Sotheby’s secures $120m Pritzker and $400m Lauder collections, with works by Matisse, Munch and Van Gogh

Sotheby’s has secured two major private collections for its autumn New York sales: the Pritzker collection, estimated at $120 million, and the Lauder collection, valued at around $400 million. The Pritzker collection includes Vincent van Gogh’s *Romans Parisiens* (1887) with a $40 million estimate, while the Lauder collection features Gustav Klimt’s *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914-16) estimated at over $150 million, along with works by Matisse, Munch, and Martin. The sales will take place at Sotheby’s new headquarters in the Breuer Building this November.

Nicholas Galanin pulls out of Smithsonian event, claiming censorship

Nicholas Galanin, a multidisciplinary artist and member of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, withdrew from a symposium hosted by the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), citing government censorship. The symposium accompanies the exhibition *The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture*, which President Donald Trump labeled as “divisive” and “race-centred” in a March 27 executive order. Galanin alleged that the event was made private with a curated guest list and that he was asked not to record or share it on social media. SAAM denied the censorship claims, stating the event was never publicly listed and that participants were encouraged to share with their networks. Galanin’s 2016 work *The Imaginary Indian (Totem Pole)* is featured in the exhibition.

Christie’s expects Elaine Wynn’s collection to bring $75m, while her record-breaking Bacon triptych goes to Lacma

Christie’s will auction more than a dozen jewels from the collection of the late billionaire and philanthropist Elaine Wynn this autumn in New York, with total estimates exceeding $75 million. Highlights include Lucian Freud's *The Painter Surprised by a Naked Admirer* (2005) and Richard Diebenkorn's *Ocean Park #40* (1971), each estimated at $15–$25 million, alongside works by Joan Mitchell, J.M.W. Turner, Wayne Thiebaud, and others. Meanwhile, the crown jewel of Wynn’s collection—Francis Bacon’s 1969 triptych *Three Studies of Lucian Freud*, which she bought for a record $142.4 million at Christie’s in 2013—has been bequeathed to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) and will debut in its new David Geffen Galleries building next April.

London’s National Gallery receives record-breaking donations for new wing—and will start collecting contemporary art

London's National Gallery has announced plans for a major new extension, costing around £400 million, with £375 million already raised in record-breaking donations. Two anonymous pledges of £150 million each, from Michael Moritz's Crankstart foundation and the Julia Rausing Trust, are described by director Gabriele Finaldi as the largest-ever known cash donations to any cultural institution globally. The new wing, to be built on the site of St Vincent House, will open in the early 2030s following an international architectural competition launching on 12 September. The gallery also revealed it will begin collecting 20th-century and contemporary art, expanding its traditional cutoff of around 1900, in collaboration with Tate.

I have seen the light and it’s Tracey Emin’s Jesus – RA Summer Exhibition review | Royal Academy of Arts

The Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition in London features over 1,600 works, with Tracey Emin's painting "The Crucifixion" as the standout piece. The critic describes Emin's work as a sincere, shocking depiction of the crucifixion that reinvigorates religious art, alongside works by Georg Baselitz, Cornelia Parker, Tamara Kostianovsky, George Shaw, Frank Bowling, and Cindy Sherman.

June Book Bag: from the cool influence of Ice Age art to the story of Arshile Gorky’s early years in the US

This article presents a roundup of six new art books released in June, covering a diverse range of topics. Titles include a monograph on Arshile Gorky's early years in New York, a collection exploring interspecies consciousness from the Serpentine Galleries, a book accompanying a British Museum exhibition on Ice Age art, a lavish Taschen monograph on Salvador Dalí, and a three-volume photographic study of the American West by Maryam Eisler and Alexei Riboud.

First look: the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ rehang at London's National Gallery

On May 10, London's National Gallery will unveil its first full rehang of the collection since the Sainsbury Wing opened in 1991. The wing has been closed for over two years to create a larger entrance foyer. Christine Riding, the director of collections and research, oversaw the rehang, which she calls a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity. Nearly 40% of the collection—1,045 paintings—will be displayed, including 919 from the collection and 126 on loan. The rehang is sponsored by Hong Kong-based property developer C C Land and is called "C C Land: The Wonder of Art." Works by female artists have been given greater prominence, and some paintings were conserved or reframed. The chronological arrangement from west to east remains similar, but many pictures have been repositioned to highlight artistic influences across generations.

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.

