Art News. Vasari Codex

trending_up market schedule Jun 26, 2025 visibility 14 link 5 artists

napoleon sale sothebys paris france famous antiques dealer 1234746214

On Wednesday in Paris, Sotheby's auctioned a collection of Napoleonic artifacts from the private collection of prominent French antiques dealer Pierre-Jean Chalençon, generating €8.7 million ($9.6 million) against a €6 million estimate. The 112-lot sale included imperial furniture, Old Master paintings, and personal relics such as Napoleon's worn stockings and a copy of his marriage certificate. Highlights included a portrait by Jean-Baptiste Mauzaisse that sold for €863,600 (20 times its estimate) and the only surviving remnant of Napoleon's first will, which fetched €482,600. However, Napoleon's bicorne hat underperformed, selling for €355,600 against a €600,000 low estimate, amid provenance questions raised by French newspaper Le Figaro.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 25, 2025 visibility 19 link 4 artists

john singer sargent madame x three things 2633448

John Singer Sargent's iconic portrait *Madame X* (1883–84), depicting American-born socialite Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, caused a scandal when it debuted at the 1884 Paris Salon. Critics were outraged by the fallen shoulder strap on Gautreau's gown, which implied an illicit rendezvous, and by the public exposure of a recognizable high-society woman in such a provocative pose. Sargent repainted the strap after the Salon, but the damage was done: Gautreau's reputation suffered, and Sargent fled Paris for London to restart his career. The painting now belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and will be featured in its upcoming exhibition "Sargent and Paris."

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 24, 2025 visibility 14 link 7 artists

john singer sargent and dollar princesses 2648649

A new exhibition titled “Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits” at London’s Kenwood House explores the phenomenon of the “dollar princesses”—American heiresses who married into the British aristocracy between 1870 and 1914. The show features eight paintings and ten charcoal studies by John Singer Sargent, including portraits of notable figures like Nancy Astor and Consuelo Vanderbilt, and runs through October 5. Curated by Wendy Monkhouse of English Heritage, the exhibition examines the complex social dynamics behind these transatlantic unions, which were often criticized as mercenary transactions.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 18, 2025 visibility 12 link 1 artist

design miami announces 2025 programming new event seoul 1234745570

Design Miami has announced its 2025 programming for its 20th anniversary year, including a new initiative called Design Miami.In Situ. The schedule features a one-day event in Aspen in July, a 14-day exhibition in Seoul in September, the third edition of its Paris fair in October, and the 21st edition of its flagship fair in Miami Beach in December. The Seoul exhibition, curated by Hyeyoung Cho and held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, is a collaboration with the Seoul Design Foundation focusing on Korean collectible design. CEO Jen Roberts described this as the organization's largest global expansion and most ambitious program to date.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jun 17, 2025 visibility 11 link 2 artists

louvre closes strike 2657488

The Louvre Museum in Paris failed to open on Monday morning after front-of-house staff, including security guards, gallery attendants, and receptionists, staged a spontaneous protest over chronic understaffing and overcrowding. The walkout began after a routine internal meeting, forcing thousands of visitors to wait outside for hours without explanation. The museum eventually opened at 2:30 p.m. local time and offered refunds to affected ticket holders. The protest follows a leaked letter from director Laurence des Cars to culture minister Rachida Dati detailing severe infrastructure problems, including temperature fluctuations endangering artworks, leaky roofs, and inadequate visitor facilities.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jun 17, 2025 visibility 17 link 17 artists, 9 galleries

big questions art basel 2656782

Art Basel, the flagship art fair, returns to Basel, Switzerland from June 17 to 22 amid a period of market contraction and geopolitical instability. The article explores key questions surrounding the fair, including whether the proliferation of new Art Basel editions in Paris and Doha is diluting interest in the original Swiss event. Gallerists and collectors weigh in, noting that while Paris is rising in importance, Basel retains unmatched prestige and draws a genuinely engaged international audience. The piece also highlights the fair's new "Premiere" section, which spotlights mid-career and established artists, featuring London gallery Edel Assanti's debut presentation of American artist Lonnie Holley.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

rate_review review schedule Jun 16, 2025 visibility 22 link 14 artists

cubism at the met modern art that looks tragically antique 157075

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's current "Cubism" exhibition showcases masterpieces from the Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection, featuring works by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris, and Fernand Léger. The show spans six galleries and presents some of the finest examples of Cubist art, including iconic pieces like Braque's *The Castle of La Roche-Guyon* (1909) and Picasso's *The Oil Mill* (1909). The exhibition is essentially a curated display of Lauder's promised gift to the Met, highlighting the "Four Horsemen" of Cubism while omitting the broader context of the movement's other pioneers, such as the Salon Cubists.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 13, 2025 visibility 17 link 15 artists

