Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule Sep 2, 2025 visibility 10 link 2 artists

Vermeer’s vandal: the untold story of a vicious attack at London's National Gallery in 1968

In 1968, Vermeer's painting *Young Woman Seated at a Virginal* (1670-72) was vandalized at the National Gallery in London. An unidentified attacker used a sharp instrument, likely a razor blade, to cut around the woman's head, attempting to remove it entirely. The damage was discovered hours later by a visitor, and the painting was swiftly restored; previously unreleased photographs of the attack have now been supplied to The Art Newspaper. The vandal was never caught, and their motivation remains unknown.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Sep 1, 2025 visibility 15 link 3 artists

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.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Aug 29, 2025 visibility 17 link 4 artists

Art Blooms Across South Korea in September, Despite an Uneasy Market

South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is promoting a month-long Korea Art Festival in September 2025, featuring scores of events including design, craft, and calligraphy biennials across the country. The centerpiece is the concurrent staging of Frieze Seoul (fourth edition, over 120 exhibitors) and Kiaf (24th edition, some 175 galleries) at the Coex convention center in Gangnam, with a single ticket granting access to both fairs. International galleries have been opening local outposts in Seoul, and a Centre Pompidou branch is planned, as the city builds its reputation as an art capital.

newspaper The New York Times open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Aug 26, 2025 visibility 21 link 4 artists

Epic Palmer Museum exhibition explores 30 years of ecology and art

The Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State is opening "Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld" on August 30, the first survey of the two artists' work spanning three decades. The exhibition features sculptures, paintings, works on paper, and a new collaborative diorama, exploring themes of ecology, environmental collapse, invasive species, and climate change through scientific and artistic lenses. Both artists, who met in New York in the 1980s, combine intensive research, dark humor, and museum display methods to subvert traditional narratives about nature and humanity.

newspaper The Pennsylvania State University open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Aug 22, 2025 visibility 13 link 2 artists

Mickalene Thomas’s ex-fiancée accuses the artist of sexual harassment and stealing millions of dollars from her

Mickalene Thomas’s former fiancée, curator and model Racquel Chevremont, has filed a summons against the artist, accusing her of sexual harassment and claiming she owes at least $10 million in damages. The summons, signed in Manhattan on 8 August, cites breach of contract, unjust enrichment, conversion, and retaliation, alleging that Thomas created a hostile working environment and improperly diverted funds from their jointly-owned entity. Chevremont, who collaborated with Thomas for a decade and appeared in several of her works, claims she was underpaid despite a written agreement and that Thomas terminated her employment after she refused to resume their romantic relationship.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Aug 21, 2025 visibility 18 link 2 artists

McNay Art Museum to unveil exhibit that 'blurs the line between fiction and reality'

The McNay Art Museum in San Antonio will open "Sandy Skoglund: Enchanting Nature" on September 11, 2025, running through February 2026. The exhibition features an unconventional mix of sculptures, photographs, and installations by artist Sandy Skoglund, including never-before-exhibited works and large-scale photographic enlargements. Known for her meticulous tableaux using handmade objects, found materials, and live models, Skoglund explores the tension between human-made environments and the natural world.

newspaper kens5.com open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Aug 20, 2025 visibility 18 link 6 artists

From PBS to Priceless: Bob Ross Paintings Smash Auction Records

Bob Ross paintings shattered auction records at Bonhams New York's American Art Online auction (July 28–August 7, 2025). Two mountain landscapes by the beloved "The Joy of Painting" host sold for $95,750 and $114,800, with the latter more than doubling its high presale estimate. The previous record of $69,300 had been set just weeks earlier at Eldred's auction house for a painting originally purchased for $250 at a PBS auction in the 1980s.

newspaper Antique Trader open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Aug 15, 2025 visibility 31 link 15 artists

Landmark George Morrison show foregrounds Abstract Expressionism’s debt to Native art

A new exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, titled "The Magical City: George Morrison’s New York," showcases the largest-ever show of works by Ojibwe abstract painter George Morrison (1919-2000). Running until 31 May 2026, the exhibition features 25 works and archival materials, highlighting Morrison's Abstract Expressionist style and the tension between his life in New York City and his roots on the Grand Portage Chippewa reservation. The show includes pieces like "The Antagonist" (1956) and "Aureate Vertical" (1958), revealing his dual experiences of urban glamour and Native displacement.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Aug 14, 2025 visibility 18 link 8 artists

