Despite record-breaking results for four women artists, Phillips’s evening auction in New York sparks few fireworks

Phillips’s evening sale of modern and contemporary art in New York on May 13 achieved a total hammer price of $44.2 million ($52 million with fees), falling just below the low pre-sale estimate of $45.3 million. Four works were withdrawn before the sale, and five lots failed to sell. Despite the subdued overall results, the auction set new auction records for four women artists: Kiki Kogelnik, Ilana Savdie, James Turrell (Light and Space artist), and Grace Hartigan. Other strong performers included works by Yu Nishimura, Olga de Amaral, Barbara Hepworth, and Danielle McKinney. The top lot was Jean-Michel Basquiat’s *Untitled* (1984), formerly owned by David Bowie.

A Tale of Two Cities: Spring Auctions in Hong Kong and Shanghai

Christie's and Sotheby's held their spring marquee auctions in Hong Kong and Shanghai, timed to coincide with Art Basel Hong Kong for the first time. Christie's evening sale of 20th and 21st century art in Hong Kong achieved HKD 560 million (USD 72 million) with a 95% sell-through rate, led by Jean-Michel Basquiat's *Sabado por la Noche (Saturday Night)* (1984) at HKD 112.6 million. Other highlights included a new artist record for Zhang Enli's *Intimacy* (2002) at HKD 23.4 million, and strong sales for works by Yayoi Kusama, Zao Wou-Ki, and Adrian Ghenie, though most lots sold near their low estimates.

In Warsaw, the Poster Museum reopens and it is the oldest in the world

A Varsavia riapre il Museo del Manifesto ed è il più antico del mondo

The Poster Museum in Wilanów, a suburb of Warsaw, has reopened after a major conservation restoration co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Founded in 1968 as an autonomous institution from the National Museum in Warsaw, it is the oldest museum of its kind in the world. Its collection now holds approximately 63,000 posters from Poland and abroad, dating from the late 19th century to the present, including works by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Stasys Eidrigevičius. The reopening exhibition, "Polish Posters: The Collection," features 240 works spanning 130 years of Polish urban life, covering themes from politics and propaganda to cinema, theater, music, and fashion. The museum also hosts the International Poster Biennale, founded in 1966, with the next edition scheduled for 2027.

Best Bets: Rosemont hosts Spring Fun Fest and Anime Central

This article is a roundup of upcoming events in the Chicago area, primarily focused on the Rosemont suburb. It announces the annual Spring Fun Fest at Parkway Bank Park on May 16, featuring family activities and music, and the return of Anime Central, a major anime and Japanese pop-culture convention, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center from May 15-17. The article also lists several other cultural happenings, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's all-French program, a new exhibition at the Driehaus Museum titled "Ink & Outrage: 18th Century Satirical Prints in London & Dublin," an improv performance by Bluebird Improv at the Studebaker Theater, and a Chamber Blues concert by Corky Siegel at Space in Evanston.

Frist Art Museum Celebrates 25th-Anniversary Year with Major Group Exhibition Spotlighting the Work of Nashville-Based Women Artists

The Frist Art Museum in Nashville is launching its 25th-anniversary year with a major group exhibition titled "In Her Place: Nashville Artists in the Twenty-First Century," on view from January 29 to April 26, 2026. The show features nearly 100 works by 28 Nashville-based women artists, including María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Alicia Henry, and Karen Seapker, and is cocurated by Sai Clayton, Katie Delmez, and Shaun Giles. It is part of the 2026 Tennessee Triennial for Contemporary Art and is accompanied by a catalogue published by Vanderbilt University Press.

F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio presents 100 Years of British and Irish Art – A Fermanagh Collection

The F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio in Northern Ireland has opened "100 Years of British and Irish Art: A Fermanagh Collection," a landmark exhibition showcasing the private art collection of the Earl and Countess of Belmore. Curated by William Laffan and Riann Coulter, the show spans five decades of collecting and features works by Irish painters such as Paul Henry, Norah McGuinness, and Basil Blackshaw, alongside British modernists including David Bomberg and Ceri Richards. The collection, rooted in the historic Castle Coole estate, was shaped by the Belmores' friendships with artists, particularly Enniskillen-born T.P. Flanagan. The exhibition runs until January 31, 2026, with free admission.

