Art News. Vasari Codex

trending_up market schedule Nov 18, 2025 visibility 15 link 15 artists

the phillips collection to deaccession georgia okeeffe arthur dove georges seurat 1234761918

The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., is proceeding with plans to auction major works by Georgia O'Keeffe, Arthur Dove, and Georges Seurat at Sotheby's on November 20, despite sharp backlash from former curators, members of the Phillips family, and the museum's non-governing members body. The works—including O'Keeffe's *Large Dark Red Leaves on White* (estimate $6–8 million), Seurat's conté crayon drawing ($3–5 million), and Dove's *Rose and Locust Stump* ($1.2–1.8 million)—are considered central to founder Duncan Phillips's vision. Director and CEO Jonathan Binstock argues the proceeds will fund a permanently restricted endowment for commissioning new work by living artists, acquisitions, and collection care, aligning with Duncan Phillips's belief in supporting contemporary practitioners.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Dec 2, 2025 visibility 12 link 10 artists

okeeffe seurat phillips collection deaccession 2715082

The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. has deaccessioned eight major works by artists including Georges Seurat, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Anish Kapoor at Sotheby's fall sales. O'Keeffe's "Large Dark Red Leaves on White" (1927) sold for $7.9 million, a Seurat drawing fetched $4.9 million, while a painting by Arthur Dove fell short of expectations and a Kapoor sculpture failed to sell. The plan, devised by director Jonathan Binstock, aims to fund future contemporary art commissions and collection care, but has sparked an 18-month dispute between museum leadership and the Phillips family descendants over the interpretation of founder Duncan Phillips's legacy.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Nov 6, 2025 visibility 14 link 7 artists

Comment | As the US’s 250th anniversary approaches, museums must keep pushing the American story forward

The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, is launching a new strategic plan and an upcoming exhibition titled "Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection," timed to the US's 250th anniversary. The museum's director reflects on founder Duncan Phillips's original vision of the museum as a space for civic dialogue and shared inquiry, arguing that this model is urgently needed amid current political pressures, loss of federal funding, and debates over historical narrative.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original