Researchers at Art Gallery of Ontario identify painter and subject of 18th-century portrait of Black woman

Researchers at the Art Gallery of Ontario have identified the artist and sitter of an 18th-century portrait of a young Black woman. The painting, purchased in 2020, is now titled 'Portrait of Eleonora Susette' (1775), revealing the subject as a woman born around 1756 in the Dutch colony of Berbice (now Guyana). The artist is Berlin-born Jeremias Schultz, who painted the portrait in Amsterdam after Eleonora Susette was brought there by her enslaver, the artist's cousin.

new whitney ready to take on moma 38377

The Whitney Museum of American Art is preparing to move into a new Renzo Piano-designed building in New York's Meatpacking District, set to open to the public about a year from now. The new downtown location is vastly larger than its current Marcel Breuer building on Madison Avenue, with 50,000 square feet of indoor exhibition space—a 33 percent increase—and a total of 220,000 square feet, nearly triple the size of the old space. The museum's best attendance year was 372,000 visitors in 2009-10, far below MoMA's 3.22 million that same year, but the new building's proximity to the High Line and tourist-heavy neighborhood is expected to dramatically boost visitor numbers.

'Marcel Duchamp' at Gagosian, 980 Madison Avenue, New York, United States on 25 Apr–27 Jun 2026

Gagosian is set to inaugurate its new ground-floor gallery space at 980 Madison Avenue with a major exhibition of Marcel Duchamp’s work, opening April 25, 2026. The presentation features the artist’s iconic 1964 readymade editions, including "Fountain" and "Bicycle Wheel," returning them to the exact historic location where they made their American debut at Cordier & Ekstrom Gallery sixty years prior. The show coincides with a major Duchamp retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

12 Collectors on the Artists, Shows, and Trends to Watch in 2026

Artsy spoke with 12 leading collectors about the artists, exhibitions, and trends they are most excited to follow in 2026. Highlights include the re-centering of women artists, the rise of South Asian and LGBTQ+ artists, and the impact of AI on gallery operations. Collectors point to major institutional milestones such as LACMA's new campus, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Venice Biennale, and Art Basel's expansion into Qatar, as well as specific shows like Claire Tabouret's stained-glass commission for Notre-Dame and the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Art market 2026 predictions: underwhelming rebound and another Frieze fair

The article presents five predictions for the art market in 2026, following a relatively improved but still cautious end to 2025. Key forecasts include a subdued market rebound, a shift toward smaller and cheaper artworks, the continued expansion of Frieze fairs (possibly into India), a consolidating Art Basel, and a resurgence of London's art-world clout. The predictions are informed by trends such as declining demand for art as investment, gallery closures and geographic pruning, and the thematic direction of the 2026 Venice Biennale, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh under the title "In Minor Keys."

Must-see Van Gogh exhibitions in 2026

Several major Van Gogh exhibitions are scheduled for 2026 across Japan and the Netherlands. In Nagoya, the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art hosts "Van Gogh's Home: The Van Gogh Museum" (January–March), featuring 24 paintings and five drawings from the Amsterdam museum. Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum presents "Yellow: More than Van Gogh's Favourite Colour" (February–May), exploring the color yellow through Van Gogh's Sunflowers and works by other artists. A touring exhibition from the Kröller-Müller Museum, "The Grand Van Gogh Exhibition," travels from Kobe to Fukushima and Tokyo with 37 paintings and 20 drawings. The Kröller-Müller Museum itself plans "All Van Goghs" (September 2026–January 2027), reuniting its entire collection for the first time since 1984. Den Bosch's Noordbrabants Museum examines Van Gogh's influence on Jan Sluijters in "Jan and Vincent: About Light" (October 2026–February 2027). Several ongoing exhibitions continue into early 2026, including "Van Gogh and the Roulins" and "Captivated by Vincent" at the Van Gogh Museum, and "Van Gogh and the Potato" in Den Bosch.

Frieze and NADA New York’s Early Sales Signal Buyer Confidence

Frieze New York opened its VIP preview on May 7, with early sales indicating cautious but steady buyer confidence amid economic uncertainty and the recent acquisition of the fair by Endeavor's former CEO Ari Emanuel. American buyers dominated, while Asian and European collectors were largely absent. Mega-galleries like Gagosian and Pace reported significant sales, including Jeff Koons's Hulk Elvis sculptures and works by Adam Pendleton and Lynda Benglis, though the atmosphere was more subdued and negotiation-friendly than in previous years.

