Sir Thomas Lawrence; Jan van Huysum; Rubens. Portrait of the Duke of Wellington; Egyptian Limestone Pair Statue; Fruit and flowers in a wicker basket; Flowers in a terracotta vase; Aeneas helping Dido from her horse. £9,670,000/ $12,764,400/ €11,217,200 (Lawrence portrait); £3,710,000/ $4,897,200/ €4,303,600 (Egyptian Limestone Pair Statue); £6,516,000/ $8,601,120/ €7,558,560 (Fruit and flowers in a wicker basket); £5,540,000/ $7,312,800/ €6,426,400 (Flowers in a terracotta vase); £2,734,000/ $3,608,880/ €3,171,440 (Aeneas helping Dido from her horse).
Christie’s Old Masters Evening Sale in London, a 40-lot sale, totaled £38.9 million ($51.4 million) with 96 percent by value and 90 percent by lot sold. The night’s top lot was Jan van Huysum’s still life, which sold for £6.52 million ($8.65 million); other highlighted works included Sir Thomas Lawrence’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington, and two Jan van Huysum still lifes. Several notable works were passed or withdrawn, underscoring selective bidding.
Named works and instruments (3)
Canaletto — Venice, San Giorgio Maggiore from the Bacino di San Marco
Dutch School, 17th Century — Two skulls with a quill and paper on a marble ledge — £431,800 (more than $572,500)
Gustav Klimt — Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer — $236.4 million
David Hockney’s The Only One with Waves (1991) sold for £2.4 million ($3.2 million) at Phillips London, above its low estimate. The sale total, including fees, was £12 million ($15.8 million), with 76 of 90 lots sold (84% sell-through). Other notable results included Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity-Nets (MAE) at £1.5 million and Andrew Cranston’s Meditation in a Tenement at £65,000, among works by Dubuffet, Judd, Hsiao Chin, and Jadé Fadojutimi.
Named works and instruments (2)
David Hockney — The Only One with Waves — £2.4 million ($3.2 million)
Yayoi Kusama — INFINITY-NETS (MAE) — £1.5 million ($2 million)
Phillips details PHILLIPS ANNOUNCES HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE JULY MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART SALE IN NEW YORK, including the artists, works, estimates, and sale context documented in the release.
The article discusses the 1734 Ames, Totenberg Stradivari, which has had a tumultuous history including theft, repair with glue, and recent loan to a Juilliard student Nathan Meltzer. It highlights the instrument's excellent condition and notes opinions from experts about its late-period Stradivari characteristics and provenance, including comments from Jason Price of Tarisio.
The Art Newspaper argues that record June and May 2026 auction results have not fixed the broader art market's structural problems, with the top end disconnected from struggling galleries. It cites Sotheby's two-part June modern and contemporary sale in London totalling 393.4 million pounds with fees, the highest ever for a single night of auctions in Europe, its Joe Lewis collection sale at 296.3 million pounds, and Christie's S.I. Newhouse sale at 630.8 million dollars, referencing record lots by Jackson Pollock (Number 7A, 181.2 million dollars), Constantin Brancusi (Danaide, 107.6 million dollars) and Mark Rothko (No. 15, 98.4 million dollars).
Named works and instruments (4)
Constantin Brancusi — Danae — $107.6m
Jackson Pollock — Number 7A — $181.2m
Mark Rothko — No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe) — $98.4m
Pablo Picasso — The Painter and His Model in a Landscape — $35m
The Strad reports the death of French viola da gambist and conductor Jay Bernfeld, who lived from 1952 to 2026 and died at the age of 73. He was respected as both a soloist and a continuo player and received acclaim for his recordings.
Degas, Monet, Modigliani, Magritte, Freud, and Klimt works featured in Sotheby’s London sale from Joe Lewis’s collection earned £296.3 million ($392.6 million); the Modern and Contemporary Art evening sale added £97.1 million, for a total of £393.4 million ($520.7 million). Top lots included Modigliani’s Nu assis au collier, Monet’s Nymphéas, and Klimt’s Bildnis Gertrud Loew.