Sargent and Paris

The article announces an exhibition titled "Sargent and Paris" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, focusing on John Singer Sargent's formative decade in Paris from his arrival in 1874 through the mid-1880s. It traces his rapid rise as a young American art student who studied under Carolus-Duran at the École des Beaux-Arts, immersed himself in Parisian cultural life, and produced daring portraits of cosmopolitan subjects. The exhibition highlights key works including his scandalous success "Madame X" and other canvases that captured Parisian society, culminating in his reputation as the era's greatest portrait painter.

A $30 Million Trove of Minimalist Masterpieces Is Heading to Christie’s

The estate of the late collector Henry S. McNeil Jr. is bringing his significant collection of Minimalist art to auction at Christie's in New York this spring. The trove, assembled over decades and lived with in a Philadelphia townhouse, includes major works by Carl Andre, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, and Sol LeWitt, and is expected to fetch around $30 million.

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L, an artist known for spiritually charged sculptures and paintings, has died at age 41 or 42. Their passing was announced by galleries that represented them, though a cause of death was not confirmed. Born Jason Metcalf in Salt Lake City, L created works using objects suspended in mineral oil, which they called "spells," and exhibited at major institutions including Documenta and the Getty Center, as well as galleries such as Marlborough Gallery, 56 Henry, and the Ranch. L was also a spiritual practitioner and neurodivergent, and their career included early performances like "Original Skin" and a notable 2015 show at the LA alternative space JOAN.

NEXT in the Gallery: July art is a ‘time capsule of medieval Pittsburgh’

NEXTpittsburgh's July gallery guide highlights a range of new exhibitions and events across Pittsburgh. Featured shows include Nathan Van Patter's 'Medieval Pittsburgh' at Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, which reimagines the city's modern figures and landmarks in a medieval fantasy style; 'Five on Five' at Spinning Plate Gallery presenting new works by five local painters; Ben Schonberger's 'Hi-NRG' at 707 Penn Gallery, drawing from gay underground visual culture and disco music; and Ashley Andrykovitch's 'LAN Party' at UnSmoke Systems Artspace, inspired by 1990s local area network gaming gatherings.

Where Thoughts Provoke and Truths Take Form.

Henry Taylor's major exhibition 'Where Thoughts Provoke' has opened at the Musée national Picasso-Paris. The show is a survey of nearly four decades of his work, featuring paintings, sculpture, and installation that focus on portraiture, observation, and the politics of looking.

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The Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) in Ghent has refused to return Gaspar de Craye's Nazi-looted *Portrait of Bishop Triest* to the heirs of its original owner, Samuel Hartveld. An independent commission found the painting was sold under duress after the German occupation of Belgium in 1940, but concluded that Hartveld and his family were later financially compensated by the city, leading MSK to retain the work. Jewish groups EJA and JID are contesting the decision, arguing that international principles mandate restitution regardless of compensation.

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The Fowler Museum at UCLA has voluntarily returned 11 culturally significant objects to the Larrakia Community of Australia’s Northern Territory. The items, including a kangaroo tooth headband and 10 glass spearheads dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were handed over in a ceremony on May 20. Half of the objects arrived at the museum in 1965 via a large donation from the Wellcome Trust, while the rest were gifts from private collectors. Since 2021, Larrakia elders have worked with AIATSIS and the Fowler Museum to identify and facilitate the return. The Larrakia community plans to open a cultural center next year to house the repatriated items.

Hans Holbein Painted the Human

A new book, 'Holbein: Renaissance Master' by Elizabeth Goldring, published by Yale University Press and the Paul Mellon Centre, offers a comprehensive scholarly examination of the 16th-century German painter Hans Holbein the Younger. The review focuses on Holbein's masterful portraiture, particularly his depictions of opposing Tudor-era figures like Sir Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell, which are highlighted as embodying the era's complex political and religious tensions through their visual presentation at the Frick Collection in New York.

