sothebys is selling a watch gifted to admiral nelson before his last and defining victory at the battle of trafalgar

Sotheby’s is auctioning a historic watch gifted to Admiral Horatio Nelson by officers of the HMS Victory in 1805, just weeks before his death at the Battle of Trafalgar. The gilt metal, gold, and enamel timepiece, known as the “Victory Watch,” is the top lot in Sotheby’s “Fine Watches” online sale, with a high estimate of £400,000 ($537,000). It is the first time the watch has come to auction in 20 years, and the current bid stands at £65,000 ($87,300).

brussels nativity scene stolen baby jesus

Belgian police are investigating the theft of the infant Jesus figure from a controversial Nativity scene at a Brussels Christmas market. The installation, created by German artist Victoria-Maria Geyer, features faceless cloth figures intended to allow all Catholics to identify with the biblical story, but it sparked a national scandal and political backlash, with critics calling the design zombie-like and the €65,000 cost exorbitant. The figure was stolen from its manger in the early hours of November 29, and authorities have since replaced it with a new model.

triqueti campbell sculpture export bar

The U.K. government has imposed a temporary export bar on a mid-19th century marble sculpture by Henri-Joseph-François de Triqueti, depicting sisters Florence and Alice Campbell. The work, valued at £280,000 ($367,000), sold for £117,700 at Lyon and Turnbull auction house in January 2025. The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) intervened on the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art (RCEWA), citing the sculpture's rarity, outstanding aesthetic importance, and potential for scholarly study. The export license is deferred for three months, with a possible six-month extension, to allow a U.K. institution to acquire it.

christies jonathan burden decorative arts auction results

Christie's online sale of decorative arts from the collection of Jonathan Burden, titled 'Crafted and Collected: The Jonathan Burden Sale,' achieved over $1.07 million with fees, more than doubling the low estimate of $487,500. The sale featured 151 lots, with only five unsold, a 97% sell-through rate. The top lot was a 10-foot-long French Incarnat Turquin marble dining table that sold for $101,600, far exceeding its $30,000 high estimate. The auction employed an innovative 'in-situ' viewing at Burden's studio in Long Island City, where potential bidders could meet the dealer, hear stories, and see pieces demonstrated. Many items sold for multiples of their estimates, including a Victorian metamorphic chair that brought $27,940 against a $3,000 high estimate.

winged goddess carving hadrians wall

A couple of volunteer archaeologists, Dilys and Jim Quinlan, discovered a Roman stone relief carving of the winged goddess Victory while excavating at the Vindolanda fort near Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, England. The 18.5-inch carving was found in the infantry barracks and is believed to have been part of a larger ornamental arch and gate, dating to around 213 CE after the Severan wars. The discovery was identified by Newcastle University professor Rob Collins and announced by the Vindolanda Charitable Trust.

What Does the Future Hold for Female Collectors? We Got a Sneak Peek.

CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson hosted a panel discussion at Christie’s Rockefeller Center with collectors Tiffany Zabludowicz, Sophia Cohen, and Victoria Rogers, exploring the evolving role of women in the art market. The event coincided with Christie’s Marquee Week sales, which included a record-breaking $1.1 billion night, and featured works from the collections of legendary female patrons such as Agnes Gund, Marian Goodman, Lorinda de Roulet, and Marilyn Arison. Guests viewed masterpieces on display and received remarks from Christie’s Senior Vice President Isabella Lauria, who is leading the 21st Century Sale on May 20.

parties national academy of design morgan library

The National Academy of Design celebrated its 200th anniversary with a gala at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York. The event honored the 2025 class of Academicians, including artists Tacita Dean, Nanette Carter, Sheila Hicks, and Nina Yankowitz, as well as architects Trey Trahan, Julie Snow, and Kim Yao. The evening featured an induction ceremony where new members were invited to contribute works to the Academy’s ongoing collection.

parties art contemporary austin art dinner

The Contemporary Austin hosted its annual Art Dinner 2025 at the historic Driscoll Villa along the Colorado River, transforming the museum grounds into a festive gala reminiscent of Studio 54. The event featured an auction with works by RF. Alvarez, Sarah Crowner, Lubaina Himid, and Ed Ruscha, where participating artists could receive up to 50 percent of the winning bid. Attendees included film producer Bettina Barrow, Nike CEO Elliot Hill, athletes Chris Bosh and Zach Martin, collector Suzanne Deal Booth, and actors Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Elizabeth Reaser, with live performances by TheBrosFresh and Mama Duke.

parties cultured at home design paris art basel

A launch party for CULTURED at Home, the magazine's inaugural design issue, was held at the Paris home of collector and private art dealer Jim Hedges. The event, guest-edited by Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, drew a cross-section of fashion, art, and design insiders, including Hermès’s Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski, artist Mickalene Thomas, and collectors Michelle and Jason Rubell. The party took place during Art Basel Paris and Design Miami, with guests viewing Hedges’s personal collection featuring works by Jack Pierson and Andy Warhol.

parties nyfw fashion bethann hardison

CULTURED magazine hosted a September issue launch party at FOOD, a revived 1970s art-world restaurant now run by artist Lucien Smith and the estate of Gordon Matta-Clark. The event, co-hosted by legendary model and activist Bethann Hardison and CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson, drew a crowd of fashion and art insiders including designers, stylists, artists, and editors. Guests enjoyed family-style dishes, Lagavulin cocktails, and left with copies of the magazine's latest covers featuring Julia Fox, Anthony Edwards, Vicky Krieps, Sophie Calle, and Lucien Smith.

