The Women Defining Printmaking at the 2026 IFPDA Print Fair

The 2026 IFPDA Print Fair opened at New York’s Park Avenue Armory, placing a significant spotlight on the contributions of women artists to the medium. High-profile offerings include a new release by Laura Owens from Crown Point Press, Louise Bourgeois’s "Spirals" woodcut series presented by Carolina Nitsch, and large-scale sculptural works by Joan Hall and Orit Hofshi. The fair demonstrates the technical breadth of modern printmaking, ranging from traditional woodcuts to unique, hand-embellished compositions and experimental collaborations between artists and master printers.

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The Louvre was forced to close on Monday after staff launched strike action demanding urgent building renovations, improved security, increased staffing, and protesting a planned 45% ticket price increase for non-EU visitors. The strike follows a turbulent period for the museum, including a daylight theft of French crown jewels worth $102 million, a water leak damaging hundreds of documents, and safety concerns closing galleries. Meanwhile, Banksy's Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem has reopened for the first time since 2023, after closing following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war. The hotel, which opened in 2017, sits opposite the West Bank barrier and features original Banksy works, positioning itself as a cultural platform for peace and Palestinian artists.

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On Sunday at around 9:30 a.m., robbers broke into the Louvre's Apollo Gallery using a cherry picker and an angle grinder, stealing nine pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million in less than eight minutes. ARTnews consulted security experts who noted that the theft exploited systemic vulnerabilities, pointing to a pattern of recent museum heists including the Natural History Museum in Paris, the Drents Museum in the Netherlands, and the Dresden crown jewels theft in Germany. The Louvre had previously faced staff walkouts over inadequate security staffing, and director Laurence des Cars has requested a police station be installed at the museum.

Louvre Theft Caused by Mismanagement; Veterans Sue to Halt Building of Arc de Trump: Morning Links for February 20, 2026

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A French parliamentary commission has released a scathing report accusing the Louvre of systemic mismanagement and a 'denial of risks' following the October 2025 theft of the French crown jewels. The investigation suggests the museum operates as an unaccountable 'state within a state,' leading to security failures that enabled the high-profile heist. Meanwhile, veterans have filed a lawsuit to block the construction of the 'Arc de Trump' monument in Washington D.C., and the National Constitution Center faces leadership turmoil amid political pressure.

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The International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA) is expanding its annual print fair to include drawings dealers, rebranding as the International Fine Prints & Drawings Association. The 2026 edition, running April 9–12 at New York's Park Avenue Armory, will feature 77 exhibitors, including new drawings-focused member Sigrid Freundorfer Fine Art and returning dealers like Crown Point Press and Hauser & Wirth. The change follows a membership vote and legal restructuring, driven by record attendance of over 21,000 visitors at the 2025 fair and a 57% jump in VIP registrations, fueled by Gen Z and millennial collectors.

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Sotheby's will auction Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1981 painting *Crowns (Peso Neto)* this fall in New York with a high estimate of $45 million, the highest estimate ever for a Basquiat work from that pivotal year. The painting, never before sold at auction, marks the artist's transition from street artist to international art star. Separately, Art Basel released the exhibitor list for its inaugural fair in Qatar, featuring 87 galleries including heavyweights like Hauser & Wirth, Gagosian, and David Zwirner, with a focus on solo presentations and artists from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.

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Sotheby's will offer Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1981 painting *Crowns (Peso Neto)* in its fall contemporary evening sale in New York with a high estimate of $45 million, the highest estimate ever for a Basquiat work from that pivotal year. The painting, never before auctioned, is described by the house as marking the artist's transition from street artist to international art star. Separately, Art Basel has released the exhibitor list for its inaugural fair in Qatar, featuring 87 galleries including heavyweights like Hauser & Wirth, Gagosian, and Pace, with all booths dedicated to solo presentations curated by artistic director Wael Shawky.

8 controversies that rocked the art world in 2025 2728947

Artnet News rounds up eight major controversies that shook the art world in 2025, including a brazen theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris, which exposed severe security gaps and led to a staff strike. Another key scandal involves a lawsuit filed by heirs of the Stern family against the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation, alleging that a Van Gogh painting was looted by the Nazis and later concealed through a series of transactions in New York.