Mark Milroy Sees, Remembers, and Imagines at Once

Artist Mark Milroy, an observational painter in his mid-50s who gained a following during the pandemic through Instagram and online shows at Nancy Margolis Gallery, is now holding his debut New York exhibition, "Jumbo," at JJ Murphy gallery through May 16. The show features 18 oil paintings and 12 colored pencil drawings, with subjects ranging from still lifes and portraits to a titular painting referencing the famous P.T. Barnum elephant killed in Milroy's hometown of St. Thomas, Ontario, in 1885. Milroy's work blends personal memory, art historical insight, and a deliberate gaze, drawing influences from Cedric Morris and 15th-century Florentine painting.

Top Five Booths Not to Miss at Expo Chicago 2026

Expo Chicago 2026 marks a strategic shift under the new leadership of director Kate Sierzputowski and curator Essence Harden, moving away from purely commercial dealer interests toward a more artist-centric and curatorial approach. This year's iteration features a streamlined selection of galleries, allowing for greater depth and focus on individual practices. Notable highlights include Pablo Delano’s poignant installations at Embajada exploring Puerto Rican history, a diverse group showing at Marc Straus Gallery featuring artists like Marie Watt and Lucia Hierro, and a collaborative presentation by São Paulo galleries Bianca Boeckel and Verve.

‘Soft Reins’ art exhibition in Palm Beach explores horses as muses

The exhibition 'Soft Reins: From Degas to Fordjour' opened at Acquavella Galleries in Palm Beach's Royal Poinciana Plaza. Curated by artist Tomokazu Matsuyama, it presents works by a range of artists, from historical figures like Edgar Degas and Pablo Picasso to contemporary names like Derek Fordjour and Sarah Miska, all exploring equestrian themes.

An expansive monograph of Celia Paul paints a portrait of a single-minded, singular artist

A new monograph on Indian-born British painter Celia Paul (b. 1959) presents an expansive survey of her career, featuring over 500 color reproductions and essays by Hilton Als, Clare Carlisle, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Edmund de Waal, and Rowan Williams, alongside contributions from the artist herself. The book traces Paul's trajectory from her training at the Slade School of Fine Art and her decade-long relationship with Lucian Freud to her recent solo exhibition *Colony of Ghosts* at Victoria Miro in London, positioning her as a singular figure distinct from the shadow of Freud and the School of London painters.

Meet Paris’s new art vanguard

The article profiles a new wave of artist-run spaces and independent art venues that have emerged in Paris over the past decade. It highlights collectives like Le Wonder, which began in 2013 and has moved through several post-industrial locations before settling in Bobigny in 2023, and DOC, founded by graduates of the École nationale supérieure d’art de Paris Cergy in 2015. Smaller initiatives such as Tonus, run by artist-graphic designers Jacent, and the bookstore-publisher After 8 Books, which grew out of the earlier space castillo/corrales, are also featured. The Anglo-French duo behind Goswell Road, Coralie Ruiz and Anthony Stephinson, round out the portrait of a decentralized, peer-driven ecosystem.

Recent NYC Exhibition Highlights: Beverly Fishman, NANNYCAM, Dena Novak, and more

The article reviews two recent New York City art exhibitions. The first, "Creators, Educators Art Show" at BASIS Independent on the Upper West Side (June 6-8, 2025), curated by Carmen Lucia Recio, featured works by 17 New York City art teachers and educators, including Noelle Salaun, Nicholas Leeper, Avani Patel, Lynne Marie Rosenberg, Chris Floyd, and Emily Linares. The second, "Samantha Thomas: Love in a Mist" at Anat Egbi Gallery in Tribeca (April 18-June 14, 2025), marks the artist's first New York solo show in over a decade, showcasing her abstract works blending Abstract Expressionism, Color Field, and Pattern & Decoration.

A New Richard Avedon Documentary Lets Him Down

A new documentary titled "Avedon" (2026), directed by Ron Howard, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The film offers a conventional tour of the life of famed photographer Richard Avedon, relying on talking-head interviews and behind-the-scenes anecdotes rather than delving into the artistic process or the deeper implications of his work. The review criticizes Howard's approach as hackwork, noting that the documentary misses opportunities to explore Avedon's insights on image culture, his influence on cinema, and the technical evolution of his photography.

Kate Moss’s portrait sessions with Lucian Freud will be the focus of “Moss & Freud.”

A new biographical drama film titled "Moss & Freud" is set to premiere in the UK, focusing on the portrait sessions between supermodel Kate Moss and painter Lucian Freud. The film stars Ellie Bamber as Moss and Derek Jacobi as Freud, and is directed by James Lucas, having first appeared at the London International Film Festival.