Nancy Lupo “Meow Meow Real Estate” at Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation, London

Nancy Lupo's exhibition "Meow Meow Real Estate" opens at the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation in London's Chelsea neighborhood, curated by Vittoria de Franchis. The show shares its title with Lupo's first novel, which follows a woman searching for an apartment—a quest that is both literal and existential. The foundation's Victorian architecture serves as the bourgeois dwelling central to the narrative.

Gregorian Art Exhibition Debuts in Lagos in Honour of Bruce Onobrakpeya

The inaugural Gregorian Art Exhibition opened at Jubilee Hall, St. Gregory’s College, Ikoyi, Lagos, honoring renowned artist Bruce Onobrakpeya. Organized by the St. Gregory’s College Old Boys Association, the three-day event runs from April 25 to April 27, 2026, under the theme “Celebrating Legacy, Excellence and Continuity.” It features an intergenerational mix of artists including Victor Uwaifo, David Dale, Mike Omoighe, and others, and attracted Nigeria’s cultural, political, and religious figures. Speeches by Dr. Michael Omolayole and Francis Oluwole Kudayah highlighted the exhibition as a cultural tradition and platform for mentorship, with plans for an annual art clinic and a digital “Gregorian Art Mart” to support alumni welfare and the college endowment fund.

Photos: Art Gallery "2.16 Contemporary" Grand Opening

On January 21, 2026, the 2.16 Contemporary art gallery opened at 325 Constitución Street in Puerto Vallarta's Zona Romántica with a gala event featuring the exhibition “Liberatio” by Guadalajara-based artist Victor Haro, celebrating his 40-year career. The ribbon-cutting ceremony included owners and gallerists Orlando Santamaría and Abrajam Romero, Culture Councilwoman Laurel Carrillo, and Haro himself, with the show presenting hyperrealistic works in acrylic paste and airbrushing that explore human liberation.

Uzbek Artist Saodat Ismailova Makes Her U.S. Museum Debut at the Smithsonian

Uzbek artist Saodat Ismailova is making her U.S. museum debut at the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibition introduces her multimedia works, which often explore Central Asian history, spirituality, and female identity, to an American audience for the first time.

Light on the water

The Victoria Art Gallery in Bath has announced 'The Transience of Light,' the first posthumous exhibition dedicated to the celebrated British printmaker Norman Ackroyd CBE RA. Opening on May 22, the retrospective features over five decades of etchings, ranging from his early 1980s works to his final pieces. Co-curated by the gallery’s senior curator Nathalie Levi alongside Ackroyd’s family and studio manager, the show includes archival material and a diverse range of subjects including his iconic remote coastal landscapes, cityscapes, and interiors.

Closure of UNT art show points to larger climate of fear on college campuses

The University of North Texas recently shuttered an on-campus art exhibition shortly after its opening, marking a significant escalation in campus censorship. This incident follows a pattern of administrative interference, including the removal of pro-Palestinian student work and the resignation of a museum director at Pepperdine University over the alteration of politically sensitive artworks. These actions are part of a broader national trend where university administrations are increasingly intervening in artistic expression to avoid political controversy.

How Australian Chefs and Farmers Are Rediscovering the Ingredients That Have Been There All Along

Author Bruce Pascoe and a new generation of Australian chefs are leading a movement to rediscover and commercialize native Indigenous ingredients like kangaroo grass, Kakadu plums, and wattleseeds. By revisiting historical archives and journals from 19th-century explorers, Pascoe’s research in his book *Dark Emu* challenges the colonial narrative that Indigenous Australians were solely nomadic hunter-gatherers, revealing instead a sophisticated history of permanent settlements, irrigation, and organized agriculture.

Rika Nakajima: A New Book of the Dead, Part 3

連載 中島りか 新しい死者の書 第三回

Japanese artist Rika Nakajima reflects on the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, who assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, weaving together her own experience running the project space "Datsuisho – (a) place to be naked" in Tokyo's Yanaka district. As the space faced demolition in late 2025, Nakajima draws parallels between the trial's timing and the closure of her venue, recalling earlier events at the space that discussed the state funeral controversy and the cult issues exposed by the assassination. She describes attending the trial in Nara, observing Yamagami's demeanor, and connecting the case to broader themes of political aesthetics, fascism, and the theatricality of the judicial system.

On Exhibit: Must-See Art Shows in Alexandria This May

This article highlights a variety of art exhibitions and events taking place in Alexandria, Virginia, during May 2026. Featured shows include the "Floret 2026" floral exhibit and the May 2026 Open Exhibit juried by Jowita Wyszomirska at the Art League Gallery of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, as well as the Alexandria City High School Titan Student Art Exhibition at Del Ray Artisans Gallery. Other offerings include a mask exhibit at Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, multiple ART + WINE + CHEESE soirées at Nepenthe featuring artists like Leah Sturgis, Sunny Goode, and Evelyn Dunphy, and special print exhibits at Printmakers, Inc. honoring Avis Fleming.

