Previous Posts: June 2024
Spain Publishes List of Art Seized During Civil War
June 14 2024
Picture: The Guardian
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Guardian #mce_temp_url# (<----CLICK HERE FOR LINK) have published news that the Spanish state have published a list of art seized during the civil war and Franco dictatorship. This includes 5,000 items, covering paintings as well as the decorative arts.
According to the article:
The inventory, which is part of the government’s efforts to bring “justice, reparation and dignity” to the victims of the conflict and the subsequent dictatorship, was posted online on Wednesday. [...]
Spain’s culture minister, Ernest Urtasun, said the list was about much more than his department fulfilling the obligations set out in the Democratic Memory law, which was approved by the senate in October 2022.
“We’re offering a space in which people can learn about our history,” he said. “We’re also opening the door to returning those pieces that can be identified to their rightful owners.”
The ministry said that applications for the return of the lost items would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
AGO Toronto acquires Amélie Legrand de Saint-Aubin Portrait
June 14 2024
Picture: readfoyer.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The AGO in Toronto have announced their acquisition #mce_temp_url# (<----CLICK HERE FOR A LINK) of Amélie Legrand de Saint-Aubin's Portrait of an Artist Drawing a Landscape in her Sketchbook. The painting, which was acquired through dealer Elliott Fine Art in 2023, dates to 1831 and joins works by other female artists in the gallery including pictures by Florence Carlyle and Mary Ann Alabaster.
According to the article linked above:
Hung inside the gallery dedicated to Fashioning the Woman Artist, Saint-Aubin’s Portrait of an Artist Drawing a Landscape in her Sketchbook (1831) belongs to an important tradition in which women painters pictured women making art. As part of major political changes that occurred during the French Revolution, women were allowed to exhibit in the French Salon, the nation’s premier annual art exhibition, for the first time. [...]
Following Saint-Aubin’s formal artistic training, she exhibited in 17 Salons over the course of her career, with primarily portraits and history paintings – two of the most popular genres at that time. Her reputation steadily grew as more people saw her work and by 1831 or earlier, she began to offer private lessons to students. The sitter in this painting could be one of her students, or a professional peer of Saint-Aubin’s.
Sotheby's London Day Sale
June 13 2024
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Sotheby's London Old Master Paintings & Works on Paper Day Auction has been published online. Bidding for this online sale will close on 4th July 2024.
As usual with the day sales, I won't spoil the fun by pointing out the most interesting lots on this occasion.
Sell the Bouchardon Bust, says Council (ctd)
June 13 2024
Picture: ross-shirejournal.co.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Bendor has been quoted in several Scottish newspapers in the past few days, questioning plans by the Highland council to sell off Bouchardon's bust of Sir John Gordon. The council are currently claiming that the high value of the bust prevents it from being displayed, and so it would be better to have the cash instead.
According to the article linked above:
But that claim has now been called into question by Mr Grosvenor, who told The Times: “Councils and museums across the country manage to put such items on public display without issue, I’m not sure why Highland Council are insisting it hasn’t been possible.
“The suspicion must be that they have been determined to sell this important artwork from the outset.”
Mr Grosvenor also argued that the public consultation into what should become of the sculpture was “founded on a false pretence”, as the council had strongly argued that insuring and displaying the original wasn’t possible and that this could have influenced the results.
And he asked why the council had not made use of the UK government’s indemnity scheme, which enables particularly valuable works to be put on display in museums and galleries and which can act as an alternative to the commercial insurance that Highland Council had cited as a problem.
Click on the link above to read more.
Ramsay & Edinburgh Fashion
June 13 2024
Picture: The National Trust for Scotland
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The National Trust for Scotland have recently opened an exhibition dedicated to the fashion found in Allan Ramsay's female portraits. Entitled Ramsay & Edinburgh Fashion, the show brings together a significant group of portraits in the Trust's care which have only recently be conserved and redisplayed.
According to the website:
The display explores how vital it was for a painter in the 1700s to be familiar with dress styles, materials and accessories because fashion was a key signifier of good taste. New research lays out the trades involved in fashion – from the milliners to the mantua-makers – along Edinburgh’s High Street, and sets this against the fashion for portraiture in the mid-18th century.
The display at The Georgian House in Ediburgh will run until 24th November 2024.
Colección Delgado at the Museo de la Ciudad de Antequera
June 13 2024
Video: ElSoldeAntequera
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A new display has just opened at the Museo de la Ciudad de Antequera in southern Spain. The exhibition space comprises of 38 paintings borrowed from the Colección Delgado, which includes works by Velázquez and Murillo. The display will be on view in the museum until 2029.
Chardin's Melon makes €23m hammer!
June 12 2024
Video: B Smart
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Chardin's Le Melon entamé (est. €8m - €12m and without a third party guarantee it seems) will be coming up for sale at Christie's Paris in the next few hours. You should be able to watch live via the website.
