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news.artnet.com
Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer (1914–16) led the list of 2025 top lots, selling for $236.4 million at Sotheby’s, as part of an $11.7 billion year for fine-art sales at auction. The year saw higher total auction activity and stronger late-year performances, with 437,626 lots sold, the largest annual total in a decade.
insidarte.com
Cecily Brown, Jadé Fadojutimi and Flora Yukhnovich are highlighted as leading figures in the rising prominence of female abstract painting, with Brown noted for her influence and a 2023 Met Museum retrospective contributing to the momentum; the article discusses markets where women artists have achieved significant auction success and suggests 2026 will confirm this shift.
Christie’s
Christie’s examines Prints gifted by Warhol to the surgeon who saved his life and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s reports on Sotheby's Hong Kong Achieves White-Glove Sale and Top Lot Sold in Asia This Season with Joan Mitchell | Press Release. Its source account states that sotheby's Hong Kong Achieves White-Glove Sale and Top Lot Sold in Asia This Season with Joan Mitchell | Press Release | Sotheby’s.
codex.vasari.art
The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has acquired its first painting by Artemisia Gentileschi, Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy (ca. 1625). The work resurfaced in a French private collection in 2011 and sold at Sotheby’s in 2014 for $1.1 million, setting a then auction record for the artist.
Christie’s
Christie’s examines Modern New York prints, photographs, and paintings and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s reports on Sotheby's HK White Glove Sale - Top Lot of the Season led by Joan Mitchell's La Grande Vallée VII - The Most Valuable Work by a Woman Artist Sold at Auction in Asia. Its source account states that highest Total Ever Achieved in a Single Night at Auction in Europe: £393.4m / $520.7m](https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/highest-total-ever-achieved-in-a-single-night-at-auction-in-europe-393-4m-520-7m).
codex.vasari.art
A newly authenticated painting by Amedeo Modigliani, Jeune femme brune (1917–18), is being offered for sale by Pace at Art Basel Hong Kong with a price tag of €11.5 million ($13.3 million). The work is the highest-priced piece at the fair and was added to Marc Restellini's forthcoming Modigliani catalogue raisonné after authentication disputes and legal battles. The sale marks the rehabilitation of a work once pulled from a 1997 Phillips auction and underscores Pace's strategy of featuring a Modigliani at each fair this year.
Christie’s
Christie’s examines Radical Genius: explore works on paper by Cezanne, Mondrian, Turner and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
northlondonnews.co.uk
Ahmed Sami Madour, 46, from Leytonstone, east London, has been charged with two counts of theft. He is accused of stealing a £150,000 antique violin made in Florence in 1740 by Lorenzo Carcassi, plus three bows, from the Marquess Tavern in Islington on 18 February 2025; he also faces a charge for stealing a £4,000 guitar the same day. The violin was loaned to violinist David López Ibáñez of the Philharmonia Orchestra. Madour appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court, pleaded not guilty, was granted unconditional bail, and his trial is set for 10 May 2027.
The Value
Sotheby's Modern and Contemporary evening sale in Hong Kong on 29 March achieved a white glove result, selling all lots for a total of 548.42 million Hong Kong dollars (about 70 million dollars). Joan Mitchell's diptych La Grande Vallee VII sold for 137.35 million Hong Kong dollars (17.6 million dollars), a record for the artist in Asia and the most valuable work by a woman artist sold at auction in Asia. Other results included Mark Rothko's No. 10 (1949) at 66.78 million Hong Kong dollars, Yayoi Kusama's Pumpkin at 49.7 million, Sanyu's Beijing Circus at 47.26 million, Zao Wou-Ki's Nuage at 40.55 million and Terre rouge at 32.01 million, Keith Haring's Untitled (1982) at 14.08 million, Henri Matisse's Jeune fille en noir at 8.32 million, Giorgio Morandi's Natura morta at 8.32 million, and Paul Cezanne's Rochers at 7.68 million Hong Kong dollars.
aol.com
The article reports that Ahmed Sami Madour has been charged with two counts of theft in connection with the theft of a 286-year-old violin from the Marquess Tavern in North London. The instrument, a 1740 Florence-made Lorenzo Carcassi violin valued at over $200,000, was loaned to violinist David Lopez Ibanez of the Philharmonia Orchestra who was dining at the tavern when it disappeared.
