esphyr slobodkina louise nevelson arkansas museum 2733735

The Arkansas Museum of Art in Little Rock is presenting "Architects of Being," an exhibition pairing the work of Esphyr Slobodkina and Louise Nevelson through January 11, 2026. Slobodkina, a Russian-born Jewish immigrant and founding member of the American Abstract Artists, was a painter, sculptor, writer, and fashion designer who also authored the classic children's book *Caps for Sale*. Nevelson, also an Eastern European Jewish immigrant, is renowned for her monochromatic wood assemblages. The show juxtaposes their geometric abstractions, collages, sculptures, and personal fashion, curated as a hypothetical dialogue between two kindred spirits who never met. The exhibition will travel to the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia, and the New Britain Museum of American Art.

10 art restorations in 2025 2725850

In 2025, a series of major art restorations unveiled transformative discoveries in masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael, and Artemisia Gentileschi, among others. Caravaggio's final work, *The Martyrdom of St. Ursula* (1610), owned by Intesa Sanpaolo, was cleaned ahead of Rome's "Caravaggio 2025" exhibition, revealing hidden faces and a soldier's helmet previously only visible by x-ray. At the Vatican Museums, a decade-long restoration of the Raphael Rooms concluded with the revelation that two allegorical figures in the Hall of Constantine were painted by Raphael himself, not just his assistants, rewriting art history. Meanwhile, Artemisia Gentileschi's *Hercules and Omphale* (ca. 1635–37), damaged in the Beirut explosion, underwent emergency conservation by the Getty.

artist studio 2709225

Journalist Bianca Bosker went undercover as a studio assistant for painter Julie Curtiss and other artists, revealing the gritty, athletic reality behind art-making—a world of blood, sweat, and sleepless nights. The article explores how mounting financial pressures, especially for sculptors and installation artists like Ivana Bašić, Erwin Wurm, and Lindsey Mendick, force tough decisions about studio space and production. Bašić, despite critical acclaim, lost a subsidized Dumbo studio and now outsources production to keep costs down, while a growing number of established artists pass on wisdom through residencies and assistant teams.

roman sculpture 2710619

This article explores the rediscovery of Roman sculpture during the Renaissance and its profound influence on artists like Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci. It details how Roman sculptors, inspired by Greek methods after the conquest of Greece in 146 B.C.E., created highly realistic works that served both artistic and political purposes, glorifying emperors and reinforcing imperial power. The piece highlights six iconic Roman sculptures—including the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, the Colossus of Constantine, Trajan's Column, and the Augustus of Prima Porta—describing their historical context, artistic features, and enduring legacy.

sothebys modern pritzker exquisite corpse auction results 2716914

On Thursday night, Sotheby’s held a three-part sale of Impressionist, Modern, and Surrealist art at the Breuer Building in New York, generating $304.6 million against a cumulative estimate of $218.8 million to $301.2 million. The smallest sale, 13 lots from the collection of Cindy and Jay Pritzker, achieved a “white glove” result with $109.5 million, led by Vincent van Gogh’s *Romans Parisiens (Les Livres jaunes)* (1887) which sold for $62.7 million. The Surrealist offering, “Exquisite Corpus,” from the collection of Nesuhi and Selma Ertegun, featured Frida Kahlo’s *El sueño (La cama)* (1940) which set a record for the artist at $54.7 million, becoming the most expensive work by a woman artist at auction (nominal price).

ulay wins case regarding against former collaborator marina abramovic 664205

A Dutch court has ordered performance artist Marina Abramović to pay her former collaborator Ulay (Ulay Laysiepen) over €250,000 ($280,500) for violating a 1999 contract regarding joint works created between 1976 and 1988. The court ruled that Ulay is entitled to 20 percent net royalties on sales of those works, plus €23,000 in legal costs. Ulay had accused Abramović of failing to provide accurate sales statements and making only four payments over 16 years. The case stems from their decade-long artistic and romantic partnership, which ended in 1988 with their famous walk on the Great Wall of China.

ulay sues marina ambramovic amsterdam 362099

Performance artist Marina Abramović is being sued by her former creative and romantic partner Frank Uwe Laysiepen, known as Ulay. Ulay alleges that Abramović violated a 1999 contract by failing to share royalties and credit for collaborative works they created together. He claims Abramović has omitted his name from attributions and provided inaccurate sales statements, paying him only four times in 16 years. Abramović's lawyer has dismissed the allegations, and the case may be heard in Amsterdam district court.

