Monthly archive
25 headlines
Source-linked reporting
nypost.com
A Manhattan violin shop lost a $400,000 176-year-old violin consigned by Kyungah Yang. The instrument, a 1837 J.F. Pressenda fiddle, was lent to a stranger who did not return it, according to a Manhattan federal suit filed for $800,000.
business-standard.com
The article discusses a study suggesting master violin makers Stradivari and Guarneri attempted to imitate human vowels in their violins. Joseph Nagyvary, a biochemist, presented findings in the Savart Journal, and used recordings by violinist Itzhak Perlman and Metropolitan Opera soprano Emily Pulley to compare vowel sounds with violin tones.
robertoalborghetti.com
Pablo Picasso, “Madame Soler”; the heirs of Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy filed suit against the German State of Bavaria in SDNY to recover Picasso’s oil painting Madame Soler (1903). The case cites related 2009 and historical persecution of Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, noting the family’s wealth, prominence, and the impact of Nazi policies on their assets and art collection.
nbcnews.com
Tia Ghose reports for LiveScience, via NBC News, that research described in Savart Journal suggests great violin makers like Stradivari and Guarneri designed violins to imitate the human voice. The study compared violin vowel sounds to a Metropolitan Opera singer and Itzhak Perlman, indicating Guarneri and Stradivarius violins may reproduce English, French, and Italian vowels.
thenyindependent.com
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy heirs sue over Picasso's Madame Soler (1903) sold under Nazi duress; the painting is now with the Bavarian State Paintings Collection in Munich, with prior sale involving Mendelssohn & Co. and Justin Thannhauser; the heirs allege restitution issues and Nazi persecution implications.
latimes.com
The Los Angeles Times reports that a Stradivarius violin belonging to London-based musician Min-Jin Kym, stolen in 2010, has been identified as a replica recovered in Bulgaria and not the original 17th-century instrument. British authorities say the recovered violin is a training replica made within the last 100 years, while the original 1696 instrument remains unrecovered.
entertainment.time.com
The page reports that a Stradivarius violin stolen from Min-Jin Kym in London was recovered in Bulgaria as a replica, while the original instrument is valued at about £1.2 million (roughly $1.8 million). It notes a reward offered for the return of the instrument and bows, and references past Stradivarius incidents and ongoing media attention.
paulfrasercollectibles.com
Pablo Picasso's Le Reve (The Dream) sold privately for 155 million dollars, purchased by Steven Cohen of SAC Capital Advisors. The sale makes Le Reve the most valuable Picasso and the second most expensive artwork ever sold.
artforum.com
Steve A. Cohen reportedly purchased Picasso's 1932 portrait Le Rêve from Steve Wynn for $155 million, establishing a new record for the highest price paid by a US collector for an artwork. The deal was previously negotiated in 2006 for $139 million, but Wynn damaged the painting, leading to repairs and an eventual decline in its value before Cohen's acquisition, according to reports cited by The New York Post.
phys.org
The article discusses researchers claiming that Italian violin masters Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù tried to impart vowel-like elements to their violins. Joseph Nagyvary and collaborators compared violin tones to a soprano voice to show similarities in vowel sounds, suggesting a human-like vocal quality in instruments.
smh.com.au
Auction offers rosy picture despite market doldrums. The Laverty Collection auction, at Bonhams, drew 398 bidders and topped $5 million, with Aida Tomescu's Albastra III selling for $74,520 including premium. The event was described as the most successful contemporary art auction ever held in Australia.
archive.nytimes.com
The piece by Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim discusses Mondomusica New York and the market for historic violins, noting that Stradivari, Guadagnini, and Guarneri del Gesù instruments remain highly coveted but are often loaned or borrowed rather than purchased due to high prices.
reuters.com
The article discusses a rare Henri Matisse wife portrait by Andre Derain and Jackson Pollock's The Blue Unconscious, both expected to fetch as much as $20 million and up to $30 million respectively at New York spring auctions. Christie's highlights the 1905 Derain portrait of Amélie Matisse, and Sotheby's highlights Pollock's The Blue Unconscious from 1946, with prior records and exhibition plans mentioned.
