Vasari Art Codex

trending_up market schedule May 16, 2025 visibility 5 link 19 artists, 1 gallery

mondrian christies riggio 2643516

Christie’s marquee auction on Monday night in New York generated $488.8 million in total sales, led by Piet Mondrian’s 1922 painting *Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black and Blue*, which sold for $47.6 million—just shy of the artist’s $51 million auction record. The sale featured the Leonard & Louise Riggio collection, the largest single collection of the season, comprising 39 works estimated at $252–326 million; after one withdrawal and one unsold lot, the group achieved $271.9 million. Many high-profile lots, including works by Alberto Giacometti, René Magritte, Barbara Hepworth, Gerhard Richter, Mark Rothko, and Andy Warhol, sold on single bids to third-party guarantors, reflecting a cautious market.

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article culture schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 34 link 10 artists, 2 galleries

There will be mud! Could my child (and buggy) survive a day at a sculpture park?

A parent takes their toddler to Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) in West Yorkshire, UK, during a rainy February day. Despite the mud and drizzle, the child engages with outdoor artworks by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Bharti Kher, Sol LeWitt, Vanessa da Silva, and Damien Hirst, treating the sculptures as playgrounds and objects of discovery. The park offers free activity packs, a Hidden Forest designed for under-fives, and a family-friendly environment that encourages children to explore art and nature without the constraints of indoor galleries.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 1, 2026 visibility 10 link 11 artists, 1 gallery

Jarvis Cocker Is Bringing His Eclectic Eye to the Hepworth Wakefield

Musician Jarvis Cocker and his wife, creative consultant Kim Sion, will curate an exhibition titled “The Hodge Podge” at the Hepworth Wakefield in the U.K., opening in May 2027. The show will feature artworks selected by the couple that challenge conventional definitions of art, spanning diverse media and time periods, with artists including Peter Doig, Barbara Hepworth, Jeremy Deller, and Emma Kunz. The exhibition will be bookended by an immersive Dreamachine, a 1959 light-art device by Brion Gysin and Ian Sommerville. Cocker and Sion have outlined their curatorial philosophy in a Hodge Podge Manifesto, celebrating beauty in chaos and disorder.

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trending_up market schedule Jun 5, 2025 visibility 5 link 9 artists, 1 gallery

museum launches public appeal to buy rare barbara hepworth sculpture 1234744353

The Hepworth Wakefield museum, supported by the Art Fund, has launched a public appeal to raise £3.8 million ($5 million) to acquire Barbara Hepworth's rare 1943 sculpture *Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red*. The work was purchased by a private collector at Christie's London in March 2024 for the same amount, but the UK government imposed a temporary export ban in December 2024, citing its outstanding historical and aesthetic significance. The museum has until August 27 to raise the remaining £2.9 million; the Art Fund has already contributed £750,000. If the goal is not met, the collector may export the piece.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jul 1, 2025 visibility 3 link 8 artists, 2 galleries

Why Helen Chadwick’s earthy, provocative art remains as vital as ever

Nearly 30 years after her death in 1996 at age 42, artist Helen Chadwick is receiving renewed attention with a major retrospective, "Helen Chadwick: Life Pleasures," at the Hepworth Wakefield. The exhibition spans two decades of her provocative work, including iconic pieces like "The Oval Court" (1984-86) and the chocolate fountain "Cacao" (1994). Chadwick was known for using unconventional materials—rotting organic waste, meat, hair, cleaning fluids—to explore identity, gender, and the sensuous body, often with irreverent humor. She was also a influential teacher at the Royal College of Art, Goldsmiths, Chelsea, and Central St Martins, mentoring artists such as Tracey Emin, Anya Gallaccio, Sarah Lucas, and Damien Hirst.

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article news schedule Jun 5, 2025 visibility 2 link 5 artists

fight rages in norway over sale of barbara hepworth sculpture 46334

A legal and public battle has erupted in Norway over Kunsthall Stavanger's decision to sell Barbara Hepworth's sculpture *Figure for Landscape* (1960) at Christie's London, with an estimate of £1-2 million. The sale is intended to fund the institution's operating and exhibition budget, as the Kunsthall faces potential closure without the proceeds. Local group Stavanger Byselskap filed a lawsuit to block the sale, which was settled in the Kunsthall's favor, but over 260 community members have signed a petition against the deaccession. The Hepworth estate has also condemned the sale as unethical, noting the work was sold to the institution at a reduced price due to Hepworth's wish to have her work in a Norwegian public collection.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 3 link 12 artists, 8 galleries

