Christie's New York Part II Sale
December 21 2024
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The upcoming Christie's New York Old Master Paintings & Sculpture: Part II sale has been published online. The auction will take place on 5th February at 2pm EST (straight after their Part I sale, it seems).
As usual, I won't spoil the fun by pointing out any paintings which may or may not be interesting.
The V&A are Hiring!
December 21 2024
Picture: V&A
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London are hiring a Research Assistant - The Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection.
According to the job description:
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection is one of the most comprehensive collections of decorative arts built by private collectors in the 20th century, celebrated notably for its unique collection of stone and glass mosaics. The V&A has planned an extensive refurbishment of its galleries which requests contribution from a research assistant.
The Research Assistant will join an enthusiastic curatorial team and benefit from a remarkable exposure to the various responsibilities of such a capital project. The appointed candidate will contribute to the research and delivery of interpretation outcome alongside the design, project and interpretation teams. In short, this is a rare and exciting opportunity for someone to develop and advance their career in the museum world.
The job comes with a salary of £27,528 - £31,854 per annum and applications must be in by 5th January 2025.
Good luck if you're applying!
Louvre conserves Andrea Solario Picture
December 21 2024
Picture: Louvre
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Louvre in Paris have shared news of their latest exciting conservation project, the cleaning of Andrea Solario's Virgin and Child. Dated to 1507-10, the transformation of these vivid electric colours is quite something to behold.
All eyes on which paintings the Louvre will clean in 2025. Perhaps they're gearing up to tackle one of their particularly darkened Leonardos?
Christie's New York Sale
December 21 2024
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's New York have uploaded their upcoming Old Masters sale online. The auction will take place on 5th February at 10am EST.
Amongst the top lots are the aforementioned El Greco of Saint Sebastian estimated at $7m - $9m. The painting already has a third-party guarantee, meaning the work is technically already sold. Other notable works are a fine Pieter de Hooch interior at $2.5m - $3.5m, a portrait of a gentleman, possibly Dirck Dircksz Tjarck, by Frans Hals at $2m - $3m, and a Cranach the Elder of Hercules and Omphale at $1m - $2m. My favourite picture of the bunch is this musical Michael Sweerts, an artist who appears in most evening sales these days, which carries an estimate of $700k - $1m. There are also a selection of paintings being sold by the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (to fund future acquisitions), more of which can be read in this article.
Upcoming Release: Northern European Art in the Norton Simon Museum
December 13 2024
Picture: Yale Books
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news that in May 2025 the Norton Simon Museum will be releasing a new catalogue of their Northern European Art collection. The volume has been edited by Amy Walsh and contains contributions from a long list of scholars.
According to the book's blurb:
This book features Dutch, Flemish, Early Netherlandish, and German paintings and works on paper from the fifteenth through the eighteenth century, including preeminent names such as Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt van Rijn, as well as lesser-known artists such as Sebastian Stoskopff and Johannes Verspronck. Illuminating one of the finest collections of Northern European art in the United States, the book traces the histories of ninety-five extraordinary paintings and drawings, shedding new light on the artistic significance and material properties of these objects. Works of art that emphasize the humanity of their subjects—and the capacity of oil paint to render these qualities almost achingly real—is a throughline that unites the paintings featured here, from the tender gaze of Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Boy (1655–60) to the freshly cut flowers and curious insects in Rachel Ruysch’s Nosegay on a Marble Plinth (ca. 1695), to the recently conserved masterpieces Adam and Eve (ca. 1530) by Lucas Cranach.
Seminar Series: Gold and its Uses in Early Modern Painting
December 13 2024
Picture: Rijksmuseum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The French National Institute for Art History (INHA) in Paris is running a very interesting seminar series next year on the subject of Gold and its Uses in Early Modern Painting. The series is the culmination of a research collaboration which was begun in 2021 by the AORUM project (Analysis of Gold and its Uses as a Painting Material). Click on the links above to find out more about the series which will run from January until June 2025.
New Paintings catalogue for Catedral de Segovia
December 13 2024
Picture: Catedral de Segovia
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Catedral de Segovia in Spain has just released a new catalogue on its collection of paintings. The Cathedral is home to 39 important works of art, mostly drawn from Flemish and Castilian artists from the 15th - 17th centuries. The catalogue contains contributions from 11 different authors and scholars and is available for purchase through the link above.
New Modern Wing for the MET
December 13 2024
Picture: MET
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York have revealed more details about the new Tang Wing, an extension which will house their growing twentieth- and twenty-first-century art collection.
