Previous Posts: November 2023
British Art Market Woes?
November 23 2023
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Art Newspaper have published an interesting piece on the launch of the British Art Market in 2023. Much of the text explains the increased difficulties with cross-border trade between the UK and the EU, with suggestions that the UK's 5% import VAT for art and antiques should be scrapped to increase the competitiveness for the country's art trade.
The news isn't all bad, as it explains:
The outlook is not as gloomy as one might have feared. Although Brexit—along with Covid-19 and geopolitical tensions—has taken a great toll, the report paints a picture of relative resilience: the UK has managed to cling onto its position as holder of the second largest share of the global art market, accounting for 18%, which represents $11.9bn in aggregate sales in 2022. This is partly due to a sluggish economy in China, which narrowly comes in third—representing 17%.
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If you need cheering up after the article, then I recommend watching the following video by Will Bayliss of the Dickinson Gallery, whom exhibited Reynolds' exceedingly beautiful Portrait of Mrs. Moses Franks at Frieze Masters earlier in the autumn (pictured above).
NGA acquires a Vallayer-Coster
November 23 2023
Picture: artnet
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Hardly a month passes without a major museum announcing its acquisition of a still life by a female artist, it seems. News via Artnet that the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC have acquired a monumental still life by Anne Vallayer-Coster. The work was sold at Christie's Paris earlier in June for a staggering €2.58m.
The article linked above provides the following quote (a memorable quote for our times, I think):
“One of our top priorities is to acquire significant works by important women artists across time, which includes BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and women-identifying artists,” E. Carmen Ramos, the museum’s chief curatorial and conservation officer, wrote in an email.
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On a separate note, I'm excited for more floral still lifes by Mary Moser (1744-1819) coming out of the woodwork at some point. I hope the art world is out there looking for these seemingly rare and beautiful works of art!
Restoring Notre-Dame's Damaged Paintings
November 22 2023
Picture: rtve.es
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Spanish speakers might be interested in this video published by RTVE which details some of the recent work that has gone into the restoration of paintings that needed conservation after the 2019 fire at Notre-Dame. The group of works requiring conservation numbers 22 in all, it appears.
Vigée LeBrun Self Portrait Coming up at Sotheby's New York
November 22 2023
Video: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news that Sotheby's will be offering a Self Portrait by Élisabeth-Louise Vigée LeBrun in their upcoming January 2024 sales in New York. The so-called Self Portrait In Traveling Costume was completed in November 1816 when the artist had fled Paris and was travelling on the continent. The drawing, estimated at $700,000 - $1,000,000 is part of a single owner sale with works on paper amassed by the scholar Joseph Baillio. The drawing had been on loan to the MET in recent years, I wonder if they'll want to buy it back!
The drawing will be sold on 31st January 2024 in New York.
Alexandre-Jean Dubois-Drahonet (1790-1834), a newfound talent
November 21 2023
Picture: Musée Lambinet
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Musée Lambinet in Versailles will be opening a new exhibition this week dedicated to the little-known portrait painter Alexandre-Jean Dubois-Drahonet (1790-1834). The exhibition, the first ever dedicated to the artist, will feature a wide range of his portraits including military figures and members of the Royal family.
The show will run from 25th November 2023 until 25th February 2024.
National Museum of Women in the Arts Reopens
November 21 2023
Picture: The Guardian
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Guardian's Katy Hessel has contributed a piece regarding the recent reopning of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC. The museum has been closed for a two-year refurbishment.
The piece contains lots of interesting statistics regarding the representation in galleries of female artists, including that 'just 1% of London’s National Gallery collection is made up of art by women'. As it happens, experience of the Old Master Paintings world never ceases to amaze me with how much effort is going into not only researching female artists, but finding neglected or misattributed paintings to bright back into the spotlight. The art market has played a key role in this, and no art fair these days is without newly presented works by well-known and more obscure female artists. Tate Britain's recent re-hang does a very good job of this too, and the upcoming exhibitition there focusing on this subject of British female artists will surely be one of great interest.
The Huntington acquire a Goya
November 21 2023
Picture: The Huntington
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens has announced its acquisition of Goya's Portrait of José Antonio Caballero, Second Marqués de Caballero, Secretary of Grace and Justice. This is the first oil painting by the artist in the museum's collection and was made possible through a gift from The Ahmanson Foundation.
According to the press release:
“Portrait of José Antonio Caballero is historically fascinating and a prime example of Goya’s genius as a portraitist,” said Christina Nielsen, the Hannah and Russel Kully Director of the Art Museum at The Huntington. “Along with the exquisite French portrait by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun acquired with The Ahmanson Foundation last year, it will add an important international perspective to our outstanding collection of 17th- and early 18th-century British portraits.”
