Previous Posts: March 2021
Modern Renaissance at Sotheby's
March 15 2021
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have published the lots of their upcoming cross-category sale entitled Modern Renaissance. The sale will be held on 25th March 2021.
The sale is packed with many twentieth century works, with practically all the big names represented. Of particular interest are two works by Edvard Munch. Firstly, Summer Day or Embrace on the Beach (The Linde Frieze), painted in 1904 which carries a £9m - £12m estimate. Secondly, a 1926 self-portrait of the artist, estimated at £4.5m - £6.5m. Picasso is also well represented in the sale, with a 1941 Seated Portrait of a Lady being the most expensive example estimated at £6.5m - £8.5m.
Only two paintings are represented on the old masters front, a reduction compared to last summer's Rembrandt to Richter sale. Alongside Piero del Pollaiuolo's Portrait of a Youth, estimated at £4m - £6m, is a recently upgraded portrait by Giulio Romano (pictured). This head and shoulders portrait of a Lady had sold at the Dorotheum, Vienna, in 2000 where it was attributed to Bronzino. It has since been endorsed as a original work by Romano by two Italian scholars. The work will carry an estimate of £300k - £500k.
French Government to Restitute Klimt Landscape
March 15 2021
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
France's culture minister Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin has held a press conference in Paris to announce that the French state will be restituting a landscape by Gustav Klimt. Rosebushes under Trees had been stolen by the Nazis during the war and had ended up in France. It had been on display in the Musee d’Orsay for many years, but will now be returned to the heirs of the holocaust victim Nora Stiasny.
Rembrandthuis Announces New Loans
March 15 2021
Picture: CODART
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
CODART (The International Dutch and Flemish Curators Network) have announced that the Rembrandthuis in Amsterdam has secured two important new long-term loans.
The first is The Baptism of the Eunuch by Rembrandt and assistants, on loan from the Kremer Collection (pictured). The second is Farmers playing cards at an inn by Adriaen Brouwer, kindly loaned by the art dealer Sander Bijl.
In addition to these old masters, four works by former artists in residents Iriée Zamblé and Timothy Voges have also been acquired for the collection.
Yale University are Looking for a Works on Paper Fellow
March 15 2021
Picture: Yale University
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Yale University Art Gallery are looking for a new Florence B. Selden Fellow, a position which will be based in the department of Prints and Drawings.
According to the job description:
Reporting to the Curators of Prints and Drawings at the Yale University Art Gallery, the Florence B. Selden Fellow will supervise the department’s active study room and act as the primary liaison between the department and faculty teaching from the collections of works on paper. The Selden Fellow will prepare and follow through to publication the annual list of the department’s acquisitions on the Gallery’s website, conduct scholarly research to catalogue new acquisitions, answer queries about the collection, and interact with scholars, students, and the public on matters concerning the collection. The Selden Fellow will have the opportunity to propose acquisitions, conduct independent research, and assist with special exhibitions and permanent gallery installations. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds interested in working in the prints and drawings curatorial field.
The one year position will come with a salary between $40,000 - $45,000 and applications must be in by 2nd April 2021.
Good luck if you're applying!
Christ Church Thefts on BBC Crimewatch
March 15 2021
Picture: BBC
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
It has been one year since the theft of three significant paintings from the Christ Church Picture Gallery in Oxford. BBC's Crimewatch Live featured the story on this morning's programme which contained a renewed appeal for information from the public.
It appears that the burglars managed to gain entry to the gallery by using a set of ladders that were stolen nearby. The gallery was accessed by a smashed skylight and the three paintings were removed from their frames. Alarms were triggered but the suspects managed to get away before gallery staff or the police arrived.
It has been suggested that the paintings were specifically selected by the criminals, the Carracci and Van Dyck being arguably the gallery's most iconic works. Police have released the following and particularly grainy CCTV image showing the theft in action (pictured). Furthermore, the Salvator Rosa landscape has been pointed out to have been a significantly less well known and valuable work. Might the criminal mastermind have had a penchant for this artist's pictures perhaps?
Although it is expected that the investigation can't give too much away, it is rather obvious that the authorities are nowhere closer to discovering the fate of the three works. This is surprising, considering the amount of CCTV found in this University City.
The theft represents a tragic loss for British collections. Let's hope they'll be found one day.
Lecture Series on Frederico Zeri's Museums
March 12 2021
Picture: Fondazione Zeri
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Fondazione Zeri are hosting another very interesting set of free online lectures dedicated to collections of Italian paintings which had previously been edited by the Italian art historian Frederico Zeri (1921-1998). Collections featured within the series include the Galleria Spada in Rome, The Baltimore Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Mason Perkins Collection of Assisi, the Saibene Collection in Milan, The Gallery of the Palazzo Cini in Venice and the Pallavicini Gallery in Rome.
This lecture series, broadcast in Italian between March and May, are free to join on Zoom and on Facebook.