Art Basel
Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 opened with strong sales, led by seven-figure works. David Zwirner sold a 2006 Liu Ye painting for 3.8 million dollars and a 2002 Marlene Dumas work for 3.5 million dollars; Hauser and Wirth sold Louise Bourgeois's A Baudelaire (#1) for 2.95 million dollars and Couple for 2.2 million dollars; Bastian sold Pablo Picasso's Le peintre et son modele (1964) for about 4 million dollars; George Condo's Prismatic Head (2021) sold for 2.3 million dollars, a Zao Wou-Ki painting for 2.8 million dollars, a Chu Teh-Chun painting for 1.3 million dollars, and Tracey Emin's Take me to Heaven (2024) for 1.6 million dollars, with Antony Gormley and Takashi Murakami works also placed.
HENI News
Christie's 20th and 21st Century evening sale in Hong Kong on 27 March totalled 83.89 million dollars (655.8 million Hong Kong dollars), meeting its pre-sale estimate with all lots selling above their low estimate. The top lot was Gerhard Richter's Abstraktes Bild (1991) at 11.78 million dollars, followed by Sanyu's Cheval agenouille sur un tapis at 8.18 million dollars, Walter Spies's Blick von der hohe (1934) at 7.56 million dollars, a Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin at 5.06 million dollars, and Atsushi Kaga's YES! (A bag made by my mother) at 584,900 dollars.
The Strad
In its In Focus series, The Strad examined a 1695 viola by the Bohemian maker Christian Reichelt of the Markneukirchen region, in an analysis by Klaus Martius and Enrico Weller. The subscriber feature notes that Reichelt was baptised on 7 January 1631 in Graslitz, Bohemia, and died in Markneukirchen before 31 May 1697.
press.christies.com
Hubert Robert paintings are among the works highlighted in Christie's press release about the Chefs-d'œuvre de la collection Veil-Picard, which totalled €9,433,135 with three preemptions including one by the musée du Louvre and two by the musée national du Château de Versailles.
Christie’s
Christie’s examines How the Valsecchi Collection found its home in Palermo's Palazzo Butera and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
The Art Newspaper
Christie's is to sell a collection of Minimalist and contemporary art assembled by the late Tylenol heir Henry S. McNeil Jr., which the house estimates will realise more than 30 million dollars. The group includes an untitled 1969 stack sculpture by Donald Judd estimated at 10 million to 15 million dollars, Sol LeWitt's Wall Drawing #1112, a 1963 neon sculpture by Dan Flavin, and works by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Tuttle, Carl Andre and Constantin Brancusi.
The Art Newspaper
Dealers reported solid sales at Art Basel Hong Kong 2026. Pace sold an Amedeo Modigliani for 11.5 million euros, David Zwirner placed a Liu Ye painting for 3.8 million dollars and a 2002 Marlene Dumas painting for 3.5 million dollars, Bastian sold a 1968 Pablo Picasso for 3.5 million euros, Hauser and Wirth placed a George Condo for 2.3 million dollars and a Louise Bourgeois sculpture for 2.2 million dollars, and White Cube sold a 2024 Tracey Emin for 1.2 million pounds. Smaller sales included a Henry Curchod work at 46,000 dollars and a Shih Yung Chun video at 4,500 dollars.
The Strad
A man, Ahmed Sami Madour, 46, was charged on 19 January 2026 at Snaresbrook Crown Court over the theft of a 1740 Carcassi violin valued at 150,000 pounds, which was taken from the Marquess Tavern in north London on 18 February 2025. The instrument had been on loan from a German benefactor to its player, Philharmonia Orchestra violinist David Lopez Ibanez. Madour pleaded not guilty and a trial was scheduled for 10 May 2027.