romare bearden catalogue raisonne 2663648

The Wildenstein Plattner Institute (WPI) has released the first online tranche of the Romare Bearden Catalogue Raisonné Project, covering over 200 works from 1964 to 1969—a pivotal period when Bearden honed his signature collage style. The free digital publication fills a long-standing gap for the canonical Black American artist, who died in 1988, and includes works verified by an anonymous committee of experts, with a verified icon for examined pieces.

philadelphia museum boom 1940s art design 2641661

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has opened "Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s," a major survey featuring over 250 works including painting, photography, jewelry, ceramics, fashion, and furniture. The exhibition draws entirely from the museum's own collection, with around 40 percent of the works never exhibited before. It includes early pieces by celebrated figures like Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, as well as works by queer artists such as Paul Cadmus, Beauford Delaney, and Romaine Brooks, alongside self-taught artist Horace Pippin. Chief curator Jessica Smith emphasizes that the show aims to present a more complex, multivalent narrative of the decade beyond the dominant story of Abstract Expressionism.

7 art history facts 2639759

Frieze Week in New York has arrived, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to The Shed for displays from over 65 international galleries. The article offers a collection of art historical trivia to help attendees impress peers, including tales of a potentially fake Picasso gifted to Robin Williams by Disney, Piet Mondrian's fondness for Disney's *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs*, and a legend that Raphael's pupil Giulio Romano created erotic frescos in the Vatican's Sala di Constantino out of anger over delayed payment from Pope Clement VII.

the first homosexuals queer art show 2637891

An exhibition titled "The First Homosexuals" has opened at Wrightwood 659 in Chicago, curated by queer art historian Jonathan David Katz and associate curator Johnny Willis. Spanning over 300 artworks, the show traces how the coining of the term "homosexual" by Hungarian writer Karl-Maria Kertbeny in 1868 reframed artistic expressions of identity and sexuality, featuring works by artists such as Hokusai, Utamaro, Bertel Thorvaldsen, George Catlin, Saturnino Herrán, Richmond Barthé, Romaine Brooks, and Tamara de Lempicka. The exhibition includes sections on pre-colonial indigenous cultures, colonialism and resistance, and queer art icons.

the ashes tudor lodge wall paintings 2635562

Rare 16th-century wall paintings depicting fantastical beasts, heraldic rabbits, and Grotesque heads have been uncovered at the Ashes, a Tudor hunting lodge in Inglewood Forest, Cumbria, U.K. Built in the 1560s during Elizabeth I's reign, the two-story building originally housed William Simpson, a bailiff of Castle Sowerby Manor. The paintings, created using the secco technique on dry plaster, were found in stages—first on the second story in the 1970s, then on the ground floor during excavations in the 2010s and 2020s. The most recent discoveries, made by owners Jen and Richard Arkell, reveal elaborate decorative panels likely inspired by textile designs, reflecting the cosmopolitan tastes of the period.

renaissance painting feast of the gods 2620480

The article examines Giovanni Bellini's painting *The Feast of the Gods* (1514–29), a mythological scene depicting Roman deities at a feast, which was later reworked by Dosso Dossi and Titian. Commissioned by Duke Alfonso d'Este for his private gallery, the work is notable for including what is believed to be the earliest painted example of Chinese porcelain in European art. The painting draws from Ovid's 'Fasti' and was Bellini's last completed work, finished when he was in his 80s.

emily fisher landau picasso sothebys 2384885

Pablo Picasso's 1932 painting *Femme à la montre*, depicting his lover Marie-Thérèse Walter, sold for $139.4 million (including fees) at Sotheby's New York during the highly anticipated Emily Fisher Landau sale. The work, estimated at $120 million, was the centerpiece of the auction, with bidding starting at $95 million and concluding after a two-minute standoff among three phone bidders, including one from Asia. Brooke Lampley, Sotheby's head of global fine art, secured the winning bid on behalf of a client. The sale was handled by Sotheby's, which won the right to auction the estate of Landau, a longtime Whitney Museum board member and private collector.

every copy spring issue kara walker print unmanned drone sketch 1234776967

Artist Kara Walker has transformed a decommissioned monument of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson into a new, grotesque sculpture titled "Unmanned Drone" (2023). After curator Hamza Walker secured the bronze statue from Charlottesville, Virginia, the artist reconfigured its parts at a New York foundry to create a 12-foot horse-man hybrid that subverts traditional heroic iconography. The work is currently the centerpiece of the "Monuments" exhibition at the Brick in Los Angeles, co-presented by MOCA LA.