Auction House to Donate Slice of Commission to Cultural Institutions
March 12 2021
Picture: Olympia Auctions
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Olympia Auctions in West London, formerly known as 25 Blythe Road, have recently announced an interesting fundraising initiative. For their three upcoming Pictures, Arms & Armour and Decorative Arts sales they'll be donating half of their specially reduced 10% commission to three cultural institutions. In line with the interests of the auction house, the three charities that will be benefitting are The Wallace Collection, Westminster Abbey and The Grange Festival.
Amongst the works of art already consigned for the Pictures auction on 28th April 2021 is this rather lovely Portrait of a Boy and Whippet by Godfrey Kneller and Studio (no estimate published yet).
Update - The Kneller will carry a very tempting estimate of £4,000 - £6,000.
Spain Pays €130,000 for Restoration of V&A Predella
March 12 2021
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Spanish press have criticised the country's Heritage and Culture ministry for spending €130,000 on the restoration and care of a fifteenth century predella owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The predella of the Centenar de la Ploma altarpiece was restored by the Valencian Institute of Conservation and Restoration (IVC + r) for a three month exhibition held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Valencia in 2020. The Spanish press have asked why Spanish money was used to fund the restoration of a British owned work of art. The museum also footed the bill for the artwork's insurance and travel expenses, which is usually the case for museums and galleries hosting loans for an exhibition.
The cultural ministry has refuted the claims that the expense was a waste of money. Critics have claimed the money could have been better spent on restoring works in their own national museums.
The Emperor's New Clothes
March 12 2021
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
History was made yesterday at Christie's. A total of $69m (inc. fees) was paid by a anonymous bidder for the artwork above. Indeed, this work of art is not physical at all, but a digital NFT (non-fungible token) dreamt up by the digital artist Beeple. It consists of a collage of thousands of images created daily by the artist over a period of thirteen years.
Zoom in closer and you'll see the ephemera that has been spliced together to create this confusion. Why exactly has this type of digital creation being heralded as the new craze in art? It seems that the fad for NFTs is bound up in the zeitgeist of our age. They are seemingly promoted and collected by the fashionable entrepreneurs of big tech companies. People can spend their money as they wish, but will these works be of lasting interest? Or will they be discarded as quickly as an old electric car, and survive as long as it takes for the artwork's memory card to corrupt.
Tune in to Bendor and Waldemar's podcast on Sunday to hear their live reaction to the sale.
Sotheby's Mid-Season Sale
March 11 2021
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's New York have published their upcoming Master Paintings & Drawings sale onto their website. This online sale will take place between 16th - 23rd March 2021. As is expected from a mid-season sale, the estimates are very reasonable and tempting. Equally, there are many lots sold without reserve, so there are sure to be some bargains to be found!
Charles Hill - Art Detective
March 11 2021
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The New York Times have published an article on the life of the late Charles Hill. Hill, who died last month, worked as a detective at Scotland Yard. He was involved in investigating the theft of Munch's The Scream and Vermeer's Lady Writing a Letter with a Maid. The anecdotes within are interesting and very amusing at times.
The Warburg Institute is Hiring!
March 10 2021
Picture: Warburg Institute
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Warburg Institute in London is hiring a Lecturer in Art History.
According to the job description:
The Warburg Institute is now recruiting for a Lecturer to play an active role in teaching, research and public engagement in art history and related fields. In this role, you will contribute to teaching, supervising and mentoring the Institute’s postgraduate students whilst helping to promote and facilitate research across the School. You will conduct individual and collaborative research, publishing your work and actively pursuing external funding for projects. You will contribute to the internal academic life and external outreach of the Warburg, inside and outside the School.
We are calling for applications from qualified candidates with a background in any aspect of art history and with a strong grounding in ancient, Medieval and/or Renaissance culture. All things being equal, preference will be given to candidates with expertise on the Warburg Institute’s key figures and approaches and/or experience with public engagement.
The salary on offer is £40,548 per annum and applications must be in by 2nd April 2021.
Good luck if you're applying!
Frescos from the Palazzo Torlonia Up for Sale
March 10 2021
Picture: finarte.it
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
On 11th March 2021 frescos from the Palazzo Torlonia in Rome will be put up for sale by the auction house Finarte.
Included in the sale are (forgive the poor translation):
five by the Bergamo painter Francesco Coghetti , one by the Venetian Pietro Paoletti , one by Nicola Consoniuno from Lazio and Filippo Bigioli from the Marche region, a fresco attributed to Alessandro Bombelli and three from the Italian School of the first half of the 19th century. In addition, the two plaster panels by the Prussian sculptor Julius Troschel based on compositions by Bertel Thorvaldsen, coming from the demolished Palazzo Torlonia in Piazza Venezia in Rome.
