Revealed: Picasso’s granddaughter owned a Van Gogh—which she sold at Sotheby’s

Marina Picasso, granddaughter of Pablo Picasso, owned a Vincent van Gogh watercolor titled *Woman in a Wood* (September-October 1882), which she sold at Sotheby’s in New York on May 13 for $952,500. The work, which also features a sketch of a fishing boat on its reverse, was purchased by Marina in 1987 through Swiss dealer Jan Krugier from a Tehran-based collector. The sale was not publicly known until just before the auction. The article also notes that a separate Van Gogh oil painting, *In the Dunes* (September 1883), sold at Christie’s the previous day for $4 million from the collection of US businessman Jeffrey P. Draime.

Jenny Saville: ‘You are having a conversation with the paint, as well as with the sitter’

British artist Jenny Saville, known for her monumental paintings of the female form, is the subject of a major survey exhibition titled "The Anatomy of Painting" at the National Portrait Gallery in London, which opened in June. The show traces her practice from the 1990s to the present day, featuring portrait heads and figures that push the boundaries of portraiture. Saville, who broke the auction record for a living female artist in 2018 when her self-portrait "Propped" (1992) sold for £9.5m at Sotheby's, discusses her influences—including Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon, and Frank Auerbach—and her ongoing exploration of corporeality and painterliness in an interview with The Art Newspaper.

Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting

The National Portrait Gallery in London is hosting a major exhibition of Jenny Saville's work, titled "Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting," running from 20 June to 7 September 2025. The show brings together some of Saville's most monumental paintings, including works like "Hyphen" (1999) and "Reverse" (2002-03), drawn from private collections and courtesy of Gagosian. The article traces Saville's career from her early days as a committed child artist, through her studies at Glasgow School of Art and the University of Cincinnati, to her breakthrough when collector Charles Saatchi purchased her entire degree show in 1992, enabling her to create large-scale works for a solo exhibition.

Here's what's at Southwest Florida museums during July

Southwest Florida museums, from Sarasota to Naples, present a robust July lineup: two exhibitions open, one closes, and 24 continue. Highlights include Chris Friday's first solo museum show "Where We Never Grow Old" at Sarasota Art Museum, featuring large-scale chalk drawings and a site-specific installation exploring safe havens. Other notable shows include "Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press," with works by Martin Puryear and Kerry James Marshall; Jillian Mayer's interactive sculpture series "Slumpies"; Lillian Blades' immersive mixed-media maze "Through the Veil"; and Molly Hatch's site-specific ceramic installation "Amalgam" (2023-24). The Ringling Museum also highlights a newly acquired painting by Juana Romani.

15 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles This Summer

Los Angeles art institutions are presenting a diverse array of summer exhibitions, ranging from career-spanning surveys to historical reassessments. Highlights include Jeffrey Gibson's beadwork at the Broad, a survey of Barbara T. Smith's early Xerox works at the Marciano Art Foundation, a retrospective of Noah Davis at the Hammer Museum, and a group show at the California African American Museum addressing the legacy of Altadena's Black community after the Eaton Fire. Other notable shows include Nancy Buchanan's retrospective, Will Rawls at the ICA LA, Karl Haendel at the Weisman Museum, and a Jack Kirby exhibition at the Skirball Cultural Center.

Tentatively, Photo London's tenth edition moves away from traditional content and crowds

Photo London's tenth edition, under new director Sophie Parker, opened at Somerset House with a deliberate shift away from its traditional focus on established male photographers and celebrity subjects like Kate Moss. The fair eliminated its 'Master of Photography' award and revived the Positions section for unrepresented artists, featuring Palestinian-American Adam Rouhana and British Indian photographer Kavi Pujara. While the main pavilion still showcased familiar names like Sebastião Salgado, newer galleries reported strong early sales, including a £10,000–£15,000 portrait by Chou Ching Hui sold to a Norwegian museum via Taipei's Chini Gallery, and multiple sales at Amsterdam's Hungry Eye Gallery and Paris's Galerie XII.

Ten Highlights From New York’s Spring Marquee Auctions

New York's spring marquee auctions are set for May 2025, with Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips presenting strong lineups after a 25% drop in total public sales in 2024. Highlights include the $250 million Leonard and Louise Riggio collection at Christie's, featuring Piet Mondrian's *Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black and Blue* (est. $50 million), and Alberto Giacometti's *Grande tête mince* (est. over $70 million) at Sotheby's. Other top lots include Lucio Fontana's *The End of God*, Jean-Michel Basquiat's *Baby Boom*, a Rothko from the Bass mansion, Claude Monet's *Crepuscular Peupliers*, Olga de Amaral's evening sale debut, a trove of 40 Roy Lichtenstein works, and an Ed Ruscha piece. The sales test market resilience amid supply constraints and a cautious art market.