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A judge at London's Kingston Crown Court sentenced Larry Fraser to 13 months in jail for stealing a Banksy print of the iconic *Balloon Girl* image from Grove Gallery in September 2024. Fraser, who pleaded guilty, used a hammer to break a glass door and stole the print in 36 seconds, hoping to pay off a drug debt. The Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad recovered the artwork within days after Fraser and accomplice James Love stashed it on the Isle of Dogs. Love was acquitted by a jury, claiming he was unaware of the theft until after the fact.

Catherine Pégard Named French Culture Minister; Frieze Los Angeles Clocks Enthusiastic Sales; Morning Links for February 27, 2026

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French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Catherine Pégard, the former president of the Château de Versailles, as the new French Culture Minister. Pégard faces immediate challenges, including addressing the recent theft of the French crown jewels from the Louvre and managing Macron’s ambitious $1 billion overhaul of the museum. Meanwhile, the VIP opening of Frieze Los Angeles has reported robust sales, with dealers describing the atmosphere as a "frenzy" amidst a notable trend in textile-based art and photography.

empress eugenies crown to be restored after louvre heist rembrandt drawing breaks auction record morning links for february 5 2026 1234772357

The Louvre has released images of Empress Eugénie's crown for the first time since it was stolen and crushed during a heist of French crown jewels. Thieves used an angle grinder to cut into a display case, jammed the crown through a narrow opening, and dropped it while fleeing. Restorers, overseen by an expert committee, will repair the mostly intact crown without needing to reconstitute it. In other news, a rare Rembrandt drawing of a lion sold for $17.9 million at Sotheby's, breaking the artist's record for a work on paper, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit Panthera. Thaddaeus Ropac is expanding to New York with a project space, hiring Emilio Steinberger as senior director. Calls are growing for former French culture minister Jack Lang to resign from the Institut du Monde Arabe over ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The historic Variety Arts Theater in Los Angeles reopened with a video art exhibition organized by collector Julia Stoschek and curator Udo Kittelmann.

jean michel basquaits 45 m crowns peso neto to headline sothebys fall auctions in new york 1234756255

Sotheby's will offer Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1981 painting *Crowns (Peso Neto)* as the headline lot of its contemporary evening sale in New York this fall, carrying a high estimate of $45 million. The work, which has never been auctioned before, debuted at Basquiat's landmark 1982 solo show at Annina Nosei Gallery and later appeared at Documenta 7. It will be exhibited in London during Frieze Week, then in Paris coinciding with Art Basel Paris, before arriving at Sotheby's new Breuer Building headquarters in New York ahead of the November 8 sale.

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An early Jean-Michel Basquiat painting, *Crowns (Peso Neto)* (1981), sold for $48.3 million at Sotheby’s contemporary evening sale on Tuesday night, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $35–45 million. The work, making its auction debut, was created when Basquiat was 21 and features his signature motifs of crowns, black faces, and cartographic lines. Bidding lasted five minutes, with Sotheby’s chairman for China Jen Hua winning on behalf of a phone client. The painting had been held in three private collections over four decades and was previously exhibited at Basquiat’s first solo show at Annina Nosei, documenta 7, the Whitney Museum, and the Fondation Louis Vuitton.

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A new video game titled 'Relooted' has been released, casting players as vigilantes in an Afrofuturistic future who must reclaim looted African artifacts from Western museums before they are hidden away. Developed by South African studio Nyamakop, the game tasks players with repatriating up to 70 specific, real-world contested treasures, including the Bangwa Queen and the Maqdala Crown, through heist-style gameplay.

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Days before Art Basel Paris opens at the Grand Palais, a brazen daytime robbery at the Louvre Museum saw thieves steal jewels once belonging to Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. Three masked men used a cherry picker and power tools to smash into the Galerie d’Apollon and fled within minutes, leaving one damaged crown behind. The heist has dominated French headlines and prompted political outrage, with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez calling the stolen items of “inestimable heritage and historical value.” Art Basel organizers offered a general statement about taking security seriously but did not provide specifics when asked about steps taken in light of the robbery.