Named works and instruments (3)
Amedeo Modigliani — Nu assis au collier — £48.2 million
Claude Monet — Nymphéas — £40.8 million
Gustav Klimt — Bildnis Gertrud Loew — £36.2 million
A Sotheby’s evening sale from the Lewis Collection, led by Amedeo Modigliani’s Seated Nude with Necklace (1917–18), helped push London’s June auctions to a high level, with the combined night total reaching £393.4m and the Lewis sale alone totaling £296.3m. The sale included works by Modigliani, Picasso, Degas, Magritte, and Matisse, and was described as a standout for a single-owner collection.
The London sales article by Lili Göksenin reports that Sotheby’s London sales, led by the Lewis Collection and the Modern & Contemporary Evening and Day Auctions, achieved the highest season total in Europe, with the Lewis Collection alone realizing £306.6 million ($406.2 million) and the combined total with Modern & Contemporary Day Auctions reaching £420.5 million ($556.5 million). Key highlights include Gustave Caillebotte’s Portrait de Paul Hugot selling for £10.3 million, Amedeo Modigliani’s Nu assis au collier selling for £48.2 million, and Lucian Freud’s Sleeping by the lion carpet selling for £29.3 million.
Named works and instruments (12)
Amedeo Modigliani — Nu assis au collier — £48.2 million ($63.9 million)
Banksy — Love Is In The Air (Life Size) — £6.4 million ($8.5 million)
Claude Monet — Nymphéas — £40.8 million ($54 million)
David Hockney — The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East — £512,000 ($676,045)
George Condo — Zombie Modernism — £832,000 ($1,098,573)
Gustav Klimt — Bildnis Gertrud Loew (Gertha Felsőványi) — £36.2 million ($47.9 million)
Gustave Caillebotte — Portrait de Paul Hugot — £10.3 million ($13.6 million)
Henri Matisse — Paysage — £576,00 ($760,550)
Lucian Freud — Sleeping by the Lion Carpet — £29.3 million ($38.8 million)
Lucio Fontana — Concetto spaziale — £358,400 ($473,231)
Mark Rothko — Untitled — £9 million ($12 million)
Pablo Picasso — Portrait of Dora Maar — £1.3 million ($1.7 million)
Freud, Modigliani and Klimt are mentioned in relation to the Lewis Collection, which Sotheby’s sold in London on June 24, 2026 as part of a multi-stage sale with preliminary tests in March and May 2026. The overall event culminated in an evening sale featuring 25 lots with a collective estimate over $200 million and a final outcome of $390.3 million.
Named works and instruments (2)
Amedeo Modigliani — Nu assis au collier — $63.5 million
Lucian Freud — Sleeping by the Lion Carpet — $38.5 million
The article discusses Christie’s London sale of works from Anita and Poju Zabludowicz, totaling £15.4m with 89% sold by lot and 97% by value. Top lot was Philip Guston’s Mirror Head (1977) which sold for £3.9m, while several lots were withdrawn or failed to sell, including Heidi Bucher and Wade Guyton pieces.
Named works and instruments (1)
Philip Guston — Mirror Head — £3.9m (with buyer’s fees)
Phillips's Modern and Contemporary art evening and afternoon sale in London totalled USD 15.71 million (GBP 11.92 million), meeting its pre-sale estimate. The top lot was David Hockney's The Only One with Waves (1991) at 3.19 million dollars, followed by Yayoi Kusama's INFINITY-NETS (MAE) (2013) at 2.04 million dollars, Jean Dubuffet's Etanche Ibitryx Monte Creme at 833,200 dollars, Donald Judd's Untitled at 697,200 dollars, and Hsiao Chin's Inner Light (1966) at 680,200 dollars.
Named works and instruments (4)
David Hockney — The Only One with Waves — $3.19m
Donald Judd — Untitled — $697,200
Jean Dubuffet — Étanche Ibitryx Monte Crème — $833,200
The Lewis Collection’s $392.6m sale at Sotheby’s London on June 24 set new records for a single-owner European collection, with a total including fees of £393.4m and the top lot being Amedeo Modigliani’s Nu assis au collier sold for £48.2m. Other notable results included Gustav Klimt’s Bildnis Gertrud Loew at £36.2m and Lucian Freud’s Sleeping by the Lion Carpet at £29.3m.