molly ringwald reads sophie calles on the hunt 1234758047

Molly Ringwald joined other notable figures at Paula Cooper Gallery in Chelsea for a reading of Sophie Calle's project "On the Hunt," which excerpts personal ads from the French hunting magazine *Le Chasseur français* (1895–2010). The event, co-hosted by the *New York Review of Books*, doubled as a singles mixer, with attendees wearing dots to signal availability. Ringwald read ads in their original French, while others like Vivian Gornick and Daniel Kehlman read translations. Calle appeared via Zoom from her bed in Paris.

the buzz in bucharest sammy loren on rad and the refreshing romanian art scene

The article reports on the fourth edition of Romanian Art Dealers (RAD), an art fair in Bucharest that exclusively features Romanian galleries and artists. The author, Sammy Loren, travels from Los Angeles to experience the fair, which is co-founded by dealer Catinca Tabacaru and artist-dealer Daniela Pălimariu. The fair includes 31 booths, a Curatorial Summit with 35 international curators, and a central installation titled "Donate a Word" (2025) by Romanian artist Victoria Zidaru. The author attends events like the 10-year anniversary party for Sandwich Gallery and notes the intimate, family-like atmosphere of the local art scene.

architecture peterson rich met moma

The architectural studio Peterson Rich Office (PRO), founded by husband-and-wife team Miriam Peterson and Nathan Rich in 2014, is designing cultural spaces that blend art, commerce, and community. Their recent projects include converting a Romanesque church into the Shepherd in Detroit—a space for exhibitions, a community library, and performances—and redesigning the MoMA Design Store in SoHo to draw more visitors and link it to contemporary artists like Nina Chanel Abney. PRO's most ambitious commission is for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, involving a special exhibition gallery, dining and retail spaces, and a new entrance at 83rd Street.

art collectors atlanta art fair

Cultured magazine profiles a cross-section of Atlanta art collectors as the Atlanta Art Fair returns for its second edition, highlighting the city's growing art scene. The article features Esohe and George Galbreath, who discuss their collection of about 200 works focused on emerging Atlanta artists, their annual art party ARTiculate ATL, and how their tastes have evolved from figurative works responding to cultural moments to smaller pieces that allow for greater diversity.

art samsung frame tv cultured collection

Cultured magazine has partnered with Samsung to launch a "CULTURED Collection" on the Samsung Art Store, available exclusively to owners of Samsung's The Frame and QLED TVs. Starting in October, 60 artworks by contemporary artists including Adam Pendleton, Dominique Fung, Oscar yi Hou, Chris Martin, and Emma Webster will be displayed in the TV's art mode. A temporary pop-up gallery, the Samsung Art Store Gallery, will open to the public on Oct. 9–10 at 545 W 23rd St in New York, offering a preview of the collection.

parties hamptons summer burberry guggenheim

CULTURED magazine documents a series of summer social events in the Hamptons, blending art, fashion, and luxury lifestyle. Highlights include the Guggenheim’s lemonade-fueled festivities, Burberry’s poolside pop-up at Topping Rose House, an intimate luncheon hosted by CULTURED and Italian brand Eleventy at collectors Christine and Richard Mack’s Bridgehampton home, and the Southampton Arts Center Summerfest gala honoring Christine Mack. Other events include Roman+Williams’ Hamptons Issue launch with artists Isaac Mizrahi and David Salle, and a Marina Music Series with DJ Oli Benz at the Montauk Yacht Club.

Timeless Meets Timely at TEFAF New York 2026

TEFAF New York returns to the Park Avenue Armory from May 15–19, 2026, with an invitation-only preview on May 14. The fair features 88 international exhibitors from 14 countries across four continents, showcasing a wide range of collecting categories including art, antiquities, design, and jewelry. Highlights include a new abstract canvas by Minjung Kim, a glass mosaic by Shahzia Sikander, ancient Egyptian and Roman works, and pieces by modern masters such as Jean Dubuffet, Martin Kippenberger, Pierre Soulages, Barbara Hepworth, John Chamberlain, and Cecily Brown.

jackie saccoccio van doren waxter 2753080

Van Doren Waxter in New York is hosting "Portraits," a solo exhibition dedicated to the late American abstract painter Jackie Saccoccio. The show features five paintings and seven works on paper that showcase Saccoccio’s mature style, characterized by a physically demanding process of dragging, pressing, and dripping paint. These works bridge the gap between gestural abstraction and the psychological depth of traditional portraiture, drawing inspiration from both Abstract Expressionism and Roman Baroque aesthetics.

