Sotheby’s announces that the Art Bridges Foundation has acquired a landmark collection of Frank Lloyd Wright drawings from the Wolf Family Collection. The coverage notes this as one of the most significant private collections of Frank Lloyd Wright architectural renderings ever assembled and references related auction results involving works from the Wolf Family Collection.
The Wolf Family Collection Sales Results by Will Fenstermaker reports that the collection earned $68 million, setting multiple auction records and including Frank Lloyd Wright architectural drawings sold to a premier educational organization. The marquee sale, The Spirit of America, had a presale estimate of $17–24.4 million and achieved strong results across many works, with notable records for a Ceiling Light by Frank Lloyd Wright, Bar Island and Mount Desert Mountains by Fitz Henry Lane, Homer’s On the Beach at Marshfield, Marsden Hartley’s Summer Sea Window, and a life-sized sculpture by Paul Howard Manship.
Christie’s documents the market development behind ["MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY MIDDLE EASTERN ART ONLINE AUCTION RETURNS TO DUBAI THIS MAY - Christie's", 'MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY MIDDLE EASTERN ART ONLINE AUCTION RETURNS TO DUBAI THIS MAY']. Its account reports that dUBAI – Christie’s Middle East is pleased to announce the return of the Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art Online auction taking place from 1 – 16 May.
CodaBow Escent Violin Bow Playtest & Review discusses the Escent violin bow by CodaBow and how it compares with other bows in its class. The article is written by Shar Music and published April 27, 2023.
Edward Lewine reported that the two Modern American Art sales at Christie’s Rockefeller Center totaled $26,490,132, with records set for five artists: John Marin, Virginia Berresford, Harry Lane, Charles Goeller, and August Mosca.
Priyanjali Narayan reports that an Afghan violinist named Ali Esmahilzada, who fled Kabul and arrived in Los Angeles in March 2022, had to leave his violin behind due to checkpoints. Latif Nasser and Jeremy Bloom coordinated delivering a 110-year-old violin to Esmahilzada, a gift Bloom decided to give from a closet, described as a meaningful gesture.
Nicolas François Vuillaume (1802–1876) was the younger brother of Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume. He trained in Mirecourt, worked in Paris, then established his own atelier in Brussels, where he became the official luthier of the Brussels Conservatory in 1836 and received a knighthood. He was known for detailed copies of Cremonese masters, especially Stradivari, and his workshop influenced Belgian violin making. His instruments won medals in London (1831), Brussels (1835; 1841), Paris (1855), Dublin (1867), and Vienna (1873).
Damien Hirst and HENI’s Beautiful Paintings project generated $20.9 million in revenue over a nine-day sale, with 5,508 paintings (5,109 physical works and 399 NFTs). The largest size (100 cm diameter) yielded $11.6 million; circles were more popular than squares, and physical works outsold NFTs. The project builds on Spin Paintings from the 1990s and involved collectors using AI to guide creation.
Pablo Picasso’s Nature morte à la fenêtre (1932), a portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter, is expected to fetch around $40 million at Christie’s New York 20th-Century evening sale on May 11. The painting has a presale estimate of $40 million and is not guaranteed; it has a history tied to Picasso’s estate and Marina Picasso, and was previously owned by Jan Krugier before passing to Krugier’s descendants.
The article discusses Sotheby’s plan to auction four restituted Impressionist works by Renoir, Gauguin, and Cézanne in its May marquee sale in New York, including Renoir’s Marine Guernesey (1883) and Judgement of Paris (1908), Cézanne’s Undergrowth (1890-1892), and Gauguin’s Still life With Mandolin (1885). The total estimate for the group is $11.5 million to $17.35 million, with the Gauguin still life estimated at $10 million to $15 million and backed by a guarantee; the works had provenance tied to Ambroise Vollard and were shown at Sotheby’s Paris. The article also notes historical context about Gauguin and Vollard’s roles in art history and mentions previous high auction records for Gauguin.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile) (1983) is expected to sell for about $45m at Christie’s New York, while Now’s the Time is estimated at $30m for Sotheby’s New York; together the two works are anticipated to fetch more than $75m.
Valentino Garavani's Basquiat painting El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile), 1983, is set to be auctioned in New York with an opening bid of over 45 million dollars, about 41 million euros. The work, also known as Untitled (History of the Black People), measures 1.7 by 3.6 meters and features skulls and floating figures; proceeds will support the Valentino Academy. Valentino bought the piece in 2005 for about 5.2 million dollars.
Basquiat’s El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile) leads Christie’s Spring Marquee Week in New York, estimated in the region of $45,000,000, as part of a sale benefiting the Accademia Valentino. The work, also known as Untitled (History of the Black People), was painted in 1983 and has a history of private ownership and multiple exhibitions, including a Whitney Museum of American Art retrospective.
