Art News. Vasari Codex

trending_up market schedule Dec 9, 2025 visibility 17 link 18 artists

most expensive female artists 817277

Artnet News has published a list of the ten most expensive female artists at auction, based on data from the Artnet Price Database. The article highlights recent record-breaking sales, including Frida Kahlo's *El Sueño (La Cama)* (1940), which sold for $54.7 million at Sotheby's, and Marlene Dumas's *Miss January* (1997), which realized $13.6 million at Christie's, making Dumas the most expensive living woman artist. The list features artists such as Rosemarie Trockel, Bridget Riley, Cindy Sherman, Vija Celmins, and Cady Noland, with auction records ranging from $4.9 million to $9.7 million.

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article news schedule Dec 9, 2025 visibility 10 link 3 artists

asia society muhammad artwork censorship 2286435

New York's Asia Society and Museum has been accused of censorship by Islamic art scholars after a virtual tour of its exhibition "Comparative Hell: Arts of Asian Underworlds" blurred two artworks depicting the Prophet Muhammad. The museum acknowledged the error, blaming an outside contractor and insufficient oversight, and announced plans to restore the images to the online tour. The blurred works include a folio from the Falnama (ca. 1555) on loan from the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard and a manuscript page from the David Collection in Copenhagen showing Muhammad ascending to heaven. The controversy follows a similar incident at Hamline University, where an adjunct professor lost her contract after showing images of Muhammad in an art history class.

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trending_up market schedule Dec 5, 2025 visibility 16 link 18 artists

new money new taste intel report march 2025 2622189

The article, part of Artnet's Intelligence Report, profiles the rise of a new generation of art collectors, exemplified by Justine Freeman, granddaughter of legendary patron Betty Freeman. It highlights how millennials and Gen Z, who accounted for a quarter to a third of bidders at major auction houses in 2024, are reshaping the market by focusing on ultra-contemporary artists like Jadé Fadojutimi and Hilary Pecis, as well as nontraditional collectibles such as sneakers and Hermès bags. Notable sales include Maurizio Cattelan's banana artwork "Comedian" for $6.2 million to a 34-year-old crypto entrepreneur.

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trending_up market schedule Dec 2, 2025 visibility 11 link 12 artists

new york auction measures 2719737

New York's spring auction season concluded with a dramatic five-day marathon across Sotheby's, Christie's, and Phillips, generating a combined $2.2 billion. Sotheby's led with $1.17 billion in total sales, fueled by Gustav Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914–16) from the estate of Leonard A. Lauder, which sold for $234.6 million—a single work accounting for 20% of Sotheby's total. Christie's followed with $962.6 million, and Phillips added $92.1 million. Notable highlights included Frida Kahlo's *El sueño (La cama)* (1940) achieving $54.7 million, a new record for the artist and the highest price for a female artist at auction in raw dollars, and a triceratops fossil named Cera selling for $5.4 million at Phillips.

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trending_up market schedule Dec 2, 2025 visibility 8 link 7 artists

simon de pury art market confidence 2720560

The article reports on the upcoming Art Basel in Miami Beach and the improved mood in the art market, driven by strong auction results. Sotheby's emerged as the clear winner over Christie's in the fall 2024 auctions, achieving over $2.2 billion in total sales across Sotheby's, Christie's, and Phillips. Key consignments included the Leonard Lauder Collection, featuring a record-making Klimt, a Frida Kahlo that became the highest-selling work by a woman artist, and Maurizio Cattelan's golden toilet. The article credits Sotheby's move into the Breuer building—formerly home to the Whitney, the Met, and the Frick—for enhancing the presentation and aura of the previews.

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article culture schedule Dec 2, 2025 visibility 7 link 12 artists

15 museum shop gifts were loving 2706918

Artnet News has curated a selection of 15 unusual and art-themed gifts available at museum shops worldwide, ranging from a snake-embroidered brooch inspired by Cartier at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to a 'Souls in Purgatory' magnet from the Morgan Library & Museum in New York, a traditional palm-leaf fan from Al Ain Museum in Abu Dhabi, a gilded sewing kit from the Neue Galerie in New York, and a CD of a Hanne Darboven composition from the Dia Art Foundation. Each item is presented with its price, source museum, and a brief explanation of its appeal, often tying back to specific exhibitions or artworks.