jean michel basquiat work phillips frieze week sales london 1234755733

Phillips has announced the lineup for its October London sales during Frieze Week, headlined by Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1982 work on paper, *Untitled (Pestus)*, estimated at £3 million ($4 million). The 26-lot evening auction on October 16 also includes Andy Warhol's diamond dust portrait of Giorgio Armani (estimate £800,000), Banksy's *Kate Moss* (estimate £1 million), and works by Jadé Fadojutimi, Flora Yukhnovich, Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor, Sasha Gordon, and Emma McIntyre. A day sale on October 18 features pieces by Keith Haring, Warhol, Basquiat, Anselm Kiefer, and Yoshitomo Nara.

frank gehry dead guggenheim bilbao 1234765549

Frank Gehry, the award-winning architect whose revolutionary museum designs reshaped the art world, died on Friday in Santa Monica, California, at age 96 due to a brief respiratory illness. Best known for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (1997), Gehry's signature style—featuring sloping, incongruous forms clad in titanium—transformed the architectural landscape of art institutions worldwide. His other major museum projects include the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and an upcoming Guggenheim museum in Abu Dhabi.

biggest museums moments 2025 2719276

The past year saw major museum events dominated by high-stakes thefts and political interference. The Louvre in Paris suffered a shocking $102 million jewel heist in broad daylight, leading to arrests and an €80 million security overhaul. Other European museums, including the Drents Museum in the Netherlands, were also targeted, raising fears of an organized criminal network.

No Need to Shed a Tear for the Jury

"Man muss der Jury keine Träne nachweinen"

The entire jury of the Venice Biennale resigned shortly before the opening, prompting criticism of Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli accused Buttafuoco of pursuing a misguided "pacificist fantasy" by readmitting Russia to the six-month exhibition, calling it failed "side foreign policy." Commentators in German media, including Niklas Maak (FAZ) and Marcus Woeller (Die Welt), see the resignation as a symptom of a crisis in the art world, with the jury having acted as a "political tribunal" by pre-judging artists based on nationality, particularly regarding Israel. The Biennale leadership defended inclusion, but the standoff has caused significant "image damage." Separately, Dirk Knipphals (wochentaz) delivers a scathing review of Wolfram Weimer's first year as cultural policy commissioner, accusing him of empty rhetoric and failing to counter right-wing cultural politics. Juliane von Mittelstaedt (Der Spiegel) reports on Saudi Arabia's use of a spectacular new art museum in Riyadh as a stability narrative amid regional conflict.

A Titanic Face-to-Face Brings Together the Vibrant Bodies of Rodin and Michelangelo at the Louvre

Un face-à-face titanesque réunit les corps vibrants de Rodin et Michel-Ange au Louvre

The Louvre has mounted an exhibition that places the works of Auguste Rodin in direct dialogue with those of Michelangelo, focusing on the profound influence of the Renaissance master on the 19th-century sculptor. Key sculptures like Rodin's 'Adam' and 'The Age of Bronze' are juxtaposed with Michelangelo's 'Dying Slave' and 'Rebellious Slave', highlighting shared themes of contorted male forms and masterful use of contrapposto.

15 Artists Explore the Potentiality of Fabric and Fiber in ‘Textile Art Redefined’

The Saatchi Gallery in London is hosting 'Textile Art Redefined,' a group exhibition featuring 15 artists who push the boundaries of fiber and fabric. Curated by Helen Adams, the show includes diverse works ranging from Ian Berry’s immersive installations made of recycled denim to Kenny Nguyen’s undulating silk wall pieces and Anne von Freyburg’s textile reinterpretations of Rococo paintings. The exhibition coincides with the release of Adams' new book, 'Textile Fine Art,' which explores the medium's evolution from functional craft to a celebrated pillar of contemporary art.

At the Tate Modern, the Moving Renaissance of Tracey Emin

À la Tate Modern, la bouleversante renaissance de Tracey Emin

Tracey Emin has returned to the Tate Modern for a major retrospective titled "A Second Life," marking a poignant milestone in her career. The exhibition features over a hundred works, including the iconic and once-scandalous "My Bed," which first catapulted her to international fame during the 1999 Turner Prize. This survey explores her evolution from the "enfant terrible" of the Young British Artists to a Dame of the British Empire, showcasing her multidisciplinary practice across painting, sculpture, and installation.

sandra mujinga stedelijk museum sculpture performance 1234769366

Sandra Mujinga, a Congolese-born artist based in Berlin and Oslo, recently unveiled a new performance at the Park Avenue Armory in New York and has a major installation, "Skin to Skin" (2025), finishing its run at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam before traveling to the Belvedere museum in Vienna. The installation features 55 lithe, tentacular figures covered in the artist's own textiles, arranged around mirrored columns in a green-lit environment. In an interview, Mujinga discussed how fashion and clothing function as data and storytelling, reflecting identity and belonging, a theme that permeates her sculptures, videos, and performances.