Update - The painting sold for €23m hammer. That is €26.73m including fees. The price jumped at one point (via a bid from someone on the phone) straight from €18m to €20m, and then the same bidder later stepped it up from €21.5 to €23m - it doesn't get more exciting than that in our corner of the art world! This is several million more than the €24.4m (inc. fees) for the Louvre's recently acquired Strawberries.
A very good price for the Old Master market, congratulations to all those involved! Just shows that there is still lots of life in 18th century pictures.
Update 2 - Here are some of the records presented in the Christie's press release [ALL IN CAPITALS]:
ACQUIRED BY A EUROPEAN COLLECTOR
THE MOST EXPENSIVE OLD MASTER PAINTING SOLD IN FRANCE
THE MOST EXPENSIVE 18th CENTURY FRENCH OLD MASTER PAINTING IN THE WORLD
THE MOST EXPENSIVE WORK SOLD IN FRANCE IN 2024
Northern Drawings Catalogue for the Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans
June 12 2024
Picture: Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
CODART have drawn attention to the fact that the Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans have just published a new catalogue of their collection of Northern drawings.
According to their article:
Largely unknown to the general public and art historians, the Orléans collection comprises some 900 drawings by Dutch, Flemish, German, Austrian, English, Swiss and Swedish artists from the Renaissance to the nineteenth century. A selection of more than 150 drawings, most of which have never been shown to the public, is presented in the exhibition.
The catalogue raisonné by David Mandrella, a specialist in Dutch and Flemish art, is the result of several years of research. It includes entries and reproductions of all of the drawings in the collection, from Goltzius to Jongkind, through Rubens, Jordaens and Spranger.
Hans Jakob Oeri acquired by The Art Institute of Chicago
June 12 2024
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from curator Emerson Bowyer on Instagram that the The Art Institute of Chicago have acquired Hans Jakob Oeri's aforementioned Double Portrait of Ludwig Schulthess-Kaufmann et Emil Schulthess-Schulthess. This handsome drawing realised an impressive €226,800 earlier this year at Christie's Paris.
The Battle of Pavia Tapestries at the Kimbell Art Museum
June 12 2024
Video: Kimbell Art Museum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth have been lent the magnificent Battle of Pavia tapestry series from the Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte in Naples. This special show, focusing on the history of these early-sixteenth century works of art, will open on 16th June and run until 15th September 2024.
The Wallace Collection are Hiring!
June 12 2024
Picture: The Wallace Collection
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Wallace Collection in London are hiring a Curator of Decorative Arts.
According to the job description:
The Curator of Decorative Arts is part of the Curatorial Team and is managed by the Director of Collections and Research. The main purpose of the role is to provide curatorial expertise in the care, documentation, research, presentation, and interpretation of the decorative arts collections at the Wallace Collection.
The Wallace Collection contains an excellent holding of decorative arts, perhaps the finest collection of French 18th-century decorative art outside France.
As a member of the Collections and Research Directorate, the postholder will also play a role in the wider work of the Wallace Collection, contributing to projects and public programmes and supporting fundraising and income generation.
The job comes with an annual salary of between £40,000 - £45,000 and applications must be in by 8th July 2024.
Good luck if you're applying!
Sotheby's London Evening Sale
June 12 2024
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have published their upcoming Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Evening Auction online.
Amongst the highlights of the sale are a Virgin and Child by Botticelli and Studio estimated at £3m - £5m, a pair of Venetian scenes by Canaletto estimated at £2.5m - £3.5m, a sex of six enormous frescos (transferred to canvas) by Giandomenico Tiepolo estimated at £1.5m - £2.5m, a rediscovered Herri met de Bles landscape with figures altered by Rubens (pictured) estimated at £600,000 - £800,000, and two very interesting colonial scenes by Agostino Brunias (1) (2) estimated at £200,000 - £300,000 each.
The sale will take place on 3rd July 2024.
The Splendour of Painting in Valencia
June 11 2024
Picture: The Guardian
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Guardian have reported on the recent opening of an exhibition in Alba de Tormes in Western Spain. The show entitled The Splendour of Painting in Valencia contains 120 works by artists including Juan de Juanes, Fernando Llanos and Fernando Yáñez de la Almedina. Moreover, the display is also intended to divert more attention to this part of Spain, and away from the cultural capitals of Madrid and Barcelona.
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Update - Most grateful to a reader who has supplied this link to the exhibition!
Van Dyck Prints in Georgia
June 11 2024
Picture: georgiamuseum.org
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Georgia Museum of Art have just opened their latest exhibition entitled A Perfect Model: Prints after Anthony van Dyck’s Portraits.
