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8 Must-See Museum Shows Celebrating Overlooked Women Artists

This article highlights eight museum exhibitions scheduled for fall 2025 that focus on historically overlooked women artists. Featured shows include "Nancy Elizabeth Prophet: I Will Not Bend an Inch" at Spelman College, "Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within" at the Chazen Museum of Art, and "Edmonia Lewis: Indelible Impressions" at the Cantor Arts Center, among others. Each exhibition aims to bring renewed attention to artists who faced racial and gender barriers, such as Afro-Indigenous sculptor Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, ceramicist Toshiko Takaezu, and 19th-century sculptor Edmonia Lewis.

Lovers to friends: the intimate story of Van Gogh's sister-in-law and the artist Isaac Israëls

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has published 103 letters from Dutch Impressionist painter Isaac Israëls to Jo Bonger, Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law, revealing a previously secret romantic relationship between them. The museum is also presenting an exhibition titled "Captivated by Vincent: The Intimate Friendship of Jo van Gogh-Bonger and Isaac Israëls" (through January 25, 2026), which explores their brief physical relationship in the 1890s and its aftermath, including how Israëls incorporated Van Gogh's paintings into his own portraits—a practice he called "Vincenting." Twelve of these portraits are on display for the first time.

Kerry James Marshall, National Gallery expansion, Picasso’s Three Dancers—podcast

This podcast episode from The Art Newspaper covers three major art stories. Ben Luke tours Kerry James Marshall's retrospective 'The Histories' at the Royal Academy of Arts in London—the largest European survey of the US artist's work—with curator Mark Godfrey, and visits a related exhibition of Marshall's graphic novel 'Rythm Mastr' at The Tabernacle in Notting Hill. The National Gallery in London announces a £400m expansion called Project Domani, the largest transformation in its 200-year history, with £375m already raised, and a shift in its collecting boundary beyond 1900. Finally, Tate Modern's centenary exhibition 'Theatre Picasso' centers on Pablo Picasso's 'The Three Dancers' (1925), discussed with co-curator Natalia Sidlina and designer Enrique Fuenteblanca.

The National Gallery's new exhibition includes Van Gogh's brief foray into Neo-Impressionism

The National Gallery in London opens 'Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists' tomorrow, running until 8 February 2026. The exhibition features works by Van Gogh’s Parisian colleagues, including Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, and highlights Van Gogh’s brief experimentation with Neo-Impressionist dot-like technique. A key work on display is Van Gogh's 'The Sower' (June 1888), which also recently received a papal mention by Pope Leo XIV, who referenced the painting in his first general audience at the Vatican, interpreting its sun as a symbol of God.

Crystal Bridges Museum's expansion will open in June 2026

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, announced its expansion will open on June 6, 2026, adding 114,000 square feet—a 50% increase in size. Designed by Safdie Architects, the project began in 2022 and includes hundreds of newly donated works, the largest gift in the museum's history: over 200 pieces from Dallas-based collectors Candace and Michael Humphreys. Additional donations from board chair Olivia Walton and her husband Tom include 18 works by women artists, honoring her late mother, gallerist Monique Knowlton.

Van Gogh’s Starry Night over the Rhône reveals more of its mysteries

Van Gogh's *Starry Night over the Rhône* (September 1888), housed at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, is analyzed in detail to separate the actual view of Arles from the artist's imaginative additions. The article examines how Van Gogh repositioned the Plough (Big Dipper) constellation, exaggerated the brightness of gas lamps, and likely painted most of the scene in his studio rather than en plein air. It also reveals that he later reworked the lower-left corner of the canvas, as seen in contemporary sketches.

How did the only painting sold by Van Gogh in his lifetime end up in Russia?

The article explores the history and conservation of Vincent van Gogh's "The Red Vineyard," the only painting he is certain to have sold during his lifetime. Sold for 400 francs at a Brussels exhibition in March 1890, the work now resides at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. A recent conservation project used modern scientific techniques to uncover new details about the painting's creation, including Van Gogh's use of paint straight from the tube, compositional changes, and the fading of chrome yellow pigments. The article also recounts the painting's origin during Van Gogh's time in Arles with Paul Gauguin and its journey to Russia.

Sotheby’s Unveils Plans for Breuer Building, Announces Opening Date

Sotheby's will open its new global headquarters in the Marcel Breuer–designed building at 945 Madison Avenue on November 8, 2025, after a renovation by Herzog & de Meuron with local partner PBDW Architects. The Brutalist landmark, originally completed in 1966 for the Whitney Museum of American Art, later housed the Met Breuer and the Frick Collection during its renovation. The project restores Breuer's original open gallery floors, adds state-of-the-art lighting and climate control, and preserves period details like the lobby's domed ceiling lights. The opening will feature a free public exhibition of Modern and Contemporary art ahead of marquee auctions starting November 17, with design sales and Luxury Week following on December 5, and a fine-dining restaurant by Roman and Williams opening later in the winter.

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.