Review | An abruptly postponed Smithsonian show of African LGBTQ+ art is now open

The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art has opened "Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art," its first major exhibition dedicated to African LGBTQ+ artists. The show, which was abruptly postponed earlier, features works that celebrate queer life through themes of joy, family, and belonging, while also addressing the darkness and loss faced by LGBTQ+ communities globally.

Photo of the Week: Amherst Arts Night Plus Returns

Amherst Arts Night Plus returned on April 23 after a six-year hiatus, with 20 venues across downtown opening their doors and over 20 local artists exhibiting their work. Several pieces were sold during the evening, and most venues offered free refreshments and the chance to speak directly with artists. Katie Streater of the Amherst Business Improvement District estimated attendance at about 125 people, and the Amherst Center Cultural District is now exploring a recurring version of the event, possibly quarterly or monthly.

Europe: China’s censorship of cultural institutions must be challenged - ARTICLE 19

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London has reportedly removed maps and images from exhibition catalogues on multiple occasions following pressure from its Chinese publisher, C&C Offset Printing. The publisher cited directives from China's General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), which enforces the Chinese Communist Party's official narratives on sensitive topics like territorial borders.

Fairbanks Arts Association seeks original work for juried exhibition

The Fairbanks Arts Association has issued a call for entries for its upcoming juried exhibition, "Interdependence," scheduled to run from May 1 to May 30 at the Bear Gallery in Pioneer Park. Open to artists aged 18 and older living in Interior Alaska, the show will kick off with a First Friday opening reception and an awards ceremony on May 1.

Blockbuster show on ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II opens in London

The blockbuster exhibition "Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs" has opened in London near Battersea Power Station, featuring over 180 ancient Egyptian treasures. Produced by Neon Global in collaboration with Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, the show includes the coffin of Ramses II, animal mummies, and a VR experience. The tour has already visited cities like Paris and Sydney, serving as a major international cultural ambassador for Egypt.

UNT Gives No Reason for Sudden Closure of Victor Quiñonez Show

The University of North Texas abruptly cancelled the solo exhibition "Ni de Aqui, Ni de Allá" by artist Victor Quiñonez in its College of Visual Art & Design Gallery just nine days after its opening. The university covered the gallery windows with brown paper, removed all promotional material from its website and social media, and informed the artist via a misspelled email that it had terminated its loan agreement with Boston University Art Galleries, which originated the show. The artist was not notified in advance and learned of the closure from students.

Opening Gala for DIVA

The Denver Art Museum is hosting the opening gala for "DIVA," a touring exhibition originally created by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. The event is supported by premier sponsors Joy and Chris Dinsdale, with additional funding from several prominent donors and organizations including U.S. Bank and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).

Denver Art Museum announces major exhibition of Australian Indigenous Art

The Denver Art Museum has announced a major touring exhibition of Australian Indigenous Art, set to open in April 2026. The show is a collaborative effort organized by the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and will also travel to the Portland Art Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum.

‘Unrealistic’ €600m Louvre redevelopment plans must be scrapped, say striking workers

Staff at the Musée du Louvre staged another walkout on Monday, forcing the Paris museum to close temporarily before partially reopening at noon. The striking workers, representing 350 staff members including curators, unanimously voted for the action, citing concerns over working conditions and infrastructure. They are demanding that director Laurence des Cars scrap her "unrealistic" €666m plan for a new entrance, subterranean complex around the Mona Lisa, and an exhibition hall, arguing that funds should instead be directed toward urgent technical maintenance to preserve the collections. The strike follows a three-day walkout before Christmas and an October theft of crown jewels, which have not been recovered despite arrests.

UK government insures Bayeux Tapestry for £800m during loan to British Museum

The UK Treasury will insure the Bayeux Tapestry for an estimated £800 million under the Government Indemnity Scheme during its loan to the British Museum next year. The tapestry, created in the 1070s, will travel from Normandy to London via the Channel Tunnel and be displayed in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery from September 2025 to July 2027 while its home museum in Bayeux undergoes renovations. The loan agreement, announced by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, includes a dry run with a facsimile and vibration monitoring, and in exchange, British Museum treasures such as the Lewis chessmen and Sutton Hoo helmet will travel to Normandy.

Paris exhibition presents exceptional jewels—but Louvre heist treasures missing from line up

An exhibition titled 'Dynastic Jewels' opens at the Hôtel de La Marine in Paris, showcasing over 130 exceptional jewels dating primarily from 1800 to 1920. The show includes pieces linked to Catherine the Great, Queen Victoria, and Prince Albert, many displayed in the city for the first time. However, three major treasures—an 1853 pearl and diamond tiara and two sets of pearl earrings belonging to French Empresses Eugénie and Joséphine—are missing after being stolen from the Louvre Museum in October 2025. The exhibition draws loans from the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Al Thani Collection, which occupies the venue under a long-term contract with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.