Named works and instruments (3)
Amedeo Modigliani — Nu assis au collier — £48.2 million
Gustav Klimt — Bildnis Gertrud Loew — £36.2 million
Lucian Freud — Sleeping by the Lion Carpet — £29.3 million
Christie’s examines Pre-Raphaelite and Symbolist art from the Albert Zuckerman Collection and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
Sotheby's London sold works from the collection of financier and former Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis for 249.3 million pounds hammer, or 296.3 million pounds with fees, the most valuable single-owner collection ever sold in the UK. Top lots included Amedeo Modigliani's Nu assis au collier (1917) at 48.2 million pounds, Claude Monet's Nympheas (1907) at 40.8 million pounds, Gustav Klimt's Bildnis Gertrud Loew at 36.2 million pounds, Lucian Freud's Sleeping by the Lion Carpet at 29.3 million pounds, Egon Schiele's Danae (1909) at 17.9 million pounds, Rene Magritte's La Belle promenade at 16 million pounds, Gustave Caillebotte's portrait of Paul Hugot at 10.3 million pounds, and Pablo Picasso's Baigneuses, sirenes, femme nue et minotaure (1937) at 7 million pounds.
Named works and instruments (8)
Amedeo Modigliani — Nu assis au collier — £41.5m (£48.2m with fees)
Claude Monet — Nymphéas — £35m (£40.8m with fees)
Egon Schiele — Danaë — £15.2m (£17.9m with fees)
Gustav Klimt — Bildnis Gertrud Loew (Gertha Felsőványi) — £31m (£36.2m with fees)
Gustave Caillebotte — Portrait de Paul Hugot — £8.5m (£10.3m with fees)
Lucian Freud — Sleeping by the Lion Carpet — £25m, or £29.3m with fees
Pablo Picasso — Baigneuses, sirènes, femme nue et minotaure — £5.7m, or £7m with fees
René Magritte — La Belle promenade — £13.5m (£16m with fees)
The article reports Sotheby's New Bond Street in London achieving £393.4 million ($520.7 million) across two back-to-back sales: the Joe Lewis Collection and the Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction. The Joe Lewis Collection realized £296.3 million ($392.6 million), a new record for a single-owner collection in Europe, with 24 of 25 lots sold and no guarantees placed on any lot. The top lot was Amedeo Modigliani's Nu assis au collier (1917–18) at about $63.9 million.
Named works and instruments (3)
Amedeo Modigliani — Nu assis au collier — approximately $63.9 million
Edgar Degas — Petite danseuse de quatorze ans — £25.1 million / $33.3 million
Lucian Freud — Sleeping by the Lion Carpet — £29.3 million ($38.8 million)
Degas, Monet, and Modigliani. The artworks from these artists were sold during Sotheby’s London sale, with the overall Lewis collection auction bringing in £296.3 million ($392.6 million) and the Modern and Contemporary sale adding £97.1 million ($128.1 million), totaling £393.4 million ($520.7 million). Monet’s Nymphéas sold for £40.8 million ($54 million).
Named works and instruments (3)
Amedeo Modigliani — Nu assis au collier — £48.2 million
Claude Monet — Nymphéas — £40.8 million ($54 million)
Edgar Degas — Petite danseuse de quatorze ans — £25.1 million
Philip Guston’s Mirror Head (1977) led the Zabludowicz Collection sale at Christie’s London, selling for £3.9 million ($5.2 million) with an estimate of £3.5–£5.5 million. The auction realized £15.4 million ($20.3 million) across 53 lots, with 7 under estimate, 28 within, and 11 above, and 44 lots remaining online through June 30. Artists mentioned include Philip Guston, Rose Wylie, and Haim Steinbach.
Named works and instruments (1)
Philip Guston — Mirror Head — £3.9 million ($5.2 million)
The sale at Sotheby’s London of Joe Lewis’s collection achieved £296.3 million ($392.6 million), with 25 lots and all but one sold. The night’s top lot was Amadeo Modigliani’s Nu assis au collier (1917–18), selling for £48.2 million ($63.9 million) after a bidding battle led by Oliver Barker. Also featured was Lucian Freud’s Sleeping by the Lion Carpet (1995–96), which sold for £29.3 million ($38.8 million).
Named works and instruments (2)
Amedeo Modigliani — Nu assis au collier — £48.2 million ($63.9 million)
Lucian Freud — Sleeping by the Lion Carpet — £29.3 million ($38.8 million)
The article discusses Sotheby’s London June sale led by a Modigliani valued at $63.5 million from the Lewis Collection. It also covers the combined results of the Lewis Collection sale and a Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction, totaling £393.4 million ($520.7 million) and noting strong sell-through and high-end demand.
