Previous Posts: June 2024
Burlington - June Edition
June 10 2024
Picture: burlington.org.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
June's edition of The Burlington Magazine has been released and features the usual wide selection of scholarly articles.
Here's a list of the main articles featured within:
Nothing to do with Menander: a rediscovered Roman cameo from the Caylus Collection - BY ITTAI GRADEL
Reaching the Buddhist paradise: early images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas in Koguryŏ - BY ARIANE PERRIN
Expanding the oeuvre of the master metalsmith Orazio Fortezza - BY FLORA TURNER-VUČETIĆ
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-la- Conception, Pondicherry - BY GAUVIN ALEXANDER BAILEY
The art of Qing imperial afterlife: the ‘Pictures of ancient playthings’ (Guwantu 古玩圖) revisited - BY RICARDA BROSCH
Renaissance exhibitions in Paris - BY NICHOLAS HERMAN
Christie's London Old Masters Part I
June 7 2024
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London have published their upcoming Old Masters Part I sale online. The sale will take place on 2nd July 2024.
Amongst the highlights are the aforementioned Longleat Titian (which already has a Third party guarantee), rediscovered Quentin Metsys, the large George Stubbs, and Viscount Cowdray's Frans Hals. The combined low estimate of these four lots alone is a respectable £34,000,000.
Some other interesting pictures up for sale are a Venetian picture by Bonington at £2.5m - £3.5m, an erotic scene by Jan Lievens at £1.5m - £2m, a gold ground Madonna and Child by the Master of the Monte Olivieto at £800k - £1.2m, and this rather smart portrait of Queen Elizabeth I attributed to George Gower at £300k - £500k.
Curate Italian 16th Century Paintings at The National Gallery!
June 7 2024
Picture: The National Gallery, London
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The National Gallery in London are hiring The Corcoran Curator of Italian 16th-Century Paintings.
According to the job description:
The Corcoran Curator of Italian 16th-Century Paintings, in collaboration with other relevant Collection Curators, oversees the care and growth of the Gallery’s Renaissance collection. They are specifically responsible for the care and display of the Gallery’s Italian 16th-century pictures and for overseeing the conception and production of associated scholarly research, publications, and interpretation. This role takes the lead for seeking and recommending relevant new acquisitions and loans, and for in-house exhibitions, collection displays and gallery refurbishment projects.
The job comes with a salary of £66,837 per annum and applications must be in by 23rd June 2024.
Good luck if you're applying!
Help the Manchester Art Gallery Acquire Claxton's 'Woman's Work'
June 7 2024
Video: Manchester Art Gallery
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Manchester Art Gallery are appealing to the public to help raise the final £18,000 required to acquire Florence Claxton's 'Woman's Work' A Medley. 85% of the total required has already been raised through grants and donations. The painting had sold at Sotheby's in 2023 where it made £69,850 over its £15k - £20k estimate.
Germany slashes VAT on Art Sales to 7%
June 7 2024
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Art Newspaper has reported on news that Germany have reduced VAT on the sale of art to 7%. The previous rate had been 19%.
According to the article:
The Bundesverband Deutscher Galerien und Kunsthändler (BVDG), the dealers’ association, has been pushing for the reintroduction of the reduced 7% rate for the past 10 years. It says the imposition of the 19% rate caused the art market to stagnate and galleries to close, and deterred people from opening new ones. The culture ministry said the reduction in the rate “eliminates imbalances in taxation and strengthens Germany’s art market, including on an international level.”
New Tudor Galleries at Hampton Court
June 7 2024
Picture: hrp.org.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news that new galleries will be opening at Hampton Court next month. It appears that the new displays will feature lots of artworks, including Tudor portraits from the HRP's collection supplemented by loans from The Royal Collection.
According to the Historic Royal Palaces' website:
Discover the oldest rooms at Hampton Court Palace and meet the ordinary men and women who enabled the Tudor court to exist and flourish.
The Wolsey Rooms were originally built for Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIII's chief minister, when he owned Hampton Court in the 1520s. Explore his world and the events of the early years of Henry VIII’s reign.
This remarkable story of an ambitious royal dynasty is told through rare and important 16th-century artworks and historic objects, as well as interactive displays. Find out about the achievements of the Tudors, and the impact of their rule in an age of great change. In the tumultuous 16th century, English people had to adapt to survive, while European exploration – and exploitation – of the wider world affected lives everywhere.
