Monthly archive
33 headlines
Source-linked reporting
news.artnet.com
The article reports that Sotheby’s Old Master paintings evening sale and daytime drawings in New York together brought in about $76 million, led by a Tiepolo altarpiece. It highlights Andrea Mantegna’s The Triumph of Alexandria selling for a record $11.7 million and Bernardino di Betto di Biagio (Pinturicchio) Madonna and Child selling for $920,000, among other results.
sothebys.com
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s Madonna of the Rosary with Angels sold for $17.3 million, setting a record; Andrea Mantegna’s The Triumph of Alexandria sold for $11.7 million, a new drawing record; the auction total across 4 sales was $94.3 million; 338 lots sold, 15 exceeded $1 million.
culturetype.com
Alma Thomas, Norman Lewis, and Charles White each reached new auction highs in New York evening sales, with Thomas's A Fantastic Sunset (1970) achieving a record; Christie’s and Sotheby’s were the auction houses involved. The article notes records and prior high benchmarks for the artists, including Thomas’s earlier sale of Azaleas (1969) at Sotheby’s.
sothebys.com
Sotheby’s press release highlights three restituted works by Camille Pissarro, Paul Signac, and Signac, including Gelée blanche, jeune paysanne faisant du feu (1888) estimated £8,000,000–£12,000,000 and Corne d’Or, matin (1907) estimated £5,000,000–£7,000,000, as well as Signac’s Quai de Clichy. Temps gris (est. £600,000–£800,000) details the provenance involving Gaston Lévy and the Nazi-era looting and restitution. Fernand Léger figures with Nature morte (1923) estimated £2,200,000–£2,800,000, marking the auction debut of Léger works from Roger Dutilleul’s collection.
theviolinchannel.com
Julian Rhee, a 19-year-old American, was awarded first prize at the 2020 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition in Boca Raton, Florida. He will receive US $30,000 plus career development support; runner-up prizes went to Jun Min Choi and Igor Khukhua, and Vikram Francesco Sedona received an honorable mention.
slippedisc.com
The article reports that Chetham’s student Poppy Wald-Harding, 18, left an 1804 Joseph Strauss violin on a train at Manchester Victoria station; her mother is appealing for its return. An update states the violin has been found in Lost Property.
en.vijesti.me
The article reports that a 19th century Domenico Montano violin, valued at about half a million euros, was stolen and later recovered by Novi Sad police and returned to Paganini Lajko Felix from Vojvodina. The instrument, made in 1800, is described as very rare with only 15 such violins in the world, and ownership is noted as belonging to Markus Barbarosa of Vienna.
longmontleader.com
The article discusses a Longmont Museum presentation on two priceless violins, a Stradivari and a Guarneri del Gesu, owned by Dr. William Sloan and Professor Judy Sloan. The event features violinist Andrew Sords, pianist Susan Olenwine, and Longmont Symphony Orchestra musicians, with the violins exhibited at the museum.
novisad.com
The article reports that the expensive 1800s Domenico Montano violin stolen in Bačko Petrovo Selo on 1 November was recovered and returned to Lajko Feliks (Lajk Feliks) in Novi Sad. The instrument, valued at about half a million euros, was found on 18 December and three suspects were arrested; Feliks, a renowned virtuoso, expressed appreciation and played the violin.
news.artnet.com
Artnet News reports that the Louvre hired Emmanuelle Polack to investigate suspect acquisitions during the Vichy regime. Polack identified 10 works in the Louvre’s collection that belonged to a Jewish lawyer before a forced sale, with a restitution claim from his heirs. The effort follows previous Louvre steps toward restitution of looted works from the Nazi era.
salonprivemag.com
The article discusses Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 4 February featuring three restituted works tied to Gaston Lévy, including a Pissarro Pointillist work, Gelée blanche, jeune paysanne faisant du feu, and other works by Signac.
web.archive.org
_ARTICLE_ discusses the Louvre hiring Emmanuelle Polack, a Nazi-loot expert, to investigate its collection and identify 10 works that belonged to a Jewish lawyer and were looted during the Nazi era; these works are now the subject of a restitution claim. The piece mentions the 2017 galleries for orphaned works and polack's prior work, including a 1942 auction in Nice and involvement of René Huyghe in acquiring 12 pieces for the Louvre.
artlawandmore.com
Gustav Klimt's Portrait of a Lady (1917) resurfaced 24 years after theft from the Galleria d’Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi in Piacenza and has been confirmed authentic. The painting, once owned by Giuseppe Ricci Oddi, was found hidden inside a wall at the Ricci Oddi Museum in December 2019 with verification announced January 17, 2020.
artsy.net
Vincent van Gogh Self-Portrait (1889) from the National Museum Oslo, previously questioned since 1970, has been authenticated after research by Norway’s National Museum and Van Gogh Museum. The work is tied to Van Gogh’s psychotic period and is linked to his letters describing the piece as an attempt from when he was ill.
news.artnet.com
Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of a Lady (1917) was authenticated after being found hidden in a wall at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi in Piacenza. The painting had been missing since February 1997 and was confirmed authentic by conservation experts and authorities after forensic analysis and examination, including infrared and x-ray imaging that revealed an earlier painting underneath.
lethbridgenewsnow.com
Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of a Lady, recovered from inside the Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery walls in Piacenza, Italy, is authenticated as the missing work stolen in 1997. The work was examined after a gardener found a hidden panel door and a plastic bag containing the painting.
thenationalnews.com
The National reports that the stolen Klimt painting Portrait of a Lady, painted circa 1916, was recovered after 23 years and authenticated; the work was found inside the walls of the same Piacenza gallery building where it was stolen.