The sale of the 12 frescos, and one other relief, have caused a stir in Italy. The works had been due to be sold individually on 23rd February before the Italian authorities stepped in. They have since been declared of 'exceptional interest' and the auction house has been forced to sell the collection as one single lot.
All the works will be sold together on 11th March 2021, without buyers commission, carrying an estimate of €60,000 - €100,000.
MET may Deaccession to Pay Salaries
March 10 2021
osted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
In the latest development of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's battle to keep their finances in order due to the covid crisis, the museum's board of trustees have agreed to change the rules to use money from deaccessioning to pay for salaries. More specifically, deaccessioning money may now be used for overheads and for salaries of those associated with the collection's care.
It's quite possible that this definition could be interpreted rather freely, as there is no mention of ring fencing for conservation departments or the like. Critics have expressed that this may discourage future donors, who may not wish to have their donated artworks raided during rainy days.
Rijkmuseum's Gallery of Honour to Feature more Female Artists
March 10 2021
Picture: Rijksmuseum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is the latest cultural institution to announce their intention to display more works of art by female artists. More specifically, they have announced that three paintings by the seventeenth century artists Judith Leyster, Gesina ter Borch, and Rachel Ruysch will be included within their 'Gallery of Honour' (pictured).
The museum's director Taco Dibbits is quoted as saying:
By asking ourselves questions and by studying various sources and objects, in addition to their exhibition, we try to give a more complete picture of the Netherlands.
Rodin Museum Forced to Publish 3D Scans of Artworks (?)
March 9 2021
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Some interesting news in the Italian art press today (spotted via. @Boro_PR). The Rodin Museum in Paris may be forced to publish 3D scans of its artworks on Open Source.
This is due to the legal action of Cosmo Wenman, an operator of the reproductions market and activist for the free circulation of reproduction rights. He has been pursuing the museum to make their scans open access citing particular aspects of French law that make Administrative Documents Accessible to the public. However, the museum has refuted the claims that their 3D scans should be included in such freedom of information requests.
Wenman has publicly stated that if he wins the case, he intends to publish all of the scans online. This will allow anyone with a 3D printer to make an exact copy of a Rodin sculpture in their own homes. In contrast, some experts have spoken out against this potentially damaging result, which would inevitably lead to financial losses at the museum it is claimed.
Rubens: Reuniting the Great Landscapes
March 9 2021
Picture: The Wallace Collection
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Wallace Collection's Spring / Summer exhibition, which will see the reuniting of Rubens's two great landscapes, is shaping up to be one of the most exciting moments in the London art calendar for 2021. This will be the first time in two hundred years that the paintings will be hung next to one another, as they were originally intended in the artist's house in Het Steen. Indeed, this was only made possible due to the Wallace Collection's trustees recent overruling of Lady Wallace's 1897 bequest which specifically stopped the collection giving or receiving loans.
The dates of the exhibition haven't been announced on the museum's website yet, but it's likely that it will be opened once the UK comes out of the next stage of lockdown on 17th May 2021.
Furthermore, the museum have also released details of a very exciting two day online conference on 17th & 18th May 2021 which will dwell on many aspects to do with the paintings' various contexts and conservation histories. Speakers will include experts from Antwerp, the MET, The Kunsthistoriches Museum, the State Academy in Stuttgart, the Hamilton Kerr Institute and the National Gallery of course.
Are there any Rembrandts for Sale?
March 9 2021
Picture: Rembrandthuis
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Rembrandthuis in Amsterdam are hosting a webinar on 11th March 2021 entitled Are there any Rembrandts for Sale? The two speakers are Baukje Coenen, Senior director Old Masters, Sotheby’s Amsterdam, and the art dealer and art historian Jan Six.
The free to attend webinar will explore:
the latest trends in the international art market and the scarcity of available Old Masters artworks. What are the implications for the international art trade and museums? Will new restoration techniques and modern technology make it possible to attribute more works to Old Masters?
Paris Biennale to Call it a Day
March 9 2021
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
It has been announced that organisers of the Paris Biennale have decided to wrap up the existing fair. Inaugurated in 1962, the fair has struggled in recent years with drops in visitor numbers and a loss of reputation due to a forgery scandal in 2016. Last year's replacement sale at Christie's too failed to inspire enough sales. The Art Newspaper have reported that the fair's chairman Georges de Jonkheere resigned last October. It is said that the Biennale will be replaced by a luxury crafts fair in late November.
Wilhelmina Cole Holladay (1922-2021)
March 9 2021
Picture: Abbeville Press
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Obituaries have appeared in the press today to celebrate the contribution of the recently deceased collector Wilhelmina Cole Holladay (1922-2021). It is said that it was Holladay's frustration, after being unable to find any further information on the seventeenth century painter Clara Peeters, that spurred on her interest in trying to raise more general awareness of women artists. She and her husband Wallace F. Holladay began amassing a collection of around 500 works by women, spanning from the Renaissance to the present day. They later founded the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington in the year 1987.