Timeless Meets Timely at TEFAF New York 2026

TEFAF New York returns to the Park Avenue Armory from May 15–19, 2026, with an invitation-only preview on May 14. The fair features 88 international exhibitors from 14 countries across four continents, showcasing a wide range of collecting categories including art, antiquities, design, and jewelry. Highlights include a new abstract canvas by Minjung Kim, a glass mosaic by Shahzia Sikander, ancient Egyptian and Roman works, and pieces by modern masters such as Jean Dubuffet, Martin Kippenberger, Pierre Soulages, Barbara Hepworth, John Chamberlain, and Cecily Brown.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jun 5, 2025 visibility 5 link 7 artists, 4 galleries

barbara hepworth stringed sculptures piano nobile 2607574

London's Piano Nobile gallery has opened "Barbara Hepworth: Strings," the first exhibition dedicated to the British sculptor's use of string in her work. The show explores how Hepworth (1903–1975) incorporated string into sculptures, paintings, and drawings from 1939 onward, including pieces never before exhibited in the U.K. Highlights include the rediscovered "Theme on Electronics (Orpheus)," 1956, commissioned by Mullard and long thought lost, and "Pierced Hemisphere (Telstar)," 1963, making its U.K. debut. Curated by Michael Regan, the exhibition draws on Hepworth's letters and archival material to illuminate her innovative approach to tension, space, and light.

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candle obituary schedule Jul 9, 2025 visibility 4 link 6 artists, 2 galleries

Remembering Thomas Neurath, who brought single-minded energy and intellectual bravura to leading the publishers Thames & Hudson

Thomas Neurath, who led the independent publishing house Thames & Hudson for nearly sixty years, has died. The son of founder Walter Neurath, Thomas took over the company in 1967 after his father's early death and built it into one of the most respected imprints for illustrated art books. Known for his single-minded energy and intellectual bravura, he forged close relationships with artists including David Hockney and Barbara Hepworth, and maintained the firm's independence as a family business. His personal collection included works by Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele, and he was an avid book collector who combined business travel with museum visits.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 29, 2025 visibility 3 link 13 artists, 2 galleries

New Colour Shape Pattern exhibition now open in Ipswich

A new exhibition titled 'Colour Shape Pattern' has opened at the Wolsey Art Gallery in Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, featuring modern artworks by leading international artists. The show includes prints by David Hockney and René Magritte on loan from the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, alongside highlights from Ipswich’s own collection of modern and contemporary art. Artists and sculptors represented include Bridget Riley, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Josef Albers, Sonia Delaunay, Margaret Mellis, Graham Crowley, and Dale Devereux Barker. A new bird-inspired artwork by Suffolk artist Lily Hammond was created especially for the exhibition. The show is sponsored by Kerseys Solicitors LLP and runs until 22 February 2026.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 14 link 14 artists, 2 galleries

Alexander Calder Thought 'It Would Be Fun' to Set Abstract Art in Motion. His Mesmerizing Mobiles Transformed the Definition of Sculpture

A major exhibition titled "Calder: Dreaming in Equilibrium" has opened at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, showcasing 300 works by Alexander Calder, including his pioneering mobiles, stabiles, paintings, drawings, and wire portraits. The show marks 100 years since the artist's arrival in France in 1926 and 50 years since his death in 1976. It features iconic pieces such as the 19-foot-long mobile *Triumphant Red* (1963) and his earliest known kinetic sculpture—a brass duck from 1909—alongside works by contemporaries like Barbara Hepworth, Pablo Picasso, and Paul Klee, as well as photographs by Man Ray, Agnès Varda, and Gordon Parks.

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museum exhibitions schedule Aug 27, 2025 visibility 4 link 16 artists, 5 galleries

From Monet’s gardens to Kahlo’s bedroom — the best artists’ studios to visit

The article surveys several preserved or reconstructed artists' studios that are open to the public, including Francis Bacon's chaotic London workspace relocated to Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery, Barbara Hepworth's serene Trewyn Studio in St Ives, Claude Monet's house and gardens at Giverny, and Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul. It also previews the National Gallery of Ireland's upcoming exhibition "Picasso: From the Studio" (October 2025–February 2026), which examines the key locations that shaped Picasso's life and art.

newspaper The Times open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jun 25, 2025 visibility 7 link 11 artists, 1 gallery

