The British Museum acquires two Honthorst Drawings
October 18 2023
Picture: onnovanseggelen.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from the Rotterdam dealers Onno van Seggelen Fine Arts that they have sold a pair of drawings by Gerard van Honthorst to The British Museum. Although the pair are not connected to any finished paintings they are due to be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné on Gerard van Honthorst by David Bronze. Click here (1) (2) to read the full catalogue notes for these works on paper.
Rubens Friar makes €1.6m in Barcelona
October 18 2023
Picture: SETDART
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Interesting news from the auction house SETDART in Barcelona, Spain, that the following Rubens portrait of Friar Heliodoro Barea realised €1.6m yesterday. According to the provenance published by the auction house, the picture was in 1977, shortly after being offered for sale at Christie's in 1976. Interestingly, nor the catalogue note or website explains whether the painting has an export license to leave Spain.
Conference: Women in Art and Music
October 18 2023
Picture: nga.gov
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news that in two days time a conference will be taking place on the subject of Women in Art and Music: An Early Modern Global Conference. The two-day conference will be held on Friday 20th October 2024 at The Julliard School in New York, and on Saturday 21st October at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
According to the conference's blurb:
Presentations and performances will think more broadly about early modern women as creators, as part of the cultural and global economy, and as experts in their chosen fields of art.
The entire conference is free and will be livestreamed via the website above (registration is required).
Thieves Handover Six Stolen Old Masters
October 17 2023
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Several news outlets have been reporting on the incredible story that the art investigator Arthur Brand recently recovered six stolen paintings from the town hall of Medemblik in the Netherlands. The works, which were stolen as recently as last month, were apparently returned due to the fact they were hard to sell.
According to the article linked above:
Brand said he had been sitting at home on Friday night watching football when the doorbell rang and a man in a van asked him for help to unload some merchandise. “I asked him, ‘What are we going to unload?’. He said with a smile, ‘Well, the paintings of Medemblik’,.”
After the initial burglary in September, Brand had been widely quoted in the Dutch press as saying the thieves should have stolen six bikes, as these would be easier to resell.
Rosalba Carriera Pastel Rediscovered at Tatton Park
October 17 2023
Picture: The National Trust
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A pastel by Rosalba Carriera, formerly dismissed as a copy, has been unearthed at Tatton Park, a property and collection in the care of the National Trust. The reattribution was made by the Frick Collection's deputy director Xavier Salomon.
According to the article linked above:
“The more I started working on her, I realized there was a need for a new catalogue raisonné and biography,” Salomon said in a phone interview. “It’s going to take many years because she has hundreds of pastels all around the world, and I am just trying to see every single one of them.”
To date, the curator has looked at more than 200 Carriera pastels—but he’s also seen plenty, that while attributed to the artist, were actually copies by other artists. Tatton Park was just one of five homes in the U.K.’s National Trust Salomon had on his itinerary, one of which had a suite of five that turned out to be the work of British artists. But he was hopeful about Tatton Park, which, according to the National Trust’s inventory, had owned The Portrait of a Tyrolese Lady, identified as the work of Carriera, since the 18th century.
New Journal for Irish Heritage Studies
October 17 2023
Picture: gov.ie
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news from Ireland that a new journal called Irish Heritage Studies has been established by the Office of Public Works there. This look like a brilliant opportunity for any scholars or enthusiasts interested in the historic collections and patronage connected with the country.
According to the OPW's press release:
Published in association with Gandon Editions, the journal will showcase original critical research rooted in the substantial portfolio of material culture in the care of, and managed by, the OPW: built heritage; historical, artistic, literary and scientific collections; the national and international histories linked to these places and objects; and its own long organisational history. Journal articles will contribute to a deeper understanding of this remarkable collection of national heritage, and investigate new perspectives on aspects of its history.
The journal is currently inviting submissions for the first volume, and deadlines for abstracts is 15th December 2023.
The National Gallery are Hiring!