Polygon Gallery exhibition features 'one of the most important artists working in Canada'

The Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver has launched "Photolithics," a major exhibition by Secwépemc and Scottish-settler artist Tania Willard. The show features a decade of Willard’s work, including monumental recreations of historical postcards on sandpaper and photographs viewed through ulexite crystals. The exhibition utilizes innovative installation techniques, such as a traditional kekuli structure, to recontextualize archival imagery and explore the intersection of geological time and Indigenous history.

Be Seen, Be Recognised. 9 Open Calls For Artists to Apply to this Summer.

The article presents nine open calls for visual artists to apply to during summer 2025, including the Form Photo Award and the Arte Laguna Prize. The Form Photo Award, organized by Form institution, offers winners free participation in Scope Miami Beach 2025 and publication in Form Magazine, with a €35 submission fee and deadlines through July 30. The Arte Laguna Prize, now in its 20th edition, features an exhibition at the Arsenale Nord in Venice and special prizes including residencies at MoCA Art Residency, BigCi, Artorale, LITIX, and NY20+, with a €97 entry fee and a July 31 deadline.

100 anni tra arte e poesia per annullare i confini. Intervista a Lamberto Pignotti

Lamberto Pignotti, the 100-year-old Florentine artist and poet and a leading figure in visual poetry, is celebrated with two concurrent exhibitions: "Pignotti 100. Pop-esie visive" at the Mart in Rovereto (in collaboration with the Collegio Cairoli of Pavia) and the dual solo show "Identikit di Pignotti e Hogre" curated by Marco Giovenale at Galleria Bianco Contemporaneo in Rome. The latter exhibition, born from a dialogue between Pignotti and the anonymous artist Hogre, centers on a collection of envelopes Pignotti has saved for over fifty years—each addressed to him with varying titles (architect, artist, poet, professor) or altered names (Alberto, Lorenzo, Mario, Giuseppe)—revealing his fragmented identity. Pignotti co-founded the Gruppo '70 in Florence in 1963 with Eugenio Miccini, a movement that brought together multidisciplinary artists including Lucia Marcucci, Ketty La Rocca, and musicians Giuseppe Chiari and Sylvano Bussotti.

Art Gallery of Algoma celebrates 50 years and Group of Seven Day

The Art Gallery of Algoma celebrated its 50th anniversary on July 7, which also marked the inaugural Group of Seven Day in Ontario. The gallery opened its current home with a ribbon-cutting by A.J. Casson, the last living member of the Group of Seven. Festivities included family art activities, live music, an exhibition tour, a talk on the Group of Seven in Algoma, birthday cake, and Indigenous art activities led by Lucia Laford. The gallery's connection to the Group of Seven dates back to its first exhibition, which featured works by the group, and the artists frequently painted in the Algoma region during the 1920s.

London’s Art Market Rebound: Sotheby’s Spring 2026 Recap

Sotheby’s London kicked off its Spring 2026 marquee season with a series of high-energy auctions, totaling £154 million across its Modern & Contemporary sales. The week was highlighted by a "white-glove" evening auction that achieved a 100% sell-through rate, led by Francis Bacon’s 1972 Self-Portrait which sold for £16 million. Significant records were set for British masters, most notably Leon Kossoff, whose painting "Children’s Swimming Pool" shattered estimates to reach £5.2 million.

Records for English painting and Fontana's cuts push the auction

Sotheby’s London kicked off the spring auction season with a robust modern and contemporary art evening sale, totaling £131.7 million and achieving a rare 100% sell-through rate. Despite global political uncertainty, the auction saw aggressive bidding for British post-war masterpieces and Italian avant-garde works. The event also marked the debut of Sotheby’s new commission structure, which lowers fees for high-value lots to incentivize larger transactions.

7 new art and culture books in bookstores. Maps of the present: between art, work, memory and forms of perception

7 nuovi libri d’arte e cultura in libreria. Mappe del presente: tra arte, lavoro, memoria e forme della percezione

This article from Artribune presents a curated selection of seven new art and culture books recently released in Italy. The featured titles range from a theoretical lexicon for 21st-century arts edited by Nicolas Martino, which redefines key terms like 'author,' 'AI,' and 'care,' to a poetic pop-up book by Japanese designer Katsumi Komagata titled 'Piccolo Albero,' which uses paper engineering to narrate the cycle of life. Other works explore themes of labor, memory, domestic space (Giorgio Morandi), inner labyrinths (Andrea Bocconi), and direct testimony from Gaza, all aiming to provide new frameworks for understanding a fractured present.

