Art News. Vasari Codex

trending_up market schedule Jun 4, 2025 visibility 20 link 21 artists

old masters sales takeaways art detective

Sotheby's underperformed with the highly anticipated Saunders Collection of Old Masters, which was estimated at $80–120 million but sold for only $65.4 million, falling $14.6 million short of its low estimate. The sell-through rate was a dismal 58%, with 16 of 43 lots failing to sell in the standalone auction. Christie's also saw disappointing results, with a smaller sale totaling $6.89 million, 17% below its low target. The collection, amassed by the late banker Thomas A. Saunders III and his wife Jordan, was billed as the most valuable Old Masters collection ever to come to auction.

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trending_up market schedule May 26, 2025 visibility 20 link 9 artists

sothebys saunders old masters sale results

A Sotheby's single-owner sale of 55 Old Masters works from the collection of Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III on May 21 achieved $64.7 million, falling well short of the $80–120 million estimate. The evening sale had a 58.5% sell-through rate, with 17 lots unsold and two withdrawn; a subsequent day sale on May 22 saw a similar 58.3% rate. Top lots included Francesco Guardi's Venetian views at $10.5 million, a record $8.8 million for Jan Davidsz. de Heem, and a record $7.37 million for Frans Post. Despite these highlights, the overall performance was dampened by high estimates, shifting collector tastes, and the prevalence of guarantees.

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trending_up market schedule May 23, 2025 visibility 21 link 11 artists

saunders collection old masters sothebys

The collection of Old Masters assembled by Thomas A. Saunders III and his wife Jordan sold for $64.7 million at Sotheby’s on May 21, falling below its low presale estimate but still becoming the most valuable trove of Old Masters ever sold in a single auction. Seven artist records were set, including Luis Meléndez’s *Still Life of a Cauliflower…* ($6.3 million) and Jan Davidsz. de Heem’s floral still life ($8.8 million). The top lot was Francesco Guardi’s twin landscapes of Venice ($10.5 million). A further 14 paintings sold the next day, bringing the collection’s total to $65.4 million.

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trending_up market schedule May 22, 2025 visibility 15 link 6 artists

fort worth kimbell art museum acquires chardin the cut melon

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, has acquired Jean Siméon Chardin's 1760 painting *The Cut Melon* directly from the descendants of Baroness Charlotte de Rothschild. The work had previously sold for $30.3 million at Christie's France in June 2024 to Italian investor Nanni Bassani Antivari, who failed to pay, leading Christie's to sue him. The museum, which was the underbidder at auction, announced the acquisition on Wednesday, and the painting goes on view Thursday in the Louis I. Kahn building.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 27, 2025 visibility 11 link 4 artists

prado museum clara peeters exhibition

The Museo del Prado in Madrid has opened its first-ever exhibition dedicated to a female artist, "The Art of Clara Peeters," 197 years after the museum's founding. The show features 15 major works by the Flemish still-life painter, active in early 17th-century Antwerp, and is curated by Alejandro Vergara, the museum's Chief Curator of Flemish and Northern School Painting. The exhibition runs from October 25, 2026, to February 19, 2017, and is co-organized with the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerp.

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article news schedule Feb 5, 2026 visibility 17 link 13 artists

washington post art critic sebastian smee laid off

The Washington Post laid off approximately 30% of its newsroom staff, including Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Sebastian Smee, as part of broader cuts to sports, local news, and international coverage. Smee, who joined the Post in 2018 after working at the Boston Globe and The Australian, confirmed his departure in a statement to ARTnews, expressing gratitude to former editor Marty Baron and solidarity with affected colleagues. Another Pulitzer-winning critic, Philip Kennicott, reportedly remains on staff. The layoffs come shortly after the release of a documentary produced by Amazon MGM Studios, owned by Post owner Jeff Bezos.

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trending_up market schedule Oct 8, 2025 visibility 31 link 27 artists

From Mondrian to Man Ray, Here Are the Best-Sellers at Auction So Far This Year

The article analyzes the best-selling artworks at auction in the first half of 2025, covering Old Masters, Impressionist and Modern, and Postwar categories. Notable sales include a pair of Francesco Guardi views of Venice that sold for $10.5 million at Sotheby’s New York, a Piet Mondrian abstraction from the estate of Barnes & Noble founder Leonard Riggio that fetched just under $50 million, and a monumental rhinoceros-shaped desk by François-Xavier Lalanne that more than tripled its high estimate after a 13-minute bidding war. The report highlights that Old Masters sales were up 24% year-over-year, while top Impressionist and Modern lots saw lower prices compared to 2024.

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article local schedule Apr 9, 2026 visibility 8 link 9 artists

Gallery Space presents Face(t)s of America Exhibition

The City of Rahway has announced the upcoming exhibition "Face(t)s of America" at Gallery Space, running from April 18 through June 13, 2026. Featuring works by six artists—Rodríguez Calero, Dong Kyu Kim, Carlos Mateu, Roxanna Meléndez, Diane Phares, and Duquann Sweeney—the show utilizes portraiture and painting to explore themes of identity, heritage, and belonging in the United States. The exhibition will include a public reception on April 24 featuring performances by the New Jeru Poetry Slam Team.

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