October 17 2023
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The National Gallery in London are hiring a Research Officer.
According to the job description:
The Development Department raises income to support the National Gallery and its activities, helping to maintain and enhance the Gallery's world-class collection for the benefit of visitors from the UK and overseas. The Research Officer will work closely with the Research Manager, producing research for Development's corporate sponsorship and fundraising teams. The post-holder will have responsibility for producing individual, corporate and trust profiles, event briefing notes, industry updates, and helping to carry out risk assessments for prospective supporters and sponsors. The role sits in Development's Operations team and will aim to ensure fundraisers have relevant information and intelligence to further their success.
We are seeking a talented individual capable of producing well sourced, targeted and accurate research in an agile and timely fashion. The successful candidate will have an eye for detail, a good understanding of the philanthropic landscape and cultural sponsorship sector, a collaborative attitude and excellent communication skills.
The job comes with a salary between £25,000 - 30,000 per annum and applications must be in by 29th October 2023.
Good luck if you're applying!
Online Database: Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture at the Louvre
October 13 2023
Picture: dfk-paris.org
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
There are few more exciting things for me in than browsing online paintings databases, especially ones with good images. The DFK in Paris (Deutsches Forum für Kunstgeschichte) have just published a free-to-use online database of the collections of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. Based on the inventories of Nicolas Guérin (1715) and Antoine-Nicolas Dezallier d'Argenville (1781), this resource will be of great interest to anyone studying or researching French art of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Female Artists in Britain Exhibition at Tate in 2024
October 13 2023
Picture: tate.org.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Now that the Tate have updated their calendar for next year, it is perhaps a good time to give an early plug to a most interesting exhibition which will be opening next year at Tate Britain. Women Artists in Britain 1520-1920 promises to be a very important show, bringing together four centuries of women making art in this country.
According to the gallery's website:
Spanning 400 years, this exhibition follows women on their journeys to becoming professional artists. From Tudor times to the First World War, artists such as Mary Beale, Angelica Kauffman, Elizabeth Butler and Laura Knight paved a new artistic path for generations of women. They challenged what it meant to be a working woman of the time by going against society’s expectations – having commercial careers as artists and taking part in public exhibitions.
Including over 150 works, the show dismantles stereotypes surrounding women artists in history, who were often thought of as amateurs. Determined to succeed and refusing to be boxed in, they daringly painted what were usually thought to be subjects for male artists: history pieces, battle scenes and the nude.
The exhibition will run from 16th May until 13th October 2024.
Ter Brugghen Show in Modena
October 13 2023
Picture: gallerie-estensi.beniculturali.it
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Gallerie Estensi in Modena have opened their latest exhibition today on the Utrecht painter Hendrick Ter Brugghen. The exhibition promises to shine a light on new research about the artist's period in Italy which took place between the years 1607-1608 and 1614. Curated by Gianni Papi and Federico Fischetti, this very fascinating sounding exhibition will run until 14th January 2024.
Rothchild Masterpieces Soar at Christie's
October 13 2023
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The recent series of Rothchild sales at Christie's New York appear to have gotten off to a rather good start. Wednesday's Rothchild Masterpieces sale, which contained a wide selection of fine furniture, ceramics and paintings, realised over $43m (inc. commission). The Old Master Paintings within the sales overall did very well. A beautifully preserved Gerrit Dou (pictured), which had been stolen by the Nazis and later restituted to the family, made $7,068,000 (inc. commission) over its $3 - 5m estimate. Likewise, a very curious and rare set of Dutch seventeenth century painted leather panels, measuring nearly 17 metres wide, realised $4,406,000 over its $1 - 2m estimate. Paintings as big as these usually tend to attract significant cultural institutions and individuals with enough space to exhibit them, so, it's very impressive that at least two bidders wanted them enough to push the price this high.