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Saudi Arabia announced over 5 billion Saudi riyals ($1.3 billion) in new cultural funds and agreements at the first Cultural Investment Conference in Riyadh, held under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Key developments include a partnership with Deutsche Bank for training and cultural exchanges, the immediate establishment of the Riyadh University of Arts (opening 2026 with film, performing arts, and theater programs), and a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Culture and the Royal Commission for AlUla to boost cultural infrastructure in the AlUla oasis.

saudi arabia deutsche bank ink cultural partnership 1234754701

Saudi Arabia announced over 5 billion Saudi riyals ($1.3 billion) in new cultural funds and agreements at the first Cultural Investment Conference in Riyadh, held under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Key initiatives include a partnership with Deutsche Bank for training and cultural exchanges, and the immediate establishment of the Riyadh University of Arts, set to open in 2026 with courses in film, performing arts, and theater. The Ministry of Culture also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Royal Commission for AlUla to boost cultural infrastructure in the AlUla oasis.

five more suspects arrested over louvre jewel heist 1234759418

French authorities arrested five additional suspects in connection with the historic theft of Napoleonic jewelry from the Louvre Museum, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced on Thursday. The coordinated raids took place in Paris and its northern suburbs, with one suspect identified through DNA evidence. The investigation has advanced by studying encrypted communications from seized phones. The heist occurred on October 19, when four masked thieves broke into the Apollo Gallery during opening hours, stealing nine artifacts worth approximately $102 million, though one crown was dropped during the escape. Two suspects were previously arrested on October 25, one at Charles de Gaulle Airport. The stolen jewels remain unrecovered, and authorities are searching the black market for them.

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Nine jewels stolen from the Louvre are valued at $102 million, according to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, contradicting earlier French claims that they were of “incalculable” value. The stolen items include a diadem worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense, an emerald necklace of Empress Marie-Louise, and a diadem once held by Empress Eugénie, the latter containing nearly 2,000 diamonds. One crown belonging to Empress Eugénie was recovered after being dropped by the thieves, but the rest remain missing. The robbers entered through windows using small chainsaws and exited in under eight minutes. The Louvre has been closed since the heist, and cultural minister Rachida Dati defended the museum’s security systems before the National Assembly, calling the theft “a wound for all of us.”

louvre jewels stolen value 1234758137

Nine jewels stolen from the Louvre are valued at $102 million, according to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, contradicting earlier French claims of 'incalculable' worth. The heist, executed with small chainsaws in under eight minutes, included historic pieces such as a diadem worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and an emerald necklace of Empress Marie-Louise. One item, a crown belonging to Empress Eugénie, was recovered after being dropped by the thieves. The Louvre has remained closed since the theft, and criticism has emerged over security lapses, though Culture Minister Rachida Dati defended the museum's systems before the National Assembly.

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The Louvre Museum in Paris was forced to close on Monday, January 12, 2026, after staff launched a strike over pay, staffing levels, and working conditions. The closure is the latest in a series of disruptions since mid-December, including a three-day walkout before Christmas and multiple delayed openings in early January. Unions representing employees say the museum is understaffed, poorly maintained, and workers are overworked, calling for increased hiring, higher wages, and greater infrastructure investment. The labor unrest has been compounded by heightened scrutiny following an October daytime robbery of crown jewels valued at over $100 million, and tensions have also flared over a proposed standalone gallery for Leonardo da Vinci's *Mona Lisa*, which unions deem unrealistic given existing problems.

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Staff at the Louvre in Paris staged another walkout, closing the museum on Monday morning before a partial reopening at noon. The strike, backed by three unions with 350 staff members voting unanimously, protests the Louvre–Nouvelle Renaissance redevelopment plan launched by President Emmanuel Macron. The plan includes a dedicated gallery for the Mona Lisa, a new entrance, and a $778 million budget, which unions call unrealistic. The museum reopened with limited access to iconic works like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory of Samothrace, while other galleries remained closed.