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The sitter in the Goya painting, José Antonio Caballero (1754–1821), was from the minor nobility in Spain. He studied law and went on to a successful career in the royal court, holding four secretary positions. His accomplishments included convincing King Charles IV of Spain to conduct a vaccination campaign against smallpox that extended to the Spanish territories in North and South America and Asia. Goya painted the portrait when Caballero was the secretary of state and had just inherited the title of Marquis de Caballero from his uncle.
PAN Amsterdam 2023
November 20 2023
Picture: nrc.nl
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
PAN Amsterdam, the Netherland's leading fair in art, opened last week. The headline news was the unveiling of the following portrait by the Amsterdam - London dealers Renialme Fine Art, a newly discovered work which they had claimed was by Rembrandt's pupil Jan Lievens. The rediscovered work, which surfaced at auction earlier in June, was purportedly carrying the price tag of €3.3m. The painting made headlines in the news over the weekend due to the fact the vetting committee at the fair requested the withdrawal of the painting from their stand due to reports there was 'too little ground to attribute the portrait to Lievens.' Read the article linked above for the whole story. I'm sure we'll see the painting again.
Bonhams December Sale
November 20 2023
Picture: Bonhams
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Bonhams London have uploaded their upcoming December Old Master Paintings sale online. Highlights include a curious screen by George Romney (pictured), an Allegory by Cornelis Schut, a handsome equestrian portrait by James Seymour, and a portrait in pencil by Samuel Palmer.
This auction will take place on 6th December 2023.
Government Art Collection are seeking new Members for Advisory Committee
November 20 2023
Picture: Government Art Collection
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Government Art Collection in the UK are seeking two independent members for their advisory committee.
According to the blurb on their website:
The Committee advises on matters concerning the overall stewardship of the GAC and its holdings, together with other related matters which affect the Collection. It also approves and gives advice on the purchase and commission of works of art. Currently chaired by Sir Richard Heaton, it comprises of five ex-officio members, five independent members and two independent youth members. Independent members each serve a term of four years (which can be extended), thus providing a regular input of new ideas and continuity to see long-term projects through to completion.
The closing date for these roles is 11th December 2023 and the posts are not salaried.
Sotheby's London December Day Sale
November 20 2023
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have uploaded their upcoming December Old Master Paintings Day Sale online. As usual, I won't spoil the fun by pointing out some of the most interesting lots.
Bidding for this online sale will open on 1st December and close on the 7th December.
Rosso Fiorentino's Deposition Conserved
November 17 2023
Picture: ansa.it
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from the Pinacoteca civica di Volterra in Italy that their Deposition from the Cross by Rosso Fiorentino has been conserved. The conservation project, which began in September 2021, was completed by Daniele Rossi and Roberto Buda in an effort to stabilise the fragile panel and paint surface which was in a rather precarious state. Painted by the artist in 1521, the work was funded by Friends of Florence Foundation and further donations from John and Kathe Dyson and the Alexander Bodini Foundation.
Christie's Part II
November 17 2023
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A quick note that Christie's London have published the Part II of their December Old Master Paintings auctions online. Lots of very interesting things as usual, at very tempting prices, so I won't spoil the fun by pointing out anything in particular. The sale also contains many works on paper.
Compare Liotard's Pastel and Oils at the National Gallery
November 17 2023
Picture: The National Gallery, London
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The National Gallery in London have just opened a small exhibition dedicated to reuniting two versions Liotard's The Lavergne Family Breakfast. Regular readers will remember that the gallery acquired the artist's pastel version back in 2020, and have borrowed his version in oil to allow visitors to compare the two.
According to the blurb from the website:
Long regarded as his masterpiece, The Lavergne Family Breakfast is one of Liotard’s largest and most ambitious works in pastel. Despite the medium’s notorious delicacy, he skilfully reproduces complex textures: the sheen on the metal coffee pot, the shiny ceramic jug, the silky fabrics and reflections, in the black lacquer tray. Liotard was extremely versatile, producing works in pastel, oil, enamel, chalk and even on glass. Highly unusually, he returned to ‘The Lavergne Family Breakfast’ 20 years after he had painted it and made an exact replica in oil.
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Last exhibited in 1754, when Liotard brought the pastel from Lyon to London, and hardly been seen in public since, this exhibition seeks to put Liotard and ‘The Lavergne Family Breakfast’ back in the spotlight.
MET Reopens European Galleries after $150m Rennovation
November 17 2023
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The New York Times have published an article on the reopening of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts's European Galleries after a $150m renovation project. The article suggests that the curators have ditched organising the paintings by national schools in favour of broad chronologies of art, which sounds like an interesting plan.
