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The Pet Food Store Owner Behind the Venice Biennale’s US Pavilion, 400-Year-Old Pendant in English Painting Resurfaces, and More: Morning Links for April 20, 2026

The New York Times profiled Jenni Parido, the 37-year-old commissioner of the upcoming US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, who has no professional arts background and previously ran a luxury pet food store in Florida. She selected Jeffrey Uslip as curator, and artist Alma Allen will represent the US after other artists reportedly declined.

article news schedule Apr 19, 2026 visibility 10 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

Hamnet-era mourning jewel from celebrated painting rediscovered after 400 years

A rare 17th-century mourning jewel, depicted in the celebrated 1635 painting 'Sir Thomas Aston at the Deathbed of His Wife' by John Souch, has been rediscovered after 400 years. The heart-shaped pendant, which contains a tassel of hair from Aston’s deceased son Robert, was identified by its current owners during a chance visit to an exhibition featuring the portrait. Valued at £650,000, the gold and enamel memento mori features intricate Latin inscriptions that were previously illegible in the painting.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original