| | The First Art Newspaper on the Net |   | Established in 1996 | Wednesday, November 27, 2019 |
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| | Police hunt suspects in spectacular Dresden jewellery heist | |
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A police cordon hangs in front of the Royal Palace that houses the historic Green Vault (Gruenes Gewoelbe) in Dresden, eastern Germany on November 25, 2019, after it was broken into. The Green Vault, with one of the biggest collection of baroque treasures in Europe, has been robbed, police said November 25, 2019. At a press conference, the director of Dresden's state art collections Marion Ackermann told reporters that the items stolen included sets of diamonds which were "priceless". Sebastian Kahnert / dpa / AFP.
by Kit Holden
BERLIN (AFP).- Police in Germany were Tuesday hunting robbers who snatched priceless 18th-century jewellery from a state museum in Dresden in what local media have called the biggest art heist in modern history. Authorities across eastern Germany have been put on alert after thieves made off with treasures from the Green Vault at Dresden's Royal Palace in an astonishing smash-and-grab raid early Monday morning. Police called on witnesses to step forward and released images of the stolen items, which were taken from a collection of jewellery of 18th-century Saxony ruler Augustus the Strong and which experts say may never be recovered. The images included a sword whose hilt was encrusted with nine large and 770 smaller diamonds, and a diamond bow decorated with 662 brilliants. Yet museum directors annou ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day A 25,000-pound monument returned to the limelight, as the centerpiece of the new Sphinx Gallery at the Penn Museum. The colossal red granite Sphinx of Ramses II dates back to between 1293 and 1185 BCE. Excavated by the famous archaeologist W. M. Flinders Petrie and his team, it is the largest sphinx in the Western hemisphere and has served as one of the City of PhiladelphiaÂs top cultural attractions since its arrival at the Penn Museum in October 1913. Photo: Eric Sucar, University of Pennsylvania.
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 | | Lebanese businessman to give Hitler hat to Israeli foundation | | One of world's first printed Christmas cards goes on display | | Newly discovered portrait of Elizabeth I at Bonhams Old Master Paintings Sale | 
This file photo taken on November 20, 2019 shows a man holding a top hat with the initials "AH" from the J A Seidl hat manufacturer on November 20, 2019 in Grasbrunn near Munich. Matthias Balk / dpa / AFP.
GENEVA (AFP).- A Lebanese businessman will donate Adolf Hitler's top hat and other objects linked to the Nazi leader to an Israeli foundation in order to keep the items out of the hands of neo-fascists. Abdallah Chatila, who has made a fortune from diamonds and real estate in Geneva, told the Matin Dimanche weekly that he had "wished to buy these objects so that they could not be used for the purpose of neo-Nazi propaganda. "My stance is totally apolitical and neutral," he added. The collapsible top hat believed to have belonged to Nazi leader Adolph Hitler sold for 50,000 euros ($55,300) at a controversial Munich-based auction on Wednesday. Chatila scooped up as many other Hitler-related articles as he could at the auction and has donated them to the Keren Hayesod association, an Israeli fundraising group. The head of the European Jewish Association, rabbi Menachem Margolin, said he was "bowled over" by the ... More | | 
Detail of the world's first printed Christmas Card, designed by Henry Cole. Photo: The Brick Row Book Shop, San Francisco, California.
by Anna Schaverien
LONDON (NYT NEWS SERVICE ).- For many, Christmas would not be the same without a house brimming with cards from their nearest and dearest, stamped and sent by mail or hand-delivered in the heart of the season. For others, the printed card is an artifact of a bygone era. Putting pen to paper and mailing it is too much of a hassle. But in an era of e-cards, emojis and GIFs, a London museum has put on display what the Smithsonian and the Victoria and Albert Museum call the worlds oldest printed Christmas card. Dating to 1843, it serves as a reminder of the enduring power of a holiday tradition. The card was one of 1,000 commissioned by a British civil servant, Henry Cole, and illustrated by artist John Callcott Horsley, the Charles Dickens Museum in central London said. A merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you, the greeting ... More | | 
Workshop of Steven van der Meulen (Antwerp -circa 1564 London) Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I. Photo: Bonhams.
