Ouch. Two names emblematic of the profligate economic boom took a hit on Saturday Sotheby's held its bankruptcy court-forced sale of the collection of Lehman Brothers and Neuberger Berman and, while the overall results were strong, there was one notable... MORE >
The Sotheby's sale of the Lehman Brothers-Neuberger Berman contemporary art collection on Saturday, Sept. 25, will be keenly watched. As the first major contemporary art sale of the season, and one where works by some big names are priced competitively, it is a likely bellwether of the art market. We asked Sergey Skaterschikov, head of Skate's Art Market Research, what's he's watching most closely: Damien Hirst, We've got Style (the Vessel Collection... MORE >
In a surprising and unlikely move, auctioneer Christie's has hired, from outside, a former publishing, record company and Disney executive as its CEO. For the firm known for, literally, centuries (it was founded in 1766) of Eton-educated top managers and very little turnover, this is a huge cultural... MORE >
On Sept. 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, a move that has largely come to date the start of the recession. The same day, in London, a huge auction of the artworks of Damien Hirst soared to $198 million, marking the beginning of the end of that bubble... MORE >
A handful of gallery shows that matter this month. Gagosian Chelsea Gallery 555 West 24th Street Dan... MORE >
Last Week's Best Party: Rob Pruitt's joint openings at Gavin Brown and Maccarone Galleries, marked by videos of dancing pandas, Chloë Sevigny, and car tires full of candy. Next Week's Best Party: Pace's 50th Anniversary fete, Sept. 16, a five-gallery extravaganza that will close down Chelsea streets with a block party. Winner of the Week: Pipilotti Rist, whose vivid, giddy show at Luring Augustine is winning the kind of raves usually reserved for artists already in... MORE >
On Sept. 14, demonstrators showed up at the legendary Palace of Versailles to protest the opening of "Murakami: Versailles." A couple of groups, including one dubbed Coordination in Defense of Versailles, have asked for an "international mobilization" to remove the riotously colored and sometimes sexually explicit Japanese Pop artist's works from the hallowed halls once walked by Marie Antoinette and the Sun King, Louis XIV. Here in the U.S., though, the artist has been invited... MORE >
It is one of the truisms of the art world that the fine-jewelry market defies recessions. Whether that's because the very rich don't even notice downturns, or buyers turn to hard assets in tough times, the demand for baubles is ridiculously undented by economic realities. Since December 2008, a string of jewelry records have been set at auction, topped off by the $24.3 million paid for the "historic Wittelsbach-Graff diamond" (formerly from the Bavarian... MORE >
Prosecutors have charged 11 museum and cultural officials in Egypt with negligence in the wake of the Aug. 21 theft of Vincent van Gogh's Poppy Fields from a Cairo museum that had no alarms and a series of broken security... MORE >
Sotheby's will sell 14 contemporary artworks from the collection of 1970s and 1980s supermodel (and former Mick Jagger paramour) Jerry Hall in London on Oct. 15 and 16. The sale is concurrent with the city's prestigious Frieze Art... MORE >
One of the most famous paintings in the world has gone back into public view after an extensive restoration. On Friday, Vincent van Gogh's The Bedroom returned to Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum after being stripped of 80-year-old varnish, among other signs of wear and time. The Bedroom is one of the most familiar images in art (and a familiar image in college dorm walls and on coffee mugs), in part because van Gogh painted... MORE >
In a summer of standout gallery shows and slow sales, one of the more notable art purchases was by leading collector Henry Kravis. The financier, whose collection includes a wide swath of Impressionist and Modern masterworks, added a piece by mid-century minimalist pioneer Anne Truitt. It was purchased from the Matthew Marks show of the artist's work in July, people close to the matter said. Neither the financier nor the gallery could be reached... MORE >
While New York's Met and MoMA get all the buzz, this city is actually home to a stunning 80-plus museums--many of which would be the star attraction in a town less culturally gifted than our own. Before the fall blockbuster exhibitions open, check out the lesser-known gems. The Tenement Museum 97 Orchard... MORE >
A nifty New York Times story today highlights an art theft ring (or two) that's seizing masterpiece paintings by Picasso and Modigliani right and left. Proving that everything has a silver lining, however, all the targets so far are... MORE >
Creditors of the Cipriani restaurant empire announced plans to sell off all company assets to pay off its debts, a move that puts a handful of landmark New York restaurants in the high-end chain on the chopping, and auction... MORE >
From our partners...
