Andy Warhol Self-Portrait Fetches $17 Million at Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction

LONDON (AP).- A self-portrait by Andy Warhol has sold for 10.8 million pounds ($17 million) — double its pre-sale estimate — at a London auction. Christie’s says the work had been in a private collection since 1974. It is one of a series of 11 self-portraits Warhol created. The image of red and white silkscreen ink on canvas shows the artist with his hand to his mouth. It was executed in 1967, at the height of his career as the [...]

Works from the Museum of Prints and Drawings Berlin, on Display at Kunstmuseum Bonn

BONN.- During the Weimar Republic, Verism and the New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit) were among Germany’s most characteristic art phenomena. These movements no longer responded to the experiences of World War I and the subsequent crisis of society by using the Expressionist utopia of the new man, an ecstasy of the subject and his emotions (“Emotion is a private matter”, Bertold Brecht stated in 1926). Neither did they react with the Constructivism the Bauhaus used for conveying art and life. They [...]

Exhibition of Pablo Picasso’s Artistic Development in Paris on View at Van Gogh Museum

AMSTERDAM.- An exhibition devoted to Pablo Ruiz y Picasso’s (1881-1973) spectacular artistic development in Paris, a dazzling cultural centre at the beginning of the 20th century, is being held in the Netherlands for the first time. With more than 70 works of art, including towering masterpieces such as the Self-portrait with a palette and Moulin de la Galette, Picasso in Paris, 1900-1907 outlines how in just a few years Picasso grew from an unknown young artist into the leading figure [...]

ARCOmadrid 2011: Newfound Optimism and Energy for the Contemporary Art Market

MADRID.- On February 16th, ARCOmadrid, the International Contemporary Art Fair is, as usual, an exciting event showcasing the art of today and a focal point for the art market all over the world. The fair opens the doors on its 30th edition, optimistically looking towards a reactivation of economic activity in this sector. Spanish and international art collectors come to ARCOmadrid to find a wide selection of works covering a wide variety of prices, media, periods and artists. From masterpieces [...]

Hungarian Government Asks United States Court to Reject Looted Art Lawsuit

BUDAPEST (AP).- The Hungarian government on Wednesday asked a U.S. court to dismiss a lawsuit by the heirs of a prominent Jewish collector who are seeking the return of art worth over $100 million seized during the Holocaust. The Ministry of National Development said that the 2010 suit by the heirs of Baron Mor Lipot Herzog in Washington should be dismissed, in part because compensation for the 44 artworks was covered by a 1973 claims agreement between Hungary and the [...]

20th Century Decorative Art & Design Works Dazzle Christie’s New York Auction

NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s announces the sale of 20th Century Decorative Art & Design to take place on Friday, March 11. With 122 lots, the 20th Century Decorative Art & Design sale is expected to generate upwards of $1 million, with styles that include: Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts, Art Deco, Modernist and Contemporary movements. The auction’s top lot is Tiffany Studios’ remarkable Peony Leaded Glass Bronze Table Lamp, circa 1905 (estimate ($100,000-150,000). With vibrant orange and red peonies and [...]

Exhibition in Valencia Marks the Centenary of the Birth of Artist Roberto Matta

VALENCIA.- This exhibition, organised by the IVAM, the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao and the Sociedad Estatal de Acción Cultural, commemorates the centenary of the birth of 20th century art. The exhibition comprises 32 paintings, some large-format, including a triptych and a polyptych. Matta has been considered the last great surrealist artist because of his importance in this movement during his stay in Paris. In his years of exile in New York, he was the link between surrealism and [...]

ARCOmadrid Opens 30th Edition with Works of Art Between the Ordinary and Extraordinary

MADRID.- ARCOmadrid opens its doors on February 16th to art world professionals from noon to 9 pm, who can now get their passes to the fair online in the Request for Professional Access section on our web. After two professional preview days, the fair opens to the general public on Friday 18th until Sunday 20th, from noon to 8 pm. The public can also get their tickets online. Vouchers for RENFE (trains) and IBERIA (airline) offering discounts on tickets between [...]

