New Velazquez discovery
October 27 2011
Picture: Bonhams
Bonhams will sell a newly discovered work by Velazquez this December. Estimated at £2-3m, it was nearly sold in their Oxford saleroom as a sleeper. The London department spotted the picture, and advised it be withdrawn. More details on the painting here, and a more detailed photo below the jump.
Lighting the Night Watch
October 27 2011
The Rijksmuseum has unveiled a new lighting system for Rembrandt's Night Watch in a bid to get as close to daylight as possible. From the Washington Post:
Pijbes [Wim Pijbes, Director of the Rijksmuseum] said the museum had considered using natural light, but that idea faced insurmountable practical difficulties. It would make it difficult for the more than a million tourists who want to see the painting annually to view it during the many dark months and cloudy days in the Netherlands. Any exposure to direct sunlight was out of the question due to the damage it could cause the canvas, he said.
The painting has been on display in a side wing of the museum for almost a decade as the building undergoes a massive renovation. It is due to return to its place of honor at the center of the museum’s hall of honor next spring.
More here.
15 years
October 27 2011
Picture: morgenweb.de
The German forgers who duped Christie's and Sotheby's, museums, academics and even celebrities with their 'Ernsts' and 'van Dongens' have been jailed for a total of 15 years. The maximum individual sentence was six years to Wolfgang Beltracchi, the leader of the group who painted 14 works sold as 'masterpieces'.
The sentences seem quite light. The more lasting damage will be done in the German and wider modern art market, reports Bloomberg:
Dealers and collectors say confidence in the German art market has been shaken by the forgery scandal, described as the biggest ever in Germany, as art historians, museums and auction houses were duped by the scam.
“The whole thing is quite terrible,” said Christoph Graf Douglas, a Frankfurt-based independent art dealer and consultant to collectors. “It has completely undermined confidence in the market. Not only were criminals at work, there was also some shoddy research. People have bought the idea that experts can detect forgeries, and this shows that is not the case.”
The case is a damning indictment of how we value and appreciate modern and contemporary art. Today, the name of the artist is worth more than the quality of the work. And because we can no longer objectively judge modern and contemporary work on its merits, we are suckers to the clever forger. Even if the forger creates a truly rubbish painting, like the 'van Dongen' above, he can persuade auctioneers, experts and buyers that it is genuine with a few simple pieces of fake provenance, or a corrupt 'expert'. In fact, it's so easy, I'm tempted to have a go myself.
15 days
October 27 2011
Picture: Das Bild
That's the time it took from my reporting of the recovery of two stolen Picasso's in Serbia via the German media (here on 11th October) to it being picked up by the UK media. Perhaps all those years learning German weren't such a waste after all...
More on the Warhol authentication board story
October 26 2011
In this week's Antiques Trade Gazette.
Guffwatch: How do you describe a photo of Crucifix in a bucket of piss?
October 26 2011
Picture: Christie's
If you're trying to sell it for $200-300,000, like this:
Title ignored, Andres Serrano's most seminal work to date portrays a monumental crucifix emerging majestically from enveloping fields of velvety blacks, heated reds and warm yellows. While the impressive form hovers solemnly over viewers it is also apparent that it is submerged, a fact indicated by tiny air bubbles that cling to Christ's body, a quality that affords the photograph a palpable quiet, like that experienced when under water or when alone with oneself in a hushed place of worship. As such, the work very successfully recalls the profound power of the imagery which has served to call the masses to concerted prayer for hundreds of years and which has been a primary source of artistic inspiration and creation throughout art history. [...]
Piss Christ (1987), the artist has said, was first and foremost a formal exercise, exploring the relationship between color and shape, two-dimensions and three-dimensions, centered about an instantly recognizable, almost Pop, visual icon. Its composition, created by placing a plastic souvenir crucifix in a vat of the artist's urine, was meant to humanize a super-human figure and belief, to explore the idea of religion as an extension of our day-to-day, of our common, base experience.
Fancy a National Gallery sit-in?
October 26 2011
Following on from the Occupy Wall Street (and other places of capitalist evil) movements, now I bring you - 'Occupy Museums'. From their Facebook page:
What is Occupy Museums?
