Monthly archive
15 headlines
Source-linked reporting
theartnewspaper.com
The Leopold Museum in Vienna is accused by Austria’s Green Party and the IKG of holding Nazi-looted works, including Egon Schiele's Houses on the Lake, 1914, and works by Albin Egger-Lienz, with provenance disputes surrounding Jenny Steiner.
news.sohu.com
The article reports that Russian lawyer Maxim Viktorov bought a renowned Italian violin by Guarneri for $3.9 million at Sotheby’s, setting a world instrument auction record. He held a private concert in Moscow attended by 160 public figures, with Israeli violinist Pinchas Zukerman performing a piece, and Viktorov noting the instrument’s fragility and his wish for a master musician to premiere it. The piece discusses the violin’s maker Guarneri, its Italian Cremonese lineage, and the broader notion of violin culture.
blogs.lawrence.edu
Lawrence University student musicians dominated the 13th Neale-Silva Young Artists competition in Madison, with four of five winners. The winners include pianists Amy Lauters, Will Martin, and Michael Smith, and the string quartet Danielle Simandl (violin), Katie Ekberg (violin), Sarah Bellmore (viola), Max Hero (cello), plus clarinetist Brian Viliunas of Milwaukee; Simandl advanced to the finals as a soloist.
cbc.ca
Pinchas Zukerman performed on the Guarneri del Gesu violin, bought by Maxim Viktorov for $3.9 million, in Moscow for the first time in over 70 years. The instrument, associated with 18th-century Cremona makers and once owned by Henri Vieuxtemps, was presented in a private concert and did not receive a standing ovation.
newsru.ru
The article reports that in Moscow, for the first time in over 70 years, the most expensive musical instrument in the world was showcased to 160 listeners at a private concert at the House of Pashkov. Collector Maxim Viktorov bought Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu violin (dated 1741) at Sotheby’s for 3.9 million dollars, surpassing the previous world auction record held by Stradivari’s instruments; Israeli virtuoso Pinchas Zukerman performed, accompanied by the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra.
ntv.ru
The article discusses the world’s most expensive violin, named Ex-Vetāan, played by Pinchas Zukerman at the Moscow Conservatory. It notes the instrument cost almost $7 million, surpassing the previous record holder Hammer by Antonio Stradivari sold for $3.5 million at Christie’s. The instrument was crafted by Italian maker Giuseppe Guarneri 267 years ago, and was formerly private property until 2008.
gazeta.ru
The article reports that the ancient violin Ex-Vétan, a work by Giuseppe Guarneri, will be played by Pinhas Zukerman with the Bolshoi Theatre Symphony Orchestra under Alexander Vedernikov at the Conservatory. The instrument, dating to 1741 and associated with Henri Viétan, was purchased by Viktorov through Sotheby’s; the sale price was not disclosed and surpassed the world auction record for a musical instrument.
Christie’s
A newly discovered wood Dainichi Nyorai sculpture attributed to Unkei sold at Christie’s for $14.377 million against a $1.5–2.5 million estimate. The result set records for Japanese art and for Asian art sold in New York, exceeding the prior Japanese-art benchmark by more than $12 million.
visionsarts.com
Pollock's 'The Magic Flame,' a circa 1946 painting, was bought by a European collector from Hauser & Wirth in Zurich and London for about $8 million, making it the top work sold at TEFAF Maastricht. The sale was reported by Scott Reyburn and Bloomberg News.
yle.fi
The article describes Harry Wahl, a prominent Viipuri-based merchant, and his collection of valuable violins including Stradivarius, Guarneri, and Amati instruments. After the Soviet capture of Viipuri, most instruments remained with the Russians, but 32 valuable violins were saved for Finland by Onni Suhonen, Wahl’s protegé. A manuscript (testament) found by Maija-Stiina Roine in her father Voitto Valdemar Kolho’s books revealed the disposition of the instruments, explaining why Suhonen could rescue most of the prized violins, with a few remaining behind, notably the Santo Serafin violin and Lorenzo Storioni viola.
auctionpublicity.com
The Estella Collection of Chinese Contemporary Art is highlighted by Sotheby’s as the largest and most important collection of Chinese contemporary art to appear at auction, with over 200 works by artists including Ai Weiwei, Zhang Xiaogang, Cai Guo-Qiang and Xu Bing. The sale is planned in two parts, in Hong Kong this April and in New York this autumn, with an estimated total value of HK$65-95 million (US$8-12 million).
newsru.ru
The article reports that Sotheby's London auctions on March 11 will feature a collection of musical instruments, including violins from collector Albert Cooper. It highlights that over 300 lots include notable pieces, such as a 1720 Alessandro Galliano violin and a unique 1741 Guarneri del Gesù violin nicknamed Ex-Viêtan, valued around 6 million USD. Maxim Viktorov, a prominent collector of antique violins, is quoted discussing the rarity of masterworks appearing at public auctions.
theartnewspaper.com
Edemar Cid Ferreira’s collection included a Fernand Léger painting Les Papillons (1937) and a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting described as Hannibal, both identified as part of a group of works sought by Interpol. The Léger was withdrawn from Sotheby’s sale in February 2008 and had previously not sold at Christie’s in May 2007; the Basquiat painting was seized by US authorities in November 2007 after a tip from Brazilian officers. The piece notes that the 29 works connected to Ferreira’s case include artists such as Francis Picabia, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, and sculptures by Henry Moore and Anish Kapoor.
stringgearnews.blogspot.com
The post covers Josef Lazar Model 20 Violin Outfit (4/4) listed at 499.99 dollars, now available at Musician's Friend. It describes features such as a hand-carved spruce top, flamed maple back and sides, ebony fingerboard and fittings, French bridge, Thomastic Dominant strings, hand-rubbed oil varnish, and a deluxe case with bow and accessories.
theartnewspaper.com
Martin Lawrence Galleries filed a lawsuit in New York Supreme Court against Jason Beltrez and Christie’s for the recovery of a Warhol painting stolen from its SoHo gallery in 1998. The work, Warhol’s Dollar Sign (1981) is valued at $300,000; Beltrez claims purchase for $180 at a New Jersey open-air market. Christie’s is named as a defendant solely as a stakeholder, with the painting to remain in its custody until resolution.