Van Gogh was not fantasising when he painted mountain landscapes with ‘The Two Holes’

Martin Bailey, a leading Van Gogh specialist, reveals that the distinctive rock formation known as Le Rocher des Deux Trous (The Rock of the Two Holes), which appears in two of Vincent van Gogh's paintings—The Olive Trees (June 1889) and Mountains at Saint-Rémy (July 1889)—is a real geological feature near the asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, not a figment of the artist's imagination. The two paintings, held by the Museum of Modern Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, were recently displayed together at London's National Gallery exhibition Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers (14 September 2024–19 January 2025), offering a rare chance to compare them. Bailey traces the history of the formation, noting that an anonymous 17th-century artist also depicted it, and describes a walking route from the former asylum to the site.

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.

Revealed: how Van Gogh's nephew exchanged two of the artist's drawings for butter and bacon

In early 1945, during the Dutch 'Hunger Winter' at the end of World War II, Vincent van Gogh's nephew, Vincent Willem van Gogh, exchanged two of the artist's drawings for 35 packets of butter and some bacon. The swap was arranged with the help of artist Charley Toorop and involved the cheese business Visser Kaas in Heiloo. One of the drawings, *Head of a Peasant Woman, left profile* (December 1884–May 1885), is now being offered at Sotheby's on 25 June with an estimate of £400,000–£600,000, suggesting the pair would be worth around £1 million today. The nephew's family was suffering from starvation and tragedy, including the execution of his eldest son by German forces.

Embrace the Sparkle at 7 Jewelry-Themed Museum Exhibitions Across the Globe

Seven jewelry-themed museum exhibitions are on view globally in 2025, showcasing pieces from Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, and artist-designed adornments by Man Ray and Pablo Picasso. Highlights include "Cosmic Splendor" at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, featuring astronomically inspired Van Cleef & Arpels creations, and "Cartier" at the V&A in London, displaying over 350 objects including royal commissions and iconic panther jewels. Other shows feature contemporary and vintage designs, emphasizing jewelry as a wearable art form.

On View: 'Jack Whitten: The Messenger' at Museum of Modern Art in New York is First Full Retrospective of Pioneering Artist

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has opened "Jack Whitten: The Messenger," the first full-scale retrospective of the pioneering abstract artist Jack Whitten (1939-2018). The exhibition features over 175 works spanning six decades, including paintings, sculptures, and works on paper, alongside archival materials. Whitten, known for his inventive techniques such as using squeegees, rakes, and Afro combs to manipulate paint, explored themes of race, identity, history, and technology. Key works include "Birmingham 1964," inspired by the 1963 church bombing, and "9.11.01," responding to the September 11 attacks. The show runs from March 23 to August 2, 2025, exclusively at MoMA.

Basel native Irène Zurkinden makes a long-overdue return

Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger has opened a two-room exhibition dedicated to Basel native Irène Zurkinden (1909-87), her first major hometown show since the 1980s. The exhibition spans portraits, self-portraits, still-lifes, landscapes, drawings, and several sketchbooks on public view for the first time. Zurkinden studied fashion illustration in Basel before finishing her training at Paris’s Académie de la Grande Chaumière, inspired by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. She lived between Paris and Basel and was close friends with Meret Oppenheim, whose portrait by Zurkinden, Meret à l’orange (1932-35), is in Kunstmuseum Basel’s permanent collection and included in the show.

With the help of conservators, one of Van Gogh’s finest Arles landscapes will be heading to Japan

Conservator Margje Leeuwestein has examined Vincent van Gogh's "Bridge at Arles (Pont de Langlois)" (March 1888) at the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo to confirm it is fit for travel. The painting will be the centerpiece of an exhibition touring three Japanese cities in 2027. The article details the painting's history, including Van Gogh's intended gift to Hermanus Tersteeg of the Goupil gallery, a later-scraped dedication, and a rare 1929 photograph of the bridge by Johannes Reiher that mirrors the composition.

Sotheby’s offers peek at Breuer building’s makeover

Sotheby's has released renderings of its upcoming renovation of Marcel Breuer's former Whitney Museum building at 945 Madison Avenue, which it purchased for $100 million in June 2023. The auction house plans to open in the autumn, in time for its November sales. Renovations, led by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, include a new service elevator, upgraded lighting and climate systems, and restored gallery floorplans, while preserving the building's landmark-protected exterior and many interior spaces. Charles Simonds's site-specific installation Dwellings (1981) will remain on long-term loan from the Whitney.

Culture Type | The Month in Black Art: Here’s What Happened in May 2025

The May 2025 roundup of Black art news reports the deaths of two influential figures: international curator Koyo Kouoh and artist-curator Evangeline J. Montgomery, who died at 94. Montgomery's career spanned metalwork, fiber art, and photography, and she was a key advocate and mentor in the African American art community, later working at the U.S. Information Agency. Other highlights include historian Edda L. Fields-Black winning a Pulitzer Prize for her book on Harriet Tubman, the acquisition of Adam Pendleton's entire "Who is Queen" installation by MoMA, and Kapwani Kiwanga winning the Joan Miró Prize. The Met Gala also featured Black dandy style inspired by the Costume Institute's exhibition "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style."

