Upcoming Exhibition & Release: The Solomon Collection

January 3 2025

Image of Upcoming Exhibition & Release: The Solomon Collection

Picture: Yale Books

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Exciting news that the Harvard Art Museums will be celebrating their acceptance (from back in 2021) of 260 works from Arthur and Marny Solomon collection with a brand-new publication and temporary exhibition. The exhibition is due to open in May 2025 and the book will be published in June 2025.

According to the book's blurb:

Arthur and Marny Solomon assembled a superlative art collection spanning Old Master prints, nineteenth-century French paintings, and trailblazing contemporary works. This book documents for the first time some of the finest examples from the more than 260 works in the collection, gifted to the Harvard Art Museums by bequest in 2021. Full-page illustrations and new research accompany the works, some never before published, by Dürer, Tiepolo, Fragonard, Géricault, Corot, Delacroix, Degas, Cézanne, Renoir, Henry Moore, David Smith, Kenneth Noland, and Larry Poons, among many others.

Lecture on Ralph Sheldon's Henry VIII Portrait

January 3 2025

Image of Lecture on Ralph Sheldon's Henry VIII Portrait

Picture: Warwickshire County Council

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Just in case any readers might be dropping by the Midlands later in March, I'm giving a lecture for the Warwickshire County Council on Ralph Sheldon's recently rediscovered portrait of Henry VIII. It will hopefully feature some new research about the painting, including details of how it was made, its provenance and what might happen to it next. I'll be joined by my friend and colleague Aaron Manning (from HRP) who will discussing some of his own research into one of England's most recognisable monarchs. The lecture will be on 1st March 2025 at Warwick Old Shire Hall (where the painting was hanging) and will cost £11.29 to attend.

I might also mention this other rather fascinating work, which has had a mini-upgrade from 'attributed to' to by the artist 'in full'. Can any reader identify the painter?

Update - Well done to all of you who got in touch to point out this is a painting by Sir Peter Lely. Intriguingly, the picture was previously given to Mary Beale (which I think in this market would make it a touch more valuable I suspect), and the Woburn Abbey provenance is still being investigated as it does not appear in the 1951 Duke of Bedford sale.

Sotheby's New York Drawings Online

January 3 2025

Image of Sotheby's New York Drawings Online

Picture: Sotheby's

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Whilst we're waiting for the upcoming Sotheby's New York Old Master Paintings sales to be published, here's the upcoming Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries auction. The sale will take place on 5th February 2025 at 11.00 EST.

Top lots include this fine study of heads by an artist in the Circle of Gerard David (pictured), a marine drawing by Caspar David Friedrich, a Swiss watercolour by JMW Turner and a mythological drawing by Claude Lorrain.

Sir Thomas Lawrence's love child?

January 3 2025

Image of Sir Thomas Lawrence's love child?

Picture: Royal Academy / Art Institute of Chicago

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

I'm sure Bendor would want me to point out this interesting article (here's versions from The Times and Artnet) which was published over the Christmas period, drawing attention to some overlooked aspect of Sir Thomas Lawrence's relationship to Isabella Wolff (pictured). Indeed, the article focuses on research which suggests that Isabella's son Hermann may have been fathered by Lawrence and not her husband Jens Wolff. Click on the links, or find a copy of Bendor's book The Invention of British Art, to read more!

Christmas Greetings

December 24 2024

Image of Christmas Greetings

Picture: Huntington Library

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Wishing all readers of AHN a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I do hope you and your families are keeping safe and well, wherever you may be.

Research Project Reveals Giorgione in Alte Pinakothek

December 21 2024

Image of Research Project Reveals Giorgione in Alte Pinakothek

Picture: Alte Pinakothek

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Alte Pinakothek in Munich has revealed the results of a research project into the following Double Portrait, which recent technical and art historical analysis has shown to be a rare work by the Venetian painter Giorgione. The picture had been hanging in a gallery in the city's Residenz, where many overflow artworks from the museum are kept, until a recent exhibition on Venetian art prompted further investigation. Click on the link above to view some very interesting x-rays and infrared images, which show that the composition was reworked several times during its creation.

Massimo Stanzione's Presentation of the Virgin Conserved

December 21 2024

Image of Massimo Stanzione's Presentation of the Virgin Conserved

Picture: sabapmetropolitanana.cultura.gov.it

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

News from Italy that Massimo Stanzione's Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, a painting which had originally formed part of a cycle in the chiesa dell’Annunziata di Giugliano in Campania, has been conserved and put on view for the public. Dating to 1618, the work will be featured in a special display at the Palazzo Reale in Naples. Alas, I can't find a good picture of the whole canvas, so, this will have to do for now!