Anne Boleyn Exhibition at Hever Castle

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Hever Castle has launched "Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn," a landmark exhibition exploring the visual legacy of King Henry VIII’s second wife at her childhood home. The show brings together an unprecedented collection of portraits, woodcuts, and costumes to challenge the long-held myth that all contemporary likenesses of Anne were destroyed after her execution. Key highlights include infrared analysis of the 1583 "Rose" Portrait and research suggesting that some famous posthumous depictions actually blended her features with those of her daughter, Elizabeth I, to solidify Tudor legitimacy.

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The British Museum has successfully raised £3.5 million ($4.8 million) to acquire a rare 16th-century gold 'Tudor Heart' pendant, discovered by a metal detectorist in 2019. The pendant, linked to King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, will enter the museum's permanent collection and is expected to tour the UK.

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New research by Tudor historian Owen Emmerson suggests that the most famous portrait of Anne Boleyn, displayed at London’s National Portrait Gallery, actually depicts her daughter Queen Elizabeth I. Emmerson argues the late-16th-century painting was deliberately made to resemble Elizabeth I, reinforcing a legitimate Tudor succession. The theory is supported by comparisons with another portrait of Elizabeth at Compton Verney and by Lawrence Hendra of Philip Mould gallery. An upcoming exhibition at Hever Castle, "Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn," will present this and other evidence, alongside newly identified contemporaneous images of Boleyn, including a miniature from the British Museum and a drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger.

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A new biography by art historian Elizabeth Goldring, titled "Holbein: Renaissance Master," traces the journey of German painter Hans Holbein the Younger from his humble beginnings in Augsburg to becoming the official painter of King Henry VIII in Tudor England. The book, already released in the U.K. and hitting U.S. bookshops on January 6, examines how Holbein's portraits—including the iconic image of Henry VIII and rival courtiers Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell—defined the visual legacy of the Tudor dynasty. Goldring highlights Holbein's ability to confer power through paint, with his works still shaping global perceptions of the Tudors centuries later.

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A rare juvenile Ceratosaurus fossil sold for $30.5 million at Sotheby's New York, far exceeding its $6 million presale estimate after a six-minute bidding war. The 154-159 million-year-old specimen, discovered in 1996 at Wyoming's Bone Cabin Quarry, contains 139 original bone elements and stands over 6 feet tall. Sotheby's stated the buyer plans to loan the fossil to an institution.

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A team of archaeologists from Heidelberg University has uncovered a monumental stone relief in Nineveh, Iraq, depicting King Ashurbanipal flanked by two major Assyrian gods, Ashur and Ishtar, along with demigods. The 2,600-year-old relief, measuring nearly 20 feet across and 10 feet high, was found buried in a pit at the northern palace, a site first excavated in the 19th century by Austen Henry Layard. The discovery is part of the Heidelberg Nineveh Project, launched in 2018 after the liberation of Mosul from the Islamic State.

How I Shop with Michelle Ogundehin: ‘We grownups have enough stuff already’

Michelle Ogundehin, the former editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration and current head judge on BBC’s Interior Design Masters, shares her personal shopping philosophy and favorite sources for design and art supplies. The interview highlights her preference for tactile, high-quality essentials over mass consumerism, citing her love for artist-grade watercolor paper from L. Cornelissen & Son, vintage tapestries from Larusi, and curated items from Japan House London.

United Kingdom’s Kew Gardens Transforms into an Open-Air Gallery with Henry Moore’s Monumental Nature Exhibition Featuring Thirty Sculptures, Blending Art and Nature for an Unforgettable Tourist Experience

Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom has been transformed into an open-air gallery with the exhibition "Monumental Nature," featuring thirty sculptures by British artist Henry Moore. The display integrates Moore's large-scale bronze works into the botanical landscape, offering visitors a unique blend of art and nature.

moca gala art performance party

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) held its annual gala, presented by BVLGARI, at the Geffen Contemporary space in Little Tokyo. The evening introduced a new format called MOCA Legends, honoring artist Theaster Gates, architect Frank Gehry, and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt. Guests included actors Jane Fonda, David Alan Grier, Sarah Paulson, director Ava DuVernay, and artists Andrea Bowers, Charles Gaines, Henry Taylor, and Olafur Eliasson, whose exhibition OPEN was on view. After a performance by the TAIKOPROJECT Japanese drum ensemble, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi surprised attendees by introducing Gehry. Rapper Tierra Whack performed during dinner, and the event raised $3.1 million for museum operations.