According to the article linked above:
Developed in close collaboration with teams at The Met over the last two years, Escobedo’s plan for the new Oscar L. and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing draws on her deep engagement with the Museum’s buildings, collection, and setting within Central Park, resulting in a compellingly dynamic and exceptionally inspired design. The project will increase our gallery space by nearly 50 percent, creating more than 70,000 square feet for the display of our outstanding Modern and Contemporary collection, while staying within the existing footprint and overall height of The Met. Importantly, the project will allow us to better illuminate points of connections across the Museum’s global collection encompassing more than 5,000 years of art history, while also addressing critical accessibility, infrastructure, and sustainability needs. With this elegant, contemporary concept—which is rooted in her deep understanding of architectural history, materiality, spatial configuration, and artistic expression—Escobedo cements her standing as one of the most relevant architects of our time while creating history as the first woman to design a wing at The Met.
The new wing is set to open for 2030.
Elegant Edwardians at The Royal Collection for 2025
December 12 2024
Picture: RCT
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Royal Collection Trust have shared news that one of their primary new exhibitions for 2025 will be entitled The Edwardians: Age of Elegance.
According to their website:
Explore the opulence and glamour of the Edwardian age – the period between the Victorian era and the First World War.
Visitors will learn about the lives and tastes of two of Britain’s most fashionable royal couples – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary – from their family lives and personal collecting to their glittering social circles and spectacular royal events.
More than 300 objects from the Royal Collection will be on display – almost half for the first time – including works by the most renowned contemporary artists of the period, including Carl Fabergé, Frederic Leighton, Edward Burne-Jones, Laurits Tuxen, John Singer Sargent and William Morris.
The show will run from 11th April until 23rd November 2025.
Nicolaes Gillis Catalogue Raisonné
December 12 2024
Picture: primaverapapers.nl
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news that a new monograph and catalogue raisonné on the still life painter Nicolaes Gillis has just been published. Written by Alexander Thijs, the book is the first publication to define the artist's small but distinctive oeuvre.
As is the custom on this blog, this effort will win Thijs a spot in the prestigious 'Heroes of Art History' section on AHN.
Capodimonte Museum acquires two works by Colantonio
December 12 2024
Picture: finestresullarte.info
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Italy that the Capodimonte Museum in Naples has acquired two works by the fifteenth century master Colantonio, who is most famously known for being the master of Antonello da Messina. The paintings of the Franciscan figures Morico and Leone join two others already within the museum's collection which were once part of the same polyptych that was dismantled in 1639.
Vatican Restores Apollo Belvedere
December 12 2024
Video: AZ News
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
I'm a little late to the news that the Vatican have recently unveiled their famous Apollo Belvedere statue after a 5-year restoration project.
According to Reuters:
Restoration experts spent years working on the "Apollo Belvedere", repairing fractures in its knees and legs, cleaning the entire cream-coloured statue with lasers, and installing a carbon fibre pole anchored to its base to increase stability.
"This type of restoration... is the expression of what we want the Vatican Museums to be," said Barbara Jatta, the Museums' director. "A balance of tradition, linguistics and study, with a gaze that looks to the future."
The Paul Mellon Centre are Hiring!
December 12 2024
Picture: paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Paul Mellon Centre in London are hiring a Head of Research Resources & Publications (Senior Leadership Team position).
According to their website:
A new role of Head of Research Resources & Publications has been created at the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art (PMC). We are seeking a dynamic and knowledgeable professional who will contribute to the direction and strategy of PMC by overseeing its publications, library, archives, records and data protection responsibilities. This a Senior Leadership Team position with responsibility for advising PMC’s Director on operations, planning and policy across the Centre.
The Head of Research Resources & Publications will line manage activities that span the lifecycle of research, from collecting and cataloguing, to consulting materials, evaluating research, communicating it in publications and displays, and preserving records. Overall, the postholder will ensure and enhance PMC’s role in fostering an innovative and enriching research culture. Working closely with department leads, the postholder will develop and deliver strategic thinking and planning, and advocate vigorously across sectors for PMC’s activities in publications, library, archives and records.
The job comes with an annual salary of £75,000 - £85,000 and applications must be in by 13th January 2025.
Good luck if you're applying!
Experience Raphael in Lille
December 12 2024
Video: France 3 Hauts-de-France
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
I failed to spot that an interesting exhibition on Raphael opened at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Lille earlier this autumn. Entitled Experience Raphael, the show is the first time that the museum's collection of 40 drawings by the artist have been put on display in their entirety alongside loans from institutions across Europe.