Sotheby’s February 2011 Contemporary Art Evening Auction Realises $71,051,252

LONDON.- Tonight, Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening sale realised £44,359,900/$71,051,252/€52,965,613 – above the high estimate (£30.4-£43 million/$48.7-$68.9 million**). With ‘Looking Closely’, this sum brings the total for Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Auction Series so far this Season to £88,022,550 /$138,728,359 /€104,465,529 (est. £56-78 million) – well above combined pre-sale expectations – representing the second-highest total for a February Contemporary Art Sales Series in London and the highest total for a Contemporary Art Sales Series in London since July 2008. More than 200 [...]

The American International Fine Art Fair Closes with Record Attendance and Strong Sales

PALM BEACH, FL.- The American International Fine Art Fair closed its 15th edition with record attendance and strong sales reported by a number of dealers. More than 42,500 attendees visited the 10-day event. Many dealers reported outstanding sales results. “We had the best fair in the 14 years that we have been participating in Palm Beach,” said arms and armor dealer Peter Finer of London. Italian goldsmith and jeweler Buccellati echoed these sentiments: “This was also the best year in [...]

Tate Offers a Fresh Assessment of the History of Watercolour Painting in Britain

LONDON.- Tate Britain will present a fresh assessment of the history of watercolour painting in Britain from its emergence in the Middle Ages through to the present day. This major exhibition will show around 200 works including pieces by historic artists such as William Blake, Thomas Girtin and JMW Turner, through to modern and contemporary artists including Patrick Heron, Peter Doig and Tracey Emin. Drawing out a grand history which traces the origins of watercolour back to medieval illuminated manuscripts, [...]

Private Collectors Make Fantastic Donations of Photographic Art to Moderna Museet

NEW YORK, NY.- Several photographic works by Annika von Hausswolff, Cindy Sherman, Robert Mapplethorpe and other artists have been donated to Moderna Museet. These works will be shown in the museum’s new presentation of the collection – Another Story. Moderna Museet’s focus on photography in 2011 has been met with great enthusiasm even before it is in full swing. Several impressive private donations of works by key artists working in the photographic medium have further enhanced the museum’s collection. Since [...]

Egypt’s Antiquities Minister Zahi Hawass Says Some Objects Looted from Museum Found

CAIRO (REUTERS).- Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry has recovered some of the national treasures that went missing from the Egyptian Museum during an uprising which unseated Hosni Mubarak, the country’s top Egyptologist said Monday. Items including a statue of King Tutankhamun and objects from the era of the Pharaoh Akhenaten went missing when looters broke into the museum during mass protests that engulfed the streets around the museum in central Cairo. But Zahi Hawass, recently named minister of state for antiquities affairs, [...]

Galerie Max Hetzler Presents a Small Retrospective of Major British Artist Bridget Riley

BERLIN.- Galerie Max Hetzler presents a small retrospective of this major British artist’s work with a special focus on works from the last three decades, which includes studies, paintings and wall paintings. Almost ‘drawing with colour’, her work from the past ten years focuses more specifically on the effects produced by the juxtaposition of colour, believing that ‘the challenge of colour had to be met on its own terms’. Throughout her writings, Riley emphasises the importance of ‘looking’ when in [...]

Fundación Juan March Presents “Cold America” Geometrical Abstraction in Latin America

MADRID.- Around 300 exhibits (including works of art and documentation) by more than 60 artists offer a comprehensive overview of trends in Latin American abstract art. The time-span is defined by the dates of two return trips from Europe: that of Torres-García to Uruguay in 1934, and Jesús Rafael Soto’s return to Venezuela in 1973. The Fundación Juan March inaugurated COLD AMERICA on February 11th. GEOMETRICAL ABSTRACTION IN LATIN AMERICA (1934-1973) at its Madrid exhibition space (Castelló 77). The exhibition aims [...]