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business-standard.com
Reuters New York reports that a rare Stradivari viola known as the MacDonald Viola, crafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1719, is expected to fetch more than $45 million in a sealed bids sale, potentially setting a world record for the most expensive musical instrument. Sotheby’s is conducting the sale with Ingles & Hayday, and the highest bid will be announced on June 25.
cnbc.com
The article discusses a rare 1719 Stradivarius viola known as The Macdonald, potentially selling for more than $45 million in a private Sotheby's sale. It notes the instrument’s rarity, its private ownership, and compares it to the record auction price for a musical instrument.
antena3.com
The article discusses Sotheby’s plan to auction the MacDonald viola by Stradivari in a sealed bid, with expected proceeds above $45 million (about €32.62 million). It notes that Stradivari violas are extremely rare, with only about ten surviving, and mentions the 1719 Macdonald viola as one of the two produced in Stradivari’s golden period (1700-1720). Quotes from Sotheby’s vice president David Redden, Ingles & Hayday’s Tim Ingles, and violist David Aaron Carpenter are included, highlighting its exceptional preservation and significance, and noting that Carpenter will perform in New York and Paris as part of the sale process.
hyperallergic.com
Artemisia Gentileschi, “Self-Portrait as a Lute Player” (c. 1616–18) was acquired by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut, in a January Christie’s auction for an amount described as not near the low estimate of $3 million. The work, now not on view, was funded by the Charles H. Schwartz Endowment Fund as 2014.4.1 and is associated with Gentileschi’s Caravaggisti circle and Florence’s cultural context.
ibtimes.co.uk
The Macdonald viola, a 300-year-old Stradivari, is expected to sell for £27m ($45m) in a sealed bid auction by Sotheby's and Ingles & Hayday. It is one of 10 surviving Stradivari violas and the only one from his golden period (1700–1720). Violaist David Aaron Carpenter will perform on the instrument at Sotheby’s in Paris and New York in the lead-up to the sale; the piece is offered by the family of the late Peter Schidlof.
voanews.com
The article reports that a rare Stradivari viola known as the 'MacDonald' Viola, made in 1719 by Antonio Stradivari, is expected to fetch over $45 million in a sealed bids sale at Sotheby's in New York, potentially setting a world record for a musical instrument. It notes that the instrument is one of only two Stradivari violas privately owned, with the other housed in the Library of Congress, and cites comments from Tim Ingles of Ingles & Hayday and Reuters."
prnewswire.com
LeoGroup announced the purchase of a Stradivarius violin using bitcoin. The instrument, described as a gold‑standard Stradivarius, was purchased to be enjoyed by owners and the public in concert venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center; the seller was Carpenter Fine Violins.
artslife.com
ArtsLife reports that Sotheby’s, in collaboration with Ingles & Hayday, will offer the rare Stradivari viola known as Macdonald in New York in spring. The instrument, one of only about ten Stradivari violas remaining, is described as the finest of Stradivari’s violas and is expected to exceed $45 million. The viola has a documented provenance dating back to the 1820s when purchased by Godfrey Bosville and later by Peter Schidlof of the Amadeus Quartet; it has remained out of the market for more than 50 years.
huffpost.com
The article discusses Stradivari's MacDonald viola, one of only 10 Stradivari-made violas and part of his Golden Period, with an estimated value of at least $45 million. David Aaron Carpenter performs an informal recital at Sotheby’s, aiming to showcase the viola’s potential and wake it from a decades-long vault rest.
news.artnet.com
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, On the Shore of the Seine (Paysage Bord du Seine) (circa 1879), stolen in 1951, is returning to the Baltimore Museum of Art in The Renoir Returns, March 30–July 20. The painting, which resurfaced at auction in 2012, was previously owned by Saidie A. May and later acquired by the BMA; a 1951 insurance payment and a 2012 auction are part of the timeline leading to its current exhibit.
pbs.org
The PBS News page discusses Sotheby's sealed bidding for the Macdonald Stradivari viola, valued at more than $45 million, highlighting its rarity as one of only two Stradivarius violas owned privately. It references the previous record price of the Lady Blunt Stradivari violin at $15.9 million and includes comments from Samuel Zygmuntowicz on instrument value and collectability.
