original prototype jane birkin hermes handbag sothebys 1234744596

Jane Birkin's original Hermès Birkin handbag prototype has been consigned to Sotheby's Paris for sale in July. The all-black leather bag, commissioned in 1984 by then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas in collaboration with Birkin, is a one-of-a-kind piece that has been in a private collection in France since 2000. Sotheby's has not set a public estimate, citing its unique status, and will communicate it privately to potential bidders. The bag was exhibited at Sotheby's Paris and Hong Kong, and previously at the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Matisse, Soulages, Chagall… The most beautiful churches and chapels decorated by artists throughout France

Matisse, Soulages, Chagall… Les plus belles églises et chapelles décorées par des artistes dans toute la France

Renowned modern and contemporary artists have transformed various religious sites across France into immersive 'total works of art.' From Pierre Soulages’ translucent stained-glass windows in the Abbey of Sainte-Foy in Conques to Pablo Picasso’s monumental 'War and Peace' murals in Vallauris, these projects demonstrate how secular artists have engaged with sacred architecture. The article highlights ten specific locations where artists like Matisse, Chagall, and Cocteau integrated painting, glasswork, and furniture into historic ecclesiastical settings.

Everything you need to know about Lee Miller, honored at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris

Tout ce qu’il faut savoir sur Lee Miller à l’honneur au musée d’Art Moderne de Paris

The Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris is hosting a major retrospective dedicated to Lee Miller, the surrealist icon who transitioned from a high-fashion model for Vogue to a fearless war correspondent. The exhibition traces her multifaceted career, from her early days as a muse in New York and Paris to her harrowing documentation of the liberation of Saint-Malo, the Normandy beaches, and the liberation of concentration camps.

Robert Moore | Lil’ Lucy Figure (2022)

This article presents Robert Moore's "Lil' Lucy Figure" (2022), a mold-injected vinyl sculpture measuring 8 × 3 3/20 × 3 inches, available through APC Gallery in Miami Beach and Los Angeles. The work is hand-signed by the artist, comes with a certificate of authenticity, and is part of Moore's "Lil Lucy" series. Moore, a self-taught multidisciplinary artist born in 1983 in Des Moines, Iowa, creates paintings, sculptures, and installations that explore mental health, Black identity, and social justice, drawing on personal biography, art-historical references, and American iconography.

Aspen exhibit brings an internationally known painter back to his home state

Keith Mayerson returns to his home state for his first major Colorado exhibition, "My American Dream (Rocky Mountain High)," at the Aspen Art Museum. The show features works from his long-running "My American Dream" series, a project consisting of over 140 oil paintings that blend cultural icons, personal history, and landscapes into nonlinear narratives. This specific iteration draws heavily on Mayerson's childhood memories of Aspen as a bohemian utopia and incorporates imagery ranging from vintage ski passes to civil rights heroes.

Sotheby’s Has Set a Debut Date for Its Landmark Breuer Building Headquarters

Sotheby's has announced that its new headquarters in the iconic Breuer Building at 945 Madison Avenue will open on November 8. Originally designed by Marcel Breuer for the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1966, the building later housed the Met Breuer and the Frick Collection during its renovation. Sotheby's purchased the Brutalist landmark from the Whitney two years ago and has renovated it with Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron and PBDW Architects, adding auction rooms and state-of-the-art gallery spaces while preserving original features like bluestone floors and concrete walls. The opening will coincide with a major modern and contemporary art exhibition, followed by fall marquee sales the week of November 17.

Colorado Arts Spotlight: An exhibition honoring the Bauhaus artist behind Denver’s iconic “French fry” sculpture comes to Aspen — plus, things to do this weekend

The Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies in Aspen has opened a new exhibition titled "Sculpting the Environment," the first-ever show dedicated to the site-specific outdoor sculptures and land art of Bauhaus artist Herbert Bayer. Bayer, who moved to Aspen in 1945 at the invitation of industrialist Walter Paepcke, lived there for nearly 30 years and created Denver's iconic "Articulated Wall" sculpture in 1985, the year of his death. The exhibition, co-curated by Koko Bayer (his step-granddaughter) and Adam Thomas, highlights his three-dimensional process and his role in shaping Colorado's cultural landscape.

Derrick Adams: Glimpses of Black Leisure

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, is hosting 'Derrick Adams: View Master,' the first mid-career survey dedicated to the multidisciplinary artist. Featuring over 100 works spanning two decades, the exhibition includes painting, collage, sculpture, video, and performance that highlight Adams's unique visual language of pattern and color.

500-Plus And Just Like That… Items Head to Online Auction

Julien’s Auctions is hosting an online sale featuring over 500 items from the production of the HBO series "And Just Like That…," the sequel to "Sex and the City." The auction includes a wide array of fashion, accessories, and home decor associated with main characters Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes, and Charlotte York-Goldenblatt, as well as new additions like Lisa Todd Wexley. Notable lots include Carrie’s hatbox suitcases, Miranda’s wine-red jumpsuit, and various furniture pieces from the characters' apartments, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the foster care charity You Gotta Believe.

