Previous Posts: articles 2023
Free Lecture on Portland Collection Miniatures
February 8 2021
Picture: Harley Gallery
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Harley Gallery are hosting a free lecture by Dr Karen Hearn on miniatures by Nicholas Hilliard and Isaac Oliver from The Portland Collection. Many readers will know of Dr Hearn's work on early modern portraiture, yet, she is also chair of the Harley Foundation Curatorial Advisory Group.
The lecture will be broadcast via Zoom on 26th February 2021 at 12pm (GMT). It's free to attend although registration is required.
Consignor Family Member Sues Over Rembrandt Sleeper
February 8 2021
Picture: Leiden Collection
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Art Newspaper have published an intriguing story regarding a law suit surrounding a Rembrandt Sleeper that made $870,000 over its $800 estimate in 2015.
Jay Rappoport, a member of the family who consigned the painting to auction in 2015, accuses his own relatives and the provincial auction house who sold the work of deception, fraud and conspiracy to deceive him. Rappoport, whose grandfather bought the painting prior to the 1920s, claims his aunt consigned the work to auction after the death of his grandmother without consulting him or gaining his permission as 'heir'.
The claimant is also suing the painting's new owner Thomas Kaplan who acquired the picture for $4m for the Leiden Collection. However, the article also draws attention to Rappoport's previous lawsuit against Steven Spielberg and Paramount pictures for 'stealing his ideas'. Curious.
Sotheby's Reveal another Italian Renaissance Portrait!
February 7 2021
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's have just announced on Instagram that they'll be selling another very fine Italian Renaissance Portrait later this year. Piero del Pollaiuolo's (c.1443-1496) Portrait of a Youth (pictured) is the latest Italian masterpiece to come up for sale at the auction house. Indeed, their Instagram Post explains that the portrait had been in the same collection as their most recent $80m Botticelli. Both pictures had been in the collection of the scientist, inventory and art collector Thomas Ralph Merton (d.1969)
The portrait will be sold in London on 25th March 2021. No estimate has been released yet.
More news when it arrives!
Update - A reader on Twitter (@everardbone) has pointed out the following document, which explains the painting has already been cleared for export.
The document also points out to the fact the picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1960, however has been unseen in a private collection for several decades now. Questions concerning the painting's condition have also been highlighted.
It suggests the guide price will be £5,000,000.
Update 2 - A reader has been in touch with this link to the painting's entry in the Zeri database. The work was last sold at Christie's in 1985 where it was previously given to Cosimo Rosselli.
Isn't it interesting that his fringe has changed shape over time?
Update 3 - The painting will carry an estimate of £4m - £6m. Here's a full article by artnews.com.
Sixteenth Century Doctor from Tatton Park
February 7 2021
Video: BBC
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
I'm sure Bendor would want me to draw attention to the next episode of Britain's Lost Masterpieces which airs tomorrow (8th February 2021) on BBC4 at 9pm (GMT). In this segment conservator Simon Gillespie and Bendor have a closer look at a painting from Tatton Park, a very impressive house with a fine collection looked after by the National Trust in Cheshire.
Update - A reader has written in with the following lines:
Having watched the first two programmes in Bendy's new series of Britain's Lost Masterpieces, I feel moved to contact AHN to say that they are superb. It is so good to have some really interesting, educational and entertaning art history on television for a change. Well done Bendy and well done BBC4 - please keep it up!
Gainsborough Engravings Reattributed
February 7 2021
Picture: The Sunday Telegraph
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Sunday Telegraph has published a story regarding the reattribution of several engravings which had been thought to be the work of Thomas Gainsborough. Scholar Susan Sloman has said that there are in fact the work of his nephew Gainsborough Dupont. The reasons for this are the direction of the shading, which Thomas Gainsborough would have reversed to imitate his drawings in this mirrored print format.
MET Considering Sale of Art to Plug Deficit
February 7 2021
Picture: MET
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A reader has drawn my attention to an article in The New York Times, which explains that the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is the latest cultural institution to consider selling works from its collection to plug its $150m deficit.
It seems that the relaxation of rules from the Association of Museum Directors has encouraged the institution to seek alternative ways of raising capital during these uncertain times. The museum is already conducting talks with its curators and auction houses in drawing up a plan.
