frida kahlo auction record op ed

Frida Kahlo's 1940 painting *El Sueño (La Cama)* sold for $54.7 million at Sotheby's New York, setting a new auction record for the most expensive work by a woman artist, surpassing Georgia O'Keeffe's *Jimson Weed, White Flower No. 1* ($44.4 million in 2014). The sale sparked widespread commentary, with many framing it as a milestone for gender equity in the art market, while others noted the persistent gap between this price and those achieved by male artists like Leonardo da Vinci ($450.3 million) and Gustav Klimt ($236.4 million).

banksy loan dispute brandler metamorfosi

John Brandler, a British street art specialist, loaned three Banksy works to Metamorfosi, a Rome-based touring exhibition company, for shows in Italy and Switzerland. After a two-year contract expired and was extended with a monthly fee, Brandler claims Metamorfosi has fallen behind on payments and has not returned the artworks, including the mural "Season's Greetings" (2018), "Heart Boy," and "Computer Robot." Another Banksy dealer, Acoris Andipa, says he is owed £45,000 for curatorial services. Metamorfosi disputes the claims, stating it has paid monthly installments and attempted to return the works, blaming storage issues for the delay.

max carter christies chairman 20th and 21st century art americas

Christie’s has appointed Max Carter as chairman of 20th and 21st Century art for the Americas. Carter, a Canadian-American writer and art specialist who joined the auction house in 2007, previously led the Impressionist and modern art department in the Americas from 2017 to 2022. He has overseen major collection consignments from Anne Bass, Paul Allen, S.I. Newhouse, Mica Ertegun, Robert F. Weis and Patricia G. Ross Weis, and Elaine Wynn, and has achieved record prices for artists like Ed Ruscha and Henri Rousseau. Carter will report to Christie’s global president and succeeds in the role as the auction house prepares for its marquee November sales in New York.

mari claudia jimenez art law and advisory withers

Mari-Claudia Jiménez, a prominent figure in the international art market and former chairman and president of the Americas at Sotheby's, has joined global law firm Withers to launch Withers Art and Advisory, a hybrid legal-art advisory practice based in New York. The new venture will provide collectors, estates, and institutions with integrated market advice and legal counsel on acquiring and holding art, combining real-time market insight with transactional legal expertise. Jiménez, a barred attorney, has overseen landmark deals including the restitution and sale of five Kazimir Malevich paintings, the $106.5 million sale of Picasso's *Nude, Green Leaves and Bust*, and the record-breaking $922 million Macklowe collection auction.

Is an auction house's loss a gallery's gain? Pilar Ordovas collaborates with former Sotheby's specialists for African and Oceanic art show

Pilar Ordovas opens an exhibition at her Mayfair gallery titled *Dialogues: European, American, African and Oceanic Art from the 20th and 21st Centuries*, running from 9 October to 12 December. The show is a collaboration with Jean Fritts, former international chairman of African & Oceanic Art at Sotheby’s, and Pierre Mollfulleda, formerly head of Sotheby’s African & Oceanic Art department in Paris. It pairs Modern and contemporary Western works with African and Oceanic objects that inspired them, including pieces from the landmark 1984 MoMA exhibition "Primitivism" in 20th Century Art.

Akron Art Museum transforms church’s stained glass windows into exhibit

The Akron Art Museum is presenting "Transfiguration: Rachel Libeskind and the Tiffany Window," an exhibition centered on a 137-square-foot stained glass window crafted by Frederick Wilson of Tiffany Studios in 1917. The window, originally installed at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, was rescued after a 2018 fire destroyed the church. Developer Tony Troppe purchased the property in 2022, and Whitney Stained Glass Studio restored the panels. New York-based artist Rachel Libeskind created accompanying works that reframe the window as art rather than a devotional object, with the show running through July 5.

City of the Arts? Costa Mesa called out for not having official arts budget

Costa Mesa’s Arts Commission delivered a report to the City Council on Tuesday, calling for a significant increase in arts funding as the city updates its arts and culture master plan. Currently, arts programs are primarily funded by a portion of cannabis tax revenue—about $230,000 annually—but actual expenditures are nearly double that, forcing the city to use general fund revenue to cover the gap. Commissioners recommended establishing a public art fund, increasing the cannabis tax allocation, imposing a 1% public art fee on capital projects over $500,000, and potentially using hotel-stay tax revenue to support the arts. They also proposed expanding the arts grants program, funding a consultant to update the master plan, and creating a dedicated arts specialist position.