Rediscovered David Wojnarowicz mural could disappear from view again

A large mural by David Wojnarowicz (1954-92), rediscovered in a Louisville, Kentucky building in 2022, is at risk of being concealed again behind drywall as the building is redeveloped into high-end residences. The site-specific work was created in 1985 for the group exhibition *The Missing Children Show: Six Artists from the East Village on Main Street*, organized by dealer Potter Coe to benefit the Kentucky Child Victims’ Trust Fund. The building's current developers plan to turn the mural's floor into a waiting room for a boxing gym, covering it with sheetrock, though they have guaranteed no damage. The artist's foundation and gallery, PPOW, have proposed covering it with transparent plexiglass instead, but the mural's removal is unlikely due to its size and brick surface.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Aug 14, 2025 visibility 21 link 4 artists

National Museum of Asian Art Presents “Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared”

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will present "Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared" from November 8, 2025 to February 1, 2026, marking the first U.S. exhibition of masterpieces from the Lee Kun-Hee Collection. Featuring over 200 works including a dozen Korean National Treasures, the exhibition spans 1,500 years of Korean art—from ancient Buddhist sculptures and ceramics to Joseon dynasty furnishings and 20th-century modern paintings. The collection, donated to the Republic of Korea in 2021 by the family of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee, comprises more than 23,000 works accumulated over 70 years. The exhibition is co-organized by the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Museum of Korea, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, with additional loans from the Leeum Museum of Art shown exclusively in Washington, D.C.

newspaper Smithsonian Institution open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jul 24, 2025 visibility 20 link 22 artists

The new era of fashion’s art exhibitions

LACMA's upcoming David Geffen Galleries, opening in 2026, will feature over 130 costumes and textiles in its inaugural installations—more than any other time since the museum opened in 1965. The museum also plans exhibitions such as 'Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity' (with mannequins by Jason Wu) and 'Fashioning Fashion' (1900–2025). Other major fashion exhibitions include 'Virgil Abloh: The Codes' at Paris's Grand Palais, 'Westwood Kawakubo' at the National Gallery of Victoria, and 'Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art' at London's V&A. The article notes that fashion exhibitions are increasingly popular and profitable for museums, citing the Met's Costume Institute and its record-breaking Met Gala fundraising.

newspaper Vogue open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jul 16, 2025 visibility 14 link 2 artists

Mexico City’s Museo Dolores Olmedo to reopen in 2026 amid controversy

Museo Dolores Olmedo in Mexico City, home to the largest collection of works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, has announced it will reopen in 2026 after being closed since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The announcement follows years of uncertainty, including a controversial 2021 proposal to relocate the collection to Chapultepec’s Parque Aztlán, which contradicts the founder’s wish that the art remain at the original site, La Noria Hacienda in Xochimilco. The museum is now run by Dolores Phillips, granddaughter of founder Dolores Olmedo, who has faced criticism over plans for a 40-year loan of the collection to Aztlán.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

rate_review review schedule Jul 3, 2025 visibility 15 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

In ‘A Natural History of the Studio,’ Many William Kentridges Add Up to One

William Kentridge's latest exhibition, 'A Natural History of the Studio,' at Hauser & Wirth in New York presents over 70 drawings from his nine-part film series 'Self-Portrait as a Coffee-Pot,' alongside new sculptures. The works, created during the pandemic, explore self-portraiture through charcoal, pastel, and collage, often featuring doppelgängers that argue and disagree, reflecting the artist's engagement with theater and the materiality of his forms.

newspaper The New York Times open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jun 23, 2025 visibility 10 link 3 artists

Uffizi director to ‘limit’ selfies after posing visitor damages 18th-century painting

The director of the Uffizi Galleries in Florence announced plans to restrict selfies after a tourist damaged an 18th-century portrait while posing for a photograph. The visitor was mimicking the pose of Ferdinando de' Medici in a 1712 painting by Anton Domenico Gabbiani when he stumbled backward, tore the canvas, and left a hole near the prince's boot. The painting has been removed for repair, and the tourist will be prosecuted. The incident follows a similar event at Palazzo Maffei in Verona, where a visitor damaged a crystal-studded sculpture by Nicola Bolla.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 20, 2025 visibility 17 link 9 artists

Amid geopolitical tensions, Pakistani and Indian art worlds unite in London exhibitions

Amid ongoing geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, multiple art exhibitions in London are fostering cross-border cultural exchange. The Barbican is showing Pakistani artist Huma Bhabha alongside Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti, curated by Shanay Jhaveri. At SOAS, a South Asian group show organized by Pakistani artist Salima Hashmi and Indian curator Manmeet K. Walia features over 25 artists, including a collaborative textile work by Maheen Kazim and Purvai Rai. Two Indian galleries in central London have also exhibited Pakistani artists, though gallerists requested anonymity due to safety concerns in India.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 17, 2025 visibility 17 link 15 artists