According to the article:
[When the galleries closed] Then a patchwork of drop cloths went down, and a forest of scaffolding went up. Doors were shifted a few feet to the left or the right, improving the sight lines in some of the galleries. About 1,400 skylights on the roof were replaced, many for the first time in 84 years. More than 7,000 glass panels in the ceilings of the 45 galleries were also replaced. Contractors did masonry repairs and repointing on interior and exterior walls. A new heating and air-conditioning system was installed, with more than 5,000 linear feet of ductwork.
All that took five years with a budget of $150 million, and then the art had to be moved back. Redoing the walls took 900 gallons of paint — two shades of blue, along with red, purple and gray for the trim. Rehanging the paintings took 10,000 feet of wire.
Six Wives of Henry VIII Exhibition for the NPG in 2024
November 16 2023
Picture: NPG
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The National Portrait Gallery in London has recently announced that it will be putting on an exhibition next year entitled Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens. Considering the never-ending contemporary interest in this subject, I can imagine it will be a hit.
According to the press release:
Tudor paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger and contemporary photography by Hiroshi Sugimoto meet in the National Portrait Gallery’s first exhibition of historic portraiture since reopening, presenting a study of the lives and afterlives of the six women who married Henry VIII.
Six Lives will chronicle the representation of Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr throughout history and popular culture in the centuries since they lived. As a frequent source of fascination, the stories of the six women has repeatedly inspired writers and artists of all kinds to attempt to uncover the ‘truth’ of their lives: their characters, their appearance and their relationships. From historic paintings, drawings and ephemera, to contemporary photography, costume and film, the exhibition draws upon a wealth of factual and fictional materials to present the life, legacy and portrayal of six women who forever changed the landscape of English history.
The exhibition will open in June 2024.
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As it happens, I find the photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto's portrait series used on the NPG website one of the most cynical forms of 'contemporary art' I've ever seen. I wonder how many people who view these 'artworks' know that the photographer quite simply took some snaps of Madame Tussaud's waxworks of the wives and King on display somewhere, edited out the background, and Voilà printed them out and now they are on display in the NPG? I happen to know this because as a set of them used to be on display at Warwick Castle (where I worked long long ago), a site owned by the same owners of Tussauds who were often handed old unwanted waxworks from the Baker Street museum. I find this sort of art, which anyone could have done with some holiday snaps, entirely hollow.
Art Institute of Chicago acquires Mélanie de Comoléra Still Life
November 16 2023
Picture: Potomack Company
Posted by Adam Busiakeiwicz:
The Art Institute of Chicago's curator of European Paintings Emerson Bowyer has posted news on his Instagram Account that the museum has just acquired the following still life by Mélanie de Comoléra (1789–1854). Known as the pupil of Cornelis van Spaendonck, and an artist who also painted onto porcelain, this example was sold at auction last year with provenance suggesting it had been painted for Duchess of Clarence (later Queen Adelaide wife of William IV of England).
The Witt begins Digitisation Project
November 16 2023
Picture: courtauld.ac.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Courtauld Institute of Art in London announced this week that they are beginning the process of a complete digitisation of the Witt Photographic Library. This important collection, which contains vast amounts of photos of paintings from auction catalogues, private collections and museums, ordered by national school and artist, is a significant resource for both academic researchers and the art trade. Its digitisation will likely transform the way paintings research is done. Amazingly, the institute has sent the entire collection to the Netherlands where it will be digitised by the company Picturae BV.
According to the press release:
Established in the 1890s by Sir Robert Witt during his undergraduate studies at Oxford, the collection has a fascinating history. A comprehensive survey in 2013 showed that the Witt comprises 2,151,862 images in 102,995 folders, housed in 19,139 boxes. Its collection occupies nearly 1.4 km of shelf space and includes works from 26 different national “schools” of art.
They are planning that the whole collection will be completed by Summer 2025, and have even published the following schedule:
British School by w/c 28 July 2024
French School by w/c 2 September 2024
Netherlandish School by w/c 11 November 2024
Italian School by w/c 10 February 2025
German and American Schools by w/c 11 March 2025
Remaining schools by w/c 15 April 2025
Sotheby's London Old Masters Evening Sale
November 16 2023
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The December Sotheby's London Old Master Paintings Evening sale has just been posted online.
Alongside the aforementioned £10m - £15m Rembrandt is a wide selection of highlights, including an incredibly rare portrait by William Dobson, a still life by Louise Moillon, a Giulio Romano owned by Charles I, a set of early German panels by the Master of the Hildesheim Magdalene Legend, a portrait of a Mughal Lady by Francesco Renaldi, a cassone panel by Liberale da Verona and a Shakespearean subject by William Hogarth.
This live sale will take place on the evening of Wednesday 6th December 2023.
Apologies...
November 16 2023
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
For the slow service this week. We had a problem in the systems boiler room at AHN a day or two ago, but it has been rectified. I better get posting!