Nudes by Tamara de Lempicka and Jenny Saville lead quiet Sotheby’s Modern and contemporary sale

Sotheby’s June Modern and contemporary art evening sale in London netted £50.8m (£62.5m with fees) from 48 lots, with an 87% sell-through rate, falling below the pre-sale estimate of £55.2m to £81.1m and marking a 25% decrease from last year’s equivalent sale. The top lot was Tamara de Lempicka’s *La Belle Rafaëla* (1927), which sold for £6.1m (£7.4m with fees), while a Jenny Saville drawing *Mirror* (2011-12) achieved an auction record for the artist at £1.7m (£2.1m with fees). Several high-profile works were passed, including Egon Schiele’s *Portrait Study (Head of a Girl, Hilde Ziegler)* and Barbara Hepworth’s *Vertical Forms*, reflecting cautious bidding in a bearish market.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 10 link 11 artists, 1 gallery

Jarvis Cocker and Kim Sion to curate art exhibition at Hepworth Wakefield

Jarvis Cocker and his wife Kim Sion will curate a new exhibition titled "Hodge Podge" at the Hepworth Wakefield, opening in May 2027. The show brings together a personal selection of works by artists including Jeremy Deller, Peter Doig, Barbara Hepworth, and others, alongside unknown outsider and visionary artists never before exhibited in UK public museums. The exhibition aims to challenge conventional ideas of art and includes an immersive Dreamachine, a flickering light device co-invented by Brion Gysin and Ian Sommerville in 1959.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Mar 11, 2026 visibility 12 link 8 artists, 1 gallery

works by auerbach chadwick and hepworth to spearhead christies modern british and irish art sale in london 1234777016

Christie’s London has announced its Modern British and Irish Art sale scheduled for March 18, featuring a curated selection of 26 works. The auction is led by Frank Auerbach’s "Christmas Tree at Mornington Crescent," estimated at up to £2 million, alongside significant sculptures by Lynn Chadwick and Barbara Hepworth. Other notable entries include a monumental bronze by Chadwick titled "Back to Venice" and a 1986 painting by Bridget Riley.

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trending_up market schedule Oct 23, 2025 visibility 4 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

christies modern british and irish evening auction in london nets 23 m marking 20 percent increase on 2024s sale 1234758580

Christie’s Modern British and Irish Art evening sale in London on Wednesday achieved £17.3 million ($23 million), a 20 percent increase over the equivalent sale in 2024. The top lot was Barbara Hepworth’s *The Family of Man (Figure 9, The Bride)* (1970), which sold for £3.9 million ($5.2 million). The sale had a 90 percent sell-through rate by value and 81 percent by lot, with 39 percent of works exceeding their high estimates, though the total fell short of the £22.6 million high estimate. Other notable results included Hepworth’s *Vertical Wood Form* (1968) at £1.4 million, Stanley Spencer’s *The Meeting* (1933) at the same price, and Bridget Riley’s *Dendera* (1983-2002) at £1.2 million.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 11 link 10 artists, 2 galleries

‘Still lots to talk about’: UK galleries team up to shine light on female artists

A new exhibition titled 'Making Her Mark' opens at Penlee House in Penzance, Cornwall, featuring works by prominent British female artists such as Tracey Emin, Barbara Hepworth, Laura Knight, Elizabeth Forbes, and Gillian Ayres. The show is a collaboration between Penlee House, Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, and Kirkcaldy Galleries in Fife, Scotland, with each contributing more than 20 works. It is the first exhibition launched under Art Fund's £5 million 'Going Places' programme, which unites 20 museums across the UK over five years to share and celebrate their collections.

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article news schedule Jan 5, 2026 visibility 7 link 16 artists, 3 galleries

The eight hotly awaited art-venue openings we are most looking forward to in 2026

The article previews eight major art-venue openings expected in 2026, including the long-awaited Guggenheim Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island, Cardiff's first contemporary art museum (AMOCA), the V&A East Museum in London, the revived Palais de Danse studio of Barbara Hepworth in St Ives, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. It also notes the uncertain status of the Museum of West African Art in Benin City amid political disputes. These projects range from vast new museums and subterranean expansions to restored artist studios, many delayed by funding, planning, or construction challenges.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jun 9, 2025 visibility 5 link 19 artists, 1 gallery

Peggy Guggenheim's influential—and short-lived—London gallery to be celebrated in new show in Venice and at London's Royal Academy

A new exhibition titled "Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector" will celebrate the legacy of Peggy Guggenheim's short-lived London gallery, Guggenheim Jeune, which operated from January 1938 to just 18 months later. The show, featuring over 100 works, opens at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice in spring 2026 before traveling to the Royal Academy in London. Highlights include the first painting Lucian Freud ever exhibited, Vasily Kandinsky's first solo London exhibition, and the first major collage group show in Britain, among other groundbreaking displays.

