A major auction of Apple memorabilia and personal items belonging to Steve Jobs realized $8.1 million. The top lot was the first check ever issued by Apple, signed by founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, which sold for $2.4 million. Other significant items included an early Apple-1 prototype board and personal effects from Jobs's childhood home, including his bedroom desk and a collection of bowties.
2025 has been a landmark year for dinosaur fossils in the art world, marked by high-profile sales, seizures, and ethical controversies. In November, a pair of Allosaurus fossils and a Stegosaurus skeleton worth £12 million ($15.6 million) were seized by the UK's National Crime Agency from Binghai Su, a Chinese national linked to a major money-laundering case in Singapore. The fossils had been purchased at Christie's Jurassic Icons auction in 2024. Meanwhile, Sotheby's sold a juvenile Ceratosaurus fossil for $30.5 million in July, far exceeding its $6 million estimate, and Phillips entered the dinosaur market for the first time, selling a juvenile Triceratops skeleton for $5.4 million in November. The most expensive dinosaur fossil ever, a Stegosaurus named Apex bought by hedge fund titan Kenneth Griffin for $44.6 million in 2024, was loaned to the American Museum of Natural History.
Billionaire couple Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are sponsoring the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2026 Met Gala, the annual benefit for the Costume Institute. The news has revived speculation that Bezos may buy Condé Nast, Vogue’s parent company, which organizes the gala. Sánchez Bezos, a former TV reporter and recent Vogue cover subject, has been increasingly active in fashion circles, attending Paris Fashion Week and sitting front row at Chanel and Balenciaga shows. The 2026 gala will be the first since Anna Wintour’s retirement, with Chloe Malle taking over Vogue, and will feature a new dedicated Costume Institute gallery and the theme “Costume Art.”
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) has tabled the reaccreditation decision for the Louisiana State Museum (LSM) system until June 2027. While the system’s ten sites remain accredited during this period, the delay indicates that the AAM requires the institution to address specific concerns regarding its governance and operational structure. The LSM, which oversees significant cultural assets like the New Orleans Jazz Museum and the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum, has recently navigated a period marked by lawsuits, public controversy, and unfavorable audits.
Private Client Select (PCS), an insurance partner for serious art collectors, highlights the growing complexity of protecting fine art and collectibles. The article details unusual but real claims—such as a conceptual artwork mistaken for trash, a fiber work unraveled by a cat, or a sculpture damaged by a housekeeper—alongside more common risks like climate damage, transit mishaps, and theft. PCS's Art Services team, led by Senior Vice President Muys Snijders, offers proactive risk management, coordinating conservators, appraisers, and storage solutions. Emerging threats include climate change (wildfires, floods), social media exposure, financial complexities (tariffs, collateral lending), and material degradation of contemporary works using nontraditional materials.
Works by Edgar Degas and Ben Nicholson are among the artworks donated to UK public collections through the government's Acceptance in Lieu (AIL) and Cultural Gifts Schemes (CGS) between April 2024 and March 2025. The total value of objects gifted reached £59.7 million, settling £39.3 million in tax. Degas's pastel *Ballet Dancers* (1888) was allocated to the National Gallery in London, settling £7.9 million in tax, while three paintings by Ben Nicholson went to Kettle's Yard in Cambridge and a fourth to Pallant House Gallery. Other donations include 73 photographs by Bill Brandt to Tate, a Vanessa Bell still life to the Charleston Trust, and works from the Radev Collection.
Kent County Council, led by the Reform party, has removed and sold Antony Gormley's early public sculpture 'Two Stones' (1979-81) from outside the Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone. The council sold the work back to the artist himself in a private sale to raise funds, citing severe financial pressures and a need to avoid increasing costs for residents. The council's most recent accounts valued the work at £859,000, but the final sale price remains confidential.
Australian designer Marc Newson is presenting a comprehensive survey of his four-decade career at Château La Coste in Provence. The exhibition, housed in a pavilion designed by Oscar Niemeyer, features fifteen seminal works including the iconic 1988 Lockheed Lounge and a complex 2017 glass armchair. A highlight of the show is the 6-meter-tall sculpture 'Electra,' originally commissioned for the 1996 Olympics but never installed, which has been restored and recently acquired by collector Philip Serafim.
A historic section of the original Eiffel Tower staircase is set to be auctioned by Artcurial in Paris on May 21. The nearly nine-foot-tall segment consists of 14 spiral steps that once connected the monument's second and third levels before being dismantled in 1983 to make way for elevators. Estimated to fetch between $140,000 and $175,000, the piece has been held in a private collection for over forty years.
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.
