Taylor Swift fans have flocked to the Wiesbaden State Museum in Germany to see Friedrich Heyser's painting 'Ophelia' (ca. 1900), which appears in the opening scene of Swift's music video for her song 'The Fate of Ophelia' from her album 'The Life of a Showgirl'. The museum saw hundreds of additional visitors last weekend, with director Andreas Henning expressing surprise and delight at the attention.
A painting discovered in an Argentine home in August, initially attributed to 18th-century Italian painter Giuseppe Ghislandi and believed to be Nazi-looted art, has been called into question. Paolo Plebani, curator of the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, Italy, told the Argentine newspaper Clarín that the work is actually by Giacomo Ceruti, another Northern Italian painter. The painting was previously owned by Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, who fled the Nazis, and later by former Nazi Friedrich Kadgien, whose daughters Patricia and Alicia owned the Mar del Plata home where it was found. Argentine authorities recovered the painting after placing the daughters and Patricia's husband under house arrest.
Artist Ding Shilun's career is accelerating, marked by a major auction record for his 2021 work 'The Adoption of the Maiden' at Phillips London and a current solo exhibition, 'Spectres in Rehearsal,' at Bernheim Gallery in Zurich. His large-scale paintings blend theatrical compositions, Goya-esque and manga influences, and narrative structures from Chinese zhiguai tales to create accessible yet complex scenes.
This article explores the history and significance of illuminated manuscripts, correcting the common misconception that they were exclusively produced by medieval European monks. It highlights five standout examples, including the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, made for Jean I, Duke of Berry around 1411 by the Limbourg brothers, and the Book of Kells, created around 800 C.E. by monks of Iona Abbey. The article notes that illuminated manuscripts, defined by the decorative use of gold or silver, date back to the 4th century B.C.E. and span cultures from the Middle East to Africa and Mesoamerica, serving primarily as status symbols rather than reading material.
The British Museum has announced a major 2026 exhibition titled "Samurai" that will trace the 1,000-year history of Japan's warrior class. Spanning armor, woodblock prints, paintings, clothing, ceramics, and contemporary media, the show brings together 280 objects from the museum's own collection and international lenders. Highlights include a 17th-century suit of armor recently acquired by the museum, a portrait of envoy Mancio Itō by Domenico Tintoretto, and works by Katsushika Hokusai. The exhibition also examines the modern myth of the samurai as shaped by film, manga, and video games such as Akira Kurosawa's movies and Assassin's Creed: Shadows.
Thomas Zipp gestorben
The Berlin-based artist Thomas Zipp has died. His gallery, Barbara Thumm, announced the news on Saturday. Zipp, born in 1966, was a professor of painting and multimedia at the Berlin University of the Arts and was considered one of the most significant figures in German contemporary art since the 1990s. His work was shown internationally at venues including the Venice Biennale and museums in New York, London, and Zurich.
:quality(75)/https%3A%2F%2Fassets.lareviewofbooks.org%2Fuploads%2F01%20KWalker_Unmanned%20Drone_2023-Ruben%20Diaz__TBK3434%20smaller.jpg)
The article reviews the exhibition "MONUMENTS" at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and the Brick in Los Angeles, which addresses the legacy of Confederate monuments through contemporary art. It highlights Cauleen Smith's installation "The Warden" (2025), which features a live-feed of the decommissioned Confederate sculpture "Vindicatrix" (also known as "Miss Confederacy") by Edward V. Valentine, originally atop the Jefferson Davis Memorial in Richmond, Virginia. The exhibition is curated by Hamza Walker, Kara Walker, and Bennett Simpson.
Guy Wildenstein has resigned as president of Wildenstein & Co., the prestigious art gallery founded by his family in 1875, after 35 years in the role. He is succeeded by his son David Wildenstein, who previously served as vice president overseeing investment and real estate, while his daughter Vanessa Wildenstein becomes vice president and director of the New York location. The announcement was made to the Art Newspaper, which first reported the news. Wildenstein, 80, was convicted of tax fraud in 2024 in a high-profile French case involving the concealment of masterworks to avoid inheritance taxes, receiving a four-year prison sentence with house arrest and a €1 million fine.
David Hockney has unveiled a major exhibition at London’s Serpentine North, featuring the UK debut of his nearly 300-foot-long iPad frieze, 'A Year in Normandie'. The exhibition also showcases ten brand-new paintings from 2025, including intimate portraits of his inner circle and a series of abstract compositions that playfully reference the styles of Mark Rothko and Gerhard Richter.
gerhard richter cologne cathedral admission fee 2752286
Cologne Cathedral, Germany’s most-visited landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage site, has announced it will begin charging tourists an admission fee starting this fall. The decision comes as the institution faces rising operating costs and depleted financial reserves following the pandemic, despite its recent surge in popularity on platforms like TikTok.
gerhard richter church windows 1631488
Gerhard Richter has been commissioned to design three stained-glass windows for Tholey Abbey in Saarland, Germany's oldest monastery church. The 87-year-old artist's designs will be unveiled in September, with the final installation expected by summer 2020 as part of the abbey's broader restoration. The project is being funded by a private investor and includes a collaboration with Richter’s longtime creative partner, the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
This article explores the artistic tradition of Singerie, or 'monkey trick,' a genre that depicts primates dressed and acting like humans. It traces the history from its origins in the early 1600s through its peak in the Rococo period, citing examples such as Jan Brueghel the Elder's 'Monkeys Feasting' (c. 1620) and Edwin Landseer's 'The Monkey Who Had Seen the World' (1827). The piece connects this historical convention to contemporary culture, noting its influence on the 2024 Robbie Williams biopic 'Better Man,' where the singer is portrayed as a chimpanzee, and on modern satirical works like Banksy's 'Devolved Parliament' (2009).