The MET's directory Max Hollein is quoted as saying:
This is the time when we need to keep our options open. None of us have a full perspective on how the pandemic will play out. It would be inappropriate for us not to consider it, when we’re still in this foggy situation.
Ian Alteveer, the curator of Modern and Contemporary Art is also quoted:
There is some urgency in this. We’re facing a huge budget deficit. We’ve tried for years to get more robust funding for conservation, one of the prime things related to collections care.
(...)
Every museum in the U.S. is having these conversations. ‘Do we want to use this window? What would it mean for the institution? What would it mean for the collection? For us not to discuss this now would be irresponsible.
The National Gallery's Most Popular Online Paintings?
February 6 2021
Picture: The National Gallery
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Times has reported on news that the National Gallery in London has been experiencing an upsurge in online searches for artworks on its website.
As their story explains:
Lawrence Chiles, the National Gallery’s head of digital services, said that visitor numbers for its virtual galleries had increased by 473 per cent. “It has opened up the acceptance of viewing culture in this way. There may have been a reluctance before but people are missing their artworks,” he said.
Chiles said that all museums were considering how to make money from digital content, including via behind-the-scenes films and special access to curators online. “Everyone is really on the cusp of using the technology out there to be able to do things that will engage people in different ways,” he said.
And what are the most popular paintings, I hear you ask? Well, you can probably guess. Hans Holbein's Ambassadors and Jan van Eyck's The Arnolfini Marriage (pictured) came out on top, with Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Turner's The Fighting Temeraire following closely behind.
__________
On a related note, I'm yet to be convinced that monetizing digital content is a particularly good and sustainable idea, even if it might yield a small income. The museums and cultural organisations that provide the best digital content are all free and accessible on platforms like YouTube.
If successful 'YouTubers' can teach us anything, it's that is likely that online content will eventually replace television documentaries and the like. The world of art history is waiting for a pioneer in this field, I think.
Withdrawn Sotheby's Rembrandt Finds Private Buyer
February 6 2021
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Several reports have been published explaining that Sotheby's Rembrandt of Abraham and the Angels has found a private buyer. The picture was withdrawn from the New York Old Masters sale but has since found a buyer within its original $20m - $30m dollar estimate.
It's quite possible that the auction house couldn't find enough interested parties before the live auction. There's nothing more deflating than a high value picture being bought in. However, this good news does help alleviate any worries in the top end of the old masters market.
Austrian Monastery Missing 21 Works
February 5 2021
Picture: artnet.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A Benedictine Abbey in Kremsmünster, Austria, are trying to locate 21 artworks that have gone missing from their collection. The primary suspect according to authorities is a former priest, who was custodian of the collection between 1997 - 2017. Several paintings and other works have been retrieved from local dealers and private collectors, however 21 works still remain unaccounted for.
Stolen Pompei Fragment Returned to Police by Post
February 5 2021
Picture: ansa.it
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Italian Press have reported on a ancient stolen fragment from Pompei that was recently returned to Police by post. The anonymous note which accompanied the box says, "Fifty years ago I removed this fragment from a building. I'm ashamed of it and I return it to the owner."
The Police Superintendent Massimo Osanna gave the following statement, "Sometimes they come back. By mail, almost weekly...". The archaeological sites of Pompei have 400 security cameras in modern times to help deal with such problems.
Conservation Studio Opens in Canova's Kitchen
February 5 2021
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A temporary conservation studio has opened in Canova's old kitchens at the Casa Canova in Possagno. The studio will be busy making detailed studies of the artist's works in time for next year's 200th Anniversary of the sculptor's death. The first artwork that will be investigated is the artist's 1799 self-portrait (pictured), completed when the sculptor had turned to painting.
MET Acquires more Works by Painter / Nun Orsola Maddalena Caccia
February 5 2021
Picture: MET
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Artnet have published an article on news that the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York have acquired three more paintings by the painter and nun Orsola Maddalena Caccia (1596-1676). The paintings came from the collection of the late hedge-fund manager Errol M Rudman. This means the MET now holds the largest collection of paintings by the artist outside of Italy.
Pre-Raphaelites Drawings and Watercolours at the Ashmolean
February 5 2021
Picture: Ashmolean
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Yesterday was supposed to be the opening of the Ashmolean Museum's most recent exhibition Pre-Raphaelite Drawings and Watercolours.