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person people schedule Dec 2, 2025 visibility 13 link 9 artists

after a life backstage es devlin is ready for her spotlight 2496965

Es Devlin, the renowned set designer behind iconic pop culture moments for Beyoncé, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus, is shifting focus from large-scale commercial spectacles to more personal artistic projects. A new monograph and retrospective at the Cooper Hewitt, titled "An Atlas of Es Devlin," catalogues her three-decade career, while her latest installation "Surfacing," commissioned by BMW and unveiled at Art Basel 2024, marks a turn toward fine art. Devlin, now 50, describes this phase as a liberating new chapter where she feels "nothing to lose."

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trending_up market schedule Nov 20, 2025 visibility 8 link 6 artists

sothebys leonard lauder contemporary by the numbers 2715607

Sotheby's held a marathon evening sale in New York on Tuesday night, achieving $706 million in total sales—the highest single-evening total in the auction house's history. The standout was the collection of Leonard A. Lauder, which alone brought $527.5 million, led by Gustav Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914-16) that sold for $236.4 million after a 20-minute bidding war. A second sale of contemporary and ultra-contemporary works added $178.5 million, with Jean-Michel Basquiat's *Crowns (Peso Neto)* (1981) topping that session at $48.3 million. Notably, no lots were withdrawn across both sales, and Asian collectors drove bidding on many high-value lots. Maurizio Cattelan's gold toilet *America* (2016) sold for $12.1 million, drawing only one bid.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 20, 2025 visibility 13 link 15 artists

christies edlis neeson sale 124 million 2716072

Christie's 21st-century evening sale in New York on Wednesday night achieved $123.6 million, just below its $126 million high estimate and 16% above last year's sale. The sale featured 19 lots from the collection of the late Stefan Edlis and his widow Gael Neeson, which brought in $49.2 million against a $30 million estimate. The top lot was Christopher Wool's "Untitled (RIOT)" (1990), selling for $19.8 million. New auction records were set for Firelei Báez ($1.1 million) and Olga de Amaral ($3.1 million). Only one of 45 lots failed to sell—a Cecily Brown painting estimated at $4–6 million. The sale was characterized by careful use of third-party guarantees and lowered reserves, with art advisor Aileen Agopian noting bidding was "deep and robust" despite a flat atmosphere.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 19, 2025 visibility 17 link 14 artists, 1 gallery

the art market has lost its grip on price 2653663

Former Sotheby's rainmaker Brooke Lampley, now a director at Gagosian, discusses the art market's loss of control over pricing, citing a failed $70 million Alberto Giacometti bust at auction as a symptom of deeper market confidence issues. The article traces the evolution of art pricing from opaque, dealer-driven norms to a data-rich system enabled by Artnet's Price Database in 1989, which fueled a price spiral and attracted speculators. Now, in 2025, the market faces a correction with auction sales down 27.3 percent to $10.2 billion, and buyers are pausing as traditional pricing signals become scrambled.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 19, 2025 visibility 10 link 14 artists

records fall during 706 million night at sothebys turbocharged by blue chip lauder trove 2714943

Sotheby's achieved a record-breaking $706 million auction night at its new global headquarters in the Breuer Building, New York, the highest total in the auction house's 281-year history. The sale was propelled by the collection of late art patron Leonard A. Lauder, whose 24 pieces sold for $527.5 million, led by Gustav Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914–16) which fetched $236.4 million, becoming the second-priciest artwork ever sold at auction. A subsequent contemporary and ultra-contemporary art sale added $178.5 million.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 18, 2025 visibility 9 link 11 artists