Christie’s evening sale of 21st-century art on Wednesday achieved $123.6 million in total sales, including 19 lots from the collection of the late Stefan Edlis and his widow Gael Neeson. The top lot was Christopher Wool’s *Untitled (RIOT)* (1990), which sold for $19.8 million. The sale had a 97 percent sell-through rate, with 36 of 45 lots guaranteed, and the hammer total of $99.7 million exceeded the presale low estimate of $87.5 million. A notable moment was a seven-minute bidding war for a Diego Giacometti coffee table owned by Edlis and Neeson, which sold for $3.65 million against a $1.5–2.5 million estimate.
A new retrospective at Kunsthaus Zurich, soon traveling to Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt, spotlights Suzanne Duchamp (1889–1963), a French artist often overshadowed by her brothers Marcel Duchamp, Raymond Duchamp-Villon, and Jacques Villon. The exhibition, titled “Suzanne Duchamp: Retrospective,” showcases her highly individual painterly practice rooted in Cubism and Dada, featuring works like *Radiation of Two Solitary Separates Apart* (1916–20) and *Marcel’s Unhappy Readymade* (1920), which reappropriates her brother’s readymade concept. The show includes a new catalog commission by painter Amy Sillman, who created digital drawings inspired by Duchamp’s formal dynamics.
A guide highlights several art exhibitions and events opening across Richmond, Virginia, this spring. It lists shows at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), Southside Contemporary Art Gallery, Gallery5, the Visual Arts Center of Richmond (VisArts), Anne's Vital Art Studio Gallery, and Quirk Gallery, covering a range from historical prints and portraiture to contemporary emerging artists, activist art, and an annual auction.
Renowned artist Philippe Parreno joined Hans Ulrich Obrist for an artist talk at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, hosted by Fondation Beyeler and UBS. The conversation spanned Parreno's career, from his early projects like the manga-inspired 'Annlee' to his current role as Artistic Director of the 2025 Okayama Art Summit. Parreno detailed his shift into filmmaking, including a new project featuring Jennifer Lawrence, and his use of AI and technology to create 'living' art installations.
Strauss & Co has announced its upcoming Evening Sale of Modern and Contemporary Art scheduled for March 24, 2026. The auction features 96 lots, headlined by significant private consignments including the Stan and Li Boiskin Art Collection and the Patricia Fine Art Collection. High-value works from South African masters such as Irma Stern, J. H. Pierneef, and Gerard Sekoto will lead the sale alongside a robust selection of contemporary pieces by artists like William Kentridge and Mary Sibande.
The Pulitzer Arts Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a landmark exhibition titled “Dialogues and Conversations,” curated by its founder, Emily Rauh Pulitzer. The show features 70 works spanning from the late 19th century to the present, including pieces from Pulitzer’s personal collection, loans from the Museum of Modern Art, and works she previously handled during her tenure at the Fogg Art Museum and the St. Louis Art Museum. The exhibition juxtaposes familiar site-specific masterpieces by artists like Richard Serra and Ellsworth Kelly with unfamiliar works to spark new thematic connections.
Martina Droth, the recently appointed director of the Yale Center for British Art, shares her personal and professional perspectives on the role of art in society. In this interview, she reflects on her formative experiences traveling in Egypt, her reading habits that range from museum leadership to human behavior, and the daily inspiration she finds working alongside 18th-century landscapes by Richard Wilson.
The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas is opening two major exhibitions on February 19: 'Street Nihonga: The Art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani' and 'Brush, Block, and Blood: Three Generations of Yoshida Women Printmakers.' The first is the largest assembly of works by Japanese American artist Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani, whose life was marked by incarceration during WWII and homelessness, and who adapted traditional Nihonga techniques with found materials. The second exhibition presents, for the first time in the U.S., the work of three generations of women printmakers from the renowned Yoshida family. These shows are complemented by a new video commission from Ayomi Yoshida and other smaller exhibitions focusing on Japanese and Asian American contemporary art.
The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas is opening two major exhibitions on February 19: 'Street Nihonga: The Art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani' and 'Brush, Block, and Blood: Three Generations of Yoshida Women Printmakers.' The Mirikitani exhibition is the largest assembly of the Japanese American artist's work, featuring 145 pieces that document his life of displacement, incarceration, and homelessness, created using traditional Japanese techniques with found materials. The Yoshida exhibition presents prints by three generations of women from a renowned Japanese artistic family, marking the first U.S. display of their work together.