The galleries will open to the public on 13th July 2024.
Have you seen this man?
June 7 2024
Picture: CODART
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
CODART have shared news that the curators of the Serlachius Museums in Mänttä and Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden are looking for works by the elusive Monogrammist I.S. This in aid of an upcoming exhibition on the unknown master, which is scheduled to open in Finland in August 2025, and moving to Leiden the following year.
According to the website:
The two museums are collaborating on an exhibition about the work of this enigmatic artist, who was active between 1632 and 1658. Little is known about his or her identity, except that they seem to have worked in Leiden and traveled through Scandinavia and/or Eastern Europe.
Click on the link to see images of the works the curators are searching for.
Bellissimo! in Freiburg
June 6 2024
Picture: freiburg.de
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
I failed to spot that a new exhibition opened in the Augustinermuseum in Freiburg last month entitled Bellissimo! Italian paintings from the Lindenau Museum Altenburg (via @bastianeclercy).
According to the city's website:
Magnificent golds and bright colors, elegant lines and refined artistic techniques - this is how precious Italian paintings by Fra Angelico, Guido da Siena or Sandro Botticelli inspire. They were created in famous art centers such as Florence or Siena. The exhibition shows the pictorial world of churches and private devotion, but also offers insights into the art of stately courts. The Lindenau Museum in Altenburg owns one of the most important collections of Italian paintings from the 13th to the early 16th century abroad. On the occasion of its renovation, the treasures are guests in Freiburg.
The show will continue until 3rd November 2024.
Bellotto can stay in Houston, says Court
June 6 2024
Picture: MFA Houston
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A group of judges in US Fifth Circuit court of appeals have upheld the decision to dismiss claims from the heirs of Max J. Emden over the ownership of Bellotto's The Marketplace at Pirna, a painting which has been in the MFA Houston since the 1960s. The case hinges upon a mix-up made just after the war, where Dutch authorities confused two versions of the same composition (one being a copy), thus sending Bellotto's prime version to the wrong owner. Click on the link above to read the full story.
New Release: Maurice Quentin de La Tour - L'Oeil absolu
June 6 2024
Picture: cohen-cohen.fr
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A new book on Maurice Quentin de La Tour has been published today. The volume by Xavier Salmon, Director of works on paper at the Louvre, is the first monograph on the artist since 1928.* Comprising of 600 pages, featuring over 550 illustrations, the book has been published by the Parisian publishers Cohen&Cohen.
* - Although the last print catalogue raisonné was published in 1928, Neil Jeffares published a new online catalogue as part of his Pastellists website in 2022 which can be accessed for free here.
Beale & Son Acquired by Tate Britain
June 6 2024
Video: Philip Mould & Co
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
I made a trip to Tate's recently opened Now You See Us exhibition yesterday afternoon, and what a visual feast it was. One of the first great surprises was the fact that Tate have just acquired Mary Beale's Portrait of Anne Sotheby, a picture which was only recently uncovered by Philip Mould & Co. in their exhibition as a collaboration between Mary and her son Charles (watch Lawrence Hendra above explaining its significance). A very fine acquisition indeed, which complimented the nice array of her works on display there.
The show is full of some very interesting pictures, many of which I've only ever seen poor black and white photographs of. One of the most striking features of the show is how many of the paintings on display remain nestled away in private collections, supplemented by loans predominantly it seems from The Royal Collection and other aristocratic sources mixed in with works from the trade. One wonders whether the ever-increasingly high prices for such rare and important works might tempt more pieces out into the open in due course.
Among the highlights was seeing this very refined Self Portrait by Katherine Read, who is well represented in the show with both oils and pastels. I would recommend having a read through Neil Jeffares' entry on the artist for his Pastellists website, which remarkably remains one of the most thorough and scholarly accounts of her life to date!
The show will run until 13th October 2024.
Miguel Cabrera in Madrid
June 5 2024
Picture: cultura.gob.es/museodeamerica
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Museo de America in Madrid have just opened a new exhibition dedicated to Miguel Cabrera (1695–1768), an artist who was born in Oaxaca and later moved to Mexico City. The show features 23 works by the artist, including many painting which appear to have been recently restored especially for the display.
The exhibition will run until 13th October 2024.