art gallery of ontario major gift 2714505

The late Toronto collectors Morton and Carol Rapp have donated over 450 artworks by 203 artists to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) from their estates. The gift includes major Pop art works: 13 screen prints by Andy Warhol, including four Marilyn Monroe portraits (1967); works by Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg (including the sculptural print 'Teabag' from 1966), David Hockney, and Roy Lichtenstein; plus Barnett Newman's 1964 lithograph 'CANTO XVIII', marking the Abstract Expressionist's debut in the collection. The donation also features photography by Yinka Shonibare and Kara Walker. The couple, who began supporting the AGO in 1966, had previously donated 474 works, bringing their total contribution to nearly 1,000 pieces.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jul 25, 2025 visibility 10 link 31 artists

america 250th anniversary exhibitions 2662919

Museums across the United States are preparing exhibitions to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026. The New York Historical will present "Democracy Matters," opening June 19, 2026, exploring voting, free speech, and land rights through works by Thomas Cole, Mel Chin, and Lady Pink alongside historic documents. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will debut "America at 250" on the same date, integrating Native and non-Native art with pieces like Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington and a critique by Mohawk artist Alan Michelson. The National Portrait Gallery had planned "Amy Sherald: American Sublime" for September 2025, but Sherald canceled the show over censorship concerns in July 2025. The Philadelphia Museum of Art will host "A Nation of Artists" from April 2026 through September 2027, featuring Frederic Edwin Church's "Pichincha."

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museum exhibitions schedule Jul 23, 2025 visibility 7 link 10 artists

rauschenberg centenary shows 2571710

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation is launching a global centenary celebration for the artist's 100th birthday, spanning 2025–2026. The program includes major exhibitions at seven institutions across five countries, such as "Five Friends" at Museum Brandhorst in Munich and Museum Ludwig in Cologne, photography shows at the Museum of the City of New York and Fundación Juan March in Madrid, and an exhibition at M+ in Hong Kong focusing on Rauschenberg's ROCI program. The foundation is also initiating grant-making initiatives to highlight Rauschenberg's legacy in art, technology, environmentalism, and social justice.

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article news schedule Jul 22, 2025 visibility 5 link 3 artists

maurizio cattelan comedian banana eaten pompidou metz 2669084

A museum-goer ate Maurizio Cattelan's "The Comedian" (2019)—a banana duct-taped to a wall—on display at the Pompidou-Metz in France. The museum quickly replaced the fruit, noting it is regularly changed per the artist's instructions. Cattelan joked the eater should have consumed the tape and skin as well.

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article culture schedule Jul 17, 2025 visibility 16 link 41 artists

collectors reveal key advice 2632313

Collectors share advice for aspiring art patrons in a two-part series, recounting their early mistakes and lessons learned. Diana Bowes, board chair of the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, recalls buying her first pieces at Art Basel in 2006 and warns against purchasing art online without seeing it in person, as well as protecting works from water, children, and house painters. Mana Jalalian, an interior designer based in Dubai with over 400 works by Iranian artists, emphasizes following instincts, continuous learning, and the value of working with an art advisor.

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person people schedule Jul 9, 2025 visibility 9 link 11 artists

8 times david hockney broke rules 2638563

David Hockney, the legendary British artist, turns 88 on July 9, and Artnet News reflects on his seven-decade career of rule-breaking. The article highlights eight key moments of defiance, including his openness about his homosexuality before decriminalization in the U.K., his public smoking habit that led to a Paris Metro ad being pulled, and his controversial "Hockney-Falco thesis" arguing that Old Masters used optical tools like the camera lucida. Hockney currently ranks third on the Artnet Intelligence Report for best-selling and most bankable postwar artists, and his largest-ever exhibition is on view at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jul 8, 2025 visibility 7 link 13 artists

how did van gogh influence matisse 2654811

The Van Gogh Museum has acquired Henri Matisse's 1905 painting *Olive Grove in Collioure* to illustrate Vincent van Gogh's influence on modern art. The work, painted 15 years after Van Gogh's death, shows Matisse's adoption of van Gogh's expressive, anti-naturalistic color and brushwork. The museum pairs it with van Gogh's *Trees in the Garden of the Asylum* (1889) to highlight how Matisse transformed van Gogh's reed-pen drawing techniques into his own Fauvist style. Matisse first encountered van Gogh's work in 1897 through Australian painter John Russell, who gave him a van Gogh drawing that Matisse hung in his Paris apartment alongside works by Cézanne and Gauguin.