ACA Galleries Presents 100 Years of Black Art

aca galleries 100 years of black art 2747885

ACA Galleries in New York is hosting "Continuum: Over 100 Years of Black Art," an expansive group exhibition running through March 7, 2026. The show features a diverse array of media—including painting, sculpture, textiles, and collage—by more than a dozen pioneering Black artists. Spanning from the 19th century to the present day, the exhibition highlights key figures such as still-life painter Charles Ethan Porter, collagist Romare Bearden, and contemporary textile artist Helen McBride Richter.

warren isensees pulsating abstractions put the act of looking to the test 2739914

Warren Isensee's new paintings at Miles McEnery Gallery in Chelsea, New York, explore optical structure with loosened rules, where warm and cool tones trade dominance across repeating frameworks. On view through February 14, 2026, the exhibition is the artist's third solo outing with the gallery and includes a fully illustrated publication with an essay by Stephen Westfall. The works interrupt their own logic, introducing irregular breaks that reroute the eye, creating a test of looking rather than a display of visual effects.

thalita hamaoui botanical dramas 2645156

Brazilian artist Thalita Hamaoui presents her New York debut exhibition "Nascer da Terra" at Marianne Boesky Gallery, featuring large-scale, jewel-toned landscapes inspired by her grandmother's stories of Romania. Hamaoui, who was raised in São Paulo and had never visited Romania, translates her grandmother's vivid tales into fantastical, tropical-infused scenes filled with explosive plant life and dreamlike terrains. The exhibition runs through June 14 and includes paintings and drawings created during lockdown, reflecting her instinctual compositional process and influences from Brazilian Tropicália and artist Alberto da Veiga Guignard.

tefaf new york must see 2639891

TEFAF New York returns to the Park Avenue Armory from May 9–13, 2025, featuring 91 exhibitors from around the world. The fair presents a broad range of modern and contemporary art, jewelry, antiquities, and design, with highlights including an untitled canvas by Shirley Jaffe at Galerie Nathalie Obadia, a ceramic bird sculpture by Guidette Carbonell at Lebreton Gallery, a Roman marble head of a bearded god at Charles Ede, and design pieces such as Zaha Hadid's Liquid Glacial coffee table at David Gill Gallery and Josef Frank's 'Flora' chest of drawers at Modernity Stockholm. The event also includes curated displays in the venue's historic period rooms, a feature unique to this fair.

Did Van Gogh’s Yellow House turn blue after his death?

New historical evidence suggests that Vincent van Gogh’s iconic 'Yellow House' in Arles underwent a dramatic color change before its destruction. While Van Gogh famously painted and cherished the building for its yellow facade in 1888, two recently highlighted paintings from the late 1930s by artists Willy Guggenheim (Varlin) and George Tomaziu depict the structure with a blue exterior. This discovery, brought to light by Ukrainian artist Yuri Pikul, indicates the building had been repainted while serving as a café-bar called the Civette Arlésienne.

‘My paintings are always really kitchen sink, everything’s thrown into them’: Christina Quarles on her new solo show in Los Angeles

Artist Christina Quarles has launched her first solo exhibition with Hauser & Wirth in Los Angeles, titled "The Ground Glows Black." The new body of work features her signature fluid, elastic depictions of bodies, but introduces a more "untethered" and monochromatic aesthetic influenced by recent personal trauma. The paintings and works on paper were created in the aftermath of the Eaton fire, which destroyed the artist's home and community in Altadena.

Artist Alicja Kwade Opens the Door of Her Berlin Studio Ahead of a Major Solo Show

Berlin-based Polish artist Alicja Kwade opens her studio ahead of a major solo show, revealing the creative process behind her sculptural works that explore time, uncertainty, and reality. Her studio, a historic industrial complex in Oberschöneweide acquired from musician Bryan Adams, houses a team of a dozen full-time employees and up to 30 freelancers, including stone masons, welders, and architects. Kwade's recent high-profile exhibition at Pace Gallery in New York featured suspended stainless-steel cylinders with clocks and distorted reflections, while her best-known works include 2019 sculptures commissioned for the rooftop of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and a contribution to the 2017 Venice Biennale.