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Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass has renewed his demand for the return of the ancient bust of Nefertiti from Berlin's State Museums, citing the recent full opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) near Giza as proof that Egypt can properly safeguard its artifacts. The bust, dating to ca. 1351–1334 BCE and discovered in 1912 by German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt, has been on display at the Neues Museum since 2009. Hawass, who has shifted his position over time—calling the bust not looted in 2010 but “brazenly stolen” in 2024—argues that Western museums can no longer claim Egyptian institutions lack adequate climate control and display standards.

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The Louvre Museum in Paris was forced to close on Monday after approximately 400 employees went on strike to protest deteriorating working conditions. The strike, organized by unions CGT, CFDT, and Sud, blocked the museum's iconic pyramid entrance. Workers cited a brazen $102 million theft of French crown jewels in October 2025 as evidence of deep operational dysfunction, and they accused management of failing to address longstanding security and staffing issues. The closure follows a turbulent year that included a leaked memo from director Laurence des Cars warning of water leaks and overcrowding, a wildcat strike in June, and the closure of the Sully wing due to structural weaknesses.

anonymous artist xcopys digital work last selfie sells for record breaking 3 27 m to private collector 1234756260

An edition of XCOPY's digital artwork "Last Selfie" (2019) sold for a record-breaking $3.27 million (727 ETH) to a private collector, making it the highest price ever paid for an editioned artwork in the tokenized art space. The anonymous London-based artist minted the limited edition of 10 in 2019 for $20 each; the buyer's intermediary approached all ten holders, nine of whom rejected the offer before one accepted. Notable collectors who own editions include Raoul Pal, CozomoMedici, and punk6529, while AI art collector Jediwolf turned down the offer.

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is set to open "Divine Egypt" on October 12, 2025, the museum's first large-scale exhibition of ancient Egyptian art since 2012. The show features 210 objects, including strange and surreal works such as a limestone block with carved ears, a snake with a woman's head, and a giant quartz diorite scarab representing the god Khepri. Curated by Diana Craig Patch with research associate Brendan Hainline, the exhibition focuses on about 25 of the 1,500 gods worshipped in ancient Egypt, presenting them in nonchronological mini-sections that highlight how divine iconographies were remixed and subverted over time. Most works come from the Met's own collection, with none on loan from Egypt.

consuelo jimenez underwood icons 2025 1234751557

Consuelo Jimenez Underwood, a textile artist born in 1949 in Sacramento, has spent decades creating works that confront the US-Mexico border. In 2009, she was invited to participate in the group exhibition “Xicana: Spiritual Reflections/Reflexiones Espirituales” at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California. Faced with a blank museum wall, she decided to “blow up the border,” creating her first large-scale installation, *Undocumented Border Flowers* (2010), which features a red gash representing the border surrounded by paper flowers of the four border states. This work launched her ongoing “BORDERLINES” series, which she has produced some 15 times across the country, often collaborating with schoolchildren or recently incarcerated women. Her practice is deeply personal: her father was an undocumented immigrant from Mexico of Huichol ancestry, and she spent her childhood as a migrant farmworker, following harvests along Highway 99. Her first woven artwork, *C.C. Huelga* (1974), was inspired by the United Farm Workers flag and leader César Chávez.

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Sotheby’s will auction Eddie Van Halen’s custom-built 1982 Kramer guitar, estimated at $2–3 million, as the centerpiece of its inaugural “Grails Week” in New York this October. The instrument, unseen for over 40 years, was played on tour, later owned by Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, and features Van Halen’s iconic red, black, and white striped design. The week-long sales series will also include Bob Dylan lyrics, Rolling Stones album artwork, and a Beatles cymbal.

bayeux tapestry france british museum 1234749372

The Bayeux Tapestry, a 900-year-old embroidery depicting the Norman Conquest of 1066, will be loaned from France to the British Museum for a blockbuster exhibition running from September 2026 to July 2027. French officials reportedly lobbied for discounted or free entry for French citizens, a request British negotiators dismissed as a "try-on" that was "never going to happen." The loan, first proposed in 2018 by then-Prime Minister Theresa May, was delayed over fragility concerns and finally confirmed during President Emmanuel Macron's state visit. In exchange, Britain will send the Sutton Hoo treasures and the Lewis Chessmen to France. French negotiators also floated borrowing the Rosetta Stone, but that proposal failed as the artifact is considered immovable.

sculptor biohack agnes questionmark tentacular trans 1234742280

Agnes Questionmark, a multimedia performance artist based in Brooklyn, creates work exploring the trans body—encompassing transgender, transhuman, and trans-species identity—often with an aquatic, tentacular aesthetic. During a studio visit at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, she showed recent fabric works overpainted with acrylic and silicone, depicting organs in vivid reds and oranges. Her performances include TRANSGENESIS (2021), a 23-day endurance piece at Harlesden Highstreet in London, and CHM13hTERT (2023), a 16-day installation in a Milan subway station where she was suspended in a mermaid-like tail. She also produced an artist's edition, QuestionGen (2024), containing a capsule of her own DNA, made with biohacker Josie Zayner and publisher Nero.