PhD Scholarship: Medieval Painting and the End of Life: From the Monumental to the Personal
October 13 2023
Picture: visitchurches.org.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
North Eastern University, London and the University of Kent are advertsing a fully-funded PhD scholarship on the subject of Medieval Painting and the End of Life: From the Monumental to the Personal. The supervisors for candidates will be Dr Niamh Bhalla (Northeastern University London) and Dr Emily Guerry (University of Kent), and will focus heavily on themes relating to medieval visual and material culture.
According to the advert:
Areas identified as being of particular interest by the supervisors are:
- The monumental: Medieval wall paintings concerning death and judgement in Europe – an area of great interest that is currently underdeveloped in scholarship. A comparative approach concerning wall paintings of judgement in eastern and western Europe from the tenth to the fourteenth century may be beneficial to exploring the movement of people and the exchange of ideas in the Middle Ages, specifically shared understandings and uses of images that were implicated in the end-of-life process across various regions.
- The personal: Images pertaining to death and the afterlife in manuscripts and on other portable objects where the encounter with the imagery was more personal and the theological treatment of death sometimes different to that of public images. Again, a culturally comparative approach between East and West would be encouraged in this regard. Preference should be given to objects that facilitate access to the experiences of persons often omitted from mainstream historical record.
Applications for the scholarship must be in by 31st October 2023.
Good luck if you're applying!
Pastels at the Musée Cognacq-Jay
October 13 2023
Picture: Musée Cognacq-Jay
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A new exhibition dedicated to 18th century portraits in pastel opened at the Musée Cognacq-Jay in Paris yesterday. Artists represented in the display include Maurice-Quentin de La Tour, the "prince of pastellists", and Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, François Boucher and Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. French artists are also contrasted against English contemporaries, including works by Hugh Douglas Hamilton, John Russell and Daniel Gardner.
The show will run until 11th February 2024.
New Release: Women in Arts, Architecture and Literature: Heritage, Legacy and Digital Perspectives
October 12 2023
Picture: brepols.net
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Last month Brepols published the following book, a collection of papers presented in Rome in 2021 on the subject of Women in the Arts. The publication was edited by Consuelo Lollobrigida and Adelina Modesti, and contains no fewer than 21 articles.
Here's the blurb:
This collection of essays from the Annual International Women in Arts Conference sheds a new light on the female genius in literature, manuscript illumination, and architecture from the Middle Ages until the end of the 18th century.
In the last few decades, the study of women in the arts has largely increased in terms of scholars involved in research and investigation, with the reception of the outcomes especially acknowledged by museums which are dedicating part of their mission to organizing exhibitions and/or acquiring the works of women. The Annual International Women in Arts Conference seeks to advance contemporary discussions on how female creativity has helped shape European culture in its heterogeneity since the Middle Ages. This volume collects the proceedings of the first conference organised in Rome, in October 2021. It focuses on the role of women in literature, art, and architecture. Throughout history, these domains were often seen as very masculine. Yet, there have been many women who have made their mark as writers, illuminators, artists and architects, or have played a decisive role as patrons and supporters in these arts. This collection of essays aims to bring these women to the fore and sheds a new light on the heritage and legacy of women in the creative arts and architecture from the Middle Ages until the 20th century.
Virtual Tour of Manet / Degas Exhibition
October 12 2023
Video: MET
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York have published this virtual tour of their current Manet / Degas exhibition (which runs until 7th January 2024). The tour is presented by Stephan Wolohojian, John Pope-Hennessy Curator in Charge, and Ashley Dunn, Associate Curator.
Mona Lisa Ground Layer given the Scientific Treatment
October 12 2023
Picture: pubs.acs.org
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
There have been a few articles floating around this week regarding an article published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The research paper focuses on some new analysis of the materials used in Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, suggesting that 'a rare compound, plumbonacrite' was found in its ground layer. Its authors suggest that the artist had been experimenting whilst preparing this iconic portrait (I suppose the easier question should be, what did Leonardo not do during his lifetime).