A Firenze c’è da vedere una mostra sulla creatività degli Anni Venti

A new exhibition titled "Firenze Déco. Atmosfere degli anni Venti" has opened at Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence, running until August 25, 2026. Curated by Lucia Mannini and promoted by Città Metropolitana di Firenze with Fondazione MUS.E, the show explores the creative explosion of the 1920s in Florence, focusing on decorative arts, fashion, graphic design, and manufacturing. It highlights figures such as Gio Ponti for Richard-Ginori, Galileo Chini, Thayaht, Ferragamo, and Gucci, tracing how the city absorbed influences from Paris and the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs to forge its own distinctive Deco style. The exhibition features ceramics, furniture, jewelry, costumes, and period photographs, and is accompanied by an interview with the curator.

Il Padiglione Italia alla Biennale è il più internazionale di sempre

Chiara Camoni presents the Italian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale with her exhibition "Con Te Con Tutto" in the Arsenale. The show is divided into two sections: the first features monumental yet intimate sculptures, including her signature "sister" figures made from necklaces and terracotta fragments, while the second section continues the installation with a focus on circular production and zero waste. Camoni emphasizes a return to front-facing statuary, avoiding the gigantism of past editions, and works with sustainable, handmade processes.

The Ricci Oddi Gallery in Piacenza has been renovated. Here's how it changed after the work (funded by citizens)

La Galleria Ricci Oddi di Piacenza è stata rinnovata. Ecco com’è cambiata dopo i lavori (finanziati dai cittadini)

La Galleria d'Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi in Piacenza, Italy, has completed a year-long renovation and reinstallation project, reopening to the public on April 28. The work, designed pro bono by Milanese studio Lissoni & Partners and funded by citizens, restored the original architecture by Giulio Ulisse Arata, emphasizing a central panopticon and natural zenithal light. The museum remained partially open during construction, which refreshed all 22 rooms and over 1,000 square meters of space, aiming to reconnect the collection with its purpose-built building.

A Baroque Too Baroque: Reflections on the Colossal Exhibition in Forlì

Un Barocco troppo barocco. Riflessioni sulla colossale mostra di Forlì

A massive exhibition titled "Barocco: il gran teatro delle idee" (Baroque: The Grand Theater of Ideas) is on view at the Museo Civico San Domenico in Forlì, Italy. The show, curated by a committee of six, ambitiously attempts to define the Baroque across the 17th and 18th centuries, extending its scope to include France and Spain, and even suggesting its echoes in the 20th century. It features approximately 300 works, including paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts.

April 2026 at the Theater: A Guide to Must-See Events in Italy (Including Dance)

Aprile 2026 a teatro: guida agli appuntamenti da non perdere in Italia (anche sulla danza)

Italy’s April 2026 performing arts season features a diverse lineup of major theatrical premieres and experimental adaptations. Highlights include the Italian debut of Annie Baker’s Pulitzer-winning 'Circle Mirror Transformation' directed by Valerio Binasco, and a dark comedy by Ariel Dorfman titled 'The Other Side' exploring the absurdity of war. Other notable productions include Armando Punzo’s non-traditional 'Cenerentola' (Cinderella) moving from a high-security prison setting to the Teatro della Pergola, and a dedicated retrospective for Daria Deflorian at Milan’s Piccolo Teatro.

Apenas meus cabelos são brancos... [Only my hair is white...]

Galerie Lelong in New York is presenting "Lucia Laguna: Apenas meus cabelos são brancos... [Only my hair is white...]," the Brazilian artist's first solo exhibition in the United States, organized in collaboration with Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel. The show features new paintings from her ongoing series "Pequenos formatos" and "Paisagem," which explore the interplay between architecture and nature through vibrant color blocking and geometric forms. Laguna's work reflects her recent move from a suburban home with a garden to an apartment in Rio de Janeiro's Laranjeiras neighborhood, a shift that has prompted compositional changes as her studio space became more condensed and her views of the urban landscape changed.

Monuments in Motion

Denkmäler in Bewegung

Berlin-based artist Sarah Ama Duah, who transitioned from fashion to sculpture, creates works that explore Afro-German memory culture. Her practice includes beeswax portraits, found objects like Delft porcelain and baroque vases, and performances at venues such as the Humboldt Forum. In 2025, she received the Wolfram Beck Prize for Sculpture. Duah's early fashion work, including silicone garments shown at the Fashionclash Festival in Maastricht, evolved into sculptural investigations of clothing, body, and space, leading her to study performance and sculpture at the Berlin University of the Arts under Jimmy Robert.