The treasures have until now been kept in "safe storage" at the Allard Pierson museum, which is the archaeological museum of the University of Amsterdam.
by Nina Siegal
AMSTERDAM.- Hundreds of ancient artifacts from Crimea that were stored in a Dutch museum for nine years while Russia and Ukraine waged a legal battle over their ownership are now back in Ukraine, officials in Amsterdam said Monday. The works arrived Sunday at the Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine in Kyiv, said officials at the Allard Pierson Museum, an archaeological museum at the University of Amsterdam, which borrowed around 400 works from four Crimean museums in 2014 for the exhibition “Crimea: Gold and Secrets of the Black Sea.” The artifacts included gold jewelry, gold plaques, precious gems, Greek and Roman stone ornaments and ceramics. A month into the show’s run, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula, and when it came time to send the objects back, a legal conflict emerged: Should they go back to the Crimean museums, now under Russian state control, or to Ukraine, which argued that the works were part of its national heritage? The nine-year struggle over the ... More
Frederic Leighton, Flaming June, c. 1895. Oil on canvas, 119.1 x 119.1 cm. Museo de Arte de Ponce. Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc.
LONDON.-The Royal Academy of Arts announced today that from Saturday 17 February 2024 until Sunday 12 January 2025, Frederic, Lord Leighton PRA’s iconic painting, Flaming June, c.1895, will be on free display in the RA’s Collection Gallery. It will be a rare opportunity to see one of the most recognisable and celebrated works from the Victorian period. The painting is on loan from the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, which currently remains partially closed whilst a major repair project takes place due to damage caused by earthquakes in January 2020. Frederic Leighton (1830-1896) was a leading artist of the Victorian period; known for his historical, religious and mythological artworks, he served as the President of the Royal Academy from 1878- 1896. Flaming June was displayed at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition in 1895 before Leighton’s death in January 1896. The work is regarded as Leighton’s m ... More
Memoriam to Basquiat Attributed to Keith Haring. Acrylic on canvas signed on bottom mid right 'K. Haring. Starting bid $500.
NEW YORK, NY.-"La Belle Epoque Auction House is presenting their Holiday Season Multi-Estates Auction at their stunning 7,000 square-foot space at 71 8th Avenue on the border of the Meatpacking District and the West Village in New York City. The auction, being held live in-person, begins on Saturday, December 2nd, at 11am and will also be online through LaBelleEpoque.com, LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable and Bidsquare. In-person previews will take place on November 31st and December 1st from 11am – 5pm at La Belle Epoque 71 8Th Avenue in NYC. Taking the spotlight at La Belle Epoque on December 2nd will be an eclectic selection of Contemporary art, an area that did extremely well at their Summer Auction in August. Continuing the trend, they are offering Contemporary and Modern Art of all kinds, while also offering a wonderful collection of Art Glass from Baccarat, Lalique and Carl Radke, along with German and Frenc ... More
Pietro Lorenzetti, Saint Sylvester. Tempera and gold leaf on wood. The rectangular poplar panel of a vertical grain within a modern gilt frame, 27 9/16 x 14 3/8 in. Estimate: 1.5- 2 Million Euros
PARIS.- On 13 December, the French auction house TAJAN will be selling two paintings by Pietro Lorenzetti (active in Siena from 1306 to 1345), an artist as rare as he is important for gold-ground paintings of the Sienese School of the early 14th century. These two poplar panels, depicting Saint Sylvester and Saint Helena, immediately recognisable but previously completely unknown, come from the former Ramé Collection. They were acquired in Paris in 1860 by this eminent high court magistrate with a passion for archaeology and history, whose archives were donated to the Musée Archeologique de Rennes. Kept by his descendants, who had already sold part of their collection with Tajan in 1985, these two paintings represent a genuine rediscovery by the Cabinet Turquin. These two works by the greatest Sienese painter of his generation were probably part of a large altarpiece made of five or seven panels, which was likely to have been cut apart, as mos ... More
Scholars say that a trailer for Ridley Scott’s new film draws attention to the French emperor’s complex and lasting legacy on the study of Egypt’s cultural heritage. (James Smith Noel Collection/Louisiana State University at Shreveport via The New York Times)
Catherine Porter
PARIS.- The French do not like an Englishman’s rendition of Napoleon. Or at least, the French critics do not. Looking grim and moody from under an enormous bicorn hat, Joaquin Phoenix glowers from posters around Paris, promoting the film by Ridley Scott that offers the latest reincarnation of the French hero whose nose — as one reviewer deliciously wrote — still rises in the middle of French political life two centuries after his death. Yet while British and American reviewers glowed, French critics considered it lazy, pointless, boring, migraine-inducing, too short and historically inaccurate. And that’s just to start. The critic for the left-wing daily Libération panned the film as not just ugly, but vacuous, positing nothing and “very ... More
The sale was divided into three parts: coins, including a virtually complete collection of the coinage of Jamaica from Victoria to the beginning of decimalisation under Elizabeth II plus tokens and medals.
