Sotheby's London Day Sale
June 12 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have published their upcoming Old Master Paintings, Old Master Works on Paper, and 19th Century Paintings Day Auction online. The sale will take place on 3rd July 2025.
As usual with these sales, I won't spoil the fun of pointing out what may or may not be interesting.
Sotheby's London Evening Sale
June 11 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have published their upcoming Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Evening Auction online. The sale will take place on 2nd July 2025.
Amongst the highlights are Lorenzo di Credi's Saint Quirinus estimated at £2m - £3m (pictured), the aforementioned Clara Peeters presumed Self Portrait at £1.2m - £1.8m, a David and Goliath by Artemisia Gentileschi at £1m - £2m, a Pieter Brueghel the Younger Wedding Dance at £800k - £1.2m and a rediscovered early Turner which has been in the press a lot recently (1) (2) estimated at £200k - £300k.
Dresden celebrates Teamwork in Antwerp
June 11 2025
Picture: Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden will be opening their latest exhibition on Saturday entitled TEAMWORK in Antwerp! Pieter Bruegel, Hendrick van Balen and Others.
According to their website:
The rich collection of Flemish cabinet paintings in the Old Masters Picture Gallery offers a particularly fitting foundation for a special exhibition dedicated to the Brueg(h)el, Van Balen, and Francken dynasties and their artistic collaborations. Key works and high-quality pieces from their workshops are brought together in the exhibition to form a 'school of seeing', placed in dialogue with one another. The exhibition aims to shed light on how these workshops—often active over several generations and involving numerous collaborators—interacted and operated.
The show will run until 5th November 2025.
Dorotheum June Sale
June 11 2025
Picture: Dorotheum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Dorotheum's mid-season Old Master Paintings sale has been published online. The auction will take place on 25th June 2025.
Rembrandt Research Project.... errrr?
June 10 2025
Picture: rembrandtresearchproject.org
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
After following some citations recently I just today came across the curious website rembrandtresearchproject.org, presumably named after the widely-known Rembrandt Research Project (RRP). This website, which looks as if it was concocted by AI, contains some rather bizarre things, including the fact that Rembrandt has influenced a wide selection of pornography websites apparently (see above).
According to the 'About Us' section of the website:
Due to his unparalleled ability to combine painting ideas in ways that no one could imagine, Rembrandt was able to inspire many art work enthusiasts in Europe and the entire globe.
Right, that explains it I suppose.
Curatorial Traineeship at Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
June 10 2025
Picture: Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Kunsthalle Karlsruhe are inviting applications for their rather generous-sounding Curatorial Traineeship programme beginning in September 2025. Based in the collections and scientific departments, this paid position straddles many of the museum's core operations and will last for two years. Applications must be in by 13th June 2025.
Guadalupe of Mexico in Spain at the Prado
June 10 2025
Picture: Prado
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Prado in Madrid will be opening a new exhibition today entitled So far, so close. Guadalupe of Mexico in Spain.
According to their website:
So far, so close: Guadalupe, Mexico, in Spain offers a new perspective on the role of the Virgin of Guadalupe as a miraculously created image, an object of worship and symbol of identity in the Hispanic world. Through nearly 70 works, including paintings, prints, sculptures and books, the exhibition shows how this manifestation of the Virgin, which first appeared on the Cerro del Tepeyac or Tepeyac Hill in 1531, transcended the borders of New Spain to become a powerful presence in the Spanish collective imagination.
It will run until 14th September 2025.
Conserve the King's Pictures
June 10 2025
Picture: Royal Collection Trust
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Royal Collection Trust are hiring a Paintings Conservator.
According to the job description:
Our team of talented Paintings Conservators is responsible for all conservation activities relating to the paintings displayed within the Royal residences as well for loans from the Paintings collection.
Immersing yourself in this fascinating collection, you will assess, repair, and conserve a group of stored paintings, preparing them for photography and safe transport, using the most appropriate methods and materials.
The job comes with an annual salary of £34,000 and applications must be in by 29th June 2025.
Good luck if you're applying!
French Impressionism in Melbourne
June 10 2025
Video: NGV
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, just opened their latest loan exhibition of French Impressionist works from the MFA Boston last week. The show will run until 5th October 2025.
The Royal Academy are Hiring!
June 9 2025
Picture: The Royal Academy
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Royal Academy are hiring a Senior Curator (Collections).
According to the website:
The Senior Curator will support our Head of Collections and the team in the leadership of curatorial strategy and the custodianship of the RA collections. This role will look after and promote the RA’s historic and contemporary collection as well as contribute to the Academy’s wider public engagement through displays, publications and events, and our extensive loans programme.
The job comes with an annual salary of £48,000 and applications must be in by 16th June 2025.
Good luck if you're applying!
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Oh, and if you get the job let's try and work out who painted this. It was previously catalogued as a portrait of William Kent, an identification which has since been dismissed it seems. It reminds me of the figures painted by Gawen Hamilton, but, perhaps I need to think again. All suggestions are welcomed.