The Art Market Check by Melanie Gerlis

Art market specialist Melanie Gerlis has launched a new editorial series titled "The Art Market Check," produced in collaboration with Art Basel. The series features Gerlis, a prominent columnist for the Financial Times and editor-at-large for The Art Newspaper, providing expert analysis and commentary on various sectors of the global art trade throughout the annual calendar.

CAM “Fresh Air: Inflatable Sculptures” exhibit set to open this summer

The Cameron Art Museum (CAM) in Wilmington, North Carolina, has announced its upcoming summer exhibition, "Fresh Air: Inflatable Sculptures." Running from June 19 through September 6, 2026, the show features large-scale, immersive works by a roster of high-profile contemporary artists including Nick Cave, Andy Warhol, and Claire Ashley. The exhibition is designed to be interactive, utilizing scale and movement to engage visitors with contemporary art in an accessible, unconventional format.

Right to Rest

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) created a visitor experience for the exhibition "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum" that centered on rest and well-being, inspired by Thomas's belief that art should offer beauty and restoration. The exhibition team, including an interpretive specialist, layered inclusive design practices such as specific interventions for rest, aiming to make Black audiences, disabled audiences, and older audiences feel comfortable and welcome. The DAM's Lifelong Learning and Accessibility division applied universal design principles and well-being outcomes to support the exhibition's goal of honoring Thomas's vision of art as a restorative space.

Sara Friedlander Appointed Chairman, Post-War & Contemporary Art, Americas - Christie's

Christie's has promoted Sara Friedlander to chairman of Post-War and Contemporary Art for the Americas, as announced by Global President Alex Rotter. Friedlander, a specialist and dealmaker with nearly 20 years at the auction house, will focus on works from the last 50 years. She has brought major collections to market, including the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art and the Edlis | Neeson Collection, and has achieved world-record prices for artists such as Joan Mitchell, Alice Neel, Ernie Barnes, Dorothea Tanning, and Marlene Dumas.

Turner winner Jasleen Kaur announces first permanent public work

Turner Prize winner Jasleen Kaur has announced her first permanent public artwork, titled *Was.Is.Will.Be*, to be unveiled on 28 November at Southmere Lake in Cygnet Square, Thamesmead, southeast London. The sculpture is funded by housing association Peabody and was selected with input from a creative studio that includes five local residents, among them filmmaker Comfort Adeneye and painter Gonzalo Fuentes. Other project partners include Studio Danmole, Company, Place, and youth culture specialist Joseph Gray. The work incorporates fragments of local conversation and features the phrase 'horses are here' written in the sky.

Rare wooden Alexander Calder mobile heads to Christie’s

Christie’s has secured the consignment of Painted Wood (1943), a rare wooden mobile by Alexander Calder, which will lead its 20th Century Evening Sale next month. Specialists estimate the work will sell for between $15 million and $20 million, the highest auction estimate ever placed on a Calder piece. The mobile comes from the collection of prominent Latin American art collector Patricia Phelps de Cisneros and was featured in Calder’s landmark 1943 retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where he became the youngest artist to receive a solo exhibition at the museum.

Christie's specialist's Post-War to Present highlights

Christie's specialists highlight key works from their upcoming 'Post-War to Present and Photographs' sale, including Joan Mitchell's 'Peinture II' (1964) from the collection of Vivian Fusillo, Matthew Wong's '5:22 PM', Alejandro Obregón's 'Chivo expiatorio', and a lifetime print by Francesca Woodman. The sale coincides with Mitchell's centennial and a landmark Jack Whitten exhibition, with the auction scheduled for 18 September 2025.

Seeing double: Vermeer painting and its mysterious ‘twin’ go on show in London

Kenwood House in London has opened a new display, "Double Vision: Vermeer" (1 September 2025 – 11 January 2026), pairing Vermeer's "The Guitar Player" (1672) from its own collection with its mysterious "twin," "Lady with a Guitar," on loan from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The exhibition reignites a century-old debate over which painting is the original, as the Philadelphia version has long been questioned since the Kenwood version emerged in 1927. Recent scientific analysis reveals differences in ground layers and pigment use—the Kenwood painting features ultramarine while the Philadelphia version uses cheaper indigo—and experts like former Rijksmuseum specialist Gregor Weber suggest the Philadelphia work may be an early copy.

