The page profiles Victor Bernard, born in 1985 near Paris, who studied at the Newark School of Violin Making (graduated 2008) and trained with bow maker Georges Tepho, Eric Fournier, Eric Grandchamp, Noel Burke, Robert Morrow, Stéphane Thomachot, and Emmanuel Carlier. He has worked with Maison Bernard in Brussels and Atelier Flagey in Brussels, and is a member of Ekho. He received Marcel Vatelot Foundation support in 2014 and has earned multiple awards in bow making competitions from 2012 to 2019.
The Alsdorf collection, valued around $50 million, will be offered at Christie’s New York across multiple sales, featuring works by Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, René Magritte, Georgia O’Keeffe, and other Modern, Impressionist, and Old Master artists. Highlights include Miró’s La Publicitat et le vase de fleurs (1916–17) estimated $2–$3 million, Picasso’s Portrait de Marie-Thérèse (1937) estimated $800,000–$1.2 million, Magritte’s Le seize Septembre (1957) with a potential price over $9 million, and the American sale including O’Keeffe’s Pink Spotted Lilies (1936) with a high estimate of $1.8 million.
The BBC News article reports that British Transport Police are seeking a man in connection with the theft of a 310-year-old Tecchler violin worth £250,000 from a train. The violin, made by David Tecchler in 1709, was taken after a passenger forgot it on a train between London Victoria and Orpington, with the thief seen boarding a connecting train to St Mary Cray.
The article reports that musician Stephen Morris, who has toured with Andrea Bocelli, left his 1709 David Tecchler violin worth £250,000 on a London to Orpington train. The instrument had been used on James Bond and Harry Potter scores and on tracks by Stevie Wonder and David Bowie; Morris’s wife lent him her violin so he could perform after the loss was discovered. The British Transport Police are treating it as lost property and are investigating.
The Independent reports that musician Stephen Morris, 51, left an 18th century David Tecchler violin worth about £250,000 on a train from London Victoria to Orpington. The instrument, made in Rome in 1709 and used in various films including The Lord of the Rings and The Dark Knight, is one of only a few existing. Morris, who has toured with Andrea Bocelli, says he is devastated and notes two valuable bows were in the case.
The William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation is selling works from the late philanthropist’s collection in New York City to benefit the Harlem Children’s Zone. Artists mentioned include Bill Traylor, Francisco Toledo, Fernando Botero, Alberto Giacometti, Leonardo Cremonini, George Boorujy, Thornton Dial, Wassily Kandinsky, and Joan Miró, with works at Christie’s New York, David Zwirner, and Sotheby’s New York, and a portion of proceeds going to the Harlem charity.
The article reports that Stephen Morris, a classical musician on tour with Andrea Bocelli, left his £250,000 310-year-old violin on a south London train. The instrument, one of a few made by David Tecchler in 1709, was in a distinctive white case and was lost on the London Victoria to Orpington service. Morris, who has played on film scores and recorded with notable artists, borrowed a violin from his wife to continue the tour and urged anyone with information to contact police.
The article reports that Southeastern, a British railway company, is helping police locate a 310-year-old violin left on a train by renowned violinist Stephen Morris. The instrument, made by David Tecchler in 1709, is valued at about £250,000 (approximately $321,000). The search involves reviewing CCTV footage, and Morris was scheduled to play with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Andrea Bocelli concerts.
The Sotheby’s Paris two-day sale of works from Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne’s private collection drew bidders from 43 countries, selling all 274 lots for $101.5 million (€91.3 million). Notable buyers included Jose Mugrabi and Antoine Arnault, with dealer Ben Brown and Sébastien Carvalho among participants; Claude Lalanne’s Small Crocodile Bench (2009) sold for $683,000 (€612,500).
Sotheby’s documents the market development behind All Things Beautiful: Property from an American Private Collection. Its account reports that otheby’s is honored to present a remarkable collection of fine art, works of art, and jewelry from an esteemed American Private Collection.
Mark Rothko, Blue Over Red, 1953, is highlighted for Sotheby’s November Contemporary Art Evening Auction in New York on 14 November 2019. The work carries an estimated price of 25,000,000 to 35,000,000 USD. The painting was completed in 1953 and is tied to Rothko’s critical mid-1950s color-emotional abstraction period.
