Apr 13th, 2026 - English composer is busy working on a production inspired by one of the most audacious thefts in art history Musicals supremo Andrew Lloyd Webber is shifting his focus to the most famous painting in the world—Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa housed at the Louvre. Lloyd Webber is known for blockbuster musical hits such as Jesus Christ Superstar , Cats and Phantom of the Opera . But now his interest is piqued by one of the most audacious heists in art history which took place in ...
Apr 10th, 2026 - In front of the Grand Palais, two colossal Haribo-like inflatable silhouettes greeted visitors for gimmicky photo ops. The work by French artist Fabrice Hyber (represented by Nathalie Obadia ) introduced a bit of frivolity to Art Paris, a relatively low-key French fair that appeals to local collectors. Beneath a beating spring sun through the historic glass nave, the vibe on the preview day was more a soothing burble than a fizzy buzz; nobody was wearing ostentatious attire. The 28th edition of ...
Apr 10th, 2026 - In this Surrealism-themed episode, Ben Luke discusses the first major US survey of Marcel Duchamp in half a century, Alyce Mahon's new book on Dorothea Tanning, and a painting by Leonora Carrington Three artists who in different ways connect to the Surrealist movement are the subject of this week's podcast. At the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the first major US survey of the full career of Marcel Duchamp since 1973 opens this weekend, before travelling later in the year to Philadelphia. ...
Apr 10th, 2026 - Swedish artist, now regarded as predecessor to Kandinsky and Mondrian, died thinking world was not ready for her work The Swedish artist Hilma af Klint died believing the world was not ready for the mystical paintings that would shock the art world half a century later. The painter, now credited with pioneering the abstract art movement , did not seek recognition after peers rejected her avant garde works. Instead, she ordered that they be hidden for 20 years after her death and never sold. Now ...
Apr 10th, 2026 - The Kröller-Müller Museum is displaying a forged seascape bought by its founder Museums normally hide any fakes deep in their vaults, but the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo has just put their false Van Gogh, Seascape at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (1925-27), on display. This intriguing presentation, on until 21 June, coincides with a Dutch-language podcast recounting how its museum founder Helene Kröller-Müller acquired what turned out to be a forgery. ...
Apr 9th, 2026 - It's the ultimate form of window-shopping: You go to a museum and make a mental note of the clothing you wish you could wear. Maybe you're drawn to Flaming June 's sheer marigold dress, or Nike of Samothrace 's draped, wind-swept tunic, or Madame X's sumptuous velvet gown held up by a delicate chain strap. This year, the Costume Institute's spring exhibition, " Costume Art ," concerns itself with how bodies interact with fashion, and how fashion interacts with art—so we asked Vogue ...
Apr 9th, 2026 - The first major US exhibition of the conceptual artist in more than five decades presents his multi-sensory work and habit of making and remaking as "very, very today" It is 53 years since the last major US survey of Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968). So, despite his ubiquitous influence, an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York this month is long overdue. It is being organised by MoMA and the Philadelphia Art Museum—the same venues as the previous legendary show, curated by ...
Apr 8th, 2026 - John and Dominique de Menil , for whom the venerable Houston-based Menil Collection is named, had a longstanding relationship with Cy Twombly dating back to the 1960s when they began collecting the idiosyncratic artist's work. Today, the museum houses the largest Twombly collection in North America, including a freestanding gallery designed by Renzo Piano and dedicated to the artist. Last year, the collection grew substantially when the Cy Twombly Foundation donated 121 works, none of which had ...
Mar 6th, 2026 - Picture: Agnew's Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz: This is the exciting time of year when dealers begin revealing their top pictures for the upcoming art fair TEFAF (The European Fine Art Foundation) in Maastricht. News from Agnew's today that they'll be bringing the De Ganay Salvator Mundi , given to the Studio of Leonardo Da Vinci, which according to their press release has 'been considered the best of the versions known, and by some to be the prototype [of the famous 2017 Christie's picture].' ...
Feb 12th, 2026 - From Yoko Ono to Frida Kahlo, from Louise Bourgeois to Artemisia Gentileschi, women have long been capturing the unvarnished truth about their own bodies – and that's why my novel Female, Nude weaves them into the plot f you want to paint, put your clothes back on!" That was how Carolee Schneemann summarised the critical response to her 1975 performance piece Interior Scroll, which she had performed nude standing on a gallery table. After making a series of life model poses, she removed a ...
Nov 20th, 2025 - A self-portrait by legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo sold for $54.66 million in New York on Thursday, setting a new record for the price of a painting by a woman, the auction house Sotheby's said. The sale of Kahlo's 1940 artwork, titled "El sueno (la cama)" — which translates to "The dream (The bed)" — breaks the previous record in this category, set by American artist Georgia O'Keeffe, whose 1932 painting "Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1," sold for $44.4 million in 2014. Kahlo's ...
Nov 13th, 2025 - From the Mona Lisa to the American Gothic, these famous paintings don't just grace museum walls; they offer a glimpse into the past and define entire generations. Although most of these masterpieces are centuries old, they continue to fascinate art buffs and collectors alike, with each piece telling a captivating story. Whether they're on display for the whole world to see or hidden behind closed doors, these paintings prove that art has the power to create and sometimes, even change history. ...
Oct 27th, 2025 - The momentum in Paris generated last week by Art Basel—and the strong sales and dynamic activity across all the fairs—culminated in the Paris evening auctions, where results exceeded estimates and expectations at both Christie's and Sotheby's. Buyers who seemed hesitant in the days leading up to the art weeks regained confidence after seeing the positive results in London. "They called back, asking for guarantees or pre-auction bids," Alessandro Diotallevi told Observer ahead of the ...
Oct 18th, 2025 - Morgan Library & Museum, New York Famed impressionist painter's lesser-seen drawings are the focus of a major new exhibition that invites us into the stages of his artistic process is luminous colours and sensual brushwork adorn countless mugs, posters and tote bags as well as blockbuster exhibitions . But the commodification of Pierre-Auguste Renoir and his fellow impressionist painters has been missing something. Renoir was an accomplished draftsman who produced a distinguished but largely ...
Sep 16th, 2025 - With Sotheby's landing the $400 million Leonard A. Lauder Collection and the Pritzkers' modern masterpieces, and Christie's securing the Weis and Wynn estates, November's sales may yet rescue the slumping auction market. It has become clearer in these past few years that the real battle between auction houses isn't about results but in the race for consignments. Yesterday, Sotheby's landed a knockout: the $400 million Leonard A. Lauder Collection , set to hit the rostrum during November's New ...
