Christie’s to offer American masterworks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art

NEW YORK, N.Y.- Christie’s will offer a group of paintings formerly in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the Important American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture auction at its New York saleroom on November 30, at 10 am. The five works—by Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, George Inness and Severin Roesen—are expected to realize upwards of $500,000, collectively. The museum will use these funds to strengthen its collection through the acquisition of a uniquely significant painting by Charles Willson Peale [...]

Villa Grisebach celebrates 25th anniversary with biggest sale of works of art to date

BERLIN.- To coincide with the auction house’s 25-year anniversary, Villa Grisebach was entrusted with the largest number of works of art to date. 1,463 paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints, and photographs will be auctioned in Berlin in six sales during four days for the first time (from November 23 to 26). Major works by the most important German Expressionists adorn the broad offerings: Emil Nolde’s “Sonnenblumen im Abendlicht” (estimate EUR 1,2-1,5 million), August Macke’s paradise version of “Landschaft mit Bauer, Junge und [...]

Innocence and erotism by Audrey Kawasaki

The themes in Audrey Kawasaki‘s work are contradictions within themselves. Her work is both innocent and erotic. Each subject is attractive yet disturbing. Audrey’s precise technical style is at once influenced by both manga comics and Art Nouveau.

Gold-inlaid Ottoman Khanjar realises 110,000 euros at Hermann Historica oHG Munich’s Autumn auction

MUNICH.- Once again excellent results were achieved in all categories at Hermann Historica – arms and armour, arts and crafts objects, hunting collectibles, orders, military objects and antiquities – in the autumn sale. A total of approximately 3,500 selected collectors´ items were offered for bidding from 24 to 29 October. Orient A sensational 110,000 euros was realised for an Ottoman dagger with richly decorated blade from the 16th century and an elaborate greenish-black nephrite grip which was attributed to the 18th century. The [...]

Artist Damien Hirst’s diamond skull part of retrospective to be held at Tate Modern

LONDON (REUTERS).- Artist Damien Hirst’s diamond-encrusted skull sculpture will go on display as part of the first major retrospective of his career to be staged in his native Britain. “For the Love of God,” which fetched the then equivalent of $100 million in 2007 when it was sold to a consortium of investors including the artist himself, is one of Hirst’s most famous and controversial works. A life-size platinum cast of an 18th century human skull has been covered with 8,601 [...]

Seoul auction to offer in November Hong Kong sale outstanding works from East & West

HONG KONG.- Seoul Auction, Korea’s leading art auction house, will hold its Modern & Contemporary Art sale on 28 November, 2011 at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, presenting approximately 50 outstanding works by leading Western, Korean, Japanese and Chinese artists with a total estimate of HK$195,280,000/ US$25,035,900. Ms Soyoung Lee, Managing Director of Seoul Auction Hong Kong, said, “We are proud to have been the first auction house to offer Western contemporary art in Hong Kong at our inaugural sale here [...]

Exhibition of recent work by renowned British artist Julian Opie at Lisson Gallery in Milan

MILAN.- Lisson Gallery Milan presents an exhibition of recent work by renowned British artist, Julian Opie. Julian Opie is one of the most significant artists of his generation. Drawing from influences as diverse as billboard signs, contemporary dance, classical portraiture and sculpture, and working in a variety of media, he reconstructs his impressions of our contemporary surroundings in a concise, pictorial language. Images, memories and sensory experiences from our encounters with the world are distilled into signs that in turn encourage the [...]

Storytelling in Japanese Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

NEW YORK, N.Y.- Japan has enjoyed a long tradition of storytelling through paintings and illustrated books, which continues today in the popular art of manga (comic books for children and adults). Showcasing more than 90 vibrant works drawn from the New York Public Library and other local collections, as well as works from the Metropolitan’s own holdings, Storytelling in Japanese Art traces the rich history of illustrated narratives that thrived in the medieval and early modern periods of Japan. The focus [...]

United States University returns stolen “Flagellation of Christ” to museum in Germany

BERLIN (AP).- An American university returned a 15th century painting to a Berlin museum on Monday, more than six decades after the valuable piece was stolen in the chaotic aftermath of World War. The Flagellation of Christ was one of more than a dozen paintings that disappeared from Berlin’s Jagdschloss Grunewald museum during the summer of 1945, looted by British and Russian soldiers. The painting, which originally formed a wing of an altarpiece, was later sold and ended up in the [...]

Exhibition devoted to a selection of artists working with paper at Karsten Greve Gallery

PARIS.- The Karsten Greve Gallery presents the third edition of on paper, a collective exhibition devoted to a selection of artists working with paper. The exhibition brings together twelve artists who each use paper in different ways. The abstract works of Louis Soutter (1871 – 1942), evoking human silhouettes and referred to as finger drawings, were produced during the last five years of his life. The personal and direct approach of the artist using finger painting and drawing – which was quite [...]

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art shows three large, striking works by Ai Weiwei

HUMLEBAEK.- Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, as planned, opened an exhibition dedicated to Ai Weiwei with a number of the Chinese artist’s works from the years 2003-2010 – despite the authorities’ detention and isolation of the artist for several months earlier in the year. Ai Weiwei (b. 1957) has to a rare degree alternated in his practice between traditional physical artworks, conceptual projects, social activities, design and architecture. This has given his oeuvre the character of a compass that registers the [...]

58th Winter Antiques Show celebrates the Rockefeller family patronage of historic Hudson Valley

NEW YORK, NY.- The Winter Antiques Show’s 2012 loan exhibition, Celebrating Historic Hudson Valley 60: Rockefeller Patronage in Sleepy Hollow Country highlights more than 25 objects from Historic Hudson Valley’s five National Landmarks and marks the 60th anniversary of John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s founding of Sleepy Hollow Restorations, now Historic Hudson Valley. The exhibition showcases fine and decorative art objects from Philipsburg Manor, Van Cortlandt Manor, Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, Montgomery Place, and the Union Church of Pocantico Hills in Hudson Valley. [...]

Stanley Whitney to receive first Robert De Niro Sr. Prize for achievement in painting

NEW YORK, NY.- The Estate of Robert De Niro Sr. announced the inaugural recipient of The Robert De Niro Sr. Prize, an annual award which honors an outstanding mid-career American painter. New York-based artist Stanley Whitney will receive the $25,000 award, administered by the Tribeca Film Institute, for his considerable contribution to the field of painting. The merit-based prize—among the first to celebrate and shine a light on mid-career artists—honors the work and legacy of accomplished painter De Niro Sr. A [...]

First exhibition of artist Wayne Gonzales’ work in Spain opens at CAC Málaga

MALAGA.- “Art is political per se” Wayne Gonzales has noted on more than one occasion, although he seeks to avoid standard viewpoints in order not to be considered a political artist. The CAC Málaga is now presenting the first exhibition of this artist’s work in Spain and one that includes two previously unexhibited works, Seated Crowd and Slingshot Boy, both of 2011. The dark backgrounds of Gonzales’s crowd scenes, with their sketchily defined faces and brushstrokes that create seemingly immobile, inexpressive figures, leave [...]

Frieze New York 2012: Participating galleries announced for inaugural edition of the art fair

NEW YORK, NY.- Frieze have announced today the participating galleries for the organization’s first New York fair, which is to take place 4–7 May 2012 in Randall’s Island Park, Manhattan. Sponsored by Deutsche Bank, Frieze New York is a carefully selected presentation of over 160 of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries. A strong American and European contingent of galleries is joined by those from the rest of the world. Galleries that are regular exhibitors at Frieze Art Fair London are accompanied [...]