According to the museum's website:
Anthony van Dyck (Flemish, 1599 – 1641) was one of the most successful artists of his generation, especially admired for his evocative portraits. He undertook the ambitious project of creating a series of prints depicting famous scholars, military men, nobles and artists. Van Dyck’s prints were widely copied by his contemporaries and were often altered and reprinted over the centuries. This exhibition presents prints that attest to Van Dyck’s lasting impact as printmaker and portraitist.
The show will run until 1st December 2024.
Christie's Old Masters Part II
June 10 2024
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London have published their Old Masters Part II sale online. This auction will take place on 3rd July 2024.
As usual with the day sales, I won't spoil the fun by pointing out the most interesting lots on this occasion.
FORMA VIVA at Dickinson
June 10 2024
Picture: Dickinson
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The London dealers Simon C. Dickinson Ltd. are opening a new exhibition in a few days' time. FORMA VIVA is the first in the company's history dedicated to Old Master Sculpture.
According to their press release:
Simon Dickinson, Chairman, says ‘At a time when there are fewer galleries dealing in this field than ever before and the auction houses seem to be taking a step back, we have decided to take a step forward.’
The exhibition will include several re-discovered masterpieces including Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s bronze Matilda of Canossa (c. 1633), one of the last remaining casts of this bronze left in private hands, which is being offered with an asking price of $2 million.
Among the other highlights is Luca della Robbia’s Portrait of a Youth (c. 1435-40). Defined as one of the fathers of Renaissance art, Luca della Robbia was among the protagonists of the rebirth of terracotta sculpture. Portrait of a Youth is an extraordinary surviving example, and offers international collectors a chance to acquire one of the last works by the artist outside museum ownership.
The show will run from 17th June - 18th July 2024 and their catalogue has been published for free online.
Bonhams July Sale
June 10 2024
Picture: Bonhams
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Bonhams in London have uploaded their upcoming July Old Master Paintings sale. The auction will take place on 3rd July 2024.
As usual, I won't spoil the fun by pointing out what may or may not be interesting. Happy browsing!
Manage the Collections of the Dutch Royal Palaces
June 10 2024
Picture: werkenbijdkh.nl
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Royal Palaces in the Netherlands are hiring a Collections Manager. The role covers the vast collections housed within properties located in The Hague, Amsterdam, Apeldoorn and Baarn.
The job comes with a monthly salary of €4,868 and applications must be in by 2nd July 2024.
Good luck if you're applying!
500 Years of Drawings in Cork Street
June 10 2024
Picture: troiscrayons.art
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The drawings organisation Trois Crayons are holding a special selling exhibition over the upcoming London Art Week period. 500 Years of Drawings will feature works exhibited by dealers including DIDIER AARON, ABBOTT & HOLDER, GALERIE DE BAYSER, CHRISTOPHER BISHOP FINE ART, DAY & FABER, AMBROISE DUCHEMIN, ENRICO FRASCIONE, GALERIE LOWET DE WOTRENGE, NATHALIE MOTTE MASSELINK, STEPHEN ONGPIN FINE ART, DEN OTTER FINE ART, JULIEN PETIT/ GALERIE CHAPTAL, BENJAMIN PERONNET FINE ART, SABRIER & PAUNET, GALERIE RATTON-LADRIÈRE, NICOLAS SCHWED and JOHN SWARBROOKE FINE ART.
According to their website:
In collaboration with London Art Week Trois Crayons presents ‘500 Years of Drawing’, a new venture dedicated to Works on Paper.
From 28 June to 5 July No. 9 Cork Street, Frieze’s permanent exhibition space in London, will be transformed into a ‘drawings hub’ with a group exhibition dedicated to works on paper presented by acclaimed international drawing dealers.
17 galleries from 6 countries will exhibit over 150 drawings, ranging from Old Master through to modern and contemporary, including works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Pierre Bonnard, Simon Bussy, Battista Franco, Thomas Gainsborough, Domenico Gnoli, Guercino, Gwen John, G.B. Tiepolo, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, Andy Warhol, Jean-Antoine Watteau & many more.
A series of fascinating events have also been organised alongside the exhibition, including talks on the following subjects:
1st July - MICHELANGELO’S LAST DRAWINGS
2nd July - ARTTACTIC, MARKET TRANSITIONS
3rd July - TOWARDS A NEW CATALOGUE OF RAPHAEL’S DRAWINGS AT THE ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM: CHALLENGES AND DISCOVERIES
5th July - COURTAULD GALLERY’S PRINTS & DRAWINGS STUDY ROOM VISIT
Click on the link above to read more details.
Versailles Conserving Mignard's 'The family of the Grand Dauphin'
June 10 2024
Picture: @CVersailles
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Palace of Versailles have published some rather interesting mid-clean photographs of the conservation of Pierre Mignard's The family of the Grand Dauphin, Louis of France (1661-1711). This large-scale work, which was delivered in 1687, is the latest to be treated by conservators at the Palace.