Named works and instruments (15)
Amedeo Modigliani — Homme à la Pipe (Le Notaire de Nice) — £23.3 million ($30.7 million)
Amedeo Modigliani — Nu Assis au Collier — £48.2 million ($63.5 million)
Banksy — Love Is In The Air (life size) — £6.4 million ($8.5 million)
Claude Monet — Camille Assise sur la Plage à Trouville — passed at around £5 million
Claude Monet — Nymphéas — £40.8 million ($54 million)
Edgar Degas — Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans — £25 million ($33.1 million)
Egon Schiele — Danaë — a few thousand shy of £18 million ($23.6 million)
Gustav Klimt — Portrait of Gertrud Loew — £36.2 million ($47.6 million)
Gustave Caillebotte — Portrait de Paul Hugot — £10.2 million ($13.5 million)
Henri Matisse — Lydia (Étude pour ‘Portrait au Manteau Bleu’) — £3.75 million ($4.9 million)
Kazimir Malevich — Head of a Peasant — over £3 million ($4 million)
Mark Rothko — Untitled — £9 million ($11.9 million)
Marlow Moss — White, Yellow and Black — £1.2 million ($1.5 million)
Pablo Picasso — Buste de Femme — £23.8 million ($31.4 million)
René Magritte — La Belle Promenade — a shade over £16 million ($21.1 million)
Henri Matisse, Lydia (Étude pour 'Portrait au manteau bleu') (1935), sold for $4.97m (GBP3.75m) at Sotheby's in London on June 24, 2026, beating the previous auction result by $4.27m for an annualized return of 6%. The work was previously sold at Christie's in New York in 1996 for $700,000.
Named works and instruments (1)
Henri Matisse — Lydia (Étude pour 'Portrait au manteau bleu') — $4.97m (GBP3.75m)
The Strad reports that violinist Christian Tetzlaff won Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2026 Opus Klassik awards for his recording of violin concertos by Elgar and Ades, while cellist Simon Tetzlaff won Young Talent of the Year. Other string winners named include the Ebene and Belcea Quartets as Ensemble of the Year, violinists Frank Peter Zimmermann and Esther Abrami, and cellist Anastasia Kobekina.
The Netherlands and Germany announced plans to return more than 2,000 cultural objects taken from Ghana during colonial conquest. Dutch officials handed Ghana a catalogue of 2,000 objects, while Germany separately identified war drums and horns for restitution.
The Strad reports that the UK based Kleio Quartet has appointed violist Jaren Ziegler and cellist Gerard Flotats, replacing departing members Juliette Roos and Eliza Millett. Founding member Yume Fujise returns to the first violin position as part of the reshuffle.
Art Basel's flagship 2026 fair in Basel, held June 18 to 21 with 290 galleries from 43 countries and about 90,000 visitors, closed reporting strong sales. Top results included Pablo Picasso's Le peintre et son modele dans un paysage (1963) sold by Hauser and Wirth for USD 35 million, Gerhard Richter's Abstraktes Bild (940-7) (2015) for 20 million dollars, David Hockney's Studio Interior #2 (2014) for 8.5 million dollars, and Louise Bourgeois's Les Fleurs (2009) for about 2.2 million dollars, with works by Willem de Kooning and Helen Frankenthaler also reported sold.
The article describes a 416-year-old Italian viola crafted in 1610 by Giovanni Paolo Maggini joining the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Stefanie Farrands, the orchestra’s principal viola, spent five years sourcing the instrument, which cost over $3 million and was acquired through the orchestra’s instrument fund in its 15th year. The viola’s provenance traces from Henry Holmes to a US collector, and it underwent CT testing before performance.
The article discusses the Chi Mei Culture Foundation’s stringed-instrument collection, led by Wen-Long Shi, and violin maker Dai-Ting Chung in Tainan, as well as their acquisition and exhibition plans. It mentions the foundation housing about 1,750 instruments in the Chi Mei Museum and Shi’s leadership in building the collection.