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Sotheby's has announced two major consignments for its November marquee auctions in New York: Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Crowns (Peso Neto)" (1981), estimated at $45 million, and an untitled Kerry James Marshall painting from 2008, estimated at $10–15 million. The Basquiat, painted on Christmas night 1981, debuted at Annina Nosei Gallery and Documenta 7, and was previously owned by collectors Thomas Worrell and José Mugrabi before being consigned by French actor Francis Lombrail. The Marshall, depicting a couple embracing at sunset, was purchased on the primary market and has remained in the same collection, recently appearing at the Church in Sag Harbor with lender Neda Young.

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Hauser & Wirth and art shipping company Artay Rauchwerger Solomons face trial over charges of evading U.K. sanctions by allegedly making artist George Condo's 2021 work on paper, *Escape from Humanity*, available to a person connected with Russia in 2022. The U.K. Crown Prosecution Service brought the charge in November, and a judge has scheduled a 10-day trial for January 2028, with a hearing on May 5, 2026, for arraignment. Hauser & Wirth has stated it will plead not guilty, while the shipping firm, which went into voluntary liquidation in April 2024, did not respond to requests for comment.

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On October 19, 2025, thieves disguised as construction workers stole $102 million in French crown jewels from the Louvre, but the article contrasts this with the far more infamous 1911 heist of Leonardo da Vinci's *Mona Lisa*. The 1911 theft was carried out by Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman and museum employee who hid in a supply closet, removed the painting's glass casing (which he had installed), and fled with two accomplices via subway. The theft went unnoticed for 28 hours, and the French press sensationalized the story, even accusing figures like J.P. Morgan and Pablo Picasso.

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A French Senate hearing revealed that Louvre security failures allowed thieves to steal $102 million in French crown jewels from the Apollo Gallery in October, with officials stating that the escape could have been prevented if exterior camera footage had been monitored in real time. Noël Corbin of the General Inspectorate of Cultural Affairs and Pascal Mignerey of the Security, Safety and Audit Mission testified that a 2019 security audit by Van Cleef & Arpels identifying gallery weaknesses was not transmitted to new leadership under director Laurence des Cars, contributing to the heist.

suspected fourth gang member behind louvre heist arrested 1234763889

On Tuesday, four more suspects were arrested in connection with the theft of the French crown jewels from the Louvre in Paris last month. One of the men, arrested in Laval, is suspected of being the fourth gang member involved in the heist, which occurred on October 19 when robbers used a cherry picker and angle grinder to steal nine pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million from the Apollo Gallery. The other three previously charged suspects were identified as Ayed G, Slimane K, and Abdoulaye N. Three relatives of the new suspect were also taken for questioning. One of the stolen pieces, a crown belonging to Empress Eugénie, was recovered outside the museum.

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Four additional suspects—two men and two women aged 31 to 40—have been arrested in connection with the theft of the French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris last month. The arrests follow four earlier arrests, with one suspect still believed to be at large. The thieves used a cherry picker and angle grinder to steal nine pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million from the Apollo Gallery in under eight minutes. One piece, a crown belonging to Empress Eugénie, was later recovered outside the museum.

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A cousin of one of the suspected robbers in the Louvre heist has spoken out in an interview with ABC News. The man, identified as Mehdy, told ABC News' James Longman on "Impact x Nightline" that his cousin was a low-income worker who sold fruit and had children. Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the heist, which occurred on October 19 when robbers used a cherry picker and angle grinder to steal nine pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million from the Louvre's Apollo Gallery. One suspect remains at large, and a crown belonging to Empress Eugénie was later recovered outside the museum.

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Four suspects have been arrested for allegedly stealing the French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum last month. One suspect, identified as 39-year-old Abdoulaye N., is a former security guard at the Centre Pompidou and a social media influencer known for motocross stunts under the name Doudou Cross Bitume. His DNA was found at the crime scene, and he is suspected of breaking into the museum's Apollo gallery through an unsecured window before escaping on a motorbike. He has a prior criminal record including a 2014 jewelry store robbery conviction, and was due in court for a separate case. The stolen jewels have not yet been recovered.