We are artists, art lovers, and art workers! We live and love art and are committed to its growth. However, we see many museums in their current manifestations as key elements of a larger system whose funding structure and relationship to the market, disempowers artists, and alienates art from the 99%. Value is manufactured by false scarcity, propped up by the cult of celebrity and the parlor game of speculation. This undermines the potential power of art to be a much greater force in our society.
We believe that to Occupy is to claim space for dialog and transparency through the physical presence of our bodies. It is to hold space that was previously inaccessible. As Occupiers, we bring the General Assembly to the doors of the museum, to engage in a dialog about the relationships between the arts and capitalism.
This is only the beginning.
I'm not sure what any of this means. But if it involves spending a few nights wandering around a silent and uncrowded National Gallery, then count me in!
Normal service
October 26 2011
Will be resumed tomorrow - apologies. Landed at Heathrow a little late today, and I have a large pile on my desk. My thanks to Lawrence for babysitting the site.
In the meantime, let's try a new competition - Test your Connoisseurship. Who painted this?
'Ruskin's view' yours for £200,000
October 26 2011
Pic: Bonhams
Bonhams are to sell an important watercolour by JMW Turner in their 19th Century Paintings Sale in January.
Known as 'Ruskin's view', after a glowing review of the area by the critic in 1875, the scene depicts the churchyard at St Marys Church in Kirkby Lonsdale. Ruskin said:
"whatever moorland hill, and sweet river, and English forest foliage can be seen at their best is gathered there; and chiefly seen from the steep bank which falls to the stream side from the upper part of the town itself. ...I do not know in all my own country, still less in France or Italy, a place more naturally divine, or a more priceless possession of true "Holy Land."
Interestingly, Turner decided to omit the church itself, instead focussing on the trees, river and valley landscape which he obviously considered more pertinent features of an atmospheric landscape.
The painting has not been seen at auction since 1884 and with its previous owner being Sir Donald Currie, a shipping magnate and big collector of Turner who also exhibited it at the Royal Academy in 2000, its provenance is tip top.
The estimate is £200,000 - £300,000. Lets hope it finds a buyer as the market for works on paper has been looking quite gloomy up here recently...
Press release here.
By LH.
Restituted Klimt to make $25m
October 25 2011
Pic: Sothebys
Kilmt's Litzlberg am Attersee (Litzlberg on the Attersee) is to be sold by Sothebys and is expected to fetch more than $25m after it was returned to the rightful heir George Jorisch earlier this year.
The landscape was looted by Nazis in 1941 from Jorisch's grandmother, along with the rest of her art collection after she was sent to Lodz Ghetto in Poland.
Quite in contrast to his tense portraits, these serene landscapes were painted for himself. This one in particular was painted in 1915 when Klimt was at Lake Attersee in the Salzkammergut area of Austria, and demonstrates a technique considered quite radical for the day.
Catalogue notes here.
By LH.
Christie's vs. Sothebys
October 25 2011
A few intersting statistics for this month in the Antiques Trade Gazette this morning:
Christie's Contemporary Art Evening Sale - £32.9m
Sothebys Contemporary Art Evening Sale - £15.1m
Ouch.
The results for the Italian sales however saw Sothebys emerge victorious with £18.4m hammer total against Christie's £15m.
By LH.
A masterpiece a month
October 25 2011
Pic: Tate Britain
As part of a bicentenary celebration Dulwich Picture Gallery will be displaying a different masterpiece every month.
Between 5th November - 5th December lucky visitors will get the chance to gaze upon David Hockney's 'Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy'.
This double portrait was undertaken by Hockney in 1970-1 and depicts his close friends, designer of textiles Celia Birtwell and fashion designer Ossie Clark. It is an artistic icon of an age which saw fashion break new barriers and visually records the couple's easiness within it.
The painting is vast (212cm x 304cm) and I personally cannot wait to see it. Each masterpiece is also accompanied with a lecture, details found here..
By LH.
Michelangelo (?) makes it to Rome
October 25 2011
The Kober family must be jumping for joy after their painting (which they believe to be) by Michelangelo is to be exhibited in Rome as part of an exhibition of the artist's work.
