Monthly archive
26 headlines
Source-linked reporting
engadget.com
James Trew reports that Radiologist Steven Sirr scanned a 307-year-old Stradivarius with a CAT scanner, converted the data into 3D CAD, and produced a replica whose sound Sirr says is amazingly similar to the original.
breuerpress.com
The 1697 Stradivari violin nicknamed Cecilia, appeared in Budapest and was lent for five years to violinist Kokas Katalin by Zelnik István and the Aranymúzeum. The instrument was presented in Budapest with Szőcs Géza and Kokas Katalin; a private concert followed. The violin’s provenance traces back to the Egri érsekség, was brought to Hungary by Pyrker János in 1827, and after a period of obscurity was identified as a genuine Stradivarius through expert assessments in London, Vienna, and England, with a certificate confirming its Stradivari origin.
theverge.com
The Verge reports that researchers used modern CAT scanners to produce replicas of a 1704 Stradivarius violin called Betts, creating a CAD model and a carved reproduction via a computer-controlled milling machine. Dr. Steven Sirr describes how 1,000 CAT scan images informed the replication, with the aim of providing affordable access to treasured instruments.
bbc.co.uk
BBC News reports that a US-based team led by Dr Sirr used a CAT scanner to image a 307-year-old Stradivarius violin and created three nearly exact replicas. The project, presented at the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago, involved converting over 1,000 CAT scans into CAD files to study wood density and structure for replicas.
publico.es
The article discusses researchers including radiologist Steve Sirr and luthiers who explore cloning Stradivarius violins using medical technology. It mentions 3D scanning, a CT scanner, and CNC milling to create a clone of a 1704 Betts Stradivarius from the Library of Congress, with context about Cremona luthiers and the Stradivari myth.
cbc.ca
Jean Paul Lemieux's painting Nineteen Ten Remembered sold at Heffel Fine Art auction in Toronto for 2 million, or 2.34 million with buyer's premium, setting a new record for a contemporary Canadian artwork.
worldcollectorsnet.com
Carl Barks the Sport of Tycoons (1974) sold for $262,900, setting a world record at Heritage Auctions' Vintage Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction as part of the Kerby Confer Collection. Other top pieces included Donald Duck Sheriff of Bullet Valley Oil Painting Original Art (1973) at $107,550 and McDuck of Duckburg at $101,575, with additional notable pieces from Jerry Robinson, Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, and a Batman first appearance page from Ben Novack Jr.’s collection reaching $101,575.
reuters.com
Fernando Botero's 2007 bronze Dancers sold for $1.76 million at Christie's in New York, setting a record for Botero sculptures at auction. The sale, part of Christie's Latin American sale, totaled $15.3 million and featured records for several Brazilian artists, including Francisco Toledo with his 1975 Vaca Roja (Red Cow), which sold for $902,500.
artnews.com
Roy Lichtenstein's I Can See the Whole Room, 1961 sold for $43.2 million (estimate $35–45 million). Other top lots included Mark Rothko’s White Cloud, 1956, which sold at $16.5 million (estimate $18–25 million) and Willem de Kooning’s Untitled XI, 1975–6, at $6.5 million (estimate $7–9 million). Cy Twombly’s Untitled (Lexington Virginia), 1959, fetched $4.6 million (estimate $5–7 million) and Twombly’s Untitled (New York), 1955/2002, brought $1.4 million (estimate $1.5–2 million) with premium.
newyorkarts.net
Sabine Meyer and the Modigliani String Quartet perform works by Mozart, Schumann and Ian Munro. The concert featured Sabine Meyer (clarinet) with the Modigliani String Quartet, including Philippe Bernhard and Loïc Rio (violins), Laurent Marfaing (viola), and François Kieffer (cello). The program included Schumann String Quartet in A major, Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A major K581, and Ian Munro works for clarinet and strings; performances were noted in Sydney, Newcastle, and Melbourne in November 2011.
bbc.com
Andreas Gursky's Rhein II, a glass-mounted panoramic colour print created in 1999, sold for $4.3 million (£2.7 million) at Christie's New York, setting a new auction record for a photograph. The print is one of an edition of six, with other copies housed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern in London, Munich's Pinakothek der Moderne, and Glenstone in the US.
artinvestment.ru
Sotheby’s sold Clifford Still’s 1949-A-No. 1 for 61.7 million dollars, a new personal record for the artist, with the sale taking place during Sotheby’s New York contemporary art auction. The overall contemporary sale brought about 316 million dollars, and the event included protests outside the auction house.
slippedisc.com
The article reports that a Guadagnini violin previously owned by Maestro Lorin Maazel sold for $1,080,000 all-in, with proceeds benefiting the Castleton Festival. It mentions Maazel’s quote about the instrument and notes the violin’s provenance dating to 1783 and its association with Giovanni Battista Guadagnini.