The Art Newspaper reported that Art Basel's new Basel Exclusive initiative, in which more than 200 exhibitors withheld key works from pre-fair digital previews, generated interest but sold mostly established artists at accessible prices. Sales named included Pablo Picasso's Homme Assis (1972) at Helly Nahmad and Satyre, Pan et nymphe (1938) at Almine Rech for 6 million to 6.5 million dollars, Philip Guston's The Courtyard (1946) at Hauser and Wirth, Elizabeth Peyton's Transmission (E, rose) (2026) at David Zwirner for 1.2 million dollars, a Nicolas Party at Xavier Hufkens for about 200,000 dollars, and a John Baldessari at Spruth Magers for 500,000 dollars.
Christie’s examines Explore Vienna's MuseumsQuartier as it marks 25 years and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
The Strad reports that the 2026 George Enescu International Competition in Bucharest has selected 50 competitors each for its cello and violin disciplines, to be held between 29 August and 19 September 2026. Each discipline offers a first prize of 15,000 euros, a second prize of 10,000 euros and a third prize of 5,000 euros, with cello jury led by Arto Noras and violin jury by Mihaela Martin.
Stephanie Powell reports that the 1743 ex-Havemeyer Guadagnini cello sold for $1.5 million through Tarisio Auctions, setting a new auction record for Guadagnini instruments. The ex-Havemeyer is one of 40 known Guadagnini cellos and last appeared for sale about 60 years ago.
Wassily Kandinsky's Villa Seeburg am Staffelsee was the highest lot of the German auction season at $6.38 million, while Georg Kolbe’s Tänzerinnen-Brunnen reached record highs. The live auctions at Ketterer Kunst, Grisebach, and Lempertz in Germany totaled about €58.3 million ($67.7 million).
Dealers at Art Basel reported heightened activity in David Hockney's work after his death, including an $8.5 million studio painting sold to a US collection. Annely Juda also offered a 2025 flower painting for $12 million as demand for Hockney editions rose sharply.
The Art Newspaper reported strong seven-figure sales during Art Basel 2026's VIP preview, led by Pablo Picasso's Le peintre et son modele dans un paysage (1963), sold by Hauser and Wirth for USD 35 million, and a second Picasso, Satyre, Pan et nymphe (1938), at 6 million to 6.5 million dollars. David Hockney's Studio Interior #2 (2014) sold for 8.5 million dollars, with further sales of works by Cy Twombly (two works at 5 million and 2.5 million dollars), Louise Bourgeois, Pierre Soulages (Peinture 146 x 97 cm, 31 janvier 1954, above 3 million dollars), Helen Frankenthaler (Sudden Wave, 1982, 3 million dollars), Lucio Fontana, Georg Baselitz, Maria Lassnig, Lynne Drexler, Doris Salcedo, Jonas Wood, Lynda Benglis, Kenneth Noland, Yayoi Kusama, Gerhard Richter and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Christie’s examines ANNIE WALLINGTON APPOINTED HEAD OF MODERN ART, LONDON and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
The Strad reports that American violinist and pedagogue Peter McHugh died on 7 June 2026 at the age of 87. He taught for almost 40 years at the University of Louisville School of Music, retiring in 2014 as distinguished professor of violin emeritus, and was named Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the American String Teachers Association in 1993.
The Strad reports that violinist Fanny Robilliard has been appointed first concertmaster of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, sharing the role with Malin Broman. Robilliard performs on a 1627 Nicolo Amati violin borrowed through the Foundation Culture et Musique.
The Royal Ontario Museum acquired the Widad Kawar Collection of Arab Dress and Heritage Arts, comprising almost 600 garments and cultural objects from across the Arab world. The acquisition combines charitable support with a partial gift from the Kawar family.
The article features violinist Augustin Hadelich, explaining his long use of the 1723 ex-Kiesewetter Stradivari. He discusses his bow by Paul Simon, and mentions owning modern instruments by Michel Eggimann and Mario Miralles. The piece covers his career highlights and his instrument preferences.
The Ebène Quartet, based in Paris, announces the acquisition of four Stradivari instruments: two violins Piatti (1717) and King George (1710), a Gibson viola (1734), and a De Kermadec-Bläss cello (1698). Violinist Pierre Colombet will play on Piatti 1717 and a Goffriller violin (1736) loaned through Beare's; Gabriel Le Magadure will play King George 1710 and other loaned instruments; violist Marie Chilemme will perform on Gibson 1734 and a 1625 Hollmayr viola; cellist Yuya Okamoto will play De Kermadec-Bläss cello 1698 and previously used a Grancino cello 1682. The instruments are provided by the Stiftung Habisreutinger-Huggler-Coray and Beare's International Violin Society, with loans from Gabriele Forberg-Schneider and others.