LONDON.- The picture restorer given the task of cleaning an anonymous 17th century portrait had a surprise when they removed the overpainting on the face. It revealed the features of Queen Elizabeth I. Subsequent research by Bonhams specialists, who showed the work to the Yale Center for British Art, confirmed that this was indeed an unknown portrait of the Virgin Queen painted around 1562, shortly after Elizabeth came to the throne. Now the newly discovered portrait is to be offered at Bonhams Old Master Paintings Sale in London on Wednesday 4 December. It has an estimate of £150,000 - 250,000. Andrew McKenzie, the Director of Bonhams Old Masters department, comments, This very early, yet sophisticated, depiction of Elizabeth, is hugely significant. We are familiar with her later appearance as the strong all-powerful monarch, but Elizabeths early years on the throne were dogged with instability and threats from home and abroad. F ... More |
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| | Exhibition of late nude paintings and drawings by Karel Appel on view at Galerie Max Hetzler | | Gems, jewels and precious objects spanning centuries and continents come to Rago's Fine Jewelry Auction | | Black art has its moment, finally | 
Karel Appel, Nude no. 30, 1995. Oil on canvas
, 152.5 x 122.5 cm.; 60 x 48 1/4 in.
156.6 x 126 x 6 cm.; 61 5/8 x 49 5/8 x 2 3/8 in. (framed).
BERLIN.- Galerie Max Hetzler is presenting its first solo exhibition with late nude paintings and drawings by Karel Appel at GoethestraÃe 2/3. A founding figure of CoBrA (1948-1951), which developed from the Dutch Experimental Group (1948), Karel Appel began his career in the aftermath of the Second World War. Over the course of six decades, the artist experimented widely, across painting, sculpture, drawing, and stage design, distinguishing himself for his astonishing capacity to innovate; Appel never settled in a signature style, media or subject. Going beyond his classical, academic training at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam, the artist looked at folk art, as well as the uninhibited work of children and the mentally ill, whilst also drawing from jazzs spirit of improvisation. Alternating between abstraction and figuration, Appel adopted a material-oriented approach in his practice, and promoted a genuine form ... More | | 
Oscar Heyman, Natural Fancy Light Brownish Yellow Diamond and Sapphire Ring, 17.35 cts. Estimated: $220,000 - $280,000.
LAMBERTVILLE, NJ.- Rago Auctions presents its final jewelry auction of 2019 on Sunday, December 8. The catalog is available in print and online at www.ragoarts.com. In-house previews at Rago in Lambertville, NJ will begin on December 1. This auction introduces Rago's newest member; Director of Fine Jewelry, Dianne Batista. Dianne comes to Rago with over 30 years of industry experience, most recently as a jewelry consultant to several businesses including David Webb. She has also held positions as Assistant Vice President, Senior Jewelry Specialist at Christies New York, manager for Dior Fine Jewelry, and Cinta Jewelry Director for jeweler John Hardy. She was an original jewelry expert on PBS's Antiques Roadshow and has lectured extensively on antique and estate jewelry. The December Fine Jewelry auction presents a diverse offering of gems and jewels from Georgian to Contemporary, including ... More | | 
Dana Schutz at her studio in New York, Dec. 21, 2018. Rebecca Smeyne/The New York Times.
by Roberta Smith
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE ).- What made the 2010s the most thrilling of all the decades Ive spent in the New York art world was the rising presence of black artists of every ilk, on every front: in museums, commercial galleries, art magazines, private collections and public commissions. During this exhilarating sea change, new talent emerged, older talent was newly appreciated and the history of American art was suddenly up for grabs and in dire need of rewriting. Change was foreshadowed by earlier exemplars like (to name but a few) Faith Ringgold, Barbara Chase-Riboud and Robert Colescott in the 1960s; Adrian Piper and David Hammons in the 1970s; Jean-Michel Basquiat, in the 1980s; Chris Ofili, Kara Walker, Glenn Ligon and William Pope. L in the 1990s. The 2000s brought artists like Mark Bradford, Julie Mehretu, Mickalene Thomas, Rashid ... More |
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| | Return of the auction: Sotheby's announces second sale dedicated to Star Wars | | Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac to open its first solo UK exhibition of work by VALIE EXPORT | | What Josephine Baker and a Maharajah teach us about design | 
Prototype Imperial Stormtrooper helmet, 1976. Est. £30,000-60,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.
LONDON.- Following a sell-out auction in 2015 from the collection of NIGO®, Sothebys will now host its second sale dedicated to Star Wars collectibles, titled Star Wars Online. Encompassing around 100 lots from the acclaimed franchise, the online-only sale, open from 29 November to 13 December, offers the opportunity to acquire a piece of pop culture history just days ahead of the highly-anticipated release of the final film in the sequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. From the moment the first Star Wars film hit the cinemas in May 1977, it became a cultural phenomenon unlike any other. Over the ensuing decades, eight further films have been produced, and a loyal legion of original fans have been joined by a new generation of followers. George Lucas' Star Wars was the first film to introduce merchandise globally as a way to increase a film's popularity ... More | | 
VALIE EXPORT, Verkreuzung, 1972/ Print 1980. B/W silver gelatine print on baryta paper laid on chip board, 330 x 200 cm. © VALIE EXPORT / Bildrecht Wien 2019. Courtesy Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, London Paris Salzburg.