Pablo Picasso and Emily Carr are among the highlighted artists in Heffel Fine Art Auction House's fall 2019 auction catalogue, which features 113 works estimated to total CAD 20 million to CAD 25 million. The sale takes place on November 20 in Toronto, with notable works including Emily Carr Street, Alert Bay (1912) and Picasso’s Femme au chapeau (1941).
The article reports that violinist Edvin Marton and his family were awakened by intruders who entered his Erdőszéli home in Budapest. Although the two burglars fled, the Stradivari violin, worth about seven million dollars (2 billion forints), remained untouched in the house. Marton recounts the incident and notes the instrument had been only temporarily in his home for a day.
The article discusses the Stradivari violin known as Ames, Totenberg, dating from 1734. It recounts its theft in 1980 from violinist Roman Totenberg and its recovery by the FBI 35 years later, including its subsequent restitution to Totenberg’s heirs and its loan to Nathan Meltzer for performances at La Mortella in Ischia.
The article covers the New World Symphony’s Viola Visions Festival: Three Centuries and Counting at the New World Center in Miami Beach, highlighting the participation of sixteen student violists and notable violists such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Nils Bultmann, Michael Klotz, Erik Rynearson, and Madeline Sharp. It notes the world premiere of Bultmann’s Concerto4 for Large Viola Ensemble and performances of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major with a lineup including Cynthia Phelps and Jonathan Vinocour.
The article by Erica Peterson and Bill Doolittle discusses the Violins of Hope touring exhibition now in Louisville at the Frazier History Museum, where Gabe Lefkowitz of the Louisville Orchestra tests about 14 playable violins from a collection of over 40, including a viola and cello, to plan possible concert performances. It notes that Violins of Hope comprises restored instruments used by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust, offering a hopeful historical perspective to modern audiences.
The Italian Administrative Court of Veneto ruled to allow Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man (c. 1490) to travel to Paris for a Louvre exhibition, reversing a lower court ruling that blocked the loan. The decision follows a two-year dispute with Italia Nostra, who argued the drawing was too fragile to travel. The Louvre’s loan agreement involves sending Raphael works to Rome for a 500th anniversary show, as reported by RTL and The New York Times.
Sotheby’s documents the market development behind Property from the Collection of Phyllis and C. Douglas Dillon. Its account reports that together, the Dillons were great patrons of the arts with a particular focus on helping and elevating the museums in New York City.
The article discusses violinist Richard Lin, who survived a bus crash in China and planned to perform with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in Indianapolis. It notes Lin’s rise, including winning the gold medal at the 2018 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and his prior experiences as a rising soloist.
David Hockney’s Sur la Terrasse, 1971, is highlighted in a Christie’s release announcing its upcoming sale. The work, owned by a private collection for nearly half a century, had not appeared at auction and will be seen in public again in October at Christie’s Los Angeles ahead of the November Evening Sale of Post-War & Contemporary Art. The estimated price range is $25–$45 million.
Sotheby’s documents the market development behind One of Only Six Surviving Works from Francis Bacon's 'Tangier' Series Will Come to Auction. Its account reports that his November, one of just six surviving paintings from Francis Bacon's famed Tangier series will be offered in Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Auction.
Sotheby’s documents the market development behind Next-Gen Buyers Drive Successful Hong Kong Sales Series. Its account reports that the autumn sales series at Sotheby’s Hong Kong attracted a new generation of art collectors, with 25% of all buyers aged under 40 years old.
Gabriel Lefkowitz, concertmaster of the Louisville Orchestra, performs on the Auschwitz violin during a media event at the Frazier Kentucky History Museum as part of Violins of Hope in Louisville. The article explains Violins of Hope, a collection of Holocaust-surviving instruments restored by Amnon Weinstein, with portions to be exhibited at the Frazier and others to be performed by the LO.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong autumn auctions concluded with total sales of HK$3.35 billion, or US$426 million, marking the sixth consecutive Hong Kong series to exceed US$400 million. The sale, held across 20 auctions at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, saw 3,423 lots sold and participation from buyers in nearly 40 countries, with top lots including Sanyu’s Nu and Yoshitomo Nara’s Knife Behind Back.