The show will run until 17th February 2025.
Prado acquires Pedro Machuca from Christie's Sale
December 12 2024
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Spain that the Prado in Madrid have acquired Pedro Machuca's Baptism of Christ from the recent Christie's London Old Masters Part II sale. The painting had sold for £63,000 over its £25k - £35 estimate. It had previously come up at Sotheby's in 2023 but failed to find a winning bid.
New BBC Docu-Drama on Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael
December 6 2024
Video: BBC via. Sammi's Universe Extra
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
BBC 2 in the UK have just started a new docu-drama entitled Renaissace: The Blood and the Beauty. Here's the recent review from The Guardian which gives the new series 4/5 stars.
Rediscovered Ter Brugghen Soars
December 6 2024
Picture: Ivoire
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A rediscovered painting of Esau selling his birthright by Hendrick Ter Brugghen made 1,150,000 EUR over its 200k - 300k EUR estimate at the auction house Ivoire in France yesterday. The work, dated to roughly 1627, was last at auction back in 1918 (according to the catalogue note provided by the auction house).
May 2025 Release: John Singer Sargent - The Charcoal Portraits
December 6 2024
Picture: Yale Books
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news that a new volume on John Singer Sargent's Charcoal Portraits will be published in May 2025.
According to the book's blurb:
In comparison with his portraits in oil, John Singer Sargent’s charcoal portraits are relatively little known. In this authoritative new volume, Richard Ormond documents the nearly 700 drawings that make up this distinct strand of Sargent’s oeuvre. These portraits capture the essence of British and American high society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, portraying an elite clientele that includes aristocracy, royalty, politicians, artists, writers, actors, financiers, and philanthropists. Among Sargent’s subjects are such prominent figures as the Astors, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Du Ponts, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Ethel Barrymore, W. B. Yeats, and Winston Churchill.
Though renowned for his paintings of women, these charcoal portraits also reveal Sargent’s interest in depicting athletes across a variety of sports, from cricket and fencing to football and polo. This shift in subject matter from prewar to postwar, along with a sparser style characteristic of his charcoal work, casts new light on Sargent’s depictions of the period’s social landscape.
2023-24 Report on Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest
December 6 2024
Picture: artscouncil.org.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The UK Arts Council have published their 2023/24 report on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (follow the link to read the full text).
Amongst the top line headlines from the report is that out of the 11 cases were referred to the Secretary of State for deferral (representing a value of £18.4m) a total of 5 cases were aventually acquired (or 'saved') for the nation (representing £8.1m in value or 44%).
A quick list of the objects acquired:
Case 1 38 Original Drawings of Flowers at Kew by Simon Taylor
Case 8 Walrus Ivory carving of Deposition from the Cross
Case 9 The Old French New Testament, formerly owned by Jean le Bon
Case 12 Recto: Portrait of a Dead Child by Samuel Cooper
Case 14 The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John the Evangelist and the Magdalen by Fra Angelico
And a quick list of the 'National Treasures not saved':
Case 2 Chandelier for Peter Watson by Alberto Giacometti
Case 3 Tipu Sultan of Mysore’s Flintlock Sporting Gun
Case 10 Taste in High Life (or Taste à-la-Mode) by William Hogarth
Case 11 Hans Coper Monumental bottle with disc top
Case 13 Iron Age gold brooches with linked chain
Case 15 Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Polar Medal
Carlo Maratta and Portraiture
December 6 2024
Picture: barberinicorsini.org
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Palazzo Barberini in Rome have just today opened a new exhibition dedicated to Carlo Maratta's portraiture.
According to the gallery's website:
In order to mark the 400-year anniversary of the birth of Carlo Maratti (Camerano 1625 – Rome 1713) and the release of a critical catalogue of his works, the exhibition “Carlo Maratti and Portraiture: Popes and Princes of the Roman Baroque” by Simonetta Prosperi, Valenti Rodinò and Yuri Primarosa, showcases a little-known feature of this Marche artist’s production: his portraiture of the Roman nobility.
Although today he is mainly known for his paintings of religious subjects and his decoration of Roman churches, Maratti was famous throughout Europe for his portraiture. His studio rose to prominence also thanks to his drawn and painted effigies, securing Maratti’s place as a trendsetter of taste on the Roman art scene for over half a century.
The show will run until 16th February 2025.