LONDON.- Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac will open its first solo UK exhibition of work by VALIE EXPORT, The 1980 Venice Biennale Works, opening at London Ely House this November. A pioneer in film, video and installation art, with a career spanning close to five decades, VALIE EXPORT has produced one of the most significant bodies of feminist art in the post-war period. Awarded this years Roswitha Haftmann Prize, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the visual arts, EXPORTs groundbreaking films and performances throughout the 1960s and 70s introduced a new form of radical feminism to Europe and were among the most revolutionary and definitive statements of their time. Marking a key moment for the ... More | | 
Mauboussin, Ring, circa 1940 -1945. Platinum, ruby and diamonds © Al Thani Collection 2015. Photo by Prudence Cuming.
by Joseph Giovannini
PARIS (NYT NEWS SERVICE ).- In Paris, the deep design shift that occurred during the interwar years when modernism superseded art deco has long kept architecture historians scribbling. But two events in Paris a recent week of performances in Le Corbusiers famous Villa Savoye and Moderne Maharajah, a show at the Museum of Decorative Arts through January open up our understanding of a period we thought we knew cold. Each of the two events sees design through a polarizing cultural lens. The Villa Savoye, on the outskirts of the city, was recently the stage for a troupe of eight dancers performing a revue inspired by a presumed romance between the celebrated architect and the African American dance ... More |
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| | Getty releases a podcast series about six 20th-century women artists in their own words | | Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art in Amsterdam achieves a total of $9,224,955 | | MAXXI opens a major retrospective of the work of Gio Ponti | 
Eva Hesse in her Bowery studio, ca. 1966, photographer unknown. © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth.
LOS ANGELES, CA.- Getty presents Recording Artists: Radical Women, a new podcast series exploring the lives and work of six women artists whose lives span the 20th century. Hosted by art historian Helen Molesworth, the podcast uses rare audio interviews from the 1960s and 70s to focus on Alice Neel, Lee Krasner, Betye Saar, Helen Frankenthaler, Yoko Ono, and Eva Hesse during a period of immense change for women. Molesworth mined the more than 1,000 interviews and oral histories in the archives of the Getty Research Institute, focusing on the collections of feminist art critics Cindy Nemser (American, b. 1937) and Barbara Rose (American, b. 1938), to find revealing audio interviews and rarely seen documents and notes. She discusses the artists with art historians, cultural critics, and contemporary artists to provide context to enrich ... More | | 
Kiki Kogelnik, Superserpent, Price Realised: 162,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019.
AMSTERDAM.- The autumn season of Post-War and Contemporary Art continued in Amsterdam on 25 and 26 November with a total of 8,355,625, selling 85% by lot and 86% by value. The auctions were highlighted by works with exceptional provenance from the Matthys-Colle Collection, which achieved a running total of 892,000 as well as 'Art for Future: Selected Works from the UniCredit Group', which was 100% sold and to date has totalled 1,841,400. Raoul De Keyser's Kalklijn (Chalk Line), from the Matthys-Colle Collection, set a world auction record for the artist (237,500) while Kiki Kogelnik's Superserpent, from the 'Art for Future: Selected Works from the UniCredit Group' sold for 162,500, more than eight times its high estimate of 20,000, also achieving a world auction record for the artist. Coinciding with Amsterdam Art Weekend, the global collecting community was evident in the participation with registered bidders ... More | | 
School of Mathematics, Roma 1932 - 35 © Gio Ponti Archives.
ROME.- Architect, designer, art director, writer, poet and critic, Gio Ponti was an all-round artist who traversed much of the 20th century, profoundly influencing the taste of his time, responding to its most significant demands and anticipating many of the themes of contemporary architecture. 40 years on from his passing, MAXXI, the National Museum of XXI Century Arts, is devoting a major retrospective to this exceptional figure. The exhibition examines and presents his multi-faceted career, starting with an account of his architecture, a unique and original synthesis of tradition and modernity, history and progress, elite culture and quotidian existence. The exhibition title, GIO PONTI. Amare larchitettura (Loving architecture) echoes that of his best-known book, Amate larchitettura (In praise of architecture). Curated by Maristella Casciato (Senior curator of Architectural Collections at the Getty Research Institute in Los A ... More |
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HOW TO SEE | David Tudor's Rainforest V (variation 1) in 360!