The Strad
The Strad reported that German violinist Miha Zhu, 29, won first prize of 20,000 euros plus a 2,000 euro audience prize at the 2026 Leipzig Bach Competition, which concluded on 21 March 2026 at the Lutherkirche in Leipzig. French violinist Celeste Lingelschmitt, 23, took second prize (10,000 euros and a four-year Baroque violin loan) and Dutch violinist Cosima Soulez-Laviere, 29, took third (5,000 euros). No instrument makers were named.
standard.co.uk
Ahmed Sami Madour, 46, is accused of stealing a violin worth £150,000 from the Marquess Tavern in Canonbury Street, Islington, from violinist David Ibanez of the Philharmonia Orchestra. The instrument, crafted in Florence in 1740, was loaned to Ibanez; Madour faces two counts of theft and appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court with trial dates set for May 10, 2027.
The Strad
The Strad reported that US-Japanese violinist Keila Wakao won first prize of 12,000 dollars and a soloist engagement with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra at the 2026 National Schadt String Competition, held on 8 March 2026 at Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in a year focused on violin. Second prize (5,000 dollars) went to Yebin Yoo and third prize (2,500 dollars) to Juyeon Diana Lee. No instrument makers were named.
Christie’s
Christie’s examines Eight centuries of enduring excellence: iconic ceramics from the Ai Lian Tang Collection and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
Forbes
TEFAF Maastricht 2026, held March 12 to 19 with 277 galleries, drew more than 50,000 visitors and reported strong sales. Reported placements included a reunited pair of Claude Monet paintings on reserve at 20 million euros (about 23.1 million dollars), an Yves Klein untitled blue sponge sculpture at 2.5 million euros, a Max Beckmann still life Orchard Still Life with Green Bowl at about 1 million euros, and a Francois-Xavier Lalanne Hibou de Pierre at about 1.2 million dollars, with further seven-figure works by Mary Cassatt and Pablo Picasso; jewellery and design pieces by Georges Braque, Max Ernst, Jean Arp and Pol Bury were also shown, along with a Faberge cloak clasp and the Liechtenstein Tacuinum Sanitatis manuscript sold for about 5 million Swiss francs.
The Value
Sotheby's previewed its Modern and Contemporary evening sale in Hong Kong, set for 29 March with 57 lots. The centrepiece is Joan Mitchell's diptych La Grande Vallee VII (1983), estimated at 110 million to 300 million Hong Kong dollars (about 14.3 million to 39 million dollars). Other highlights include Zao Wou-Ki's Nuage (1956) estimated at 30 million to 50 million Hong Kong dollars and Terre rouge (2005), Mark Rothko's No. 10 (1949) at 28 million to 40 million Hong Kong dollars, two Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin works, and works by Sanyu, Henri Matisse, Keith Haring and Zeng Fanzhi.
artchainnews.com
Henry Moore's King and Queen sold for £26,345,000 ($35.2 million) at Christie’s London 20th/21st Century Evening Sales, setting a world auction record for the artist. The sale, part of a three-sale evening that generated £197,472,600, featured strong demand and high sell-through rates; other highlights included Kandinsky, Picasso, Richter, and Surrealist works.
The Strad
The Strad reported that management agency Harrison Parrott signed cellist Friedrich Thiele to its roster. The article notes that Thiele plays a cello by Francesco Goffriller of about 1740, on loan from the Stradivari Foundation. No price was stated.
archaeology.wiki
Caravaggio’s Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini was purchased by the Italian Ministry of Culture and will join the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica in Rome, entering the Palazzo Barberini collections. The acquisition, valued at 30 million euros, follows an earlier exhibition at Palazzo Barberini and is part of a broader effort to strengthen public art heritage.