Silvestre Pestana’s LED Signs Give Language Charge

Silvestre Pestana, a Portuguese artist and poet, is presenting a solo exhibition of his LED text-based works at Galeria Quadrado Azul in Porto. The show, titled 'Silvestre Pestana: The Light of Words', features his pioneering 'Poemas Pornográficos' (Pornographic Poems) from the 1980s and newer LED pieces that transform language into pulsating, illuminated objects.

The True Story of César's Forger Currently Featured in a Canal+ Documentary Series

L’histoire vraie du faussaire de César actuellement dans une série documentaire sur Canal+

The French documentary series on Canal+ explores the life of Éric Piedoie Le Tiec, a prolific art forger who flooded the market with thousands of fake works. Based in the French Riviera, Le Tiec specialized in creating pieces "in the style of" modern masters like Raoul Dufy and César Baldaccini. Following César's death in 1998, Le Tiec partnered with Jean-Charles Villa to mass-produce fake "compressions" using industrial car crushers, exploiting the artist's rising market value and lack of a definitive catalogue raisonné.

New Met Gala fashion exhibit seeks to ‘reclaim’ body types that art history has ignored

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute will launch a new fashion exhibition titled "Costume Art" at the 2026 Met Gala, curated by Andrew Bolton. The show features 400 items across sections exploring body types historically marginalized in art, including the corpulent, disabled, pregnant, and aging body. It debuts in the newly renovated Conde M. Nast galleries on the museum's main floor, with custom mannequins modeled on real individuals such as Sinéad Burke, Aariana Rose Philip, and Goddess Bunny. The exhibition pairs fashion garments with art objects to argue that fashion is art, and will be open to the public from May 10 for eight months.

It’s not all movies: LA’s art, museums and exhibitions are world class

Los Angeles is expanding its cultural offerings with several new and renovated art institutions. The Museum of AI Arts, called Dataland, is set to open this spring at the Grand L.A. complex, created by artist Refik Anadol. It claims to be the world's first museum dedicated to AI art, featuring immersive installations like an Infinity Room with AI-generated scents. Meanwhile, the Natural History Museum completed a $75 million renovation in 2024, adding a 60,000-square-foot wing and displaying a unique green-boned dinosaur named Gnatalie, along with Barbara Carrasco's previously censored mural. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is opening the David Geffen Galleries on May 4, a 110,000-square-foot space for its permanent collection.

fondazione dries van noten opens with inaugural exhibition at palazzo pisani moretta, venice

Fondazione Dries Van Noten has opened at Palazzo Pisani Moretta in Venice with its inaugural exhibition, "The Only True Protest Is Beauty," running from April 25 to October 4, 2026. Curated by Dries Van Noten himself, the show features over 200 works across twenty rooms, blending fashion, art, design, ceramics, glass, and photography. Highlights include archival pieces by Christian Lacroix and Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons, alongside works by emerging and established artists such as Ayham Hassan, Peter Buggenhout, Ritsue Mishima, and Misha Kahn. The exhibition avoids a fixed curatorial logic, instead using instinctive juxtapositions to explore beauty as tension and disruption.

UAE art guide: 12 museum and gallery exhibitions to see, including Gallery Isabelle's 20th anniversary show

The UAE art scene is currently hosting a diverse array of exhibitions across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, despite regional disruptions. Key highlights include a major Picasso retrospective at Louvre Abu Dhabi, a 10th-century anniversary celebration at 421 Arts Campus titled 'Rays, Ripples, Residue,' and the inaugural photography exhibition at Sharjah Art Foundation’s new Al Manakh venue. These shows range from historical surveys of the human form to contemporary explorations of UAE’s urban development and climate change.

The Poetics of Error Between Art and Architecture

La poetica dell’errore tra arte e architettura

This essay challenges the historical obsession with perfection in architecture and art, rooted in Hegelian philosophy where beauty is equated with truth and flawlessness. It argues that the pursuit of the 'ideal' is a cognitive bias that ignores the value of complexity and structural failure. By reframing the 'error' not as a mistake but as a generative method, the text suggests that imperfection is often what elevates a work to the status of a masterpiece.