matisse daughter 2640043

The Museum of Modern Art in Paris has opened "Matisse and Marguerite: Through Her Father's Eyes," an exhibition running through August 24 that explores the lifelong bond between Henri Matisse and his eldest daughter, Marguerite Duthuit-Matisse. Featuring over 100 works—including paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and ceramics—the show traces their relationship from her childhood through World War II, with many pieces rarely exhibited before. Loans come from institutions in the United States, Switzerland, and Japan, supplemented by photographs and archival materials.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jun 11, 2025 visibility 11 link 6 artists

rare rodin sculpture fetches 1 million 2654927

A rare marble sculpture by Auguste Rodin, *Le Désespoir* (ca. 1892–93), was rediscovered atop a piano in a private home in France and sold at auction for €1.1 million ($1.2 million). The auction, held by Rouillac at the Château de Villandry, lasted over 20 minutes and attracted bidders from China, Switzerland, and the United States, with a young American banker winning the piece. The sculpture had last appeared at auction in Paris in 1906 and exceeded its high estimate of €700,000.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 10, 2025 visibility 16 link 6 artists

christo and jeanne claude arc de triomphe wrapped 2010173

Christo and Jeanne-Claude's posthumous project to wrap the Arc de Triomphe in Paris has been completed and inaugurated by French President Emmanuel Macron. The monument is covered in 25,000 square meters of silvery blue polypropylene fabric and 3,000 meters of red rope, with the installation open to the public from September 18 to October 3, 2021. The €14 million project was entirely funded by the sale of Christo's artworks and overseen by the couple's nephew, Vladimir Yavachev, along with the Center of Monuments Nationaux.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article local schedule Jun 10, 2025 visibility 22 link 16 artists

historic paris art schools risk development 2652974

The Académie de la Grande Chaumière, a historic Paris art school founded in 1904 that taught artists like Balthus, Joan Miró, and Louise Bourgeois, faces eviction by July 31 after its owner Alexandre Garèse declined to renew its lease. Garèse plans to redevelop the Montparnasse site into a mixed-use complex with commercial and cultural spaces, hiring architect Franklin Azzi for the project. Over 21,000 people have signed a petition to save the school, and local heritage groups SOS Paris and Monts 14 have rallied against the closure.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Jun 10, 2025 visibility 20 link 4 artists

french museums hike ticket prices non european visitors 2654566

Several major French cultural institutions, including the Louvre, the Château de Versailles, and potentially the Arc de Triomphe, have implemented a "differential tariff" that raises ticket prices for non-European Union visitors. Starting January 1, 2026, non-E.U. tourists will pay €30 ($35) to enter the Louvre, up from €22 ($25). The policy, first reported by Le Monde, is expected to generate up to €20 million annually for the Louvre alone, helping to fund urgent renovations estimated at €400 million over 15 years. The move follows a leaked letter from Louvre director Laurence des Cars to culture minister Rachida Dati warning of severe building deterioration, including temperature fluctuations endangering artworks and water damage. French president Emmanuel Macron has announced a sweeping restoration, but state funding will cover only a fraction of the cost.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Jun 9, 2025 visibility 13 link 4 artists

rodins the thinker history 2649667

Auguste Rodin's iconic sculpture *The Thinker* was originally conceived in 1880 as part of a larger project—a decorative doorway for a planned Musée des Arts Décoratifs at the Palais d'Orsay in Paris. Rodin later exhibited the figure independently, and after his wife Rose Beuret died in 1917, he placed a bronze cast on her grave in Meudon, where he was buried months later. The article reveals lesser-known facts about the work, including that the first cast (1884, now at the National Gallery of Victoria) originally wore a Florentine cap identifying it as the poet Dante Alighieri, and that the plaster version of *The Gates of Hell* now sits at the Musée d'Orsay, the very site where the doorway was originally intended.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Jun 4, 2025 visibility 16 link 9 artists

natural history museum will remove human remains from display 2381068

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City will remove human remains from its public displays over the next eight weeks and update its policies regarding the collection. The decision follows an investigation by Erin Thompson, a professor of art crime at John Jay College, whose report for Hyperallergic raised ethical and legal concerns about the acquisition of approximately 12,000 individuals' remains held by the museum. Museum president Sean Decatur announced the removal as the "right course of action," acknowledging that the remains were collected without consent and often used to advance racist scientific agendas.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 4, 2025 visibility 17 link 10 artists

