The BBC and British Museum Announce “A History of the World”

LONDON.- The BBC and the British Museum have joined forces in an original and unprecedented public service partnership, focusing on world history. At its heart is a landmark series on BBC Radio 4, ‘A History of the World in 100 Objects’ which will broadcast from 18th January 2010. This series is a narrative global history told through the British Museum’s unparalleled world collection. The series will tap in to the unique power of objects to tell stories and make connections [...]

Christie’s December Photographs Sale Offers Exceptional Array of Works

NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s announced the sale of Photographs on December 7, which will conclude the Fall 2009 season for the category. With viewings open to the public from December 3-6, the sale presents a distinct array of themes varying from the examination of the human form, the western frontier, to decadent and glamorous fashion photography. The 190 lots included in the sale are expected to realize in the region of $950,000-$1.4 million. Important highlights from the sale include a [...]

Reynolda to Feature Works of Mid- Nineteenth Century American Expatriates

WINSTON-SALEM, NC.- Reynolda House Museum of American Art‘s exhibition “American Expatriates: Cassatt, Sargent, and Whistler” will open Dec. 5, 2009 and will remain on view through Apr. 25, 2010 in the Northeast Bedroom Gallery. “American Expatriates” focuses on the art of a group of young American artists in the mid-nineteenth century who moved to Europe to live, work and study. At some point in their budding careers, most professional artists felt the lure of the Old World and chose to [...]

Margaret Thatcher Returned to London’s Downing Street to Unveil Portrait

LONDON (AP).- Former British leader Margaret Thatcher returned to London’s Downing Street Monday as she unveiled her own portrait, which has been installed in the official residence of Britain’s prime minister. Thatcher, British leader from 1979 to 1990, joined current Prime Minster Gordon Brown and David Cameron, a successor to Thatcher as Conservative Party leader, at 10 Downing Street to unveil the new the work. The 84-year-old former leader — nicknamed “The Iron Lady” for her uncompromising stance against the [...]

Decorative Arts and Carpets from the Corcoran Gallery Realize $7,328,713

NEW YORK, NY.- The 500 Years: Decorative Arts Europe including carpets from the Corcoran Gallery of Art sale realized $7,328,713/£4,441,644/ €4,918,599 and was sold 75% by lot and 82% by value. Stefan Kist, Christie’s New York, Director of European Decorative Arts said: “Today’s inaugural sale of 500 Years: Decorative Arts Europe, which combined European and English furniture, ceramics, works of art, tapestries and sculptures including Oriental carpets from the 15th to the 19th centuries, achieved outstanding results in every category. [...]

PINTA 2009 Confirms that Latin American Art has Carved Out Its Space

NEW YORK, NY.- PINTA, the modern and contemporary art fair, has proven over the last three years that the high quality art produced in Latin America is an important player on the global stage. The participation of 60 art galleries from the United States, Europe and Latin America is a testament to PINTA’s growing influence. “We are a young fair. Our commitment is and will be to continue working to present Latin American art to the world,” said its director [...]

Museo Reina Sofía Opens Exhibition by León Ferrari and Mira Schendel

MADRID.- León Ferrari and Mira Schendel are among the most significant Latin American artists of the twentieth century. Active in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s in the neighboring countries of Argentina and Brazil, they worked independently of each other, producing an oeuvre that privileges language visually and as subject matter. Ferrari was born in Argentina in 1920. He has worked in a wide range of art forms and mediums, from sculpture, painting, drawing, and assemblage to film, collage, mail art, [...]

Paul Delaroche Work “Ruined” in War Rescued for Show

LONDON.- A major work by French painter Paul Delaroche thought to have been virtually destroyed during a World War Two German air raid on London in 1941 has been unrolled and found to be in good condition. “Charles I Insulted by Cromwell’s Soldiers,” depicting the British monarch shortly before his execution in 1649, was damaged when Bridgewater House was bombed on May 11, 1941. The canvas, hanging in the dining room at the time, was taken down, rolled up and [...]