The painting affectionately known by the family as 'The Mike' was kept behind a sofa after a dusting incident knocked it off the wall. The painting is believed to date from c.1545 and depicts Mary with her arms open over the body of Jesus, whose arms are held by angels.
Although opinions on the painting are still contradictory, it marks an important stage in its acceptance since research by the owner begun back in 2002. Kober suggests that the painting was undertaken by the Italian master at the age of seventy and was painted for his friend Vittoria Colonna. It was eventually passed on to a cardinal, and archbishop and a family in Croatia where it hung in a castle for many years. The painting entered the Kober family through marriage from a German baroness who willed it to his great-great grandfather's sister in law.
Last year Michelangelo expert William E. Wallace didn't go as far as confirming its authenticity but didn't rule it out. The process of getting everyone to agree on attributions for paintings of this age is a long and tricky one, and no doubt this particular example will always be questioned. It is however a very interesting story well worth following...
More here.
By LH.
I'm out - Scottish Government on second Titian painting
October 25 2011
The Scottish government has announced that it will not be contributing any money for the acquisition of Titian's 'Diana and Callisto' from the Duke of Sutherland.
Some of you may be aware of the ongoing campaign to prevent the second of the two Titian masterpieces from leaving Scotland, where they have both have hung as part of The Bridgewater Collection since 1945. The funds for the first, 'Diana and Actaeon' were successfully raised in 2009 which included a sizable contribution of around £12m from the Scottish Government who now say;
“this government has made its contribution to the campaign”
and
'...with a 57 per cent cut to the culture portfolio capital budget over the next three years, there are no additional funds available for major purchases.'
This isn't to say however that the National Gallery will not still be able to acquire the work, but it certainly is a considerable set back...come on Duke, where's your Christmas spirit? £12m is neither here nor there...
More here.
By LH.
Preferring them dirty for $140,000
October 24 2011
Some of you may recollect me blogging about an important discovery at Clarke Auctioneers recently, when a lost American post-impressionist masterpiece was found gathering dust in a box of old pictures. More here (including a nifty video).
Although they didn't post the result online i made a quick call...
By LH
Seeing double - Virgin of the Rocks
October 24 2011
Pic: canalblog.com
Here's an interesting article written for the Telegraph by Andrew Graham-Dixon on Leonardo da Vinci's two versions of 'Virgin of the Rocks' - at the Louvre and National Gallery.
The two paintings will be hung next to each other for the first time at the forthcoming National Gallery exhibition 'Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan' - the most ambitious Leonardo exhibition ever staged. Exhibition details here.
By LH.
On second thoughts...
October 24 2011
Construction on the 24,000 sq ft Guggenheim on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi has been halted.
The Guggenheim is one of four proposed institutions for the island which The Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) are hoping to transform into a cultural district.
The TDIC have stated that the project will still go ahead, postponing the target opening date from 2013 to 2015.
The architect of the project is Frank Gehry, the man responsible for the Guggenheim Bilbao and The Experience Music Project in Seattle.
More here.
By LH.
I'm out - Scottish Government on second Titian
October 24 2011
Pic: National Galleries of Scotland
The Scottish Government has announced it will not be contributing towards the acquisition of the second Titian masterpiece 'Diana and Callisto' from the Duke of Sutherland.
The painting is part of The Bridgewater Collection belonging to the Duke which has been on permanent loan to the National Gallery of Scotland since 1945. The Duke announced their sale back in 2008 at a heavily reduced £50m each. The first painting 'Diana and Actaeon' was bought for the nation with a considerable donation of £12m from the Scottish Government who now say;
“this government has made its contribution to the campaign”
and
'...with a 57 per cent cut to the culture portfolio capital budget over the next three years, there are no additional funds available for major purchases.'
There is still a chance the painting can be secured, although the Government's refusal is a sizeable setback. Lets hope the Duke is full of Christmas spirit this year, as it would be a terrible shame to see it leave the UK.
More here.
By LH.
AHN goes to America
October 24 2011
I'm in the US for a couple of days, so I'll have to leave you in the capable hands of my colleague Lawrence Hendra (and his naughty headlines). Random art historical thoughts will continue from me over on Twitter.
Friday amusement
October 21 2011
Picture: Cartoon Stock
Some of my very first readers will recognise this. But it's so good that I'm recycling it.