manet paintings reunited 2608628

Two halves of an Édouard Manet painting, originally a single canvas that the artist split in 1874, have been temporarily reunited at London’s National Gallery for the first time in over a century. The works, *Au café* (1878) and *Corner of a Café-Concert* (probably 1878-80), depict different sides of the same bar at the Brasserie Reichshoffen in Montmartre. They were separated after the death of collector Étienne Barroil in 1887, with *Corner of a Café-Concert* entering the National Gallery in 1924 and *Au café* acquired by Swiss collector Oskar Reinhart in 1953. The reunion, on view through December 15, includes a display of Manet’s original sketch and explores his evolving creative process.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jun 4, 2025 visibility 18 link 17 artists

william dobson acquisition 2652185

A rare self-portrait by 17th-century British painter William Dobson has been jointly acquired by London's Tate and the National Portrait Gallery for £2.37 million ($3.2 million), setting a new record for the artist. The painting, considered the first known self-portrait by a British-born painter, was created in the late 1630s and last sold at Bonhams London in 2016 for just over £1.1 million. It will go on view in London before embarking on a national tour in 2026.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 3, 2025 visibility 10 link 3 artists

rijksmuseum condom erotic print 1234744150

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has announced that a rare condom dating from 1830 will go on display in its print room as part of an exhibition on 19th-century sex work and sexuality. The nearly 200-year-old condom, likely made from a sheep's appendix and featuring an erotic image of a nun and three clergymen with the inscription "Voilà mon choix" ("This is my choice"), is one of only two such surviving objects and was purchased by the museum at auction six months ago.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 29, 2025 visibility 8 link 1 artist

development of rice noodle like glue for historical paintings puts art conservators fears to rest 1234743772

Art conservators faced a crisis after two key ingredients for Beva 371, a glue used to line historical canvases, were discontinued—first the resin Laropal K-80 in 2005 and then the tackifier Cellolyn 21E in 2020. Researchers from the University of Akron and New York University's Conservation Center, funded by a Getty Foundation grant, developed a new version called Beva 371 Akron. The adhesive is less toxic, less vulnerable to supply-chain issues, and available in three forms: a pre-mixed heat-seal variant, solid spaghetti-like pellets for easy transport, and a solvent-free pure adhesive.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 29, 2025 visibility 13 link 1 artist

centre pompidou brazil satellite 1234743858

The Centre Pompidou will open its first South American satellite in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, in November 2027, backed by Paraná state officials. Designed by Paraguayan architect Solano Benítez, the museum will feature exhibition galleries and research facilities, highlighting South American artists alongside works from the Pompidou’s permanent collection of around 150,000 objects. This expansion comes as the Paris flagship closes for five years starting September 2024 for a $280 million renovation.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 28, 2025 visibility 18 link 8 artists

artcurial twenty one contemporary 2647329

On June 6, 2025, Artcurial Paris will host "Twenty One Contemporary," a curated auction dedicated exclusively to 21st-century art. The sale features works by artists such as Xavier Veilhan, Barthélémy Toguo, Aboudia, Thomas Houseago, and Guillaume Bresson, spanning experimental sculpture, painting, and works on paper. Highlights include Veilhan's machine-carved birch sculpture "The Neptunes" (2015), Toguo's large-scale watercolor "Homing Pigeon" (2005), and Bresson's photorealistic "Sans titre" (2010), with estimates ranging from €15,000 to €120,000.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule May 27, 2025 visibility 11 link 3 artists

yves kleins sued stuart semple blue paint 2637556

British artist Stuart Semple has been ordered by a French court to pay €16,000 ($18,200) in damages for selling a blue paint called Easy Klein, which he developed as a tribute to Yves Klein. The ruling, issued on what would have been Klein’s 97th birthday, sided with Klein’s estate and trademark holders—Blue Bay Limited, RUK (the company managing Klein’s copyrights), and Klein’s son Yves Amu Klein—who argued that Semple’s product unfairly capitalized on Klein’s legacy. Semple denies the claims and plans to appeal, stating that the packaging was a satirical riff on Calvin Klein perfume, not an attempt to confuse consumers.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

candle obituary schedule May 23, 2025 visibility 11 link 5 artists

sebastiao salgado photographer dead 1234743518

Sebastião Salgado, the acclaimed Brazilian photographer known for his powerful black-and-white images documenting worker exploitation, environmental destruction, and human rights abuses, has died at age 81. His death was announced by Instituto Terra, the organization he co-founded with his wife Lélia Wanick Salgado. Salgado had been in declining health since contracting malaria in the 1990s. His work spanned decades and continents, from the Sahel desert to the Amazon rainforest, and he was widely regarded as one of the most beloved photographers of his generation.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 22, 2025 visibility 14 link 6 artists