The Colors of Mark Rothko Conquer Florence: A Major Exhibition Across Three Venues

I colori di Mark Rothko conquistano Firenze: una grande mostra in tre sedi

The city of Florence is hosting a major three-venue retrospective dedicated to Mark Rothko, centered at Palazzo Strozzi with extensions into the Museo di San Marco and the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana. Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, the exhibition features 70 works spanning the artist's career, from his early Surrealist-influenced paintings of the 1930s and 40s to his iconic 'Multiform' and classic color-field abstractions. A unique highlight of the show is the installation of Rothko’s smaller works within the historic cells of the Museo di San Marco, directly alongside frescoes by Beato Angelico.

Diego Rivera’s grandson donates more than 150,000 objects to Mexico City’s Museo Anahuacalli

Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera, grandson of Diego Rivera, has donated his private collection of 157,300 objects to Mexico City's Museo Anahuacalli. The vast donation spans ceramics, textiles, prints, photographs, archives, and a research library, with works dating from the 16th century to the present. It will be transferred in stages and is expected to be fully integrated by the end of the year.

Pinta Panama Art Week 2026 Reaffirms the Country as a Hub for Regional Contemporary Art

PINTA PANAMA ART WEEK 2026 REAFFIRMS THE COUNTRY AS A HUB FOR REGIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART

The second edition of Pinta Panamá Art Week will be held from March 18-22, 2026, featuring works by Panamanian artists like Cisco Merel, Lulu Molinares, Arístides Ureña Ramos, and Isabel de Obaldía. Their projects, ranging from sculpture and textiles to immersive installations and studio visits, explore themes of memory, territory, and everyday life through the manipulation of materials and space.

In 2026, DeviantArt Is Helping Artists Cut Through The Noise and Fuel Sustainable Careers

DeviantArt has undergone a significant resurgence, reaching over 108 million users by 2026 following a multi-year modernization effort. The platform has pivoted away from traditional advertising models to a creator-centric ecosystem that prioritizes artist monetization through subscriptions, digital tip jars, and low-fee sales. By removing third-party ads and implementing advanced image protection technology, the site has positioned itself as a secure alternative to mainstream social media for digital creators.

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Archaeologist Mike Pitts has challenged the prevailing narrative surrounding the removal of Hoa Hakananaiʻa, the iconic Easter Island moai held by the British Museum. Drawing on a newly discovered 1869 eyewitness account from the Army and Navy Gazette and a rare historical photograph, Pitts argues that the statue's excavation was a collaborative effort involving hundreds of Indigenous Rapa Nui people rather than a simple act of imperial theft. The evidence suggests the British crew traded tobacco for assistance and were guided to the statue's location by the islanders.

cinema icon brigitte bardot dies olfactory art shines in germany controversy at imperial war museum and more morning links for december 29 2026 1234768207

This morning links roundup from ARTnews covers several art-world stories. UK ministers will underwrite up to £800 million in potential damage to the Bayeux Tapestry during its loan to the British Museum, making the British taxpayer the ultimate guarantor. London's Imperial War Museum has been accused of sidelining Victoria Cross recipients in favor of highlighting LGBTQ+ history after closing its gallery of the medals and returning them to Lord Ashcroft. Two exhibitions in Germany explore olfactory art, the Natural History Museum plans to open two spaces, and Ireland has reportedly turned the former Israeli embassy in Dublin into a museum for Palestine.

louvre museum closes gallery greek antiquities 1234761958

The Louvre Museum in Paris has temporarily closed a gallery housing Greek antiquities and several offices after an audit revealed structural weaknesses in beams on the second level of the southern Sully wing. The affected gallery, the Campana Gallery, which displays antique Greek ceramics, was shut as a precaution, and 65 employees have been relocated while experts assess the damage. The closure comes amid a difficult period for the museum, following a $102 million theft of France's crown jewels in October and a scathing report criticizing leadership for prioritizing acquisitions over security upgrades.

okada museum sells art founder legal bill sothebys 1234758869

Japan’s Okada Museum of Art is selling 125 works from its collection at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on November 22 to help its founder, Kazuo Okada, pay a $50 million legal bill. The bill stems from a long-running feud with casino magnate Steve Wynn, which began when the two co-founded Wynn Resorts in 2002 and later accused each other of improper payments. The collection includes Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic *The Great Wave Off the Coast of Kanagawa* (1830–32), a rare Qianlong “Eight Treasures” vase, and 16th-century screens by Kano Motonobu. Okada, an 83-year-old billionaire, lost a binding arbitration over the legal fees and must now sell the art.

investigators look to dna analysis video footage to identify louvre thieves 1234758560

On October 19, 2025, thieves broke into the Louvre Museum's Apollo Gallery in Paris, using a cherry picker and an angle grinder to steal nine pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million in under eight minutes. One piece was recovered outside the museum. Approximately 100 investigators are now analyzing DNA evidence found on a helmet and gloves at the scene, as well as video footage captured by a bystander showing two suspects escaping on scooters. The museum reopened the day after the heist, but the Apollo Gallery remains closed due to the ongoing investigation.