Henri Rousseau's Les Flamants, an exceptionally rare masterpiece, is highlighted for Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sale during Spring Marquee Week in New York. The painting is estimated at 20,000,000–30,000,000, aiming to reset Rousseau's auction record; it comes from the estate of Payne Whitney Middleton. The press release quotes Max Carter and Vanessa Fusco regarding Rousseau’s significance and provenance.
La pieza El Gran Espectáculo (1983) de Jean-Michel Basquiat y la obra Ahora es el momento se esperan vender por 45 millones de dólares en Christie's Nueva York y 30 millones de dólares en Sotheby’s, respectivamente, según La Guía Cultural.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Now’s the Time (1985) is estimated at more than $30 million and will be sold by Sotheby’s on May 18; El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile) (1983) at Christie’s is planned for May 15. The article notes Basquiat’s rising auction record and historical context.
BASQUIAT EL GRAN ESPECTACULO (THE NILE), 1983, also known as Untitled (History of the Black People), is highlighted as the leading work in Christie’s Spring Marquee Week for the 21st Century Evening Sale on May 15, 2023 in New York. The painting, estimated around $45,000,000, comes from a private collection and has connections to Enrico Navarra; the press release notes its historical significance and Basquiat’s focus on representation of the African diaspora within world history.
Gianandrea Noseda has quietly loaned 17th–19th century Italian string instruments from his private collection to members of the National Symphony Orchestra. The collection includes seven violins and a viola worth about five million dollars, with instruments dating from 1686 to 1830, and his first purchase in 2011. The article notes his loan program and the inspiration behind collecting.
The article reports that Camilla Wicks's pedigree violin, known as the Duke of Cambridge, has passed to a Norwegian foundation, the ASAF – Anders Sveaas’ Almennyttige Fond, which loaned it to Swedish soloist Johan Dalene. Dalene performed with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic on the instrument. The violin was previously owned by Louis Spohr and has a Norwegian connection through Wicks's father.
The NPR article discusses Gianandrea Noseda, the music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, reshaping the ensemble's sound by loaning and later revealing a collection of 17th–19th century Italian string instruments, including a violin from 1686. The instruments, valued around five million dollars in total, were acquired through Noseda’s private collection and loaned to the NSO since 2019.
Gauguin’s Still life with Chinese peonies and mandolin (still life with Chinese peonies and mandolin) is estimated $10–$15 million; Renoir’s seaside landscape seascape is estimated $1–$1.5 million, Renoir’s The Judgment of Paris (1908) is estimated $300,000–$500,000, and Cézanne’s Undergrowth (circa 1882–84) is estimated $250,000–$350,000. The works were restituted to the descendants of Ambroise Vollard and are up for auction at Sotheby’s in New York after a long legal battle.
Painter Paul Gauguin, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Paul Cézanne works restituted by Musée d’Orsay head to auction at Sotheby’s in New York. The four works, returned to heirs of Ambroise Vollard, are to be offered in Sotheby’s modern art evening sale on 16 May, with estimated values listed in the article.
Phillips’s preserved release documents Phillips to Offer Early Yayoi Kusama Soft Sculptures from the Becht Collection and details the principal works, sale terms, or market results.
Artemisia Gentileschi and Onofrio Palumbo, Abraham and the Three Angels. Courtesy of Dorotheum. The article reports that a quartet of paintings by Italian female Old Masters, including a Gentileschi work with Palumbo, are hitting Dorotheum in Vienna for the May 3 Old Master Paintings sale. The Gentileschi canvas is expected to fetch €150,000 to €200,000, and the piece has a history of reattribution from Bernardo Cavallino to Gentileschi, with scholarly discussion about collaboration with Palumbo.
The Violin Channel reports that the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis loaned its 1683 Cremonese Stradivari, known as the Ex-Gingold, to Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Kevin Lin until the 2026 IVCI edition. The instrument, previously owned by Josef Gingold, has a notable provenance and has been associated with several IVCI medalists.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Evening Sale in April brought in HK$670.8 million ($85.5 million), with 41 of 43 lots sold. The sale featured ultra-contemporary works by artists such as Yoshitomo Nara, Julien Nguyen, Lucy Bull, and Issy Wood, along with established names like George Condo, Yayoi Kusama, Christopher Wool, and Alexander Calder. Four lots were withdrawn and several major lots carried irrevocable bids from backers outside Sotheby’s.
Peter Doig is the subject of a highly anticipated London show at the Courtauld Gallery, with market attention fueled by his high auction records. The article notes Doig’s absence of his longtime dealer Michael Werner Gallery and discusses implications for his market, including a £39.9 million Gauguin comparison and the dealer relationship changes.