artnews.com
Sotheby’s held an evening sale of Impressionist and modern art, with 70 lots offered and 57 sold for a total of $199.8 million, beating the pre-sale estimate. The star lot was Gustav Klimt’s Litzlberg am Attersee, ca. 1914–15, which sold for $40.4 million with premium after bidding from a Zurich dealer and a room bidder.
music.yale.edu
Solomon Liang and In Hwa Lee were named first prize winners in the Alexander & Buono International String Competition. Liang is a violinist and Lee is a cellist; both were featured as soloists in the winner's concert at Carnegie Hall on November 20, 2011. Other first-prize winners in the college/professional division were Erno Kallai (violin) and Jay Song (cello), with second-prize winners Ann Bermont (violin), David Gale (violin), Dmitry Volkov (cello), and Hye-ri Jang (cello).
nytimes.com
Keith Christiansen and Maryan W. Ainsworth discuss the Met’s acquisition of a two-sided Hans Schäufelein panel, bought after Sotheby’s sale with Otto Naumann’s involvement; the Met purchased it for an undisclosed price after originally obtaining right of first refusal.
artsjournal.com
Sotheby’s held an Impressionist/Modern sale with strong demand and a notable Klimt work, “Litzlberg am Attersee,” realizing $36 million before buyer’s premium and $40.4 million with premium; the event followed Christie’s weaker results and compared press coverage noted by CultureGrrl. The Klimt was restituted by the Salzburg Museum of Modern Art to the heir of a Nazi victim.
yle.fi
The article reports that the Kulttuurirahasto purchased what was believed to be a Stradivarius violin in 1993 but recent experts concluded it was made by Girolamo Amati, Hieronymus II. The instrument, known as professor Faltin's violin, was once used by Elina Vähälä and its estimated value dropped from about one million euros to half that after the attribution change. The Kulttuurirahasto states it bought a rare baroque violin made by Giovanni Battista Rogeri, one of the Brescia school’s esteemed luthiers, highlighting the rarity of baroque violins preserved in original condition.
observer.com
Klimt's Litzlberg am Attersee (1914–1915) sold for $40.4 million with premium during Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern art auction, contributing to a total sale of $199.8 million. The report notes record results for Gustave Caillebotte, Tamara de Lempicka, and a post-1960 Picasso sale for $23 million.
bbc.com
Gustav Klimt's 1915 landscape Litzlberg on the Attersee, looted by the Nazis and returned to Georges Jorisch, sold for $40.4 million (£25.4 million) at a Sotheby’s sale in New York. Other notable results included Picasso's L'Aubade at $23 million (£14.5 million) and Gustave Caillebotte's Le pont d'Argenteuil et la Seine at $9.3 million (£5.8 million).
artnews.com
The Sotheby’s Impressionist and modern sale totaled $199.8 million, above its low estimate and with over 80 percent of the 70 lots sold, led by Gustav Klimt’s Litzlberg am Attersee which realized $40.4 million. The event followed Christie’s weaker results, and protesters and unionized workers were visible outside the York Avenue building.
latimes.com
Sam Francis Foundation sues nine galleries in Northern and Southern California seeking royalties under California's Resale Royalty Act. The lawsuits allege the galleries failed and refused to pay the 5% royalty to the Sam Francis Foundation for resales of artworks. The complaints were filed in Los Angeles and San Francisco Superior Courts by attorney Eric George.
artsjournal.com
The article discusses Sotheby’s private sale of Henri Matisse’s The Backs sculptures, with the Burnett Foundation withdrawing the four bronze reliefs from auction and the purchaser remaining confidential; an update notes the buyer was a private collector.
art-crime.blogspot.com
Gustav Klimt's 1915 landscape painting Litzlberg on the Attersee, sold by Sotheby's in New York City for $40.4 million. The work was returned in July to the grandson of Amalie Redlich, Georges Jorisch, now living in Montreal, following Austrian restitution law.
radlontoc.blogspot.com
The Manila Symphony Orchestra closed their Gala Season with a concert conducted by Alexander Vikulov, featuring Arturo Molina on violin, Greg Zuniega on piano, and Victor Coo on cello. The program included Beethoven's Overture from Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43; Triple Concerto in C major, Op. 56; and Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92.
artobserved.com
Gustav Klimt’s landscape was restituted to the heir of the original owner and sold for $40 million (including fees). Henri Matisse Nu De Dos was withdrawn from the sale. The Sotheby’s New York Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Auction realized $200 million from 57 of 70 lots sold, with the Klimt artwork selling for about $40 million with fees.