Banksy’s Devolved Parliament sold for $12.2 million at Sotheby’s London, setting an auction record. Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Pyro also sold for $12.2 million. Basquiat’s Natives Carrying Things sold for $4 million.
Yoshitomo Nara's Knife Behind Back (2000) sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for HK$195,696,000 (US$24.9 million), surpassing the artist’s previous record. The painting measured over seven by six feet and sold after a 10-minute bidding battle; the consigner had acquired it from Blum & Poe.
Yoshitomo Nara’s Knife Behind Back (2000) sold for $24.9 million with premium at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, on a night when Liu Ye’s Smoke (2001–2) also set a record in the Chinese contemporary art sale. The Nara result HK$538 million ($68.6 million) exceeded its pre-sale high estimate, while Liu Ye’s work reached HK$52 million ($6.7 million).
Sanyu's Nu sold for a record HK$198 million (US$25.2 million) at Sotheby’s first evening sale of the Autumn 2019 Hong Kong series, setting a new benchmark for the artist, on day two of the sale.
Nathan Le, the silver medal winner of the 2019 Stulberg International String Competition, is featured in a WMUK piece by Cara Lieurance about the upcoming season-opening concert at Miller Auditorium on Sunday, Oct 6 at 3 pm, where Le will perform Sergei Prokofiev's Symphonia Concertante for Cello and Orchestra, with Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 and Festive Overture also on the program.
The article covers Sotheby’s Frieze Week sale, noting Banksy’s Devolved Parliament setting a record at £12 million, and that the final night total was £54.7 million ($67.3 million). It highlights Basquiat, Bacon, and Italian postwar artists like Manzoni, Fontana, and Burri as the top blue-chip draws, with Nicole Eisenman’s Close to the Edge also attracting strong bidding.
Banksy’s Devolved Parliament, a painting of chimpanzees in Britain’s House of Commons, sold for £9.9 million ($12.1 million) at Sotheby’s during Frieze week, a record for the artist at auction. The sale surpassed its £1.5–2 million estimate and was reported alongside Basquiat’s Pyro; Francis Bacon’s Figure with Monkey also sold, slightly above its estimate. Sotheby’s noted Banksy’s ownership change discussions before the sale, with Emma Baker leading the sale.
Banksy’s Devolved Parliament (2009) sold for about $12.2 million at Sotheby’s London, setting a record for the artist; the sale totaled about £54.7 million (roughly $67.3 million).
Sotheby’s documents the market development behind Sotheby’s Breaks the Record for Banksy in Frieze Week Contemporary Sale. Its account reports that he Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction set the art world alight on Thursday when Banksy's hotly anticipated Devolved Parliament smashed its pre-sale estimate, soaring to £9.9 million and setting a new world record for the artist.
The article discusses Christie’s London sale of Jeremy Lancaster’s collection during Frieze Week, with 53 lots estimated at £13.7 million to £19.5 million and 48 sold for £23 million. It notes bidders from 25 countries and highlights works by Philip Guston, including Language I (1973/1979 context), as part of the collection that also featured works by Howard Hodgkin, Bridget Riley, Josef Albers, Pablo Picasso, and Alberto Giacometti.
Sotheby’s documents the market development behind Everything You Can Imagine is Real | Property from an Important Private European Collection. Its account reports that otheby’s is honored to present at auction Everything You Can Imagine is Real: Property from an Important Private European Collection, a remarkable group of masterworks by artists from the late-19th and early-20th centuries such as Monet, Chagall, Léger and Picasso.
The Art Newspaper reports on Christie’s London sale of the Jeremy Lancaster collection during Frieze Week, noting a total of £23m with fees (£18.8m core sale) and a 91% sell-through across 53 lots. The collection, assembled by British businessman Jeremy Lancaster and informed by dealers like Leslie Waddington, spans post-war British works with American and European pieces, and was described by Christie’s as an electric sale but ultimately buoyant.