pope leo first general address van gogh sower at sunset 1234743440

Pope Leo XIV, in his first general address, referenced Vincent van Gogh's 1888 painting *The Sower at Sunset* as a metaphor for faith and divine guidance. He noted that behind the sower, van Gogh painted the grain already ripe, interpreting the sun as the central figure of the biblical parable. The address highlighted the Pope's engagement with art as a means of spiritual reflection.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 21, 2025 visibility 14 link 11 artists

suzanne valadon post impressionist painter 1234742809

Suzanne Valadon, a self-taught French post-impressionist painter known for her brash, unflinching style and commitment to representation, is the subject of a major retrospective at the Centre Pompidou in Paris through May 26. The exhibition, simply titled "Suzanne Valadon," features 200 works and is part of a recent swell of attention that includes six major exhibitions in six years, highlighting her self-portraits, nudes, and depictions of the human body with unidealized realism.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 21, 2025 visibility 15 link 13 artists

lalanne ostrich bar sothebys paris 2641959

François-Xavier Lalanne's functional sculpture "Ostrich Bar" (1965) sold for €11.1 million ($12.5 million) at Sotheby's Paris on May 20, far exceeding its €3–4 million estimate after an 11-minute bidding war. The piece, one of only six ever produced, features two porcelain ostriches gripping a metal shelf with a central egg for ice cubes; it was the artist's personal favorite, kept in his bedroom for over four decades. The sale took place within Sotheby's Important Design sale curated by model Betty Catroux.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 20, 2025 visibility 8 link 7 artists

jim morrison pere lachaise grave bust recovered 2647328

French authorities recovered the marble bust that once adorned Jim Morrison's grave at Père Lachaise cemetery, 37 years after it vanished in 1988. The bust, created by Croatian sculptor Mladen Mikulin and installed in 1981, was discovered during a fraud investigation by the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office. The sculpture, missing its nose and covered in graffiti, had become a iconic fixture at the singer's burial site before its mysterious theft.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 18 link 17 artists

are trophy lots losing their luster 2645621

New York's marquee spring auctions in May 2025 tested the theory that strong supply drives demand, but results were mixed. Alberto Giacometti's *Grande tête mince* (1955), estimated at $70 million, failed to sell at Sotheby's, while Christie's withdrew a $30 million Andy Warhol electric-chair painting. The top lot of the week was Piet Mondrian's *Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black and Blue* (1922), which fetched $47.6 million from the collection of late Barnes & Noble founder Len Riggio. However, Christie's pre-sold 93% of that collection's value to third-party backers, and the house fell $26 million short of its guaranteed amount. Sotheby's avoided financial risk on the Giacometti by not guaranteeing it, still earning $34.4 million in buyer's premiums. A new record for a living woman artist was set when Marlene Dumas's *Miss January* (1997) sold for $13.6 million at Christie's, though adjusted for inflation it fell short of Jenny Saville's 2018 record.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 18 link 5 artists

impressionist masters manet morisot major museum show 2644203

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco will present "Manet and Morisot," the first major museum exhibition dedicated to the artistic exchange between French Impressionists Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot. Opening October 11 at the Legion of Honor, the show traces their relationship from 1868 to 1883, pairing works to reveal mutual influence. Lenders include the National Gallery of Art, Musée d'Orsay, J. Paul Getty Museum, and Cleveland Museum of Art, where the exhibition will travel next year.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 15, 2025 visibility 19 link 7 artists

olga de amaral wove her own path at 92 the art world is catching up 2640409

The nonagenarian Colombian fiber artist Olga de Amaral, now 92, is the subject of a major retrospective at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, following its debut at the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain in Paris in 2024. The exhibition, on view through October 12, 2025, features works spanning her entire career, from the 1950s to the present, and includes pieces that blend ancient and futuristic aesthetics, often incorporating gold shimmer and woven density. Curated by Marie Perennès and Stephanie Seidel, the show highlights Amaral's pioneering role in textile art, a medium historically marginalized as craft rather than fine art.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule May 15, 2025 visibility 14 link 9 artists

theophile alexandre steinlen tournee du chat noir 2417712

The article explores the life and work of Théophile Alexandre Steinlen (1859–1923), the Swiss-born artist who created the iconic 1896 poster *Tournée du Chat Noir* for Rodolphe Salis’s legendary Parisian cabaret Le Chat Noir. It details how Steinlen, a resident of Montmartre, was introduced to the cabaret’s circle by fellow artist Adolphe Willette and went on to produce numerous commercial works featuring cats, including advertisements, exhibition announcements, and the artists' book *Des chats, dessins sans paroles*. The piece also highlights Steinlen’s involvement in leftist politics and his broader artistic output, which included landscapes, still lifes, and nudes shown at the Salon des Indépendants.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original