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trending_up market schedule Jul 4, 2025 visibility 12 link 14 artists, 4 galleries

blum a market force for three decades will close galleries 2663456

Blum gallery, a powerhouse with locations in Los Angeles and Tokyo, is closing its brick-and-mortar operations after 31 years. Founded as Blum and Poe in 1994, the gallery laid off most of its staff and will transition to a flexible studio model with no permanent public space or formal artist roster. The gallery represents high-profile artists including Yoshitomo Nara and Mark Grotjahn, whose works have sold for over $10 million. Co-founder Jeff Poe left the partnership two years ago, leaving Tim Blum in control alongside managing partner Matt Bangser.

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trending_up market schedule Jul 3, 2025 visibility 6 link 12 artists

kenneth griffin 13th amendment emancipation proclamation sothebys 2662810

Billionaire hedge funder and art collector Kenneth Griffin revealed he was the buyer of record-breaking copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment, both signed by President Abraham Lincoln, at a Sotheby's New York auction. The Thirteenth Amendment sold for $13.7 million, more than five times the previous record, while the Emancipation Proclamation fetched $4.4 million. Griffin, founder of Citadel, is an avid collector of rare historical documents and high-value art, having previously purchased a copy of the U.S. Constitution for $43.2 million and major works by artists like Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

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trending_up market schedule Jul 2, 2025 visibility 11 link 13 artists

london summer auctions 2662076 2662076

London's summer auction season saw Sotheby's evening sale bring in $85.7 million, a significant drop from $105 million last year and a 70% decline from $280.1 million in 2015. Christie's opted out of an evening auction entirely, holding only a day sale that netted $12.7 million, while Phillips' combined sales totaled $17.6 million. Highlights included a Tamara de Lempicka painting selling for $10 million, a Jenny Saville drawing setting a new auction record at $2.11 million, and six works from the Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein collection. The sales were described as 'sensible' by advisor Todd Levin, reflecting a cautious market post-Art Basel.

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article news schedule Jun 30, 2025 visibility 11 link 23 artists

paint drippings art industry news jun 30 2662140

Sotheby's London modern and contemporary evening sale brought in $85.7 million, down from $105 million last year, with highlights including a $10 million Tamara de Lempicka and a record $9.6 million auction result for Jenny Saville's drawing 'Mirror'. In other market news, a crowdfunding campaign raised over £100,000 to help Bristol Museum acquire a rediscovered J.M.W. Turner painting, and a Tiffany Studio window sold for $4.2 million at Christie's. Galleries announced new representation deals: James Cohan now represents Ranti Bam, Maruani Mercier represents Kate Gottgens, and Yancey Richardson represents Karen Gunderson; Ronchini gallery is moving to a new Mayfair location. Tate launched a £150 million endowment fund, the Louvre announced an international architectural competition to address overcrowding, the Uffizi imposed selfie restrictions after a tourist damaged a painting, the Cleveland Museum of Art acquired a rare Giambologna marble, and Italy's culture minister pledged support for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

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trending_up market schedule Jun 27, 2025 visibility 23 link 111 artists, 18 galleries

price check art basel basel 2025 2660511

Art Basel in Basel has concluded, with galleries reporting hundreds of sales despite low expectations set by lackluster New York auction results. Dealers shared prices ranging from $1 million to $17 million, with top sales including David Hockney's *Mid November Tunnel* (2006) at Annely Juda Fine Art ($13M–$17M), a Ruth Asawa sculpture at David Zwirner ($9.5M), and a Gerhard Richter painting at David Zwirner ($6.8M). Other notable transactions include works by Keith Haring, Mark Bradford, Georg Baselitz, and George Condo, though many galleries provided only price ranges and withheld exact titles or mediums.