Watch Correggio Conservation in Dresden
June 5 2024
Picture: gemaeldegalerie.skd.museum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
This blog appears to have missed the news that the The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden are allowing visitors to go and see the conservation of Correggio's Madonna of Saint Sebastian. The project, which started back in 2022, involved a temporary conservation studio being built in the gallery which is accessible to visitors. It appears that art lovers will have until the end of the year (2024) to go and see the conservation of this enormous oil on panel painting.
The Art Loss Register is Hiring!
June 5 2024
Picture: artloss.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Art Loss Register is hiring a Researcher.
According to the job description:
We are currently looking for a permanent staff member to join our Restitution team in London. The role includes research into the provenance of artworks predating 1946 as well as servicing our global client base. The candidate must be a fluent German speaker and have a strong interest in history and the art world, in particular research and restitution issues relating to cultural property. They should have experience of and enjoy working in a fast-paced, commercial environment where analysing and assessing risks goes hand in hand with making decisions independently under time pressure. While a background in art and/or (German) history is useful for this role, we are looking for candidates with risk management/risk assessment skills. This experience does not necessarily need to have been gained in the art world.
No salary is indicated and applications must be in by 30th June 2024.
Good luck if you're applying!
The Louvre Conserve Arcimboldo Seasons
June 5 2024
Picture: Louvre
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Louvre in Paris have shared news that they have conserved their set of Giuseppe Arcimboldo's celebrated Seasons. The project undertaken by conservator Roberto Merlo had included the removal of floral garlands which had decorated the margins of these portraits (which can be seen here), as they were deemed to have been added in the eighteenth century. Another very interesting conservation project undertaken by this traditionally cautious museum - let's see what will be cleaned next...
The restored paintings are on view from today onwards, so do go and see them if you happen to be in Paris!
Flora Yukhnovich at the Wallace Collection
June 5 2024
Picture: wallacecollection.org
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A new contemporary art installation opens at the Wallace Collection in London today. Following in the footsteps of Damian Hirst, Tom Ellis and shoes extraordinaire Manolo Blahník, the museum's latest contemporary artist collaboration is with Flora Yukhnovich, an artist who has made her fame with deconstructed Rococo canvases. A few snaps of the preview from last night posted on social media show that some of the gallery's large paintings by Boucher etc. have been replaced with Yukhnovich's, which will make for an interesting experiment indeed.
The free displays will run until 3rd November 2024.
Court Case over Egon Schiele's Wife
June 4 2024
Picture: democratandchronicle.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A court case surrounding the ownership and potential restitution of Egon Schiele's Portrait of the Artist's Wife has just ended with closing statements in Rochester, NY. The story is a long and winding one, but there are claims from the heirs of Heinrich Rieger (Schiele's dentist) and the heirs of the Jewish art collector and textile merchant Karl Mayländer over the war-time ownership of the work. The work is currently owned by The Robert Owen Lehman Foundation who had planned to sell it at Christie's, until questions about earlier provenance were raised. The article above has the full story, along with some rather interesting court room photographs of various attorneys standing with various books and easels.
Donatello's Judith and Holofernes Conserved
June 4 2024
Picture: ansa.it
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Italy that Donatello's bronze of Judith and Holofernes has been conserved and redisplayed to the public. The sculpture, in the collections of Palazzo Vecchio, has just completed a ten-month conservation project which was funded in part by the Friends of Florence Foundation. Click on the link to see images of the newly restored work.
Art Exhibition for the G7 Summit in Puglia
June 4 2024
Picture: ansa.it
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A special exhibition has been organised in the Mesagne Castle, Puglia, to coincide with Italy's hosting of the upcoming 2024 G7 summit. Dedicated to Seven Centuries of Italian Art, artists represented include Luca Signorelli, Andrea del Verrocchio, Raphael, Titian, Leonardo, Artemisia Gentileschi, Guido Reni, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Antonio Canova and Bernardo Bellotto.
The show will run from 13th June 2024 until 30th November 2024, let's hope the attendees of the summit (or their minions) find time to go and have a look.
Géricault's Horses
June 3 2024
Picture: museevieromantique.paris.fr
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
This remarkably fine poster is promoting an exhibition which recently opened at the Le Musée de la Vie romantique in Paris. Les Chevaux de Géricault [or Géricault's Horses] brings together one hundred works, featuring an impressive list of antique horses, English horses, military horses, horse races, portraits of heads, rumps and equestrian portraits.
The exhibition will run until 15th September 2024.