LONDON.- 274 lots of Coins, tokens and medals of the West Indies from the Isaac Rudman Collection were sold for a hammer price of £93,760 at Noonans Mayfair on Wednesday, November 22, 2023. The sale was divided into three parts: coins, including a virtually complete collection of the coinage of Jamaica from Victoria to the beginning of decimalisation under Elizabeth II plus tokens and medals. The catalogue foreword said: “Isaac Rudman could be considered the ultimate collector. His passion and enthusiasm is second to none and the breath and scope of his collecting interests are simply amazing.” 87% of the collection sold with notable pieces were two countermarked coins. A Dollar from Jamaica that was valued at Six Shillings and Eightpence and created from a Peruvian 8 reales coin from 1758 sold ... More
Oksana Pavlenko, Women’s Meeting, 1932, tempera on canvas. National Art Museum of Ukraine. (detail)
DUBLIN.- This autumn, Irish Museum of Modern Art presents a major international exhibition Self-Determination: A Global Perspective, one of the largest exhibitions in the Museum’s history, opening on Thursday 30 November 2023. Self-Determination is the culmination of a three-year research and commissioning project, in dialogue with museums and institutions worldwide, presenting over 110 artists. Focusing on new nation-states which emerged in the wake of the First World War, it explores the role of art and artists in relation to the expression of national identities, nation-building and statecraft. The exhibition is part of the Decade of Centenaries Programme 2012–2023. Bringing together a range of Irish and international works, both modern and contemporary, the exhibition illuminates the shared experiences of early 20th century new states. It includes key works from national and international collections - including the National Art Museu ... More
Anju Dodiya, At the Flower Show , 2023. Oil on Linen, 48 x 30 in, 121.9 x 76.2 cm. Copyright The Artist.
MUMBAI.- CheMoulding creates multiple entry points into six decades of Indian contemporary art. It recognises the art frame ‘moulding’ company and gallery that continues to mould Indian art history and its contemporary present. The continuous suffix ‘ing’ makes Chemould a verb — the act of creating fearless spaces for artistic freedom since 1963. Such spaces remain threatened in our present and our future. Chemould built its archive to honour its 60 year milestone. From this archive — architectural motifs, photographs, Parsi community history, maps, exhibition catalogues, letters, objects, floor plans, frame mouldings, oral histories and personal memories, serve as inspiration to artists. CheMoulding unpacks human needs in the Indian context through showcased artistic responses. In Part 1 Framing we laid open our past selves to an honest re-examination of what-ifs, not what-abouts. ... More
NEW YORK, NY.-Lehmann Maupin is now showing Tom Friedman: In Focus, an exhibition of new and recent work by American sculptor Tom Friedman. Featuring both sculpture and work on paper, this presentation explores the role of scale in Friedman’s practice, which he has utilized as a tool throughout his career to disrupt viewers’ expectations and provoke deeper inquiry. Tom Friedman: In Focus also recognizes Lehmann Maupin’s recently expanded representation of the artist, which now includes the Americas. In fall 2025, Friedman will have a major solo exhibition spanning the gallery’s New York location. Friedman is best known for his alchemic sculptural practice that transforms ordinary materials, such as styrofoam, oven roasting pans, plaster, and household items into meticulously constructed art objects. Over the course of his decades-long career, Friedman has pushed the limits ... More
NEW YORK, NY.- On November 16, 2023, Venus Over Manhattan opened Retinal Hysteria, an expansive two-venue exhibition curated by Robert Storr, who was previously Senior Curator in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art, and Dean of the Yale University School of Art. Featuring works by more than forty artists, Retinal Hysteria draws its inspiration from Eye Infection, the landmark 2001–2002 exhibition presented to critical acclaim by the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Curated by Jan Christiaan Braun, Eye Infection achieved enduring international impact — and influence that continues today — via Storr’s accompanying catalogue essay, a tour de force that captured and advanced the maverick sensibility shared by the ... More
LONDON.-Hamiltons now presenting ‘Gone Wild’ featuring exclusive, new work by internationally renowned photographer Mario Testino. Shown at the gallery for the first time, the images feature an array of animals; from lions in Kenya to rare birds in Brazil. This new series contributes to Testino’s ongoing project ‘A Beautiful World’ which explores and documents the cultural traditions of people and the natural world from around the globe, Hamiltons presented the first glimpses of Testino’s ‘A Beautiful World’ in 2019. Whilst Testino has historically been recognised as one of the world’s most in-demand commercial and fashion photographers, his life and career’s real magnum opus is at its genesis. Dr Jenifer Allen writes “Mario Testino expands the frontiers of wildlife photography. The locations remain remote: from eagles in Mongolia to zebras in Namibia. Yet Testino pushes the borde ... More
Ben Sledsens, Un Nuovo Viaggio, 2023. Oil and acrylic on canvas, 180 x 160 cm. (detail).