The Strad
The Strad reported that violinist Maxim Vengerov stepped in for an indisposed Lisa Batiashvili to play the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London on Sunday 22 March 2026, with conductor Mark Wigglesworth also replacing Santtu-Matias Rouvali. No instrument maker or price was stated.
codex.vasari.art
The piece notes NADA New York’s 11th edition with 111 galleries at a new venue, and Photo London’s 10th edition with 99 exhibitors. It reports Sotheby’s London selling a Yoshitomo Nara work for £9.03 million, and Christie’s achieving £10 million for René Magritte's La reconnaissance infinie, plus over £3.3 million for a Nazi-looted Egon Schiele drawing and a $728,784 all-AI auction. Gallery moves include Charles Moffett’s new Tribeca space, Lisson Gallery representing Tishan Hsu, and Mika Yoshitake joining Blum as senior curatorial director. Museums and institutions highlight the opening of Khao Yai Art Forest in Thailand with Louise Bourgeois works, and the J. Paul Getty Trust appointing Kelly S. Moody as vice president.
Christie’s
Christie’s examines Discover Banksy prints offered in Contemporary Edition and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
Christie’s
Christie’s examines What’s on the minds of the art world’s most influential women and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
Christie’s
Christie’s examines Explore Venice with Christie's Bianca Arrivabene and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
Finestre sull'Arte
TEFAF Maastricht 2026 opened with a series of major early sales, with visitor numbers up more than 5 percent in the first two days. Among the placements, Dr. Jorn Gunther Rare Books sold the Liechtenstein Tacuinum Sanitatis manuscript for 5 million Swiss francs and Stuart Lochhead Sculpture sold a work for about 1.8 million pounds; further reported sales named works by Pablo Picasso (Portrait of Jacqueline), Edvard Munch (The Heart), Gerhard Richter, Bridget Riley, Victor Vasarely, Willem Claeszoon Heda, Tintoretto, Lavinia Fontana, Max Pechstein and Dora Maar, with Gallery 19C placing Virginie Demont-Breton's L'homme est en mer at an estimate of 500,000 to 1 million euros.
Phillips
Phillips details PHILLIPS ANNOUNCES HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE APRIL PHOTOGRAPHS AUCTIONS IN NEW YORK, including the artists, works, estimates, and sale context documented in the release.
Christie’s
Christie’s examines Discover Joe Tilson's dazzling, graphic Pop art and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
artchainnews.com
Darren Smith reports that U.S. art auctions surged in 2025 with Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips achieving 3.17 billion dollars and a 69% share of total value, driven by blue-chip and historical works. The article notes early 2026 results, including a London sale record for Henry Moore and anticipated May marquee auctions in New York from Robert Mnuchin’s collection.
The Art Newspaper
Dealers and shippers reported seizures, documentation confusion and lost business after new EU import rules for cultural goods took effect. The problems surfaced ahead of Tefaf Maastricht, the first major European fair held under the fully implemented regime.
The Strad
The Strad reported that 21-year-old violinist Lorna Zhang won first prize of 10,000 New Zealand dollars (about 4,400 pounds) at New Zealand's 2026 National Concerto Competition, held on 7 March 2026 at Christchurch Town Hall with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Judd, after playing Shostakovich's Violin Concerto no.1. Violinist Hayden Chiu took second prize (5,000 New Zealand dollars) and cellist Ryan Yeh took third (2,500 New Zealand dollars). No instrument makers were named.
barberinicorsini.org
The Italian Government has acquired the Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini by Caravaggio, to be housed in the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica in Rome and entering Palazzo Barberini. The purchase price was 30 million euros and the work will join the state’s patrimony following the transaction at the Ministry of Culture, with officials including Minister Alessandro Giuli present.