‘Sometimes you just have to go for it’: as others close, Ben Hunter expands his London gallery

London art dealer Ben Hunter is bucking the trend of gallery closures by expanding his gallery into a full townhouse at 44 Duke Street in St James’s, set to open this October. Hunter, who previously worked for Old Master dealer Derek Johns and sculpture specialist Robert Bowman, founded his gallery in 2018 and has gradually taken over more space in the building as other tenants left. The historic townhouse was originally where Jay Jopling launched White Cube in 1993. Hunter cites the need to match the ambition of his artists and seize opportunities as key reasons for the expansion, despite the challenging market.

Iranian artworks sold at Bonhams' online auction of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art

Two works by Iranian artists were sold at Bonhams London's online auction of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art on August 14, 2025. The auction featured 45 pieces from Middle Eastern artists, including 10 by Iranian artists such as Sirak Melkonian, Ebrahim Olfat, Babak Kazemi, Marcos Grigorian, and YZ Kami. Only two works found buyers: an untitled 2020 oil on canvas by the late Sirak Melkonian (1930-2024) sold for $13,888, and Ebrahim Olfat's calligraphy painting "Eshgh (Hafez Poem)" (2012) sold for $5,207. The article provides extensive background on Melkonian, an Iranian-Armenian modernist pioneer and co-founder of the Azad Art Group, and on Olfat, a calligraphy specialist with a medical degree.

Your weekly dose of wonder: introducing The Specialist, a new podcast by Sotheby's

Sotheby's has launched a new podcast series titled "The Specialist," featuring its global specialists who share behind-the-scenes stories about extraordinary artworks and objects. Each episode focuses on a specific narrative, such as the restitution of a Kandinsky painting lost in Nazi-era Germany, the rediscovery of Rubens' "The Massacre of the Innocents," the story of the shredded Banksy artwork "Love is in the Bin," and the decade-long attribution project for a Vermeer painting. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

‘Very beautiful’ portrait of Gallagher brothers to go to auction for £1.5m

Sotheby's will auction a 1996 portrait of Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher by American artist Elizabeth Peyton at its June contemporary art sale in London, with an estimate of £1.5m to £2m. The painting, based on a 1995 photograph by Stefan De Batselier, captures the siblings at the height of Britpop fame, shortly after Noel allegedly hit Liam with a cricket bat. Sotheby's specialist Antonia Gardner notes the "quiet tension" in the work and Peyton's tendency to feminize macho pop stars.

As the Met’s Gorgeous New John Singer Sargent Exhibition Proves, There’s Much More to Madame X Than That Scandalous Strap

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened a major new exhibition, "Sargent and Paris," organized with the Musée d'Orsay, focusing on John Singer Sargent's formative decade in the French capital. The show culminates with his iconic portrait *Madame X* (1883–84), which caused a scandal at the 1884 Paris Salon when its jeweled strap appeared to slip off the subject's shoulder. Curator Stephanie L. Herdrich spent six years developing the exhibition, which includes approximately 100 works and aims to provide a more nuanced retelling of the painting's creation and impact. The exhibition runs from April 27 to August 3 at the Met before traveling to the Musée d'Orsay, marking the first monographic show of Sargent's work in France and the first time *Madame X* has been exhibited there in over 40 years.

Leaner, nimbler and more discreet: why some art advisory firms are growing in a downturn

A growing number of "super advisory" firms are being founded by former top-level auction house executives, offering leaner, more discreet art advisory services without the high overheads of major auction houses and galleries. Notable examples include Art Intelligence Global (AIG), launched by Amy Cappellazzo and Yuki Terase after leaving Sotheby's, and Patti Wong & Associates, founded by former Sotheby's Asia chair Patti Wong. These firms leverage decades of experience and personal client relationships to compete in a cautious market where major auction houses have cut staff and digitized operations.

Find UW alumni at art exhibits across Seattle (and beyond) this fall

This fall, the University of Washington (UW) is promoting a series of visual arts exhibitions featuring its alumni and faculty across Seattle and beyond. Notable shows include Carly Sheehan's "Call Me Superstitious" at Specialist Gallery (July 3–Aug. 17), Caryn Friedlander's "When Water Becomes Light" at ArtX Contemporary (Aug. 7–Sept. 20), Mary Ann Peters' "myself inside your story" at Whatcom Museum (Aug. 16–Jan. 25, 2026), and Whiting Tennis' "Refuge" at Greg Kucera Gallery (Sept. 4–Nov. 1). Each artist draws on personal history, cultural heritage, and experimental techniques such as shibori dyeing and mixed-media sculpture.