ROME.- In the historic Palazzo Donarelli Ricci located at Via Giulia 98 in Rome, Tim Van Laere Gallery opened its new space on November 18, 2023. The space was inaugurated with a solo exhibition by Ben Sledsens. The title of the exhibition Un Nuovo Viaggio is an allusion by the artist to a new chapter in his own practice, but also in that of the gallery. Ben Sledsens' oeuvre offers a glimpse into his imaginary world, a utopia in which he wants to live himself. His carefully constructed compositions and their vibrant color palette open up to the viewer's eyes and invite them to explore the unexplored world of his imagination. With his great pictorial insight, Sledsens creates an intriguing puzzle of references by constantly using motifs, themes and objects, building a recognizable and coherent body of work in which he magnifies, emphasizes and idealizes ... More
Around 130 Lots spanning drawings, paintings, books, manuscripts, photographs and memorabilia will be offered.
PARIS.- On December 12th at Hôtel Drouot, Giquello will offer at auction a unique array which belonged to Darius Milhaud and his wife Madeleine. The sale will be held concurrently with the Paris de la modernité, 1905-1925 exhibition at the Petit Palais in Paris which includes a gallery dedicated to the composer featuring sketches and mock-ups for his ballet, La Création du Monde, 1923. This private collection, consigned by his grandchildren, is an opportunity for art and music lovers to glimpse into the world of one of France’s greatest composers. Around 130 lots of drawings and paintings by great 20th-century artists, photographs, scores, books, manuscripts, prints, and souvenirs are all testimonials to the friendships and work of the composer and his wife. ... More
Quote Painting comprises three principal parts: drawing, proportion and color. Piero della Francesca
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Duygu Demir appointed curator at The NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery ABU DHABI.- New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has appointed Duygu Demir to the post of Curator of the university’s Art Gallery, and Research Assistant Professor of Art History. As The NYUAD Art Gallery enters its tenth year of exhibitions and publications, Demir's appointment advances the Gallery's commitment to exhibition-making as a mode of investigation, supporting experimentation in form and concept, and charting new areas of art history. Demir is an art historian and curator. Originally from Turkey, she was a founding member of SALT, a research-based cultural institution in Istanbul. She earned her PhD from MIT, with funding from both MIT and Harvard University. Prior to joining NYUAD, Demir was Assistant Professor of Art History at Sabancı University. Executive Director and Chief Curator Maya Allison notes: ... More
Royal College of Art appoints Professor Christoph Lindner as new President and Vice-Chancellor LONDON.- Following an extensive international search, the Royal College of Art today announced that Professor Christoph Lindner will be its new President and Vice-Chancellor. Professor Lindner is an interdisciplinary scholar of cities and visual culture with over 20 years of experience at top universities in the United States, Europe and the UK. His leadership work has focused on advancing educational access and equity, intercultural understanding, and environmental sustainability in the art and design fields. Professor Lindner will join the RCA in April 2024 from his current role as Dean of the world-leading Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment at University College London, where he is also Professor of Urban Studies. Since joining The Bartlett as Dean in 2019, his focus has been on two main areas: equity, diversity, and inclusion ... More
Works by N.C. Wyeth, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and Ernie Barnes soar past their estimates at Heritage DALLAS, TX.- On November 17, Heritage Auctions continued to prove its strength in the American Art category with a tightly curated event that saw a number of works by America’s beloved artists sell for far above their estimates, broke an auction record and landed a painting in a prominent East Coast institution. The auction, Views and Visions: Important Works by American Masters Signature® Auction, realized more than $4 million and was led by the remarkable sale of a 1914 oil-on-canvas work by Newell Convers Wyeth, which sold for $567,000, far outstripping its $250,000- $350,00 estimate. Titled Good-bye, Mistress Friendly-Soul!, The Witch, the work was created as the illustration for the frontispiece for Mary Johnston's 1914 novel The Witch, and is abeautiful example of N.C. Wyeth's literary illustration work. Another work that ... More
Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, who looked at history from the bottom up, dies at 94 NEW YORK, NY.- Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, a French historian at the forefront of a scholarly movement that sought to understand the past from the bottom up, by probing the beliefs and psychology of anonymous peasants and priests rather than the exploits of triumphant generals and rulers, died on Wednesday. He was 94. His family confirmed the death, according to Agence France-Presse and other French news organizations. The magazine L’Obs said he died in Paris. In a statement from the Élysée Palace, President Emmanuel Macron of France called Le Roy Ladurie “one of our greatest historians,” adding, “His work truly extended history’s domain — the discipline was enriched because he was able to invent new tools, new approaches, and new subjects.” A prolific and eminently readable scholar, Le Roy Ladurie ... More
