The article discusses how antique stringed instruments, notably Stradivari violins, are seen as strong investments, with mentions of a 1742 Guarneri del Gesù and high prices such as US$30,000 for a vintage guitar and US$325,000 for a 1960 Gibson Les Paul. Florian Leonhard, an antique violin restorer and dealer, is quoted describing demand in the Far East and the rarity driving prices.
The Violin Channel reports a theft of a 1780 School of Lorenzo Storioni violin from a parking lot in Marseille, France on July 27, 2021. The instrument was in a black Maurizio Riboni case with a silver-tipped bow; the case contained a green and red grip. Contact Commissariat de Police Nationale La Ciotat with information.
The Cox Collection: The Story of Impressionism is a Christie’s press release about one of the greatest American collections to appear on the market in November, featuring works by Caillebotte, Cézanne and van Gogh among 25 pieces, with a decorative arts sale online in December and an expected realization over $200 million.
Eva Rabchevska of Ukraine won first prize at the 2021 Stuttgart International Violin Competition in Stuttgart, Germany, receiving €25,000 and use of a 1746 Guadagnini violin on loan from the Guadagnini Foundation. Hana Chang (US) and Anna Agafia Egholm (Denmark) won second and third prizes respectively (€15,000 and €10,000), with Gyehee Kim (South Korea) receiving fourth prize. Hana Chang also won a special prize of €3,000 for a performance of the commissioned work APOPLEX.
Christie’s documents the market development behind Christie's July Online-Only Sales Total $10.2M - Christie's. Its account reports that first Open totaled $5,198,625, highest ever sale total for First Open online sale in New York.
France acquired two Fragonard paintings, Le Jeu de la Palette and La Bascule, long thought to be missing, now displayed at the Musée Fabre in Montpellier. The works, ca. 1760–65, re-emerged in 2017 after a family found them while inventorying a castle in Normandy; their last record was a 1786 sale to Pierre Bergeret de Grandcourt. The French state reportedly paid an amount around €6 million in 2017 to keep them in France, with funding help from the Louvre.
The NZ Herald reports that a rare carved Māori statue of a tattooed woman fetched a world record $3.7 million at Christie's in Paris. The 37 cm high pou whakairo, previously owned by notable collectors and dealers, saw intense bidding and was initially catalogued with an estimate of EUR 400,000–600,000 (NZ$680,000–NZ$1m).
Jamie Yu leads Poly Auction Hong Kong's Modern and Contemporary Art department. Yoshitomo Nara’s Berlin Barack, Room 1 (2007) sold for HK$120 million in Poly’s Modern and Contemporary Art sale, a record for a three-dimensional Nara work and a high mark for the artist overall, followed by a June Philips-coordinated sale that set 17 new auction records. The article discusses Yu’s path to her role, the significance of Berlin Barack, Room 1, and the outlook for Nara’s market.
The Karlsruhe Bundespolizei reported that a traveler forgot a violin case on a train, which had already departed. Officers located the train with Deutsche Bahn and searched a storage area at Karlsruhe main station, recovering the case and the instrument. The 1923 instrument is valued at 100,000 euros, with three bows valued at 10,000 euros each, and the owner was contacted.
Christie’s documents the market development behind RESULTS: THE ROGER FEDERER COLLECTION - THE ONLINE AUCTION. Its account reports that christie’s Global – The Roger Federer Collection - Sold to Benefit The RF Foundation realised a combined total of £3,429,125 across The Live Auction (23 June) and The Online Auction (23 June – 14 July).
The Phillips New Now sale in London on July 13 pulled in £6.4 million ($8.8 million). It featured emerging artists alongside blue-chip names like Andy Warhol, Banksy, and KAWS, with nearly 20 living-artist records set, including Josh Smith, Ryan Gander, and Oli Epp.
Christie’s documents the market development behind CHRISTIE'S SALES TOTAL £2.5B / $3.5 B IN FIRST HALF 2021Second Best Total in the Last 6 Years - Christie's. Its account reports that founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world-leading art and luxury business with a physical presence in 46 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, and flagship international sales hubs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva.