The Strad
The Strad reported that the Norway-based Anders Sveaas Charitable Trust loaned two instruments to members of the Danish String Quartet: violinist Frederik Oland received a violin made by Domenico Montagnana in Venice around 1730 to 1740, while cellist Fredrik Sjolin was loaned a 1687 cello by Francesco Rugeri along with a Sartory cello bow. The trust's collection is said to include eleven Antonio Stradivari instruments plus works by Guadagnini, Amati, Ruggieri and Montagnana. No price was stated.
hkad.hk
The article reports Christie’s three-pronged 21st/20th century evening sale in London totaling £197.5 million ($265 million) and Sotheby’s contemporaries at £131 million ($175 million). It notes new artist records for Henry Moore, Toyen, and Dorothea Tanning, as well as withdrawals by Cecily Brown, Bridget Riley, Lucian Freud, and Frank Auerbach. It also discusses market context, including tax changes for UK residents and ongoing geopolitical concerns affecting bidding.
Phillips
Phillips details PHILLIPS’ MARCH SALES OF MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART TOTAL £20.7 MILLION, including the artists, works, estimates, and sale context documented in the release.
theviolinchannel.com
The Anders Sveaas Charitable Trust loans two instruments to the Danish String Quartet: a Domenico Montagnana violin (1730–1740) to violinist Frederik Øland, and a 1687 Ruggieri cello plus a Sartory cello bow to cellist Fredrik Sjölin. The article notes the quartet’s international success in classical and Nordic folk repertoires and mentions other musicians who have recently received instruments from the trust.
theviolinchannel.com
The Violin Channel reports that cellist Julian Lloyd Webber will publish an autobiography titled “Bows and Arrows” via Biteback Publishing, detailing his life, collaborations with notable artists, and personal challenges. The piece notes his career highlights, including a Brit Award, a gold disc for Variations, his role with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and his In Harmony education work.
observer.com
Christie’s marquee evening sales in London totaled £197,472,600 ($263,823,394). The report highlights the three-sales session, including the opening of the 20th/21st Century: London Evening Sale which delivered £114,175,900, and notable works by Lucian Freud, Sonia Delaunay, and Paula Rego among others; the event followed Sotheby’s showing a £131 million total the previous evening.
The Strad
The Strad reported that violinist Chad Hoopes was appointed associate professor of violin at the Cleveland Institute of Music, effective autumn 2026, while keeping his post at Southern Methodist University. The article notes that Hoopes plays a 1991 violin by Samuel Zygmuntowicz that was formerly owned by Isaac Stern.
artnews.com
Christie’s three-pronged 21st/20th century evening sale in London brought £197.5 million ($265 million). Henry Moore’s King and Queen bronze sold for £26.3 million ($35.2 million), setting a new auction record for the artist. The auction included new records for Henry Moore, Toyen, and Dorothea Tanning, with several works withdrawn before kick-off; overall results countered concerns about London’s market, with strong sell-through and high values.
artnews.com
Robert Mnuchin's collection, assembled with Adriana Mnuchin, is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York this May, featuring 24 works focused on postwar abstraction and modern art. The sale is led by Rothko works, including Brown and Blacks in Reds (1957) estimated at $70–$100 million and No. 1 (1949) estimated at $15–$20 million, along with other works by Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, and Jeff Koons.
theartnewspaper.com
Henry Moore's King and Queen (1952-53) set a new record for the artist at Christie's 20th/21st century evening sale in London. Dorothea Tanning and Toyen also achieved artist records during Christie's triple-header sale in the capital. The evening total was £197.4m with strong bidding and high sell-through.
The Art Newspaper
Sotheby's London modern and contemporary evening sale of 54 lots totalled 106.4 million pounds hammer, or 131 million pounds with fees, a strong result for the recovering London market. Highlights included Francis Bacon's Self Portrait (1972) at 16 million pounds with fees, Leon Kossoff's Children's Swimming Pool, Autumn Afternoon (1971) at 5.2 million pounds, a 1986 Jean-Michel Basquiat painting at 3.6 million pounds, and a Lucian Freud nude that hammered near its 6 million pound low estimate. Works by Lucio Fontana and Damien Hirst were also part of the sale, while a Robert Ryman white painting was withdrawn before the auction.
christies.com.cn
Henry Moore’s King and Queen leads Christie’s 20th/21st Century London sales. The artwork discussed is Henry Moore’s King and Queen, with the sale totals across Christie’s 20th/21st Century: London Evening Sale, The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale and Modern Visionaries , The Roger and Josette Vanthountout Collection , Evening Sale totaling £197,472,600 / $263,823,394 / €226,106,127.
press.christies.com
Christie’s London 20/21 Evening Sales led with a world auction record for Henry Moore’s King and Queen. The sale total across 20/21 Evening Sales was £197,472,600 / $263,823,394 / €226,106,127, with Henry Moore’s King and Queen achieving £26,345,000 / $35,196,920 / €30,165,025 as the highest selling lot of the London season.