The article discusses the 1741 Playfair violin by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù and its acquisition path through dealer Colin Maki, leading to violinist Ray Ushikubo, a 24-year-old San Gabriel musician who will debut the instrument in a free concert. It notes Ushikubo’s performances at major venues and awards, and outlines the instrument’s provenance from W.E. Hill & Sons to a collector and finally to Ushikubo via Maki.
David Hockney, one of the most celebrated and commercially valuable British artists, died at his home on 11 June 2026, aged 88, one month short of his 89th birthday. The Hollywood Reporter noted his market standing, recalling that his 1972 painting Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) sold for about 94 million dollars at auction in New York in 2018, then a record for a living artist.
Named works and instruments (1)
David Hockney — Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) — nearly £70 million ($94m)
The post reports that the recovered ex-Kym Stradivarius violin was auctioned by Tarisio for $2.27 million. The Strad Online link is provided as the source. The page is from the blog Lost Fiddle and references The Strad Online story about the stolen instrument fetch at auction.
The Ébène Quartet, based in Paris, announced the acquisition of four Stradivari instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries: two violins (1717 Piatti and 1710 King George), a 1734 Gibson viola, and a 1698 De Kermadec-Bläss cello. Violinist Pierre Colombet, Gabriel Le Magadure, Marie Chilemme, and cellist Yuya Okamoto are noted with various loans and instruments from sponsors and collectors.
The article reports a 1753 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin selling for $1.2 million at Tarisio’s October auction. It also notes other violin sales of 1750 Camillus Camilli for $258,600, 1701 Giovanni Tononi for $236,00, and 1774 Tommaso Balestrieri for $216,000, as well as an 1820 Raffaele and Antonio Gagliano cello sold for $90,000, and bows by Dominique Peccatte ($102,000) and James Tubbs ($13,200).
Christie’s examines The Exceptional Sale: from an Old Kingdom Egyptian statue to a first edition of Wuthering Heights and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
Christie’s reports on First dedicated sale of its kind at Christie's London since 2019 'Sublime Shadows: South Asian Art From a Distinguished Collection' Totals £18,909,996. Its source account states that the sale, the first dedicated offering of its kind in London since 2019, comprised 93 works from a single private collection formed over the 1990s and early 2000s, with a focus on the artistic legacy of Bengal and the development of modern South Asian visual culture.
The Ebene Quartet announced that its members will perform on four Antonio Stradivari instruments: the 1717 Piatti violin played by Pierre Colombet, the 1710 King George violin played by Gabriel Le Magadure, the 1734 Gibson viola played by Marie Chilemme, and the 1698 De Kermadec-Blass cello played by Yuya Okamoto. The instruments were provided through the Stradivari Stiftung Habisreutinger-Huggler-Coray and Beare's International Violin Society, with no value disclosed.
The article reports an unrestored c. 1789 Ferdinando Gagliano violin exceeding its £65,000-£85,000 estimate at Ingles & Hayday’s October auction, selling for £180,000. It notes the instrument’s provenance and original components. It also covers Winston Churchill’s ‘Cigar Box’ violin selling for £6,600, with details about its inscription, make, and later association with Yehudi Menuhin; additional mentions include a 1715 Grancino II violin (£144,000) and an 1788 Tomasso Balestrieri violin (£300,000).
Christie’s examines PHILLIPS UNVEILS HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART EVENING & AFTERNOON SALE and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
National Geographic reports that scientists traced the wood for Stradivarius violins to forests in the Italian Dolomites, specifically Val di Fiemme, using tree-ring analysis. The study, published in Dendrochronologia, suggests violins from Stradivari’s golden age largely used Norway spruce. The article discusses how wood properties influence sound and notes a famous Stradivari sale price.
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich has written her 18th solo concerto, a viola concerto, with world premiere performed by Paul Neubauer and JoAnn Falletta with Brevard Sinfonia at Brevard Music Center's 2026 summer festival in Brevard, NC. Neubauer will also perform the piece with Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic in 2027.