The Mexican art community is voicing alarm over the relocation of the prestigious Gelman Collection to Spain, where it is slated to become the centerpiece of the new Foro Santander cultural center. Managed by Santander Bank and previously acquired by the Zambrano family, the collection includes 160 works by modern masters such as Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, including 18 rare paintings by Frida Kahlo. Critics and academics have signed an open letter demanding transparency from the Mexican government regarding the legality of this long-term export, given that many of these works are designated as national artistic monuments.
Christie’s has highlighted ten of Banksy’s most iconic works following a dedicated online auction held in March 2026. The selection spans the artist's career, featuring famous motifs such as the 'Flower Thrower Triptych'—originally sold through his Gross Domestic Product pop-up shop—and 'NOLA,' a commentary on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Other notable entries include his 'Pulp Fiction' parody featuring bananas and the globally recognized 'Girl with Balloon,' which continues to command high prices on the secondary market.
Recent Old Master auctions in New York have defied narratives of market decline, totaling over $185 million across Sotheby’s and Christie’s. High-profile sales included a newly discovered Michelangelo drawing for $27.2 million, a Canaletto masterpiece for $30.5 million, and a record-breaking Rembrandt drawing sold for $17.8 million. These results, alongside the Italian state's $14.9 million acquisition of an Antonello da Messina, suggest that historical masterpieces remain premier "civilisational assets" and stable financial havens during periods of economic volatility.
The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. has made over 60,000 high-resolution digital images from its permanent collection available for free download through its NGA Images platform. This open-access initiative includes masterpieces by iconic artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and Rembrandt van Rijn, allowing users to download files up to 3,000 pixels for personal or educational use.
Sotheby's Financial Services has priced a $900 million securitization deal backed by loans secured against artworks and, for the first time, collectible cars. The transaction bundles hundreds of loans, using the assets as collateral, and sells bonds representing the future loan payments to institutional investors, providing Sotheby's with upfront capital to issue new loans.
Ariel Emanuel, through his newly formed company Mari, has finalized the acquisition of Frieze, which includes its publication, seven art fairs worldwide, and two exhibition spaces. The deal also encompasses tennis events like the Miami Open and Madrid Open, and a majority stake in Barrett-Jackson, a collector car auction house. The acquisition, first announced in May, was valued at around $200 million, with Goldman Sachs and LionTree Advisors serving as financial advisers. Mari, backed by $2 billion in equity from investors including Apollo, RedBird Capital Partners, and the Qatar Investment Authority, will be led by Emanuel alongside Mark Shapiro, with Simon Fox remaining as Frieze CEO.
Dublin Gallery Weekend returns from 6–9 November 2025, featuring over 100 artists across 20 venues throughout Ireland's capital. Founded in 2023 by the Contemporary Art Gallery Association, the event connects small, independent galleries with established institutions. The Art Newspaper highlights five must-see shows, including Cecilia Vicuña's 'Reverse Migration' at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Isabel Nolan's 'Look at the Harlequins!' at Kerlin Gallery, Alan Butler's 'Assets' at Green on Red, and a group show 'Kwaidan - Encounters with Lafcadio Hearn' at SO Fine Art Editions, among others.
Nifty Gateway, an early NFT marketplace founded in 2018 and acquired by Gemini, will shut down on February 23 after entering withdrawal-only mode. The platform, which once reported $300 million in gross merchandise value in 2021 and partnered with Sotheby's for a $17 million NFT drop, is closing amid a sharp decline in NFT trading activity. Users must withdraw their assets by the deadline, after which they can no longer list, buy, or sell NFTs on the site.
The former owners of The Art Newspaper and L’Officiel are embroiled in legal disputes with the Hong Kong-based AMTD Group, alleging they have not received full payment for the sale of their publications. Russian publisher Inna Bazhenova, who sold The Art Newspaper for an estimated $16–17 million, and the Jalou family, former owners of L’Officiel, claim that AMTD owes significant buyout funds despite the media brands being used to anchor high-profile IPOs on the New York and London stock exchanges. Bazhenova specifically alleges that shares provided as part of the payment have been 'parked and frozen' by a brokerage linked to AMTD, preventing her from accessing her capital.
Christie’s will auction a rare 68-million-year-old Caenagnathid dinosaur skeleton nicknamed 'Spike' at its inaugural 'Groundbreakers: Icons of Our Time' sale in London on December 11. Discovered in 2022, the sub-adult specimen is one of the most complete of its kind, with over 100 preserved fossil bones, and may represent a new species. It is estimated to fetch between £3 million and £5 million ($4 million to $6.6 million), marking the first time a Caenagnathid Oviraptorosaur has been offered at auction.