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trending_up market schedule May 14, 2025 visibility 7 link 22 artists, 2 galleries

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.

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trending_up market schedule Aug 19, 2025 visibility 9 link 11 artists

barbara hepworth sculpture uk national collection 1234749556

The Hepworth Wakefield and Art Fund have successfully raised £3.8 million to acquire Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture *Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red* (1943). The wood and string artwork, previously in private hands and rarely seen publicly, was sold at Christie’s in London last March for £3.5 million. A temporary export bar imposed by the UK government gave the museum time to raise funds, with the deadline set for August 27. The funding came from over 2,800 donations and major grants, including £1.89 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and £750,000 from the Art Fund, along with private support.

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article news schedule Jun 5, 2025 visibility 2 link 2 artists

campaign for barbara hepworth sculpture gathers momentum 82025

A campaign to return Barbara Hepworth's sculpture "Rock Form" (1964) to the Mander Centre in Wolverhampton, UK, is gaining momentum. The sculpture, valued at £1 million, was removed from the shopping centre in June 2024 during a redevelopment. Campaigners argue it was originally offered to the previous owner at cost price on the condition of public display, and they fear current owners—the Royal Bank of Scotland and Delancey—may sell it privately.

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trending_up market schedule Jun 5, 2025 visibility 6 link 17 artists

barbara hepworth takes top lot at londons british art sales 176555

London's auction houses held seven sales of Modern British art this week, achieving £22.3 million (including buyer's premium) against a presale estimate range of £21.3 million to £31.7 million. A total of 547 of 705 lots sold, a 77.6% sell-through rate. Bonhams struggled, with half its top lots unsold, including a Henry Moore bronze estimated at £1–2 million, but Pyms gallery and art adviser Wentworth Beaumont bought key works below estimate. Sotheby's raised £6.4 million, led by Edward Burra's *Striptease, Harlem* (1934) at £842,500, and a Paul Nash watercolor tripled its estimate to £212,500. Christie's achieved the highest total at £12 million, topped by Barbara Hepworth's *Figure (Sunion)* (1960), bought by Pyms gallery for over £800,000.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 1 link 16 artists, 3 galleries

The All-Women Exhibition Putting Penzance On The Art Map This Summer

An all-women exhibition titled 'Making Her Mark: A Celebration of Women in Art' has opened at Penlee House Gallery & Museum in Penzance, Cornwall, as the first stop on a three-part UK tour. The show features over 60 works by female artists from the 19th century to the present day, including Tracey Emin, Barbara Hepworth, Elizabeth Forbes, and Laura Knight. It is a collaboration between Penlee House, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, and Kirkcaldy Galleries, curated jointly by the three venues with local leadership from Penlee House deputy director Katie Herbert. The exhibition is part of Art Fund's £5.36 million Going Places programme and will travel to Worcester and Kirkcaldy in 2026 and 2027.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 7, 2026 visibility 11 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

World-class exhibition showcases the complete Rugby Collection of contemporary art

Rugby Art Gallery and Museum has launched "UNVEILED - The Rugby Art Collection in Full," a landmark exhibition featuring all 257 artworks from its permanent collection. This marks the first time in decades that the entire body of work has been displayed together, celebrating the 80th anniversary of the collection's founding in 1946. The show includes a prestigious roster of British masters such as L.S. Lowry, Lucian Freud, Barbara Hepworth, and Paula Rego, alongside Turner Prize winners Lubaina Himid and Gillian Wearing.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 28, 2026 visibility 17 link 35 artists, 1 gallery

Rago and Wright: Post War & Contemporary Art

Artsy is hosting a live auction titled 'Rago and Wright: Post War & Contemporary Art,' which closed on January 28, 2026. The sale features 78 lots of works by artists including Donald Judd, Tom Wesselmann, Niki de Saint Phalle, Sol LeWitt, Louise Nevelson, Anna Weyant, and Willem de Kooning, among others. Bidders could place max bids in advance or participate live through the Artsy platform, with all lots shipping from Rago/Wright/LAMA facilities.

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