news.artnet.com
Vincent van Gogh, Le café de nuit (The Night Café) (1888) will remain at Yale University Art Gallery after a Connecticut court ruled against the heir of Ivan Morozov. The painting, valued at $120 million, was originally confiscated by the Bolsheviks in 1918 and donated to Yale in 1961.
pizzicato.lu
David Aaron Carpenter performed on the MacDonald Stradivari viola at Sotheby’s New York. The instrument, described as the most valuable ever, has an asking price of $45 million, setting a new world-record context for a musical instrument. Carpenter notes the instrument’s perfection and aims to keep it available to musicians.
news.artnet.com
Jackson Pollock Number 5 (Elegant Lady), 1951 is mentioned with an estimated price of US$15,000,000 to US$20,000,000. The painting has been in the E.ON collection and on loan to Museum Kunstpalast, and will be offered at Christie’s New York in May. The article notes provenance involving Martha Jackson and Edith Mezger, and discusses public-private partnerships in Germany.
privateartinvestor.com
Henri Matisse, Profil Bleu devant la cheminée (Woman in Blue in Front of a Fireplace), dated 1937, stolen on 5 September 1941 from the Rosenberg family and later restituted to the Rosenberg heirs. The painting had been displayed at the Henie Onstad Kunstenter (HOK) in Norway; Art Recovery International and Chris Marinello helped resolve the case and the HOK agreed to restitute the work, marking a notable restitution under the Washington Principles.
dailynews.com
The article discusses Strad Fest L.A., a four-day event by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra featuring eight Stradivarius violins. It mentions owner Jerry Kohl of the 1716 “Milstein” Stradivarius, LACO concertmaster Margaret Batjer, and luthier Peter Beare, with the cumulative value of the violins stated as north of $40 million.
ingleshayday.com
Ingles & Hayday's inaugural auction in London on May 21 achieved £2,260,000 (€2,640,000). The top lot was a Grand Pattern Nicolò Amati violin from Cremona, 1658, which sold for £432,000 (€504,225) after an initial estimate of £200,000–£300,000.
ingleshayday.com
Leila Josefowicz is selling the Bergonzi violin she has used for the last 12 years, dated around 1750s and made by Michele Angelo Bergonzi. The item is estimated to bring between £100,000 and £150,000 ($159,825-239,738).
nordonart.wordpress.com
The article discusses Jackson Pollock, Number 5 (Elegant Lady), 1951, with an estimated price of US$ 15-20 million for Christie’s May 2014 Post-War and Contemporary Art sale. It notes the painting’s provenance involving Martha Jackson and Alfred Schmela and mentions E.ON as the owner planning to use the proceeds to support art and culture activities, including Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf.
bbc.com
Matisse painting Woman in a Blue Dress in front of a Fireplace was on display at Henie Onstad Art Centre (HOK) since 1968 and is being returned to the family of Paul Rosenberg. The work, valued at about $20 million, was looted by the Nazis during World War II and previously changed hands several times before ending up at Onstad.
independent.ie
Christy Brown archive, including unseen photographs, sketches and poetry, remains in Ireland after being auctioned at Bonhams in London for €44,820. The National Library of Ireland and the Little Museum of Dublin purchased the collection, with support from Direct Medical.
artnews.com
The article reports that Richard Prince and his gallery Gagosian settled with photographer Patrick Cariou, ending a lengthy copyright dispute over Prince’s Canal Zone paintings that incorporated Cariou’s photographs. The case began in 2009, with a 2011 ruling prompting destruction of some materials, and an appellate reversal in 2013 on most counts; the settlement concludes the matter with no further infringement claims.
pbssocal.org
Maxwell Williams reports on the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's Strad Fest L.A., highlighting the Milstein Stradivarius and other Stradivari instruments. The piece discusses the allure and history of Strads and mentions collector Jerry Kohl and Brighton Collectibles in relation to Stradivari ownership.
straussart.co.za
Irma Stern Dakar Woman sold for R6.6 million; Stanley Faraday Pinker Love sold for R3,410,400; Alexis Preller Red Angel sold for R2,842,000; Maggie Laubser A Harvest Scene at Oortmanspost Farm sold for R2,273,600. The RB Stuttaford Will Trust and the Estate Late Mrs DE Stuttaford-Burton sale realised over R3.1 million; other highlighted works include Robert Gwelo Goodman views sold for R522,928 and R409,248. The auction total was R40 million with an 88.49% sell-through rate.