Museum of Fine Arts Montreal acquires Lavinia and Prospero Fontana

December 21 2024

Image of Museum of Fine Arts Montreal acquires Lavinia and Prospero Fontana

Picture: Instagram via @robsmeetsgallery

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The dealers Rob Smeets Gallery have announced on their Instagram account that the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has acquired the following Presentation of the Virgin by Lavinia and Prospero Fontana.

A quick Google shows that the work was offered as 'Italian Sacred Painter 18th Century' at a minor auction house in Germany (albeit with a rather over painted sky) back in 2020 where it made 1,100 EUR over its 500 EUR starting price.

Holkham Attic Sale at Sworders

December 21 2024

Image of Holkham Attic Sale at Sworders

Picture: Sworders

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Exciting news that Holkham Hall, the ancestral home of the Earls of Leicester and one of the greatest country houses in England, are holding an Attic Sale at the auction house Sworders in February. There aren't that many pictures included in the sale, but, it's a rare opportunity to purchase some odds and ends of furniture, fixtures, fittings and decorative features from one of the finest stately homes ever erected.

Kauffman soars in Paris

December 21 2024

Image of Kauffman soars in Paris

Picture: Theirry de Maigret

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

News from Paris (via. Drouot) that the following Portrait of Elisabeth Vernon, Countess Harcourt by Angelika Kauffman soared to an impressive 244,720 EUR over its modest 12,000 - 15,000 EUR estimate earlier this week at Theirry de Maigret.

New Release: Frans Hals Iconography – Technique – Reputation

December 21 2024

Image of New Release: Frans Hals Iconography – Technique – Reputation

Picture: Amsterdam University Press

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Amsterdam University Press has just released a new volume of essays entitled Frans Hals Iconography – Technique – Reputation.

Remarkably, the collection has been published as Open Access, meaning that it is completely free to download!

According to the blurb:

Frans Hals (1582/83-1666) is rightfully considered one of the most important seventeenth-century Dutch painters. His portraits are admired for their virtuoso brushwork and their seemingly spontaneous character. This volume, with fourteen contributions by twenty-six specialists on Hals’s paintings and his artistic network in Haarlem and beyond, presents a rich palette of new research.

The authors introduce subjects such as the artist's clientele - from clergymen and fellow painters to governors of charitable institutions - as well as stylistic and technical aspects of individual paintings. Results of recent restorations are discussed, but also how advanced digital technologies contribute to our understanding of the painter's style and artistic development. A final section is dedicated to the rediscovery of Frans Hals in the second half of the nineteenth century and to the following art historical debate among connoisseurs about the artist’s oeuvre.

Christie's New York Part II Sale

December 21 2024

Image of Christie's New York Part II Sale

Picture: Christie's

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The upcoming Christie's New York Old Master Paintings & Sculpture: Part II sale has been published online. The auction will take place on 5th February at 2pm EST (straight after their Part I sale, it seems).

As usual, I won't spoil the fun by pointing out any paintings which may or may not be interesting.

The V&A are Hiring!

December 21 2024

Image of The V&A are Hiring!

Picture: V&A

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London are hiring a Research Assistant - The Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection.

According to the job description:

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection is one of the most comprehensive collections of decorative arts built by private collectors in the 20th century, celebrated notably for its unique collection of stone and glass mosaics. The V&A has planned an extensive refurbishment of its galleries which requests contribution from a research assistant.

The Research Assistant will join an enthusiastic curatorial team and benefit from a remarkable exposure to the various responsibilities of such a capital project. The appointed candidate will contribute to the research and delivery of interpretation outcome alongside the design, project and interpretation teams. In short, this is a rare and exciting opportunity for someone to develop and advance their career in the museum world.

The job comes with a salary of £27,528 - £31,854 per annum and applications must be in by 5th January 2025.

Good luck if you're applying!

Louvre conserves Andrea Solario Picture

December 21 2024

Image of Louvre conserves Andrea Solario Picture

Picture: Louvre

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Louvre in Paris have shared news of their latest exciting conservation project, the cleaning of Andrea Solario's Virgin and Child. Dated to 1507-10, the transformation of these vivid electric colours is quite something to behold.

All eyes on which paintings the Louvre will clean in 2025. Perhaps they're gearing up to tackle one of their particularly darkened Leonardos?

Christie's New York Sale

December 21 2024

Image of Christie's New York Sale

Picture: Christie's

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Christie's New York have uploaded their upcoming Old Masters sale online. The auction will take place on 5th February at 10am EST.