Sotheby’s Tries Again to Sell $40 M. Picasso Painting That Didn’t Make It to Auction in 2008

Sotheby’s has announced the sale of Pablo Picasso’s 1909 Cubist masterpiece, Arlequin (Buste), which is expected to fetch approximately $40 million during the New York marquee auctions this May. The painting is the crown jewel of a collection belonging to the late Surrealist artist Enrico Donati and his wife Adele. This marks the second time Sotheby’s has attempted to sell the work; it was famously withdrawn from a 2008 auction just a week before the sale due to undisclosed private reasons.

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Phillips held its modern and contemporary evening sale in New York on Wednesday, following Christie’s and Sotheby’s auctions that had already generated nearly $1.4 billion. The 33-lot sale achieved $67.3 million, a 24% increase from the equivalent sale last year, with a 94% sell-through rate. Headlining lots included an untitled Joan Mitchell painting ($14.3 million), a Francis Bacon diptych ($16 million), and a juvenile triceratops skeleton that sold for $5.3 million, exceeding its high estimate. Only two lots failed to sell, and notable results included works by Ruth Asawa, Firelei Báez, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Max Ernst.

preservationists petition to save wilbur building the sistine chapel of new deal art 1234761320

Preservationists are petitioning to save Washington, D.C.'s Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building, known as the 'Sistine Chapel of New Deal Art' for its 20th-century murals by Philip Guston and Ben Shahn. The Trump administration has listed the building for sale under an 'accelerated disposal' program, raising fears it could be demolished. The nonprofit Living New Deal launched a petition demanding transparency and public participation, as the building is one of 45 federal properties slated for swift sale. The structure, completed in 1940, houses ten New Deal-era artworks including frescoes, relief sculptures, and murals, and has been home to Voice of America since 1954.

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A new biography of James Baldwin, titled "Baldwin: A Love Story" by Nicholas Boggs, frames the writer's life through his relationships with four key figures: the painter Beauford Delaney, Lucien Happersberger, Engin Cezzar, and Yoran Cazac. The article focuses on Baldwin's formative bond with Delaney, who served as mentor and artistic inspiration, teaching Baldwin about light, music, and cultural heritage in his Greenwich Village studio.

Collector Jennifer Gilbert Is Selling Modernist Masterpieces to Fund Her New Arts Space

Jennifer Gilbert, the Detroit-based entrepreneur and philanthropist, is auctioning a selection of Modernist masterpieces from her private collection to fund Lumana, a new nonprofit arts organization. The sales, scheduled for May and June at Sotheby’s New York, include high-profile works by Joan Mitchell and Kenneth Noland, with an overall fundraising goal exceeding $10 million.

Lost Bob Dylan Lyric Sheet Resurfaces After 60 Years—and Other Rare Finds Heating Up the Market

A rare, typewritten lyric sheet for Bob Dylan’s song “I’m Not There” has resurfaced after being hidden for nearly 60 years inside a first-edition book of poetry by Allen Ginsberg. The document, which was discovered by a book dealer handling the estate of Sally Grossman, is set to be auctioned by Omega Auctions with an estimate of £20,000–£40,000. Other high-profile collectibles hitting the block include Stephen Curry’s game-worn sneakers at Sotheby’s and a signed Albert Einstein etching.

The Personal Collection of ‘Last Surrealist’ Enrico Donati Heads to Auction

Sotheby’s has announced the sale of the personal art collection of Enrico Donati, often referred to as the 'last Surrealist.' The 45-lot collection, titled "A Night in May," features works amassed by Donati and his wife Adele, including a rare 1909 Cubist portrait by Pablo Picasso, 'Arlequin (Buste),' estimated at $40 million. The auction marks the first time these intimate pieces—many acquired through direct exchanges with friends like Marcel Duchamp and Yves Tanguy—have been offered since the artist's death in 2008 and his wife's passing last year.