Here's the abstract, in case any one would like to delve further:
An exceptional microsample from the ground layer of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was analyzed by high-angular resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction and micro Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, revealing a singular mixture of strongly saponified oil with high lead content and a cerussite (PbCO3)-depleted lead white pigment. The most remarkable signature in the sample is the presence of plumbonacrite (Pb5(CO3)3O(OH)2), a rare compound that is stable only in an alkaline environment. Leonardo probably endeavored to prepare a thick paint suitable for covering the wooden panel of the Mona Lisa by treating the oil with a high load of lead II oxide, PbO. The review of Leonardo’s manuscripts (original and latter translation) to track the mention of PbO gives ambiguous information. Conversely, the analysis of fragments from the Last Supper confirms that not only PbO was part of Leonardo’s palette, through the detection of both litharge (α-PbO) and massicot (β-PbO) but also plumbonacrite and shannonite (Pb2OCO3), the latter phase being detected for the first time in a historical painting.
El Greco at the Palazzo Reale, Milan
October 11 2023
Picture: palazzorealemilano.it
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A major exhibition dedicated to El Greco has opened at the Palazzo Reale in Milan today, the first ever dedicated to the artist in the Italian city.
According to the exhibition's blurb:
The exhibition, which boasts prestigious international loans, is an opportunity to present the work of the Cretan artist in the light of the latest research on his work: El Greco in fact proposes a profound and innovative historical-critical reflection, whose strengths are from the careful reconsideration of the impact of Italian models in the artist's training and from the proposal of an interpretation of the results of El Greco's activity in the last Toledan period in terms of conscious recovery of a compositional setting in the broader Byzantine sense.
The exhibition itinerary is divided into sections designed so as to keep constantly in focus the artist's relationship with the places where he lived in order to offer visitors a precise historical-biographical reconstruction with great clarity and immediacy of impact, at the same time establishing a series of stringent comparisons with the great Roman and Venetian painting, bringing out the powerful theme of the labyrinth to underline how El Greco's life was a sort of immense bildungsroman that took place among the cultural capitals of the Mediterranean.
The show will run until 11th February 2024.
Frieze Masters 2023
October 11 2023
Picture: Freize Masters
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Frieze Masters 2023 opens today in Regent's Park, London. With over 130 galleries in attendance, and many of them exhibiting fine Old Master and British Paintings, this will be a must attend event for the season. I'm very much looking forward to going on Friday and will report back afterwards with some highlights, perhaps.
18th Century Venetian Drawings at the Courtauld
October 11 2023
Picture: courtauld.ac.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Courtauld Gallery will be opening their next drawings exhibition in a couple of days time. La Serenissima: Drawing in 18th century Venice will feature a group of twenty works on paper produced in Venice during the century and has been curated by Marco Mansi, PhD candidate and Print Room Assistant at the Courtauld, under the supervision of Ketty Gottardo, Curator of Drawings.
According to the gallery's website:
At the dawn of the 18th century, Venice was a magnet for visitors from across Europe, drawn by its architecture, history, and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Many of the artists featured in this exhibition produced works for an international clientele, who avidly collected images of the city, its inhabitants, and its colourful traditions. Landmarks such as St Mark’s Square and the Grand Canal set the stage for Canaletto’s celebrated views of the city’s lively streets and waterways. Piazzetta’s evocative head studies and Giambattista Tiepolo’s playful caricatures depict an early modern metropolis populated by a myriad of characters of different social backgrounds, while Guardi’s panoramic Feast of Ascension Day records the formal splendour and ceremony of the city known as La Serenissima – the most serene.
The show will run from 14th October 2023 until 11th February 2024.
Florida Museum Rediscovers Katherine Read Portrait in its Collection
October 11 2023
Picture: artnet.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A reader has been in touch with this news story regarding a portrait by Katherine Read rediscovered in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida. The museum had formerly attributed the pastel to Francis Cotes until a recent cataloguing project for an exhibition. The correct attribution was pointed out by the pastels guru Neil Jeffares, who was consulted as part of the process.