Amongst the top lots are the aforementioned El Greco of Saint Sebastian estimated at $7m - $9m. The painting already has a third-party guarantee, meaning the work is technically already sold. Other notable works are a fine Pieter de Hooch interior at $2.5m - $3.5m, a portrait of a gentleman, possibly Dirck Dircksz Tjarck, by Frans Hals at $2m - $3m, and a Cranach the Elder of Hercules and Omphale at $1m - $2m. My favourite picture of the bunch is this musical Michael Sweerts, an artist who appears in most evening sales these days, which carries an estimate of $700k - $1m. There are also a selection of paintings being sold by the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (to fund future acquisitions), more of which can be read in this article.

Upcoming Release: Northern European Art in the Norton Simon Museum

December 13 2024

Image of Upcoming Release: Northern European Art in the Norton Simon Museum

Picture: Yale Books

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Exciting news that in May 2025 the Norton Simon Museum will be releasing a new catalogue of their Northern European Art collection. The volume has been edited by Amy Walsh and contains contributions from a long list of scholars.

According to the book's blurb:

This book features Dutch, Flemish, Early Netherlandish, and German paintings and works on paper from the fifteenth through the eighteenth century, including preeminent names such as Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt van Rijn, as well as lesser-known artists such as Sebastian Stoskopff and Johannes Verspronck. Illuminating one of the finest collections of Northern European art in the United States, the book traces the histories of ninety-five extraordinary paintings and drawings, shedding new light on the artistic significance and material properties of these objects. Works of art that emphasize the humanity of their subjects—and the capacity of oil paint to render these qualities almost achingly real—is a throughline that unites the paintings featured here, from the tender gaze of Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Boy (1655–60) to the freshly cut flowers and curious insects in Rachel Ruysch’s Nosegay on a Marble Plinth (ca. 1695), to the recently conserved masterpieces Adam and Eve (ca. 1530) by Lucas Cranach.

Seminar Series: Gold and its Uses in Early Modern Painting

December 13 2024

Image of Seminar Series: Gold and its Uses in Early Modern Painting

Picture: Rijksmuseum

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The French National Institute for Art History (INHA) in Paris is running a very interesting seminar series next year on the subject of Gold and its Uses in Early Modern Painting. The series is the culmination of a research collaboration which was begun in 2021 by the AORUM project (Analysis of Gold and its Uses as a Painting Material). Click on the links above to find out more about the series which will run from January until June 2025.

New Paintings catalogue for Catedral de Segovia

December 13 2024

Image of New Paintings catalogue for Catedral de Segovia

Picture: Catedral de Segovia

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Catedral de Segovia in Spain has just released a new catalogue on its collection of paintings. The Cathedral is home to 39 important works of art, mostly drawn from Flemish and Castilian artists from the 15th - 17th centuries. The catalogue contains contributions from 11 different authors and scholars and is available for purchase through the link above.

New Modern Wing for the MET

December 13 2024

Image of New Modern Wing for the MET

Picture: MET

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York have revealed more details about the new Tang Wing, an extension which will house their growing twentieth- and twenty-first-century art collection. 

According to the article linked above:

Developed in close collaboration with teams at The Met over the last two years, Escobedo’s plan for the new Oscar L. and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing draws on her deep engagement with the Museum’s buildings, collection, and setting within Central Park, resulting in a compellingly dynamic and exceptionally inspired design. The project will increase our gallery space by nearly 50 percent, creating more than 70,000 square feet for the display of our outstanding Modern and Contemporary collection, while staying within the existing footprint and overall height of The Met. Importantly, the project will allow us to better illuminate points of connections across the Museum’s global collection encompassing more than 5,000 years of art history, while also addressing critical accessibility, infrastructure, and sustainability needs. With this elegant, contemporary concept—which is rooted in her deep understanding of architectural history, materiality, spatial configuration, and artistic expression—Escobedo cements her standing as one of the most relevant architects of our time while creating history as the first woman to design a wing at The Met.

The new wing is set to open for 2030.

Elegant Edwardians at The Royal Collection for 2025

December 12 2024

Image of Elegant Edwardians at The Royal Collection for 2025

Picture: RCT

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Royal Collection Trust have shared news that one of their primary new exhibitions for 2025 will be entitled The Edwardians: Age of Elegance.

According to their website:

Explore the opulence and glamour of the Edwardian age – the period between the Victorian era and the First World War.

Visitors will learn about the lives and tastes of two of Britain’s most fashionable royal couples – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary – from their family lives and personal collecting to their glittering social circles and spectacular royal events.

More than 300 objects from the Royal Collection will be on display – almost half for the first time – including works by the most renowned contemporary artists of the period, including Carl Fabergé, Frederic Leighton, Edward Burne-Jones, Laurits Tuxen, John Singer Sargent and William Morris.

The show will run from 11th April until 23rd November 2025.

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