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trending_up market schedule Jun 19, 2025 visibility 11 link 18 artists, 3 galleries

art basel 2025 major works sales 2657176

Art Basel 2025 opened in Basel, Switzerland, with nearly 300 leading galleries showcasing high-value artworks despite a turbulent art market. Major works include a Gerhard Richter abstraction (1987) at David Zwirner, priced around $30 million, a Ruth Asawa hanging sculpture sold for $9.5 million, and Picassos at Pace and Helly Nahmad Gallery, with the latter's *Femme nue couchée jouant avec un chat* (1964) listed at $28 million after fetching $21.2 million at auction two years ago. The fair runs through Sunday, offering rare opportunities to view and purchase blue-chip pieces.

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article news schedule Jun 17, 2025 visibility 10 link 4 artists

maurizio cattelan gold toilet trial theft video 2613738

A judge has sentenced two men for stealing Maurizio Cattelan's 18-carat gold toilet, titled "America," from Blenheim Palace in England during a 2019 raid. Michael Jones received 27 months in prison for burglary, while James Sheen was sentenced to four years, added to his existing 19-year term for other crimes. The theft took less than five minutes, causing major flooding and water damage when the toilet was ripped from the plumbing. Police arrested four men in November 2023, with evidence including DNA, phone messages, and CCTV footage leading to convictions. Fred Doe received a suspended sentence, and Bora Guccuk was found not guilty. None of the gold has been recovered and is believed to have been chopped up and sold.

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trending_up market schedule Jun 11, 2025 visibility 5 link 14 artists

pauline karpidas collection sothebys 2655090

The private collection of legendary collector and patron Pauline Karpidas, featuring masterworks by Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Les Lalannes, will be auctioned at Sotheby’s London this September. Spanning 250 lots from her eccentric London home, the collection is expected to fetch over £60 million ($81 million), the highest estimate ever placed on a single collection at Sotheby’s Europe. Karpidas, who has collected for 50 years and supported artists like Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin, sees herself as a temporary custodian and is passing the works to a new generation.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jun 11, 2025 visibility 9 link 20 artists

met revamp african and oceanic galleries 2651376

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled its renovated Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, featuring 1,800 objects from 663 cultures across Africa, Oceania, and the ancient Americas. The $70 million, 12-year project includes Fang masks, ceremonial dance paddles, and 15-foot funerary poles, with a multi-day celebration that featured a sunrise blessing. The wing, named after Nelson Rockefeller's son who disappeared in 1961, opened in 1982 and was revitalized as part of a master plan by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects.

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trending_up market schedule Jun 5, 2025 visibility 9 link 11 artists

damien hirsts colorful spin painting of leonardo dicaprio just raised 1 3 million for charity 2311409

An enormous painting of Leonardo DiCaprio by Damien Hirst, titled *Beautiful Leonardo DiCaprio Looking Away Painting* (2016), sold for $1.3 million at the amfAR Gala in Cannes, France, on May 25. The work, a colorful spin painting signed by both the actor and artist, was donated by collector Christian Levett and auctioned by Simon de Pury. The gala raised $17 million total, with the top lot being a $1.6 million Aston Martin DB12, and also featured artworks by Claire Tabouret, Cecily Brown, Andres Valencia, and Robert De Niro.

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article news schedule Jun 3, 2025 visibility 4 link 4 artists

sfmoma pastry plagiarism 504596

Bay Area pastry chef Caitlin Freeman has accused the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) of copying her art-themed cakes after the museum replaced her Blue Bottle café with a new vendor, McCalls Catering. Freeman, who operated the café on SFMOMA's fifth floor from 2009, created pastries inspired by artworks by Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, and Roy Lichtenstein, including a signature Piet Mondrian cake, and published a cookbook titled *Modern Art Desserts* in 2013. After SFMOMA's renovation, the contract was awarded to McCalls Catering, which Freeman claims is now producing similar desserts.

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article news schedule Jun 2, 2025 visibility 6 link 6 artists, 2 galleries

justin sun gave silk road founder ross ulbricht cattelan banana 2651374

At the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun presented Maurizio Cattelan's artwork *Comedian* (2019)—a duct-taped banana that sold for $6.2 million at Sotheby's—to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road online marketplace. Ulbricht, recently pardoned by Donald Trump after receiving a life sentence, accepted the gift and joked about replacing the banana as it perishes. Sun had previously eaten the banana at a press conference in Hong Kong after purchasing it at auction.

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