Sébastien Allard à la tête du département des Peintures du Louvre

Sébastien Allard has been appointed interim head of the Paintings Department at the Musée du Louvre, effective April 14. The 47-year-old specialist in 19th-century art previously served as deputy to Vincent Pomarède, who moved to a new role overseeing museum mediation. Allard's permanent appointment awaits confirmation by Culture Minister Aurélie Filippetti, on the recommendation of Louvre director Jean-Luc Martinez. Meanwhile, the search for a director of the Research and Collections Support division continues, with recruitment expected to be external.

Yann Le Touher Takes the Reins of the Bernardins' Patronage

Yann Le Touher prend les rênes du mécénat des Bernardins

Yann Le Touher has been appointed as the new General Director of the Fondation des Bernardins. The 44-year-old philanthropy specialist, with a career spanning the Musée d'Orsay, Centre Pompidou, the Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais, and the Louvre, succeeds Emmanuel Cortey in leading the foundation.

Top Seattle art shows to see in May 2026

Seattle's art scene in May 2026 features six diverse exhibitions. Highlights include 'Influences: Japanese Prints and Northwest Art' at the Cascadia Art Museum, exploring the impact of Japanese woodblock printing on regional artists; a site-specific installation by Carly Sheehan at the appointment-only Double Garage Gallery; Clare Johnson's exhibition of over 6,000 artworks on sticky notes at Gallery 4Culture; Emma Bergman's surreal multimedia installation 'The World to Come' at Specialist Gallery; and a landmark retrospective of light-art pioneer Tom Lloyd at the Frye Art Museum.

Au musée de l’Image d’Épinal, les talents multiples de Frans Masereel, entre autres inventeur du roman graphique

The Musée de l'Image d'Épinal is presenting a comprehensive exhibition on Belgian artist Frans Masereel (1889–1972), widely credited as the inventor of the graphic novel in 1918 with his wordless narratives composed of black-and-white woodcuts. The show, curated by Samuel Dégardin, brings together loans from major institutions and a private collection to reveal the full breadth of Masereel's practice, which spanned drawing, animation, painting, theater, ceramics, tapestry, and satirical press illustration. It highlights his pacifist activism during World War I, his collaborations with writers such as Stefan Zweig and Romain Rolland, and his humanist vision of a unified Europe.

hitler paintings art market industry hbo

This week's episode of HBO's *Industry* features a watercolor of Neuschwanstein Castle signed "A. Hitler," reflecting the real-world market for Adolf Hitler's amateur paintings. The show uses the artwork as a symbol of inherited wealth and moral ambiguity, mirroring actual auction sales—such as a 2015 Nuremberg sale where a group of Hitler watercolors fetched roughly €400,000, with one version of Neuschwanstein selling for €100,000 to an anonymous Chinese buyer. These works continue to circulate legally in Germany as long as they omit Nazi symbols.

christies koch western art american art market

Christie’s two-part auction of William I. Koch’s Western art collection realized $84.1 million with fees, more than tripling the previous record for a single-owner Western art collection and setting five new artist records. The sale, reported by the Observer and covered by ARTnews, stands out in a category that has struggled since the 2008 financial crisis, as collectors have shifted focus to postwar, contemporary, and ultra-contemporary work. Specialists attribute the success to structural changes in how American art is presented, growing cultural interest in the American West fueled by popular culture like Yellowstone, and the rare concentration of masterworks in the Koch collection.

puzzle roman fresco london

Archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) have uncovered one of the largest collections of painted Roman wall plaster ever found in London at a development site in Southwark. The fragments, which shattered into thousands of pieces, were discovered in a pit and took three months to reassemble by senior building material specialist Han Li, who described it as assembling "the world's most difficult jigsaw puzzle." The plaster includes rare evidence of a painter's signature, unusual Greek alphabet graffiti, and a crying face graffito, along with vibrant yellow panel designs featuring birds, fruit, flowers, and lyres.

Seattle May art shows include speakeasy-style gallery attached to house

A series of diverse art exhibitions are opening across Seattle in May. Highlights include a show exploring the influence of Japanese woodblock prints on Northwest artists at the Cascadia Art Museum, a site-specific installation in a private garage gallery called Double Garage, and a large-scale display of drawings on sticky notes by Clare Johnson at Gallery 4Culture. Other featured shows include Emma Bergman's surreal multimedia installation at Specialist Gallery and a landmark retrospective of light artist Tom Lloyd at the Frye Art Museum.