Phillips
Phillips details PHILLIPS’ LONDON EVENING SALE OF MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART ACHIEVES £13 MILLION, including the artists, works, estimates, and sale context documented in the release.
dnyuz.com
The article discusses a dendrochronology study published in Dendrochronologia that analyzes tree rings from Stradivarius violins to determine wood origins, suggesting spruce from high-elevation northern Italy in the valley that hosted part of the 2026 Winter Olympics; the study involved John Topham’s measurements and Mauro Bernabei’s analysis at the Italian National Research Council.
theviolinchannel.com
Cellist Giovanni Gnocchi releases a new recording featuring the 1700 Stauffer ex Cristiani Stradivarius cello, preserved at the Museo del Violino in Cremona. The album marks the first-ever recording of this instrument and includes Romantic-era works by Ducros, Mendelssohn, Klengel, Scriabin, Wieniawski, Dvořák, Fauré, Popper, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Rossini.
Whitewall
A preview of London's March 2026 evening auctions highlights leading lots at Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams and Phillips. Christie's offerings include Henry Moore's King and Queen (estimated 10 million to 15 million pounds), Gerhard Richter's Schober (Haybarn) and Abstraktes Bild, Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Nets, Pablo Picasso's Nu debout et femmes assises, Sonia Delaunay's Rythme Couleur, Bridget Riley's Arrest 4 and Kazuo Shiraga's Yagenko; Sotheby's features Andy Warhol's Four Marilyns, Lucio Fontana's Concetto Spaziale, Francis Bacon's self-portrait, Leon Kossoff and Pierre Soulages; works by Rene Magritte, Pierre Soulages, Josef Albers, Cindy Sherman, Lucian Freud, Edgar Degas, Willem de Kooning, Alberto Giacometti, El Anatsui and William Kentridge are also named, with Ana Mendieta and Sarah Lucas at Bonhams and Rebecca Warren and James Ensor at Phillips.
The Strad
The Strad reported that the Cleveland Orchestra appointed violinist Elizabeth Fayette as first associate concertmaster and violinist Philip Marten as associate concertmaster, added violinist Dustin Wilkes-Kim to the second violin section and violist Gabriel Napoli to the viola section, and promoted violinist Zhan Shu to assistant concertmaster. No instrument makers were named.
fadmagazine.com
Frieze Los Angeles 2026 closed after four days of brisk sales and early institutional acquisitions, drawing more than 32,000 visitors and involvement from 160 museums and institutions. Notable sales included Njideka Akunyili Crosby for 2.8 million dollars and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye for 1.5 million dollars at David Zwirner, a George Baselitz painting at 1,000,000 euros and an Alex Katz at 700,000 dollars at Thaddaeus Ropac, a James Turrell installation for 950,000 dollars at Pace, and Antony Gormley sculptures at 500,000–800,000 pounds at White Cube, with additional acquisitions coordinated by MAC3 and various museum funds.
Monaco Life
Bonhams is to offer Salvador Dali's Bacchanale, a monumental 1939 stage set painted for a Ballets Russes production at New York's Metropolitan Opera and produced in Monte Carlo, at its Surrealist sale in Paris on 26 March, estimated at 200,000 to 300,000 euros. The article notes the work's connections to Leonide Massine, Coco Chanel and Alexandre Schervachidze, and situates it among Surrealist works by Francis Picabia, Man Ray, Andre Masson, Jane Graverol and Leonor Fini.