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A 5,000-year-old statue of the Egyptian god Min, currently on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition "Divine Egypt," has gone viral on social media after a user on X posted a humorous comment about its erect phallus. The statue, which originally featured a separate stone phallus now lost, depicts Min with his hand at his groin, a pose linked to male fertility. The exhibition includes nearly 250 artworks and objects related to Egyptian deities, with loans from the Louvre, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

egyptian bracelet missing melted down 1234752930

A 3,000-year-old gold bracelet belonging to King Amenemope was stolen from a conservation lab in Egypt, sold for 194,000 Egyptian pounds (about $4,000), and melted down by a gold smelter. The theft was carried out by a restoration specialist who took the artifact from a safe, and four suspects have since been arrested with proceeds recovered. The bracelet was being prepared for an upcoming exhibition titled “Treasures of the Pharaohs” at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome.

vancouver art gallery lays off 30 unionized employees 1234746371

The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) is laying off approximately 30 unionized staff members, representing about 20% of its 150 unionized employees represented by CUPE 15. The layoffs, described by a spokesperson as necessary for long-term sustainability, follow the departure of director Anthony Kiendl in March and the cancellation of a planned C$600 million building by Herzog & de Meuron last December. The gallery is now seeking a simpler, less expensive new home, inviting 14 Canadian architectural firms to apply. The city of Vancouver, a key funder, has also announced budget cuts and hiring freezes, compounding the gallery's financial challenges.

louvre to return 258 works from rothschild cabinet of curiosities 1234743810

The Louvre Museum in Paris will return 258 works from the bequest of collector Adèle de Rothschild to the Fondation des Artistes after a 2019 cross-inventory revealed the objects were improperly inventoried in the Louvre's collection. Rothschild, who died in 1922, bequeathed her private mansion and its contents to the French government with the stipulation that her cabinet of curiosities remain intact, but the Louvre held works from the cabinet—including objets d'art and Islamic art—in violation of her wishes. The foundation's director, Laurence Maynier, described the surrender as a "just return," noting that the objects were all in storage and invisible to the public. Some 30 other objects will remain at the Louvre for five years to allow curators to find replacements, and the museum will receive 104 pieces from the foundation's inventory as compensation. The cabinet is set to reopen in September.

ucla fowler museum returns artifacts australia larrakia 1234742627

The Fowler Museum at UCLA has voluntarily returned 11 culturally significant objects to the Larrakia Community of Australia’s Northern Territory. The items, including a kangaroo tooth headband and 10 glass spearheads dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were handed over in a ceremony on May 20. Half of the objects arrived at the museum in 1965 via a large donation from the Wellcome Trust, while the rest were gifts from private collectors. Since 2021, Larrakia elders have worked with AIATSIS and the Fowler Museum to identify and facilitate the return. The Larrakia community plans to open a cultural center next year to house the repatriated items.

ana pellicer sculptor dead 1234741800

Ana Pellicer, a Mexican sculptor celebrated for her monumental copper creations, has died at age 79. Mexico’s culture ministry announced her death this week without specifying a cause. Pellicer gained international recognition later in life for the oversized jewelry she created for the Statue of Liberty, including a 36-foot-tall necklace exhibited at MoMA PS1 in New York in 2018 as part of the show “Body Armor.” Born in Mexico City in 1946, she spent much of her career in the shadow of her husband, sculptor James Metcalf, and together they trained female artisans in Santa Clara del Cobre in ancient copper techniques, founding the Centro de Acción Educativa.

Mystery 17th-Century Portrait Sparks Search for Identity of Black Sitter

Researchers at the National Portrait Gallery in London have launched a landmark investigation into a rare 17th-century double portrait featuring a Black boy and a white boy standing side-by-side. The painting, which has hung at the historic Penshurst Place in Kent for centuries, is undergoing extensive restoration and technical analysis to identify the sitters. Experts are particularly struck by the composition, which depicts the Black figure at the same scale and status as the white figure, a significant departure from the era's typical portrayal of Black individuals as marginal attendants.