Sotheby’s
A profile of Peng Wei explores how borrowed correspondence and classical imagery create a layered meditation on intimacy and separation.
vogue.com
Amy Cappellazzo, Christie’s chairman for postwar and contemporary development, is profiled in Vogue discussing her influence on the contemporary art market. The piece notes record prices, such as Francis Bacon’s 1969 painting sold at Christie’s, and describes Cappellazzo’s role in Christie’s dominance over Sotheby’s.
Sotheby’s
An interview with UCCA director Philip Tinari addresses the institution’s program, audience and position within China’s rapidly developing contemporary-art ecosystem.
npr.org
Anne Akiko Meyers acquires the Vieuxtemps Guarneri violin, valued at about $16 million, and performs with NPR in Studio 1; the instrument, named for its famous owner Henri Vieuxtemps, is on loan for Meyers' life and features on the recording The Four Seasons: The Vivaldi Album.
Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s recounts how a collector’s connoisseurship and gift strengthened the Frick Collection’s holdings and public presentation.
news.artnet.com
Jean-Michel Basquiat with Oxidized Portrait by Warhol, 1987. Photo: Tseng Kwong Chi, courtesy Eric Firestone Gallery. The article reports a $1 million lawsuit filed by Basquiat’s sisters alleging that Christie’s is offering works attributed to Basquiat that are not authenticated by his estate; the sale stems from Alexis Adler’s collection and includes various works such as sketchbooks, prints, and collages.
news.artnet.com
Leonardo da Vinci, Salvator Mundi (circa 1515) is discussed as being sold in a private transaction brokered by Sotheby’s for between $75 million and $80 million. The work, once owned by King Charles I of England and previously attributed to Boltraffio, has a damaged panel and signs of over-painting.
news.artnet.com
Robert Rauschenberg works Gull (Jammer), 1976; Melic Meeting (Spread), 1979; Vow (Jammer), 1976; Bande de Sureté / Twin City / Nipples (Cardboard), 1971 are discussed as acquisitions by six US museums through a gift/purchase program initiated by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Museums involved include the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and three New York institutions: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The program funds acquisitions over three years with potential donations, and some works are already on view at MoMA and with other institutions.
Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s reports on Xu Bing’s monumental phoenix sculptures at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and the labor history embedded in their materials.
archive.nytimes.com
The painterly work discussed is Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, whose private sale exceeded $75 million in 2013 to an unidentified collector. The piece was brokered by Sotheby’s and later publicized by trade insiders, including Anthony Crichton-Stuart.
internationalentertainment.blogspot.com
The Leo Group announces the purchase of a Stradivarius violin using bitcoin, described as a multi-million dollar contract that was conceived by LeoGroup and executed on February 27 and closed March 24. The instrument, a Stradivarius, will be enjoyed by owners and the public at venues like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and was sold by Carpenter Fine Violins.
internationalentertainmentnews.blogspot.com
LeoGroup announces the purchase of a golden period Stradivarius violin using Bitcoin. The instrument, built by Antonio Stradivarius, was involved in a bitcoin-priced contract that closed on March 24, 2014, with sale by Carpenter Fine Violins. The violin is intended for public enjoyment in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.
art-crime.blogspot.com
John Constable, Beaching a Boat, Brighton, currently in the Tate Gallery, is recommended by the UK Spoliation Advisory Panel for return to the heirs of Baron Ferenc Hatvany. The painting was lost in 1945 and belonged to a Hungarian collector with provenance through Isabel Constable and the Dowdeswell and Cheramy collections, with later possession by the Soviet Economic Officers’ Commission.