Nicolas Sarazin reports that Gustav Klimt's unfinished Portrait of Fräulein Margarethe Lieser (1917) sold for $37.5 million in Vienna in April 2024, a record for Austria, but the buyer withdrew amid restitution talks. The piece describes the painting’s disappearance after Austria’s 1938 annexation, resurfacing in 2024, and a June 2026 New York lawsuit by Patricia J. Leahy against Im Kinsky and Eva Ropper over alleged restitution communication gaps and alleged tampering with the work’s title.
Named works and instruments (1)
Gustav Klimt — Portrait of Fräulein Margarethe Lieser — $37.5 million
The Lady Blunt Stradivarius, a 1721 Stradivarius violin, sold for a record £9.8 million at online auction, with proceeds going to victims of the Japanese earthquake. The auction was conducted by Tarisio and the instrument has long been associated with Lady Anne Blunt, granddaughter of Lord Byron.
Violinist Beatrice Colombis from Australia wins the 2026 Michael Hill International Violin Competition in Auckland, NZ, receiving NZ$40,000, a recording contract with Atoll, and a multi-centre Winner’s Tour.
The Strad reports that 21 year old Japanese violinist Koshiro Takeuchi won first prize at the 2026 Concours Musical International de Montreal (CMIM), whose grand final took place on 4 June. His package included a CAD 30,000 cash prize and a CAD 40,000 career development prize, plus a three year loan of a 1728 to 1730 Guarneri del Gesu violin from the Canimex Music Instrument Collection.
The article by Philip J. Kass discusses Matteo Goffriller, a Venetian instrument maker, who largely faded from memory for many years before being reevaluated. It places his work in the broader context of Italian Tyrol diaspora luthiers and the influence of Cremona on violin making, noting Venice as his chosen center.
Inge Kjemtrup writes about Count Cozio di Salabue (1755–1840), an instrumental collector, dealer, patron, and archivist who bridged 17th–18th century Cremona and modern violin understandings. The article discusses his methodical note‑taking, his aim to preserve the craft, and his ownership of Stradivari material now housed in the Museo Stradivariano in Cremona.
Patricia J. Leahy filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court seeking restitution of Portrait of Fräulein Margarethe Lieser, a Gustav Klimt portrait that sold for $37.5 million at auction in Austria in 2024. The case centers on Nazi-era seizure claims and provenance issues related to Adolf Lieser and Margarethe Lieser’s family.
Named works and instruments (1)
Gustav Klimt — Portrait of Fräulein Margarethe Lieser — $37.5 million
Phillips details PHILLIPS ANNOUNCES HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NEW YORK EDITIONS & WORKS ON PAPER AUCTION, including the artists, works, estimates, and sale context documented in the release.
The Calgary Tribune reports that the Stradivarius Des Rosiers and its Tourte bow were declassified from Quebec’s protected heritage objects, overruling warnings from the Conseil du patrimoine culturel du Québec. The council argued the move could enable foreign sale or muséification, while officials said it corrects a historical anomaly; the declassification was initiated after a heritage council submission and public engagement.
Ettore Pagano won the 2026 Queen Elisabeth Competition for Cello and will have the Casals Goffriller cello on loan for four years. He will perform on it at the Pau Casals International Music Festival in El Vendrell on 21 July and at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona on 22 July. The loan is part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of Pablo Casals’ birth and the 150th anniversary of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium’s birth.
Phillips details PHILLIPS’ SALES OF THE COLLECTION OF AMBASSADOR JOHN L. LOEB, JR. ACHIEVE $18 MILLION ACROSS GLOBAL AUCTION SERIES, including the artists, works, estimates, and sale context documented in the release.
A market analysis found a bifurcated recovery in 2026, with 20th century blue-chip works setting records while contemporary works by younger artists remained sluggish. It cited Jackson Pollock's Number 7A (1948) at 181 million dollars, Constantin Brancusi's Danaide (c. 1913) at 108 million dollars, and Mark Rothko's Brown and Blacks in Reds (1957) at 85.7 million dollars, alongside Anna Weyant's Dinner (2019) at 980,400 dollars, a Willem de Kooning Milkmaid (1984) estimated at 10 million to 15 million dollars, Banksy's Girl and Balloon on Found Landscape (2012) at 18 million dollars, and a sold-out London show of new paintings by Nick Goss priced 55,000 to 65,000 pounds.