kinsky as defendants, alleging the auction house failed to properly identify the subject and ignored the painting's Nazi-era provenance.

Sammlung Horn bleibt dauerhaft auf Schloss Gottorf

Bettina Horn, the Berlin-based art collector and philanthropist, has announced her intention to donate the Horn Collection—over 500 works of German Expressionist art—to the state of Schleswig-Holstein, ensuring its permanent home at Schloss Gottorf in Schleswig. The collection includes major pieces by Emil Nolde, Ernst Barlach, Christian Rohlfs, and members of the Brücke group such as Kirchner, Schmidt-Rottluff, Heckel, and Pechstein, as well as contemporary sculptures. Parts of the collection have been exhibited at Schloss Gottorf since 1988, and a dedicated gallery was established in 1995. After a two-year international tour, the works will return to the newly renovated Galerie der Moderne in July.

Mexico Demands a Halt to an Auction of Mexican Artifacts in Colorado

Mexico’s Ministry of Culture has demanded the suspension of an auction organized by Artemis Fine Arts in Louisville, Colorado, scheduled for today. The sale, titled “Fine/Visual Art, Ancient, Ethnographic Art,” includes 80 artifacts of Mexican origin flagged by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza stated, “Our heritage is not an object of profit,” emphasizing Mexico’s commitment to cultural sovereignty. Under Mexican law, such artifacts are property of the state and their export has been illegal since 1827, meaning any found abroad are considered illegally extracted.

Gaffe clamorosa dello Stato. Un’opera del Trecento scambiata per un dipinto dell’Ottocento: perduta per sempre

The Italian state has definitively lost a 14th-century painting, a 'Madonna and Child' by the Master of the Baptistery of Parma, after a catastrophic bureaucratic error. In 2020, a Swiss company purchased the work at auction in Italy for €38,000, classified as a modest 19th-century devotional piece. The Ministry of Culture, then led by Dario Franceschini, issued an export certificate, noting the work's limited quality and local religious interest. The date '1350' on the back was misread as '1850' due to wear. After export, a 2022 restoration revealed the true date and the work's significant artistic value. Christie's later estimated it at £400,000–£500,000. The state tried to annul the export authorization, but the buyer successfully challenged this in court. The Council of State's final ruling in May 2025 confirmed the legality of the export, making the loss irreversible.

Three Martyrs Return to Their Native City of Guadalajara

Trois martyres retrouvent leur ville natale de Guadalajara

The article reports that three martyred saints—Saints Apolline, Lucy, and Barbara—have been returned to their native city of Guadalajara, Mexico, specifically to the Museo Provincial. The text describes the gruesome details of their martyrdoms: Saint Apolline had her teeth pulled out and was burned alive under Emperor Decius in 249 AD; Saint Lucy had her eyes gouged out during the persecution of Diocletian (303-310 AD); and Saint Barbara is mentioned as a contemporary martyr. The acquisition marks the repatriation of these religious artworks to their city of origin.