Artist Eric Smith won 3 Archibalds, then vanished. A new show reveals his unseen works

A new exhibition at Macquarie University Art Gallery reveals unseen works by Eric Smith (1919-2017), a celebrated Australian artist who won three Archibald Prizes and six Blake Prizes before unexpectedly vanishing from public life. Despite his early fame—including a role in launching Australian abstract expressionism with the group show Direction 1—Smith's career stalled after the death of his gallerist Rudy Komon in 1982, leaving him without a connection to the art world. He continued painting prolifically for four more decades, working daily in his studio, but destroyed more than half his output and had no major gallery shows after 1989.

newspaper The Conversation open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 13, 2025 visibility 18 link 10 artists

Cincinnati Exhibition Explores Why These Late 1800s French Artists Focused on Food

The Cincinnati Art Museum presents "Farm to Table: Food and Identity in the Age of Impressionism," a new exhibition running from June 13 to September 21, 2025. Curated by Peter Bell, the show features over 60 paintings and sculptures from late 1800s France, exploring how artists depicted food production and consumption in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune. Works by artists such as Julien Dupré, Victor Gilbert, Rosa Bonheur, James Tissot, and Gustave Courbet are included, with the exhibition divided into sections on production and consumption, juxtaposing images of labor, market scenes, and dining practices.

newspaper Ohio Magazine open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 12, 2025 visibility 16 link 4 artists

Cezanne family home opens to the public as Aix-en-Provence fetes its famous former resident

The French city of Aix-en-Provence is launching Cezanne 2025, a year-long program of events and exhibitions celebrating its most famous resident, Paul Cézanne. The season begins with two major openings: the Bastide du Jas de Bouffan, Cézanne's family home, now open to the public after extensive renovations, and a major exhibition at the Musée Granet titled "Cezanne au Jas de Bouffan" (28 June to 12 October), which explores the painter's work during his 40 years at the estate. A highlight of the exhibition is the reconstruction of the Grand Salon, featuring a recently discovered mural fragment, *Entrée du port* (1864), and loans from institutions including the National Gallery in London and the Petit Palais in Paris.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 10, 2025 visibility 18 link 5 artists

New Frida Kahlo museum to open in Mexico City

Frida Kahlo's family has announced the opening of Museo Casa Kahlo, also known as Casa Roja, on September 27 in Coyoacán, Mexico City, near the iconic Casa Azul. The museum, run by Kahlo's descendants for the first time, will display personal objects, documents, and photographs from the artist's childhood, including dolls, clothing, letters, cross-stitch work from age five, her first oil painting, and a recently discovered mural. The property belonged to Kahlo's parents and later her sister Cristina, and has been preserved by the family for decades. The museum will be led by Adán García Fajardo and overseen by the newly founded Fundación Kahlo, a New York-based non-profit.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 10, 2025 visibility 14 link 1 artist

Gaza comes to an art gallery near you

The article reports on a growing trend of art galleries in Western countries hosting exhibitions that focus on the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. These shows feature works by Palestinian artists, as well as international artists responding to the situation, aiming to bring visual representation of the war to audiences far from the region.

newspaper The Times of Israel open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jun 4, 2025 visibility 25 link 10 artists

Whitney Museum pauses Independent Study Program amid accusations of censorship

The Whitney Museum of American Art has suspended its prestigious Independent Study Program (ISP) for the 2025-2026 academic year, citing a leadership gap following the 2023 retirement of longtime director Ron Clark. The decision follows accusations of censorship after the museum canceled a performance titled "No Aesthetics Outside my Freedom: Mourning, Militancy and Performance" by Fadl Fakhouri, Noel Maghathe, and Fargo Tbakhi, which addressed the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. An open letter signed by over 360 alumni, faculty, and supporters, including philosopher Judith Butler and artists Andrea Fraser and Walid Raad, condemned the cancellation as an act of censorship and expressed solidarity with the current cohort.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule May 30, 2025 visibility 19 link 5 artists

Trump claims he has fired director of US National Portrait Gallery

US President Donald Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that he has fired Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery (NPG), alleging she is a "highly partisan person" and a supporter of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Sajet, who became the first woman to lead the NPG in 2013, has not commented, and the Smithsonian declined to comment. It remains unclear whether Trump has the legal authority to fire Smithsonian employees, as the institution is governed by a board of regents and receives partial federal funding.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule May 13, 2025 visibility 16 link 5 artists