michelangelo drawing sistine chapel christies new york 1234763395

A five-inch-tall red chalk drawing of a foot, attributed to Michelangelo (1475–1564), is set to be auctioned at Christie’s New York in February with an estimate of $1.5–2 million. The work was discovered when Giada Damen, a specialist in Old Master drawings at Christie’s, flagged it from a public online submission; after extensive provenance research, technical analysis, and comparison with known sketches, Christie’s has declared it a preparatory study for the Sistine Chapel ceiling (1508–1512). If authenticated, it would be one of only two such Michelangelo drawings remaining in private hands.

sandra poulson moma ps1 venice biennale interview 1234749064

Sandra Poulson, a 30-year-old Angolan artist, has opened her first museum exhibition at MoMA PS1 in New York, titled "Este quarto parece uma República!" ("This bedroom looks like a Republic!"). The show features sculptures that explore how everyday objects carry social and political meaning, including a work critiquing the influence of mega-churches in Angola. Poulson, who splits her time between Luanda, London, and Amsterdam, drew inspiration from her childhood, local furniture practices in Luanda, and colonial-era wood exploitation. The works were initially produced for Condo London and commissioned by Jahmek Contemporary Art.

uk museums defend corporate funding 1234744286

A group of officials overseeing major UK cultural institutions, including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Gallery, have signed a public letter defending corporate sponsorship. Published in the Financial Times, the letter calls for an end to "relentless negativity" around private sector partnerships and is backed by ten organizations, including the Science Museum Group. It follows protests over Baillie Gifford's sponsorship of literary festivals due to its ties to fossil fuels and Israel, which led nine festivals to end partnerships in 2023.

water leaks from louvres roof and misses prized cimabue painting 1234740831

A powerful hailstorm caused water to leak through the Louvre's roof into the Salle Rosa room, where the exhibition "A New Look at Cimabue: At the Origins of Italian Painting" is on view. The water narrowly missed Giovanni Cimabue's unprotected "Maestà" panel painting (circa 1280), but drips hit the base of Nicola Pisano's "Three Acolytes" (1264-67) on loan from Florence's Museo Nazionale del Bargello. Another near miss occurred near Duccio di Buoninsegna's "Madonna of the Franciscans" (1285-88), which was protected by glass. The museum closed the exhibition early for firefighter inspection, identified a damaged glass seal as the cause, and reopened the next morning after repairs.

cancelled nea grants for underserved audiences 2606683

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has updated its 2026 fiscal year grant guidelines, cancelling the Challenge America grants that targeted underserved communities and replacing them with a focus on projects celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States (America250). The changes, announced in response to executive orders by President Donald Trump, eliminate DEI-related funding and require applicants to have a five-year history of arts programming. Organizations that had applied for the $10,000 Challenge America grants must now resubmit under the broader Grants for Arts Projects category, with extended deadlines.

marie antoinette arts patronage 2730383

Marie Antoinette, the final queen of France, is the subject of a blockbuster exhibition titled "Marie Antoinette Style" at London's V&A museum, running through March 22. The show highlights her boldly modern taste, her patronage of women artists like Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun and Anne Vallayer-Coster, and her role as the first French queen to own and redecorate her own palace, the Petit Trianon. The article details how she used her influence to secure Vigée Le Brun's admission to the Académie Royale and pressured the Louvre to exhibit Vallayer-Coster's work, while also exploring how her extravagant spending earned her the epithet "Madame Déficit" and contributed to her downfall during the French Revolution.

All the Art You Need to See During Miami Art Week 2025

Casey Lesser's guide to Miami Art Week 2025 highlights ten key art destinations, led by Art Basel Miami Beach at the Miami Beach Convention Center with over 280 galleries. Other featured venues include ICA Miami, which presents five solo exhibitions by artists such as Igshaan Adams and Masaomi Yasunaga, and Untitled Art, a beachside fair focusing on emerging and mid-career artists. The article also notes non-art events like an NFL pop-up and a Sukeban wrestling match, alongside REEFLINE, an underwater sculpture park.

Cattelan's famous gold toilet goes up for auction: America for sale at Sotheby's

Maurizio Cattelan's iconic 2016 gold toilet sculpture, 'America,' will be auctioned at Sotheby's on November 18, 2025, during The Now and Contemporary evening auction. The starting bid will be tied to the fluctuating gold market price, currently around $10 million based on its 101.2 kg weight, and Sotheby's will accept cryptocurrency as payment. The work, a fully functional toilet made of 18-karat gold, was famously installed at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2016, where over 100,000 visitors used it, and was later stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019. This is the only surviving version of the two originally made.

