Monthly archive
13 headlines
Source-linked reporting
playbill.com
The piece discusses a rare 1879 Eugenio Praga violin valued at $50,000 that was stolen at Billings, Montana, and later recovered unharmed after a dealer in Ontario was approached by a suspect attempting to sell it. Bay Area resident Evan Price, owner of the violin, plays with the Turtle Island String Quartet and is quoted about the incident.
sfgate.com
Eric Berger reports that Texas biochemist Joseph Nagyvary claims to have scientific proof that Antonio Stradivari treated violins with chemicals to create a distinctive sound, suggesting a chemical noise filter in the wood.
www-s1.npr.org
Evan Price of the Turtle Island String Quartet loses his 1879 Eugenal Praga violin at Billings airport in April. The instrument, valued around $50,000, was recovered and is now with police custody in Billings.
kpo.kz
The article reports that KPO supported the 4th International Violin Competition held in Uralsk, Western Kazakhstan Oblast, from 14–20 December 2006. It notes the event was organized by Marat Bisengaliyev, the WKO Akimat, and Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (KPO) as general sponsor, and mentions that submissions were invited from young performers from Kazakhstan.
artnews.com
Obscure Still Life Shines at Vibrant Skinner Auction mentions a 17th-century Dutch School Still Life With Butterfly, Peaches, Cherries and Chestnut selling for $149,000 on the Skinner Inc. Boston sale, and a second highlight, Still Life with Books and Pipe by John Frederick Peto selling for $? (not specified as exact price in excerpt) which set an artist record; the article discusses overall sale results of 517 lots totaling about $1.8 million, with several artists achieving record prices, including Guido Carmignani, John Williamson, and Ross Sterling Turner.
artnews.com
This article reports that Latin American art sales at Sotheby’s and Christie’s from November 20–22 totaled $39.1 million, led by paintings and sculptures by Fernando Botero. It notes Christie’s $21.78 million and Sotheby’s $17.32 million totals, multiple Botero works in the top ten, strong results for Wifredo Lam, and notable Zúñiga sculptures achieving substantial bids.
mg.co.za
The Mail & Guardian reports on the backlash against returning looted artworks in Germany and Austria, noting the involvement of Jewish claimants and the broader moral and political debate. It references a 500-million dollar New York sale and potential restitutions to families, including works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, August Macke, Lyonel Feininger, and Franz Marc, as well as Klimt pieces from Vienna’s Albertina.
antiquesandthearts.com
The article reports that an eighteenth-century Chinese famille rose bowl from the Qianlong period (1736–1795) sold at Christie’s for $19.67 million on November 28, setting a world record price for Qing porcelain. The bowl, part of Christie’s Jade Shears and Shimmering Feathers collection from the Robert Chang Collection, was sold to Dr. Alice Cheng of Hong Kong. The piece is intricately enameled and has a paired bowl in the Percival David Foundation in London.
playbill.com
The Playbill article reports that luthiers are experimenting with unconventional materials such as balsa wood, fiberglass and graphite for violins and cellos. It mentions Douglas Martin of Maine, Martin Schleske of Munich, and commentary from The Times about the impact of these materials on instrument sound, including remarks from Joseph Curtin and Ingolf Turban.
deseret.com
Norman Rockwell's "Breaking Home Ties" sold for $15.4 million at Sotheby's; the painting was discovered hidden behind a fake wall in a Vermont home. The sale surpassed the previous Rockwell record of $9.2 million for "Homecoming Marine". Edward Hopper's "Hotel Window" also set a record at $26.8 million in the same sale.
theartnewspaper.com
Stolen works were found in the estate of the late collector William Kingsland and consigned to Christie’s and the Stair Galleries, leading to cancellations of sales. The items included a Giacometti bronze bust, a Copley portrait, and several other works now under provenance review. The FBI is investigating and the sales were affected at Christie’s in London and Stair Galleries in Hudson, as well as related sales.
theartnewspaper.com
Prince of Liechtenstein buys historic British collection involves nine Dutch and Flemish 17th-century paintings from Lord Northbrook, including Michiel van Musscher’s Portrait of an Artist valued at £6.6m, intended for his Vienna museum.
npr.org
Nuttin' But Stringz: Hip-Hop Violin features brothers Damien and Tourie Escobar and their venture into hip-hop violin, highlighting their CD Struggle from the Subway to the Charts.