Comment | The greatest failure of PST Art: its successes are not travelling

The article critiques PST Art (formerly Pacific Standard Time), a $20 million Getty-funded initiative in Southern California, as its current edition wraps up. It highlights the closure of key exhibitions like "For Dear Life: Art, Medicine and Disability" at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego before major art events like Frieze Los Angeles, and notes that only 7 of the 72 exhibitions are traveling to other institutions. The piece questions the initiative's purpose and effectiveness in reaching broader audiences.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 13, 2025 visibility 21 link 15 artists

Five Big Lots to Watch as New York’s Spring Auctions Spring Into Action

New York's May auction season has begun, with Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips presenting major works by artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, Cecily Brown, and Marlene Dumas. Highlights include Basquiat's 'Baby Boom' (estimate $20–$30 million) at Christie's, a Basquiat 'Untitled' (1981) at Sotheby's, and Marlene Dumas' 'Miss January' (1997), which could break the auction record for a living woman artist. Sotheby's will also feature works from the late dealer Barbara Gladstone's collection, while the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is deaccessioning Frank Stella's 'Adelante' and other works to fund new acquisitions.

newspaper Ocula open_in_new Read original

rate_review review schedule Apr 30, 2025 visibility 19 link 5 artists

Turner vs Constable: is it time for art historians to choose?

Art historian and author James Hall, writing in The Art Newspaper, reviews Nicola Moorby's new book "Turner and Constable: Art, Life, Landscape" and uses it as a springboard to argue that art historians should not shy away from making value judgments about artists. He compares the legacies of J.M.W. Turner and John Constable, noting that Turner currently dominates popular and institutional esteem—appearing on banknotes, celebrated by Tate Britain as the greatest British artist, and fitting modern conceptions of the artist as a rebellious, eccentric genius. Hall contrasts this with Constable's more conservative image and declining presence in commercial culture.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Apr 30, 2025 visibility 18 link 3 artists

Canada’s art market takes a nationalist turn amid trade war with US

At the opening of "Riopelle: Crossroads in Time" at the Vancouver Art Gallery, philanthropist and collector Michael Audain gave a patriotic speech praising Quebecois modernist Jean Paul Riopelle. Amid US President Donald Trump's trade war and annexation threats, a wave of Canadian nationalism has boosted the domestic art market. Heffel Fine Art Auction House reports record online sales of Canadian art, with Riopelle works especially sought after due to major bequests to a new museum wing in Quebec, removing key pieces from the market. Collectors like Felix Tetu note rising prices and increased interprovincial buying, while the Riopelle Foundation's centennial promotions are bridging Canada's Anglophone-Francophone cultural divide.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 29, 2025 visibility 12 link 1 artist

Child damages Rothko work at Rotterdam museum

A child visiting the Depot, a publicly accessible storage facility at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, made small scratches on Mark Rothko's painting *Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8* (1960). The museum confirmed superficial damage to the unvarnished paint layer and is consulting conservation experts in the Netherlands and abroad, expecting the work to be displayable again in the future. No information on valuation, repair costs, or further handling has been released, and images of the damage will not be circulated.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 24, 2025 visibility 10 link 2 artists

Rembrandt works called into question by experts in the Netherlands

Conservators at the Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague have called into question the attribution of three paintings long believed to be by Rembrandt van Rijn. Technical analysis revealed an underdrawing beneath *Portrait of Rembrandt with a Gorget* (c. 1629), proving it is a copy and that the original is in Nuremberg. *Tronie of an Old Man* (c. 1630) may be by a student or employee, and *Study of an Old Man* (c. 1655), though signed by Rembrandt, shows less accomplished brushwork and a date applied later in different paint, suggesting studio production. All three works remain on view in the exhibition *Rembrandt?* (17 April–13 July).

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 23, 2025 visibility 13 link 1 artist

The story of the Met’s ‘missing’ Banksy

John Barelli, head of security at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 2001 to 2016, revealed that Banksy illicitly installed a painting at the museum in 2005 with the help of three accomplices who distracted guards. The work, titled 'Last Breath' and depicting a woman in a gas mask, was affixed to a wall with a placard claiming it was a donation. Banksy later requested its return, but Barelli told The New Yorker that the museum had thrown it out—though he admitted to taking it himself upon retirement, saying he might sell it if he needs money.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 10, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 16 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

At the Venice Biennale, Canada’s entry blooms with unease

Montreal artist Abbas Akhavan's installation "Entre chien et loup" transforms the Canadian pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale into a living climate system, featuring a humid, Amazon-like environment with a pond of Victoria water lilies. The seeds were sourced from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and germinated at the Orto Botanico di Padova, with the lilies growing and blooming over the course of the biennale.

newspaper CBC open_in_new Read original