Headed to Paris for Art Basel? Here are the 17 museum shows not to miss

Art Basel Paris is underway, and this article highlights 17 must-see museum shows across the city. Key exhibitions include a joint tribute to Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, and Pontus Hultén at the Grand Palais; a Rick Owens fashion retrospective at Palais Galliera; the first French monographic show of John Singer Sargent at the Musée d'Orsay, featuring his scandalous 'Portrait of Madame X'; a Bridget Riley exhibition exploring her debt to Georges Seurat; a Minimalism survey at the Bourse de Commerce; and a major Jacques-Louis David retrospective at the Louvre marking the bicentenary of his death.

After 50 years, LA Louver is closing its gallery in Venice, California

LA Louver, the longest-running gallery in Los Angeles, is closing its Venice, California space after 50 years in business. Founder Peter Goulds, who turns 77 next month, is transitioning the gallery into a private dealing model with pop-up exhibitions from its Jefferson Boulevard warehouse in West Adams. The Venice space will be listed for sale but remain open by appointment to sell inventory. The gallery is also donating its extensive archive to the Huntington Library in San Marino, which includes papers of writers like Octavia Butler and Christopher Isherwood.

Adam Dressner’s Portraits Are for the People

Adam Dressner, a self-taught former corporate lawyer, opened his debut solo gallery exhibition "Hello Stranger 2" at 1969 Gallery in Tribeca. The show features large-scale oil paintings and a salon wall of 60 small acrylic portraits, many painted live in public spaces like Washington Square Park and Grand Central Terminal. Subjects range from celebrities like Joyce Carol Oates and Anna Delvey to everyday New Yorkers such as a neighborhood waiter and a 90-year-old park acquaintance. Dressner painted 18 works on-site in the days before the opening, continuing his practice of wheeling an "art cart" of supplies to make expressive plein-air portraits.

‘An incredible instinct for contemporary art’: Doris Lockhart, the overlooked figure behind the Saatchi collection, has died aged 88

Doris Lockhart, the US-born art collector who played a pivotal role in shaping the Saatchi collection and championing contemporary art in the UK, has died at age 88. Alongside her then-husband Charles Saatchi, she helped introduce postwar American artists like Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and Robert Rauschenberg to British audiences, and was instrumental in recognizing the Young British Artists (YBAs) of the 1990s, including Damien Hirst and Gary Hume. After their divorce in 1990, Lockhart continued collecting independently, backing emerging talents and expanding her interests to architectural models and drawings.

Why Helen Chadwick’s earthy, provocative art remains as vital as ever

Nearly 30 years after her death in 1996 at age 42, artist Helen Chadwick is receiving renewed attention with a major retrospective, "Helen Chadwick: Life Pleasures," at the Hepworth Wakefield. The exhibition spans two decades of her provocative work, including iconic pieces like "The Oval Court" (1984-86) and the chocolate fountain "Cacao" (1994). Chadwick was known for using unconventional materials—rotting organic waste, meat, hair, cleaning fluids—to explore identity, gender, and the sensuous body, often with irreverent humor. She was also a influential teacher at the Royal College of Art, Goldsmiths, Chelsea, and Central St Martins, mentoring artists such as Tracey Emin, Anya Gallaccio, Sarah Lucas, and Damien Hirst.

There Has Never Been an Apolitical Venice Biennale

The Venice Biennale, with its national pavilion structure, has always been a platform for political expression and soft power, a reality evident from its early 20th-century origins. Contemporary critic Arturo Lancellotti's 1909 review of the German and British pavilions was steeped in geopolitical context, revealing how national artistic displays were interpreted through the lens of imperial power and military alliances.

A Long-Running Case Centering on Alleged Robert Indiana Forgeries Is Resolved with a $102 M. Settlement

A New York jury has awarded $102.2 million in damages to the Morgan Art Foundation in a long-running copyright and forgery case against art publisher Michael McKenzie. The jury found that McKenzie created unauthorized and altered versions of works by Pop artist Robert Indiana, including multiple iterations of Indiana's iconic LOVE prints and sculptures, as well as works such as *The Ninth American Dream* (2001), *USA FUN* (1965), and a sculpture titled *BRAT*. The lawsuit, which began in 2018 shortly before Indiana's death at age 89, alleged that McKenzie and others sought to isolate the artist and profit from selling forged works. McKenzie's lawyer indicated he may appeal.