A touring survey of the late American painter Noah Davis (1983-2015) is making its final stop at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, following presentations at Das Minsk in Potsdam, the Barbican in London, and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. The exhibition features 60 works from Davis's oeuvre of 400 paintings, showcasing his skill as a colourist and storyteller who balanced social relevance with artistic independence. Davis, who died of cancer at age 32, founded the Underground Museum in Los Angeles with his wife Karon, and his work has gained significant market momentum, with his 2008 painting *The Casting Call* selling for $2 million at Sotheby's in November 2024.
Marina Abramović has unveiled a new immersive work titled THE BUS at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, running until 23 January. The piece, part mobile sculpture and part meditation capsule, invites world leaders and participants to step away from the forum's intense schedule for a digital detox and inner reflection using the Abramović Method. The project was curated by Mirjam Varadinis, curator-at-large at the Kunsthaus Zürich, and developed through Abramović's institute (MAI). It marks Abramović's debut at the WEF, which this year also features eco-artist Thijs Biersteker, multimedia artist Ronen Tanchum, and street artist JR.
London gallery owner Patrick Matthiesen consigned a Gustave Courbet painting, *Mother and Child on a Hammock* (1844), to the Nicholas Hall Gallery in New York for Tefaf Maastricht 2023, listed at $650,000. After it failed to sell, Matthiesen was contacted by a man calling himself Thomas Doyle (also A.J. Doyle), who claimed to be a former US Air Force pilot, government contractor, and art dealer with family ties to Doyle Auctions. Despite Doyle having 11 prior fraud convictions—including stealing a bronze Degas statue in 2007—Matthiesen was convinced by artworks Doyle sent for inspection, including works attributed to El Greco, Rubens, and a Michelangelo drawing. In 2024, Doyle borrowed the Courbet to show a potential buyer and never returned it. Doyle has now been arrested for the theft.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the opening of the Condé M. Nast Galleries, a 12,000-square-foot exhibition space designed by the New York-based architecture firm Peterson Rich Office (PRO). The galleries, located adjacent to the museum's Great Hall, will be inaugurated in May 2026 by The Costume Institute's spring exhibition titled "Costume Art," which explores the dressed body by juxtaposing garments from the Institute's holdings with treasures from the museum's broader collections. The project is part of a larger renovation that also includes a redesign of the Fifth Avenue and 83rd Street entrance to improve visitor flow.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the opening of the Condé M. Nast Galleries, a 12,000-square-foot exhibition space designed by the New York architecture firm Peterson Rich Office (PRO). The galleries, located adjacent to the Great Hall, will be inaugurated in May 2026 with The Costume Institute’s spring exhibition “Costume Art,” which explores the dressed body by juxtaposing garments from the Institute’s collection with treasures from the museum’s broader holdings. The project is part of a larger renovation that includes a redesigned entrance at Fifth Avenue and 83rd Street, new retail space, a restaurant, and a stairwell leading to the Great Hall.
New York City's autumn art scene features a diverse array of exhibitions across major museums. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Man Ray: When Objects Dream" showcases 60 rayographs alongside 100 paintings and prints, exploring the artist's camera-less photography technique. The Brooklyn Museum presents "Monet and Venice," placing 19 of Monet's Venetian paintings in dialogue with works by John Singer Sargent and others, while also hosting "Breaking the Mold: Brooklyn Museum at 200," a retrospective on the institution's two-century history. The New York Historical Society offers "The Gay Harlem Renaissance," highlighting queer Black artists and writers of the Harlem Renaissance, and "The New York Sari," examining South Asian women's fashion influence since the Gilded Age.
Kyle Stephan has been appointed the new Steven and Lisa Munster Tananbaum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Block Museum at Northwestern University. A curator, scholar, and educator with expertise in global contemporary art, time-based media, and interdisciplinary practice, Stephan was inspired to pursue curatorial work after witnessing art's power to activate people and communities while working as a studio manager for artist Lynn Hershman Leeson in the 1990s San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a Ph.D. in art and art history from Stanford University and previously curated the first U.S. survey of Fluxus artist Wolf Vostell at Harvard Art Museums.
The Neue Galerie in New York is opening the first US museum exhibition dedicated to German Expressionist artist Erich Heckel (1883-1970), running from October 9, 2025 to January 12, 2026. Heckel, a co-founder of Die Brücke in 1905 alongside Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and Fritz Bleyl, is often overshadowed by Kirchner's dramatic life and market success. The show features around 40 works from 1905 to 1920, including loans from Harvard Art Museums and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and highlights Heckel's bold woodcuts and paintings that pushed the boundaries of Expressionism.
Artist Lindsay Adams presents her first solo exhibition, "Ceremony," at the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., opening October 29. The show features paintings and drawings that explore Black histories, movement, and self-determination, including a large oil diptych titled "Kind of Blue (1959)" inspired by Miles Davis' iconic album. Archival materials by Billie Holiday, Josephine Baker, and other Black artists from the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries complement the exhibition, providing historical context for Adams' abstract, gestural works.