101-Year-Old Brazilian Architect Oscar Niemeyer Back at Work

BRASILIA (AP).- Famed 101-year-old Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer is reportedly back at work just weeks after surgery for gallstones and an intestinal tumor. The daily newspaper O Globo reports that Niemeyer is working on a collection of buildings in the city of Niteroi, outside of Rio de Janeiro. Niemeyer designed much of the futuristic Brazilian capital of Brasilia and Rio’s Sambadrome, home of the annual carnival parade. He also helped design the United Nations building in New York City. Niemeyer [...]

Museum of Nature & Science Breaks Ground on $185-Million Museum

DALLAS, TX.- After years of planning and gathering donations ranging from a couple of dollars to millions, the Museum of Nature & Science celebrated “The Ultimate Dig” on Nov. 18 by breaking ground on the $185-million museum to be constructed at Victory Park. Approximately 500 supporters gathered at the construction site ‘with bulldozers ready to go’ to watch as Perot family members, donors and Museum leaders turned cranks, flipped switches, pushed buttons and shoveled dirt, triggering a Rube Goldberg-inspired contraption [...]

“CO2 Cubes: United Nations Project to Visualize a Ton of Change”

NEW YORK, NY.- How big is 1 metric ton of carbon dioxide (CO2)? Join us for the premiere of the “CO2 Cube” to visualize it. Measured and stored at standard atmospheric pressure, CO2 occupies a cube the size of a three-story building 8.2m x 8.2m x 8.2m (27ft x 27ft x 27ft). This is the amount of CO2 the average person in an industrialized country emits each month, and in the United States, every two weeks. On December 1st, the [...]

Vintage Poster Market Proves as Strong as Ever at Poster Auctions International

NEW YORK, NY.- A record number of buyers showed up at Poster Auctions International on November 8, proving that the vintage poster market is as strong as ever! In its 49th semi-annual auction of rare posters, Poster Auctions International realized over $1,600,000 million – a number 50% higher than that posted at this time last year. Art Deco certainly dominated the sale, with works by A.M. Cassandre and Paul Colin leading the way. Cassandre’s famous poster for “Dubonet” as well [...]

Joaquín Sorolla’s “Barcas en la Playa” Doubles Low Estimate at Sotheby’s Sale

LONDON.- Sotheby’s sale of 19th-Century European Paintings in London today realised £7,168,400 / €7,937,589 – surpassing the pre-sale high estimate of £6,748,600/ €7,472,744, and obtaining sell through rates of 70.2% by lot and 88.4% by value. Public institutions pitted themselves against private collectors and trade, driving prices over estimate in many instances. Overall, 41.6% of the works sold today achieved prices in excess of high estimate. The top lot of the day was Joaquin Sorolla’s “Barcas en la Playa”, which [...]

N.C. Museum of Art Announces Exhibition for Reopening November 2010

RALEIGH, NC.- In the fall of 2010 the Museum’s East Building will reopen as the Center for Special Exhibitions and Education with an unprecedented five special exhibitions. “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell”; “Bob Trotman: Inverted Utopias”; “Fins and Feathers: Original Children’s Book Illustrations from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art”; “Binh Danh: In the Eclipse of Angkor”; and “James John Audubon’s: The Birds of America” open concurrently on November 7. “We’re excited to announce this significantly [...]

Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Creche on Display for Holiday Season at Metropolitan Museum

NEW YORK, NY.- The Christmas tree and Neapolitan Baroque crèche at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a long-established yuletide tradition in New York, will be on view for the holiday season from November 24, 2009, through January 6, 2010. The brightly lit, 20-foot blue spruce – with a collection of 18th-century Neapolitan angels and cherubs among its boughs and groups of realistic crèche figures flanking the Nativity scene at its base – will once again delight holiday visitors in the [...]