A major investigation into China's Nanjing Museum has uncovered decades of systemic corruption and mismanagement that led to the secret sale of national treasures into the private art market. The scandal erupted after five paintings from a 1959 donation by the Pang family were found missing, with one, a Ming dynasty painting by Qiu Ying titled 'Spring in Jiangnan,' appearing at auction in 2025 valued at $12.7 million. The probe found that former vice-director Xu Huping authorized illegal transfers of donated works to a state-run cultural relics store for sale, where they were drastically undervalued and sold to private collectors.
Auctions of the week: Art, design, jewelry and comics
The global auction calendar for the week of March 19–25, 2026, features a dense schedule of sales across major hubs including Milan, Rome, Paris, Hong Kong, and New York. Italian houses like Il Ponte, Wannenes, and Finarte are leading with diverse offerings in Modern and Contemporary art, design, and niche collectibles like European comics and militaria. Simultaneously, international giants Christie’s and Sotheby’s are hosting major sessions ranging from Modern British art in London to luxury spirits and private sales in Asia and the United States.
India's art market experienced a major resurgence in 2025, driven by record auction sales for modernists like M.F. Husain, Tyeb Mehta, and V.S. Gaitonde. Husain's 'Gram Yatra' became the first Indian painting to sell for over USD 10 million, setting a new benchmark. The boom is fueled by India's strong economy, rising private wealth, digital platforms, and increased global recognition. The India Art Fair in Delhi and the launch of India Art Fair Contemporary in Mumbai highlighted strong sales, with galleries selling 90% of their stands on preview day. A reduction in India's goods and services tax on art from 12% to 5% further boosted the market, while independent reports estimate Indian art auctions reached Rs 2,456.7 crore, up over 20% from the previous year.
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A major fraud scheme involving counterfeit tickets and overbooked guided tours at the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles has been uncovered, leading to nine arrests and the seizure of over €1 million in cash and assets. The scheme, which reportedly operated for a decade, allowed guides to reuse tickets and conspire with museum employees to pocket sales, costing the Louvre an estimated €10 million in lost revenue.
A new survey from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) reveals that one-third of American museums have lost government grants and contracts since President Donald Trump took office. Based on responses from 511 museum directors, the report documents funding cuts from federal agencies including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). These losses have forced museums to defer infrastructure improvements, cancel programming for underserved communities, and lay off staff. Some institutions have taken legal action, and a court ruling in May halted further dismantling of the IMLS. The Mellon Foundation has offered emergency grants, but two-thirds of surveyed museums have been unable to replace lost funding, with a median grant loss of $30,000.
The United States government shutdown, which began on October 1 after Congress failed to reach a funding agreement, has forced the closure of numerous federally operated museums, historic sites, and national parks. While some outdoor monuments and parks remain accessible, many are understaffed and operating with limited services. In Washington, D.C., sites like the Library of Congress, National Archives Museum, and Washington Monument are closed, while Smithsonian-run institutions remain open only through October 11 using prior funds. In New York, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain open, but the lack of uniformity across agencies has created confusion for visitors.
Tehran's art community is struggling to recover after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025, which battered the economy, drove up inflation, and caused art sales to plummet as collectors tightened spending. Despite these challenges, galleries like 8Cube and O Gallery have shown resilience: 8Cube’s group show "Expectant," curated by renowned sculptor Bita Fayyazi and featuring 28 emerging artists, drew 1,500 visitors on its opening night in August, signaling a tentative return to cultural life. Gallery founders Aida Mofakham and Orkideh Daroodi describe a climate of uncertainty, with rising costs, electricity outages, and collectors shifting to gold and foreign currency instead of art.
Foundation, a prominent Ethereum-based NFT marketplace that launched during the 2021 digital art boom, has announced it will shut down following a failed acquisition by the digital art company Blackdove. CEO Kayvon Tehranian confirmed that the platform has entered a one-year wind-down phase, urging users to migrate their assets as no other viable buyers exist in the current market. The closure follows the collapse of a deal that was intended to provide long-term stewardship for the platform, which had facilitated over $230 million in sales since its inception.
Major auction houses including Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips are experiencing a significant shift as luxury goods—such as cars, watches, handbags, and jewelry—see explosive growth while fine art sales decline. In 2025, fine art sales at the 'Big Three' fell by 35% to $7.04 billion, whereas luxury auction sales rose 18% to $1.84 billion. This trend is most visible at Sotheby’s, where luxury now accounts for a third of total revenue, driven by massive private sales and strategic expansions into sectors like collector cars.
Half of non-bank art lenders experienced loan defaults in 2024, up from 17 percent in 2022, according to the Art and Finance Report 2025 by Deloitte Private and ArtTactic. The report notes that while the wider art market has shrunk since 2022—sales fell 12 percent to $57.5 billion in 2024—the market for art-backed loans has grown to an estimated $33.9–$40 billion. Non-bank lenders are increasingly taking on riskier clients, with some charging over 15 percent interest, while private banks reported zero defaults in 2024.