Two US ambassadors have displayed Van Goghs in their London residence—but Donald Trump's pick for the job seems unlikely to follow suit

Two former U.S. ambassadors to the UK, John Hay Whitney (1957-61) and Walter Annenberg (1969-74), displayed Van Gogh masterpieces from their personal collections in Winfield House, the official residence in London's Regent's Park. Whitney hung Van Gogh's *Self-portrait* (September 1889) above the mantelpiece in the family dining room, while the Annenbergs placed *La Berceuse* (February 1889) and *Olive Trees* (November 1889) in the green room, alongside works by Gauguin, Degas, Cézanne, Monet, and Renoir. Both ambassadors later donated their Van Goghs to major U.S. museums—Whitney's to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Annenbergs' to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

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.

15 Art Shows to See in Upstate New York This Summer

This guide highlights 15 art exhibitions across Upstate New York for summer, featuring moody paintings by Emily Pettigrew at Fenimore Art Museum, Native artists exploring time and memory at Hudson River Museum, Renée Green’s conceptual word shuffling at Dia Beacon, and Black history in the Hudson Valley at Vassar College's Loeb. Other shows include Arlene Shechet's intimate sculptures at Catskill Art Space and Larry Fink's photography at CPW in Kingston.

Korean artists are taking the world by storm—but why does their work resonate so widely?

Korean artists are gaining unprecedented global recognition, with figures like Haegue Yang, Do Ho Suh, Lee Bul, and Mire Lee leading a shift from traditional Dansaekhwa abstraction to more conceptual and contemporary practices. The article highlights how K-pop and Korean soap operas have boosted cultural awareness, drawing new audiences to events like Frieze Seoul and prompting major international galleries such as White Cube, Perrotin, and Pace to open in Seoul. Curators and scholars note that Korean art now engages deeply with globalization, historical trauma, and sociopolitical change, facilitated by biennials in Gwangju, Busan, and Seoul, as well as a surge in art institutions.

7 Artists Who Capture the Essence of Black Dandyism

The article highlights seven contemporary artists whose work embodies Black dandyism, timed to the 2025 Met Gala theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' and the corresponding exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. It traces the history of Black dandyism from its 18th-century European roots through its evolution during slavery and the 20th century, emphasizing its role as a defiant, empowering form of self-expression that challenges gender norms and racial stereotypes. Featured artists include Barkley L. Hendricks, Derek Fordjour, and Tyler Mitchell, among others.

As Kazakhstan cautiously strengthens ties with western Europe, new art venues herald a change of direction

Two wealthy Kazakh entrepreneurs, Kairat Boranbayev and Nurlan Smagulov, are opening private art institutions in Almaty this year: the Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture and the Almaty Museum of Arts. The Tselinny Center, designed by British architect Asif Khan, will open in September in a repurposed Soviet-era cinema, while the Almaty Museum of Arts, a 10,000 sq. m building by Chapman Taylor, aims to open the same month. These developments come as Kazakhstan cautiously strengthens ties with western Europe to reduce dependence on Russia, following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and positions itself as an energy supplier to Europe and a logistical hub for China's Belt and Road Initiative.

When—and why—did Van Gogh paint a pair of crabs?

An article explores the story behind Vincent van Gogh's still life "Two Crabs," revealing that the two crabs are likely the same individual—a female Cancer pagurus missing its first pair of walking legs. Paul Clark, a crustacean specialist at London's Natural History Museum, confirmed the sex based on the broad abdomen visible in the painting. The work is on long-term loan to London's National Gallery, where it was recently redisplayed as part of the gallery's major rehang ahead of the Sainsbury Wing reopening on May 10. The article also traces the painting's provenance: it was the first Van Gogh bought by a British collector, William Cherry Robinson, in 1893 for 200 guilders, later sold at auction in 1906 for half that amount, and eventually resold at Sotheby's in 2004 for £5.2 million to an anonymous collector who lent it to the National Gallery.

Historical Downtown Icons in ‘Focus’ at Frieze New York

Frieze New York is spotlighting historical downtown icons in a new 'Focus' section at its upcoming fair. The initiative will feature curated presentations of works by artists who were central to New York's downtown art scene, highlighting their enduring influence and the cultural history of the era.

A Brief History of Protest at the Venice Biennale

The article provides a historical overview of protest actions that have taken place at the Venice Biennale, tracing key moments of political and social dissent within the prestigious international art exhibition. It highlights instances where artists, activists, and participating nations have used the Biennale as a platform to challenge authority, address censorship, and critique global issues, from the 1968 student protests to more recent controversies involving national pavilions and institutional policies.

Joy Labinjo’s Women Take Their Place in the Gallery

Milan's art scene is currently anchored by a series of high-profile exhibitions coinciding with the Miart fair, featuring a diverse range of international talent. Highlights include Joy Labinjo’s vibrant figurative paintings at Tiwani Contemporary, which explore Black domesticity and sisterhood, and Cao Fei’s multimedia investigation into the intersection of technology and global agriculture at Pirelli HangarBicocca. Other notable presentations include Anselm Kiefer’s monumental tributes to female alchemists and historical figures, marking a significant moment for contemporary art in the city.

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.