Almine Rech now represents Tia Thuy Nguyen PARIS.-Almine Rech announced the global representation of Vietnamese artist Tia-Thuy Nguyen. The gallery will present her first solo exhibition Sparkle in the vastness at Almine Rech Paris, Matignon, opening on January 11, 2024. Tia-Thuy Nguyen (Tia-Thủy Nguyễn, born in 1981 in Hanoi) is a Vietnamese artist who has made significant contributions to contemporary art in Vietnam. After completing her education, including a PhD in Fine Arts in Ukraine, she returned to Vietnam and founded The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, the country's first purpose-built space for contemporary art. She has ventured into fashion with her Vietnam oriented brand Thuy Design House, and also into film production with Xuong Phim Mau Hong, aiming to tell extraordinary Vietnamese cultural stories and inspire the community. "When I first saw Tia-Thuy Nguyen ... More
Art and entertainment luminaries join design innovators in a star-studded lineup at Blackwell Auctions CLEARWATER, FLA.- Important paintings and prints, luxury timepieces, fine antiques, and fresh-to-market celebrity memorabilia await bidders at Blackwell Auctions’ December 9 “Iconic Sale,” with absentee and Internet live bidding available through multiple platforms. Topping the bill are five unique Polaroid test shots from Dick Zimmerman’s photo shoot for Michael Jackson’s Thriller LP, and John Wayne’s personal galley proof copy of The Green Berets, gifted to him by the book’s author. It comes with provenance from Wayne’s granddaughter. “The auction would have been outstanding even without the celebrity items, but then the unexpected treasures started arriving just before the consignment cutoff. That suddenly took the auction lineup to the next level. There were so many genuinely iconic items – not only from the art and design world, ... More
'Running' solo exhibition by Nour Malas presented by Carbon 12 now on view NEW YORK, NY.-DIANA is presenting Running, a debut solo exhibition by Chicago-based artist Nour Malas. On view from November 30th, 2023 - December 22nd, 2023, this will be the artist’s first exhibition in New York, featuring a new series of intimately-scaled oil paintings on wood panel. A departure for the artist, these works show Malas deviating from the large-scale, all-over canvases for which she is best known to reduced compositions on wood—emblematic of the fearless experimentation in pursuit of emotive and psychological states at the heart of her practice. Movement is muse as Malas follows her forms, often figures, animals, or an occasional vehicle, through meditative depths of pigment. Skies of burnt umber whisper of silhouettes, untethered to ground and steered by a centrifugal, rhythmic force distinctive to Malas’ ... More
Linus Borgo's debut solo exhibition 'Monstrum' in New York to open at Yossi Milo NEW YORK, NY.-Yossi Milo will be presenting Monstrum, Linus Borgo's debut solo exhibition in New York and first with the gallery. Opening on Thursday, November 30, 2023 and on view through Saturday, January 20, 2024, the exhibition will present new works reflecting on transcendence, transformation, and transition as physical, aesthetic, and mythological phenomena.Linus Borgo's work is immersive in both scale and content, with his paintings oscillating between sublime depictions of the aftermath of trauma, quotidian moments of daily life in the city and fantasies of other worlds where alternative configurations of the body form and disperse across wild landscapes. Borgo stages gender (and other bodily) transformations as spectacular experiments with form and flesh. The title of this show, Monstrum, merges terrifying forms ... More
David Rappeneau's first Asia show now open at Gladstone Gallery SEOUL.- One night, a thought came to us like an unwelcome visitor. “I think I’ve lost something.” “You too?” “Yeah. But I don’t know what I lost.” “Actually, so do I.” This little thought spread like a plague among us over the course of a short night. It was like a phantom pain, where you feel the pain of an organ that doesn’t exist. We ran out onto the street to find what we had lost, but we couldn’t find anything. Not between buildings where the moonlight melts like sugar, not in the dark and dingy alleyways, not on the trees alongside the streets that gnarled like an old man’s grasping hands. All things shining were already stuffed inside the show window. “It’s obvious we’ve lost something. Maybe it’s something we never had in the first place.” Written by Jeon Jakka. Game, web novel, webtoon, animation story writer'. Inspired by David Rappeneau. ... More
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On a day like today, American artist James Rosenquist was born
November 29, 1933. James Rosenquist (born November 29, 1933 - March 31, 2017) was an American artist and one of the protagonists in the pop-art movement. In this image: Then 71-year-old US artist James Rosenquist stands in front of his art work 'Brazil' which he created in 2004 at the art museum in Wolfsburg, Germany on Thursday, 17 February 2005. The piece was part of a retrospective which included 150 works of art spanning across three decades, allowing an insight into the work of a leading representative of US American Pop Art. The exhibition ran until 05 June 2005.