bbc.co.uk
Gustav Klimt's Portrait of a Lady, stolen in Piacenza in 1997, was found concealed in a wall of the Ricci Oddi Gallery of Modern Art. The artwork is valued at about €60 million (roughly $66 million). Experts confirmed its authenticity after infrared and ultraviolet tests; further verification will determine if it was concealed since the theft or placed there later.
inews.co.uk
The article discusses Alistair McCulloch, a professional violinist and traditional music tutor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, who is the only person permitted to play the Gregg violin, a instrument associated with Robert Burns and housed at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway. He is currently touring the US to perform Scottish folk music on the Gregg violin, marking the 20th anniversary of the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA.
myscena.org
The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts at Queen’s University announced eight semi-finalists for the Bader and Overton Canadian Cello Competition in Kingston, Ontario, with the event taking place May 6-9, 2020. Prize details include 1st prize of 20,000 CAD, 2nd prize 6,000 CAD, 3rd prize 4,000 CAD, and a 1,000 CAD audience prize.
pressherald.com
The painting identified as Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of a Lady was found hidden inside the Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery in Piacenza, Italy, and authenticated as Klimt’s work that had been missing since 1997. The gallery acquired the work in 1925 and it was reported missing in February 1997; authorities verified the painting after infrared and other non-invasive analyses. The piece is believed to be in good condition with minor edge damage likely from removal efforts.
Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s documents the market development behind Iconic Works by Sir Alfred J. MunningsTo Lead Sotheby’s 19th Century European Art Auction 31 January. Its account reports that nEW YORK, 17 January 2020 - Sotheby’s is pleased to unveil highlights from the 19th Century European Art sale on 31 January in New York.
nts.org.uk
On 16 Jan 2020, a historic 18th‑century violin linked to Robert Burns is being toured in the United States as part of Burns celebrations. It is part of the National Trust for Scotland’s Burns collection and will be accompanied by Scottish violinist Alistair McCulloch in a collaboration between the Scottish Government, the National Trust for Scotland, and the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA.
press.christies.com
Tamara de Lempicka’s Portrait de Marjorie Ferry (1932, estimate £8,000,000-12,000,000) is highlighted for Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale on 5 February 2020 in London. The piece was commissioned by Marjorie Ferry’s husband and is described in the release as an iconic, vibrant Art Deco portrait that captures the sitter’s vitality.
sothebys.com
Three works restituted to the heirs of Gaston Lévy are led by Camille Pissarro's Gelée blanche, jeune paysanne faisant du feu, which heads to auction as part of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale in London on 4 February. The package includes works with restitution history linked to the Nazi era, including pieces restituted from the Musée d’Orsay and a painting once in Hildebrand Gurlitt’s collection.
sothebys.com
Camille Pissarro's Gelée blanche, jeune paysanne faisant du feu is highlighted as the jewel of Sotheby’s restituted works in an Impressionist, Modern & Surrealist Art Evening Sale in February 2020. The article discusses restitutions to the heirs of Gaston Lévy and mentions related works by Signac and the provenance involving the Château des Bouffards and Hildebrand Gurlitt.
artnews.com
Restitution: Three works restituted to the heirs of Gaston Lévy with an estimated total of over $17 million will be sold at Sotheby’s in February, including two Signac port paintings and Camille Pissarro’s Gelée blanche, jeune paysanne faisant du feu which could reach $10.4 million. The Signac works include La Corne d’Or and Quai de Clichy. Temps Gris, and the Clichy painting’s provenance links to objects hoarded by Cornelius Gurlitt and returned by the German government. The Gelée blanche painting was in the Musée d’Orsay and was returned to the heirs in 2018.
bloemfonteincourant.co.za
The Bloemfontein Courant reports that a 25-year-old UFS music student was arrested for theft and possession of suspected stolen property after a cello worth R60 000 was recovered in Park Road following an orchestra performance at the University of the Free State in September 2019.
theviolinchannel.com
The Violin Channel reports a 1908 A. E. Smith violin has been stolen in Melbourne on January 9, 2020. The instrument is valued at AUD 70,000. Also taken were several bows and other string instruments. Authorities can be contacted at 1800 333 000.
theartnewspaper.com
The Art Newspaper reports that representatives of Oscar Stettiner’s grandson allege a Paris archive document strengthens the claim that Amedeo Modigliani’s Seated Man with a Cane (1918) is the same painting looted by the Nazis and currently in the possession of David Nahmad, with Nahmad asserting his painting is different. The claim references the Wildenstein Institute archive and notes the painting’s past ownership and recent deposition details.
nine.com.au
The article reports that Melbourne music teacher Jenny Occleshaw had a 100-year-old A E Smith violin stolen from her Oakleigh home along with other instruments. The violin, bought in 2008 and now valued around $70,000, is rare and hard to resell, and police are investigating.
3aw.com.au
The 3AW article reports that a 112-year-old A E Smith violin, made in 1908 and valued at about $70,000, was stolen in an aggravated burglary in Oakleigh. Police say the theft appears targeted, and the total heist value with other instruments is about $100,000. The article lists stolen items including bows and cases. No insurance coverage for the violin is noted, and Crime Stoppers is seeking information.
press.christies.com
René Magritte’s À la rencontre du plaisir (Towards Pleasure) is highlighted in Christie's press release about The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale. The painting, created in 1962 and estimated at £8,000,000-12,000,000, is being auctioned for the first time and was purchased directly from the artist and has remained in the same family collection. Olivier Camu, Deputy Chairman of Impressionist and Modern Art at Christie’s, discusses the significance of the work and its place in Magritte’s oeuvre.