Conserving Michelangelo at The British Museum
June 9 2025
Video: The British Museum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The British Museum have published this interesting long-form documentary regarding the conservation of Michelangelo's The Epifania which they revealed in 2024.
Women Artists in Prague
June 9 2025
Video: Národní galerie Praha
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Národní galerie in Prague have just opened their latest temporary exhibition entitled Women Artists 1300-1900.
According to their website:
For the first time, visitors will have a chance to see a comprehensive exhibition of female artists who were active in Central Europe, the Netherlands, and present-day Italy in the period 1300–1900. The exhibition is focused on this period because it marks a turning point in the status of women artists: they gradually gained access to art academies, and both aristocratic and urban women were actively engaging in art. Female artists were increasingly taking control of their careers, gradually establishing themselves professionally and socially. However, only a few were able to run an art studio like male artists.
The show will run until 2nd November 2025.
Christoph Müller Gift at the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin
June 9 2025
Picture: Kupferstichkabinett
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin opened an exhibition last month dedicated to a generous gift of 200 works of art from the late publisher and art critic Christoph Müller (1938–2024). In fact, there are so many works on paper included in the gift that they will be exhibited in four successive presentations, ending in June 2026. Follow the link above to read more.
King of Spain's presents talk on Velázquez for social media
June 9 2025
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Times has commented on news that King Felipe presented his own interpretation of the iconic Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez for the Prado's social media channel last week. The monarch drew attention to the many different interpretations of the picture, alongside a recognition of its importance to the Spanish Golden Age.
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It makes me consider which painting the British monarch would choose for such a presentation, as King Charles has taken on similar tasks such as presenting the BBC's weather report back in 2012 and reciting Shakespeare at the RST (when Prince of Wales, of course).
Recent Release: Jheronimus Bosch, Conservation and Restoration
June 6 2025
Picture: Brepols
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The publishers Brepols recently released this rather interesting sounding two-volume work entitled Jheronimus Bosch, Conservation and Restoration. It was penned by Luuk Hoogstede, Senior Paintings Conservator at SRAL Maastricht.
According to the publication's blurb:
The old master paintings we see today do not correspond to what the artist saw. Pictures change over time, often dramatically. This book unravels this phenomena for Jheronimus Bosch. It provides fundamentally new insights into the making of his paintings and into what has changed since then, which has significant consequences for their interpretation. This publication also compares how conservators deal with altered appearances. Strikingly, conservators determine how a painting can be seen and interpreted, by removing old ambiguities and by uncovering and unifying original elements. Even treatment of the reverse, the panel support, shows to impact the painted side. Contrary to common belief however, conservators do not restore pictures to their former glory. What does this mean for Bosch’s paintings?
Christie's Day Sale
June 6 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London have uploaded their upcoming Old Masters to Modern Day Sale: Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture online. The auction will take place on 2nd July 2025.
As usual with these sales, I won't spoil the fun of pointing out what may or may not be interesting.
Prime Version of Caravaggio's Boy Peeling Fruit?
June 6 2025
Picture: Finestresullarte.info
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Both finestresullarte.info and elpais.com have reported on news that Gianni Papi, an Italian scholar on the 17th century who focuses on the works of Caravaggio (widely consulted in the art trade too), has found the original or prime version of Caravaggio's much repeated Boy Peeling Fruit. The work was apparently sold at auction 'in northern Europe' in 2024 and new x-rays purport to show that the artist had originally painted in a small dog to the scene (near where the boy's hands, fruit and shirt meet) which was later covered over. Follow the links for the full story.
For a backstory regarding this composition, here is Bendor's blog post from 2015 regarding a version that was offered for sale at Christie's (but didn't sell).
Update - A reader has very kindly been in touch with the following sale of an 'after' Caravaggio copy that made €135,000 at Horta in Belgium back in January 2024. Might this be the resurfaced picture?
Louvre Restore Rubens Sketches
June 6 2025
Picture: Louvre
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Louvre curator Blaise Ducos has pointed out on Instagram (@blaise.ducos) that the Louvre have been busy restoring some their sketches by Rubens in the recent past. This includes the Coronation of the Virgin (right) and Abraham and Melchisédech.
Bonhams Sale
June 6 2025
Picture: Bonhams
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Bonhams have uploaded their upcoming Old Master Paintings sale online. The auction will take place on 2nd July 2025.
Christie's London Old Masters Evening Sale
June 5 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London have just uploaded their upcoming Old Masters Evening sale online. The auction will take place on 1st July 2025.
The top lots include the aforementioned £20m+ Canaletto, a rather noble portrait by Titian estimated at £3m - £5m (pictured), a pair of Jan van Huysum still lifes at £1.2m - £1.8m, a Pieter Brueghel the Younger Birdtrap at £1m - £1.5m, a Gerit Dou interior at £1m - £1.5m, a George Stubbs prancing horse at £800k - £1.2m, the aforementioned Jacob Jordaens Self Portrait at £300k - £500k, and a rather bemusing bearded lady by Willem Key at £300k - £500k.