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 Kunstverein München exhibits opens an exhibition of works by Andrea BüttnerMUNICH.- Andrea Büttners new double-channel video leads with the question: what is so terrible about craft? Depending on the intonation and disposition of the reader, the assumption of Büttners title is that either craft is already terrible (in fact, so terrible), or that the title is actually a rhetorical question that seeks to vindicate craft from its supposed terror. But in both cases, the relationship between craft and terribleness is established before the video even begins. Büttners practice has long been preoccupied with the culturally intertwined histories of aesthetics and quality. Her glass painting, woodcuts, and unfired clay sculptures have been described as both borrowing and critiquing the humble, the unfashionable, and the traditional aspects of craft methods. Her videos meanwhile grapple with crafts historical associations with spiritualism. ... More Jessye Norman honored with a starry Met Opera memorialNEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE ).- The unmistakably radiant voice of soprano Jessye Norman, who died in September at 74, filled the Metropolitan Opera House once more Sunday afternoon as friends, relatives, colleagues and fans gathered for a starry memorial celebrating her life. There were video clips of Norman performing some of the roles she conquered the Met stage with in the 1980s and 1990s. There were performances by Dance Theater of Harlem and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, as well as by singers including Latonia Moore, Lise Davidsen and Renée Fleming, who all sang works associated with Norman, and bass-baritone Eric Owens, who sang a farewell Wotans from Die Walküre. Friends, relatives and colleagues offered reminiscences. Her younger sister, Elaine Norman Sturkey, shared memories of growing ... More Anna Bottinelli named President of Monuments Men FoundationDALLAS, TX.- Robert M. Edsel, Founder and Chairman of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, today announced the appointment of Anna Bottinelli as President, effective immediately. Ms. Bottinelli joined the Foundation in 2014, advancing to the position of Director of Research in 2017. She was also elected a Foundation trustee later that year. Under Ms. Bottinellis leadership, the Foundation will continue its work locating and returning works of art and other cultural treasures missing since the end of World War II to their rightful owners. It will expand its educational mission by utilizing the legacy of the Monuments Men to engage younger audiences about contemporary threats to the preservation of cultural heritage globally. The Foundation will also capitalize on its visibility to be an impartial but passionate voice on the protection ... More Native American & Spanish colonial decorative arts go up for bid at Turner Auctions & AppraisalsSAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Native American & Spanish Colonial Decorative Arts on Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 10:30 am PST. Sourced primarily from two collections, this online auction offers over 235 diverse and intriguing lots from the 18th-20th centuries, mostly from the U.S., Mexico, Latin American or South America. Some lots from Africa, Europe and Asia complete the sale. Spanish Colonial items, produced by Spain's colonies in the New World, include retablos; figures of saints; trunks, chests and coffers; embroidery; folding chairs; altar decorations; and a silver monstrance. A selection of pottery comes from Spain and Mexico, including Talavera items. Also from Mexico are retablos, rugs and a pictorial blanket, jewelry, spurs, a ceremonial horse figure, a horse bridle, sombreros, and carved ... More Christie's announces December Design Sale including rare Frank Lloyd Wright chairsNEW YORK, NY.- Christies New York announces its December Design Sale in New York on 13 December 2019 celebrating the creative visions of some of the worlds most important designers and architects of the past century. Nearly 200 selected lots will be exhibited, featuring a group of early 20th century Austrian and French Art Deco works, pieces from The Collection of Alexander Kaplen and from an edited New York collection of mid-century French and American design. The season is highlighted by the spectacular rediscovery of two pairs of Important Chairs from the Ward W. Willits House, Highland Park, Illinois, circa 1902 by Frank Lloyd Wright (estimate: $200,000 300,000 each pair). The four chairs offered as pairs are museum-quality examples, have changed hands only once before, and have never been offered at auction. The linear ... More DMA receives gifts to establish new department and curatorial position dedicated to works on paperDALLAS, TX.