Leonardo da Vinci's Head of a Bear sold at Christie’s in London for 8.8 million pounds ($12.1 million). The work, 7x7 cm, is a silverpoint drawing over pale pink-beige paper and is one of fewer than 10 Leonardo drawings still privately owned.
Christie’s London Old Masters sale brought in £45.3 million ($52.8 million) with 46 of 59 lots sold. The event included record prices for Georges de La Tour, Bernardo Bellotto, and Adriaen van de Velde. The sale featured five works with financial guarantees, and Sotheby’s offered £17.2 million ($23.8–$23.9 million) with a lower sell-through.
The article reports that Austrian-American violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler owned the 1734 'Lord Amherst of Hackney' Stradivari, and that Nazareth-born Yamen Saadi has been granted use of the instrument for three years. The loan is arranged via Stephan Jansen for a member of the Stretton Society. Saadi is a student of Chaim Taub, Mihaela Martin, and the Kronberg Academy, has won the Paul Ben Haim Competition, and has performed with major orchestras including the Staatskapelle Berlin, Jerusalem Orchestra, Orchestra de Valencia, and Haifa Orchestra. An album of Faure, Poulenc, and Ysaye recorded on this Stradivari is planned for later this year.
Bernardo Bellotto’s View of Verona with the Ponte delle Navi (ca. 1745–47) and a work by Nicolas de La Tour headlined Christie’s London Old Masters Evening Sale, which totalled £37.3 million ($51.5 million) on the hammer (£36.7m–£56.2m pre-sale). A Leonardo da Vinci bear’s head drawing sold for £8.8 million with fees. The 59-lot sale had a 78% sell-through rate, with most bidding from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Leonardo da Vinci’s Head of a Bear, the leading lot in Christie’s Exceptional Sale in London, realized £8,857,500 (US$12,196,778; Euros 10,327,845), setting a new world record for a drawing by the artist. The work, a silverpoint study of a bear’s head, is one of fewer than eight surviving Leonardo drawings outside private hands, and measures 2 ¾ x 2 ¾ inches (7 x 7 cm).
Damien Hirst is featured in the article with quotes about his cherry blossoms paintings at Fondation Cartier in Paris. The piece also covers ICA Miami acquiring a CryptoPunk NFT and Ngaire Blankenberg becoming director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, as well as Belgium’s restitution plans.
Anthony van Dyck painting recovered by the Monuments Men to be sold at Sotheby’s London; estimated price £1 million–£1.5 million ($1.4 million–$2 million). The work is a 17th‑century family portrait of Cornelis de Vos with his wife Suzanna Cock and their two children, painted when van Dyck was about 20, and is currently in a private collection after being returned to the Katz heirs in 1948.
Dolce Violins announces it is continuing to add professional violins to its online store from modern master violin makers, including four new violins: Theodore Skreko Violin Sanctus Seraphin Model, Louis Gord Violin Montréal 2020, Raymond J. Melanson Violin, and Wladek Stopka Violin 2015.
Picasso and Magritte works led Christie’s marquee London and Paris sales which totaled $212.5 million across 82 lots. The highest-profile pieces included Picasso’s L’étreinte (1969); Magritte is referenced with La Vengeance (1936) among the featured works. The sale details mention a 90 percent sell-through and a pre-sale estimate of $128 million, with Banksy’s Love Is In The Air (withdrawn) noted in the London session.
The Art Newspaper reports on Christie's London to Paris sale, noting that 20th/21st century evening sales were conducted by multiple women auctioneers, and that Asian bidding was at historic levels. The sale, spanning London and Paris, achieved £153.6m (fees) with 90% sold by lot, and Christie's claimed its strongest summer season since 2017.
Picasso and Giacometti anchor Christie’s London to Paris sales totaling $212.5 million with 82 lots sold. Giovanna Bertazzoni noted this result as the highest in the region since 2017. The London session included Banksy’s withdrawal and the sales featured marquee 20th/21st century works.
Phillips’s preserved release documents Phillips to Offer Phytocene, Its First NFT Sale in London and details the principal works, sale terms, or market results.