Michael Jackson Accessories Hit the Market Amid Biopic Buzz

GWS Auctions is offering nine pieces of Michael Jackson memorabilia in a May 2 sale, including a signed pair of the late singer's Florsheim loafers. The auction features 734 items from the collection of Prince Lorenzo de' Medici, with highlights such as a crystal-studded white glove from Jackson's 1984 Victory tour and Swarovski-embellished socks from his Dangerous tour. The loafers, authenticated by Jackson's assistant Rosemary Chavira, carry a starting bid of $7,500, and the sale coincides with the record-breaking opening weekend of a new Michael Jackson biopic.

Rare Winnie-the-Pooh Drawings Surface for the First Time

Two previously unseen preliminary drawings of Winnie-the-Pooh by illustrator E.H. Shepard have surfaced for the first time on the centenary of the children's classic. Brought forward by Shepard’s family, the pencil sketches depict scenes from A.A. Milne’s original 1926 book that were never fully realized or published. These rare works, along with several other preliminary sketches that did make it into print, are currently on display and for sale at Peter Harrington Rare Books in London before traveling to the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Rare Medieval Seal Rediscovered After 40-Year Disappearance

A rare 11th-century wax seal belonging to the Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor has been rediscovered in France’s National Archives after being missing for over 40 years. The artifact, known as the Saint-Denis seal, was not stolen but rather misplaced due to a clerical error during a conservation transfer decades ago. It was identified by doctoral student Guilhem Dorandeu, who noticed the misfiled item while conducting research.

And Just Like That… Carrie Bradshaw’s Closet Hits the Auction Block

Julien’s Auctions is hosting a massive sale of over 500 props, costumes, and furnishings from the HBO series "And Just Like That…". The auction features iconic items associated with characters Carrie Bradshaw, Charlotte York, and Miranda Hobbes, including a prop Rolex watch engraved for Mr. Big, high-fashion garments, and furniture from the characters' New York apartments. Bidding began online in early April and will culminate in a live two-day event in California at the end of the month.

Medieval Art: Christ's Side Wound as Vulva

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The Met Cloisters in New York is hosting "Spectrum of Desire: Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages," an exhibition exploring how medieval art depicted the body, sexuality, and gender. A central focus of the show is the intentional depiction of Christ’s side wound as a vulva-like shape, or mandorla, in illuminated manuscripts such as the 14th-century Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg. These images were designed as intimate devotional tools, inviting viewers to meditate on Christ's suffering through a lens that transcended traditional gender binaries.

The Monumental Impact of Indian Miniature Painting

Aicon Art in New York has opened its first exhibition dedicated entirely to Indian miniature painting, titled "Courtly Visions: Indian Miniature Painting." The show features a breadth of works created between roughly 1630 and the early 19th century, showcasing the intricate detail and narrative scenes characteristic of the genre. It aims to highlight the diverse styles and themes that emerged from various royal courts across the Indian subcontinent.

This ‘Star Wars’ C-3PO Head Just Netted $1 Million at Auction

An original C-3PO head prop from the 1980 film *The Empire Strikes Back* sold for $1 million at a Propstore auction in Los Angeles. The piece, the only original head remaining on the collector's market, features functional lighting eyes and was created from molds of actor Anthony Daniels. It exceeded its high estimate of $700,000.

Jack Kerouac’s Fabled ‘On the Road’ Scroll Sells for Record-Smashing $12.1 Million

Jack Kerouac's original 120-foot scroll manuscript for 'On the Road' sold for $12.1 million at Christie's, setting a record for a literary manuscript. The scroll, part of the late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay's collection, was purchased by country singer-songwriter Zach Bryan, who plans to create a Jack Kerouac Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Middle East, Ultra-Contemporary Old Masters, and the Meloni Fresco

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The art world is navigating a significant shift in regional power and aesthetic trends, highlighted by the inaugural Art Basel Qatar. This expansion into the Middle East signals a potential recalibration of global cultural influence, while simultaneously, the 'Ultra-Contemporary' market is pivoting toward 'Old Master' aesthetics and historical estates as a response to mounting economic pressures.

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Frank Frazetta’s 1973 painting 'Captive Princess,' originally created as cover art for Edgar Rice Burroughs’s novel 'The People That Time Forgot,' is heading to auction at Propstore with a high estimate of $1 million. The work, which depicts a dramatic abduction scene involving prehistoric figures, leads a major sale of entertainment memorabilia that includes iconic film props like a 'Jaws' harpoon gun and a C-3PO head.

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Bonhams recently concluded a highly successful auction of the Jeremy Mason collection, featuring over 500 items related to the life and legacy of Oscar Wilde. The sale, which coincided with the 125th anniversary of the author's death, achieved a total of £1.6 million ($2.1 million). Highlighting the event were iconic 1882 cabinet card portraits by Napoleon Sarony and a poignant 1900 deathbed photograph by Gilbert Maurice, which fetched £279,800 ($376,250), far exceeding its estimates.

apple steve jobs memorabilia auction 2735336

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.

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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.