- The Dallas Museum of Art, announced the establishment of the Works on Paper Department and the creation of a new curatorial position, supported by a group of visionary gifts to the Museum. They include the formation of a dedicated endowment to initiate the new department and support its ongoing operations, a $3 million endowment to create and support a new curatorial position to spearhead the department and collection, and a major gift of over 80 works to the Museum, including 58 works on paper. These major gifts enable the DMA to radically strengthen the exhibition and programming of its existing and growing works on paper collection and to study that collection in depth for the first time. The founding of this dedicated department is part of the DMAs strategic plan to diversify the illustration of artistic influence and dialogue ... More Exquisite Tiffany lamps light up Morphy's gallery prior to Dec. 12 Fine & Decorative Arts AuctionDENVER, PA.- Perennially, one of the most beautiful sights of the Christmas season in Pennsylvania is Morphy Auctions Fine & Decorative Arts pre-auction gallery preview. The warmth of rare antique leaded-glass lamps, the fiery sparkle of fine gems and the iridescence of Art Nouveau vases combine to create an atmosphere of luminescence and traditional quality that bidders look forward to, year after year. This holiday season, Morphys will present a 767-lot Fine & Decorative Arts Auction on Thursday, December 12 led by exquisite designs from Tiffany Studios, including scores of rare table, floor and hanging lamps. Topping the Tiffany lighting selection is a 22½-inch-tall table lamp with a leaded-glass shade in the Poppy motif. Featuring richly hued red and pink poppies in concert with a band of green leaves against a mottled light-blue ... More Nye & Company's Estate Treasures Auction will feature nearly 800 lots that will be auctioned in two partsBLOOMFIELD, NJ.- Nye & Companys Wednesday, December 11th Estate Treasures Auction is bursting at the seams with nearly 800 lots of fine and decorative arts, so it will be split into two parts. A live auction, starting at 10 am Eastern, offers online, phone and in-person participation. Part II begins at 3 pm as an online-only format; bidding is available via LiveAuctioneers.com. Part I will be held online and in the Nye & Company gallery at 20 Beach Street in Bloomfield. Our Estate Treasures Auction is a unique blend of traditional and contemporary furniture, fine and decorative arts, said company president John Nye. It is sure to please the connoisseur right down to the homeowner just looking to furnish their home with fine objects that excite the eye. As a matter of fact, Nye said, the offering feels inspired by At Home With .... Inside the Iconic Space of Bill ... More Asian Avant-Garde artists achieve top prices at Bonhams Modern and Contemporary Art Sale in Hong KongHONG KONG.- Two paintings by minimalist artist Richard Lin led Bonhams Modern and Contemporary Art Sale in Hong Kong on 25 November. The two works, standing at two ends of the artists most fertile period of creativity, are 14-MAY-1959 and Cadmium Green. An early work which came fresh to the market, 14-MAY-1959 (lot 18) sold for HK$ 2,500,625, eclipsing the pre-sale high estimate (HK$ 1,800,000 2,500,000) to become the top lot of the sale. Similarly, the fresh-to-market Cadmium Green (lot 17) from 1974 sold for HK$ 2,250,625, also exceeding the pre-sale high estimate (HK$ 1,700,000 2,200,000). A further sale highlight by Richard Lin was the oil on paper Untitled (lot 19), which fetched HK$ 500,625, three times the pre-sale estimate (HK$ 150,000 200,000). Bonhams has been the principal auction house to revive market interest in ... More Thu Van Tran's first solo exhibition with Almine Rech on view in ParisPARIS.- Almine Rech Paris is presenting Trail Dust, Thu Van Trans first solo exhibition with the gallery. For her first solo show at the gallery, Thu Van Tran has chosen the double-edged title Trail Dust, which conjures up transience and evanescence but is also the code name for the toxic spraying operations carried out by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. The transience of life and the finality of death, the transformation of organic into mineral matter and the infinite timescales of mineralization and petrification processes are the themes of Thu Van Trans exhibition as are such ongoing concerns as the nature and properties of the materials constituting her art, and how these materials might address such ever-present issues as the atrocities of the recent past. The exhibition opens with a petrified tropical forest made of bronze titled Novel Without ... More |
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Flashback On a day like today, Italian sculptor and architect Jacopo Sansovino died November 27, 1570. Jacopo d'Antonio Sansovino (July 2, 1486 - November 27, 1570) was an Italian sculptor and architect, known best for his works around the Piazza San Marco in Venice. Andrea Palladio, in the Preface to his Quattro Libri was of the opinion that Sansovino's Biblioteca Marciana was the best building erected since Antiquity. Giorgio Vasari uniquely printed his Vita of Sansovino separately. In this image: Two restorers work on Jacopo Sansovino's Madonna and Child, which was presented after its restoration at the Lab Opificio Pietre Dure, Florence, 10 November 2010.
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