Although lockdown means that the museum won't be opening any time soon, there are several talks and lectures you can book onto in the upcoming weeks. Equally, their exhibition catalogue is already available for order too.
The exact dates of the exhibition are yet to be confirmed, but it seems likely that they'll be extended due to the pandemic.
Upcoming Release: Gainsborough in London
February 5 2021
Picture: Modern Art Press Ltd
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Here's a new release that will be of interest to some readers. Gainsborough in London is the upcoming publication by the Gainsborough scholar Susan Sloman.
Here's the blurb from the publisher's website:
Thomas Gainsborough’s (1727–88) London years, from 1774 to 1788, were the pinnacle and conclusion of his career. They coincided with the establishment of the Royal Academy, of which Gainsborough was a founding member, and the city’s ascendance as a centre for the arts. This is a meticulously researched and readable account of how Gainsborough designed his home and studio and maintained a growing schedule of influential patrons, making a place for himself in the art world of late-18th-century London. New material about Gainsborough’s technique is based on examinations of his pictures and firsthand accounts by studio visitors. His fractious relationship with the Royal Academy and its exhibition culture is reexamined through the works he sent to its annual shows. The full range of Gainsborough’s art, from fashionable portraits to landscapes and fancy pictures, is addressed in this major contribution, not just to the study of a great artist, but to 18th-century studies in general.
The book will be released on 9th March 2021 and is available for pre-order.
Alhambra Palace Frieze Fragment is Returned
February 4 2021
Picture: zenger.news
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A reader has alerted me to the news that a fragment of an ancient frieze has been returned to the Alhambra Palace in Spain. The fragment was returned by the heirs of the travel writer and explorer Richard Ford. Ford had travelled in the region during 1830-33 and had later written a widely published handbook for travelling in Spain. It is not known exactly how Ford acquired the piece, but his descendants seemed to have decided it's better that the Palace had this ancient carving returned to them.
US Supreme Courts Rules for Germany in Nazi-era Case
February 4 2021
Posted by Adam Busiakeiwicz:
Artdaily.com have reported on a recent ruling made by the US Supreme Court in favour of Germany in a case relating to Nazi-era art sales.
The case revolves around items from the Guelf Treasure, a trove of medieval artefacts which were bought and sold by a consortium of Germany-based Jewish art dealers in the 1930s. The heirs of the dealers suggest that the sale of the artworks in 1935 was made among threats of violence and were eventually sold for far less than their market value. The US Supreme Court decision, which is rather too complicated to summarise here, focused on whether a US court could pursue a case against a foreign state in light of the particular circumstances of this case. The notes are worth reading in full.
Cocktails with a Curator at the Frick
February 4 2021
Video: The Frick Collection
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Frick Collection in New York's most recent edition of Cocktails with a Curator features Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon discussing El Greco’s “Vincenzo Anastagi”.
Liverpool Museums Loan Boxer Painting from NPG
February 3 2021
Picture: NPG
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Liverpool Museums have been loaned a portrait of the nineteenth century boxer Jem Wharton (1813-1856) from the National Portrait Gallery in London. This portrait by the artist William Daniels has been sent as part of the COMING HOME project, which sees artworks being loaned to locations that they are intimately connected with. Wharton made Liverpool is home towards the end of his unbeaten career, where he worked as a trainer and ran a tavern.
The portrait will be on display when the Museum of Liverpool reopens to the public after lockdown.
Ipswich Museum Acquires Constable Album
February 2 2021
Picture: Ipswich Museum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Ipswich Museum have acquired the Mason family album which was offered for sale at Sotheby's last year. The unrecorded album contains four works by John Constable including drawings of his family members. The album was purchased for £24,000 through funding from the Friends of the Ipswich Museums, Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, Art Fund and Ipswich Council’s Felix Cobbold Bequest.
The council run museum were sure, it seems, to include this particular line in their press release:
The album was bought for £24,000 - but no council taxpayers' money was used.
Roman Caravaggio Exhibition Extended till May
February 2 2021
Video: Musei Capitolini
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Rome's Musei Capitolini have announced that they have extended their current exhibition Il tempo di Caravaggio till 5th May 2021. The exhibition, which features a great deal of paintings from the collection of the twentieth century academic and curator Roberto Longhi, was due to finish last September. For those of us who won't be able to make it, we have the video above instead!