economictimes.indiatimes.com
Pablo Picasso ceramics sold out at Sotheby’s London in a two-sale day, with all 100 important pieces from a private collection and strong results across a broader ceramics and prints auction. The event achieved £1,455,750 for Picasso ceramics, part of £2,075,125 for the ceramics and prints group, and the top Picasso item was Vase gros oiseau vert at £104,500. The morning session of Old Master, Modern & Contemporary Prints yielded top price Edvard Munch's Two Human Beings, The Lonely Ones at £986,500, with Warhol prints also featuring in the sale.
paulfrasercollectibles.com
The violin played by Wallace Hartley on the Titanic has been confirmed genuine and will be displayed in Belfast before auction; current owner is an experienced musician and potential sale could surpass the previous Titanic memorabilia auction record of £220,000 ($336,000).
press.christies.com
Nicolas Poussin’s Hannibal Crossing the Alps on an Elephant is to be offered at Christie’s London on 2 July 2013 in the Old Master & British Paintings Evening Auction. The work, dating from the early period of Poussin, is expected to realise £3 million to £5 million and has provenance from Cassiano dal Pozzo and Rubin Lipchitz, among others.
nypost.com
The salt-damaged violin of Titanic bandmaster Wallace Hartley has been authenticated as genuine and may be auctioned. The instrument, found with Hartley’s body, was submerged for 10 days and was later donated through several hands before reaching a private owner; auction and display plans were announced.
apnews.com
Cassandra Vinograd reports that Henry Aldridge & Son say a violin unearthed in 2006 is the instrument played by Titanic bandmaster Wallace Hartley, now undergoing tests to confirm its provenance. The auction house notes the rosewood violin is water-stained but well-preserved and valued in the six figures; it will be displayed at Belfast City Hall.
paulfrasercollectibles.com
A Hill violin bow sold for £3,600 ($5,454) at Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers on March 13, despite an estimated value of £80 ($121), representing a 4,400% increase on the top estimate. The bow, found in Cambridgeshire among rubbish with a violin, reportedly belonged to a vicar, and its maker is W E Hill and Son, noted as a premier 19th century British bow maker.
blog.sheetmusicnow.com
News reports discuss a Bulgarian police operation recovering a violin that may be the 1696 Stradivarius stolen from London’s Euston station in 2010. The instrument owner was Min-Jin Kym; a 40,000-pound reward was offered for its return, and two bows valued at 62,000 and 5,000 pounds were also taken.
artnews.com
The article reports Christie’s First Open sale of postwar and contemporary art at Rockefeller Center, where 239 of 297 lots sold for a total of $12.4 million, a record for First Open sales, with over $830,000 for Artists Space and just over $500,000 for the Brooklyn Museum. Notable works included Gerhard Richter’s untitled oil on paper (1986) selling for $782,500 and Peter Doig’s Coburg 3+1 more (1995) at $626,500; Kehinde Wiley’s Randerson Romualdo Cordeiro Study II (2012) sold for $35,000 and benefited the Brooklyn Museum, along with other strong results for artists such as Keltie Ferris and Angel Otero.
artslife.com
Greta Beretta reports that Sotheby’s ended 2012 with an overall loss of 8% or $63.3 million, a 37% drop in net gain and a 10% decline in sales, affecting commission revenue. Positive notes include growth in the Chinese market, more private sales, and strong results in Impressionist, Modern, and Contemporary art, including a record NYC sale of The Scream by Edward Munch at $119,922,500 and a Contemporary sale in November totaling $375,149,000 with top results for Rothko, Pollock, Warhol, and others.
cremonaoggi.it
Anna Serova is featured in the Cremonaoggi article about a concert at Museo Civico di Cremona. The viola Stauffer 1615 by Girolamo Amati (label also listing his brother Antonio) belongs to the Collezione Gli Archi di Palazzo Comunale and will be played by Serova with pianist Jenny Borgatti.
ionarts.blogspot.com
The 1741 Vieuxtemps Guarneri del Gesu, valued at $18 million when up for sale in 2010, has staged a comeback with American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers performing on it at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Meyers, owner of two other expensive Stradivarius violins, showcased the instrument’s mellifluous tone in a program including Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel and Mozart’s Violin Sonata K. 377.
sciencedaily.com
The article discusses evidence that Italian violin masters Stradivari and Guarneri tried to impart specific vowel sounds to their violins, as researched by Joseph Nagyvary of Texas A&M University. It mentions that vowels identified include Italian i and e, with some vowels resembling French and English, and references a recording by Itzhak Perlman and a voice study by Emily Pulley.