Exclusive Interview with a Jamaican Soul Artist Christine D. JohnsonHigh-End Art and Celebrity Collaborations: Exclusive Interview with Renowned Curator Jean-David Malat | Part 3Women in Art: A glimpse into Central & Eastern EuropeTop 15 Most Unusual Museums You Should Consider Visiting in America
Maurice Leloir’s Four Historical Scenes Sell for €128,600 at BonhamsJacob Jordaens’s Portrait of His Wife Sells for €154,200 at BonhamsRenaissance Portrait Attributed to Conrad Faber Sells for €295,000 at BonhamsJodi the Nanotyrannus Sells for US$47.3 Million at Sotheby’sQianlong Emperor’s Jewel-Encrusted Gold Ewer Sells for US$7.11 Million at Christie’sHockney’s €282,200 Print Leads Warhol and Banksy in €1.06 Million Bonhams SaleMV Agusta Sells for $1.3 Million, Setting an Italian Motorcycle Auction RecordEnigma Machine Sells for £203,600 at Bonhams: Inside the 1941 Cipher DeviceUzo Egonu’s Will Knowledge Safeguard Freedom I Sets Auction Record at £198,900Yusuf Grillo’s One Man Band Sets Artist Auction Record at £461,300Ben Enwonwu’s Anyanwu Sells for £602,100, Setting a Sculpture Record at BonhamsRare Gandhi Portrait Achieves £152,800, Tripling Its EstimateBanksy’s British Cool Mickey Snake Triumphs at Bonhams, Selling for £330,600Whistler’s First Portrait Commission Sells for Five Times Estimate, Fetching $495,000Bridget Riley Stuns Art World as Myrrh Soars to $2.36M at Bonhams

Europe

Art, antiques, exhibitions, and collecting news from across Europe.

The Pearl Odyssey: A Journey Through Time, Beauty, and Expertise with GemGenève

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Detail of Nitot et Fils wristwatches for Princess Augusta Amalia of Bavaria, with oval dials framed by pearls and green stones. Photo: Nils Herrmann.

Pearls, once considered outdated and too traditional, have made a remarkable resurgence in the world of jewelry in recent years. Symbolizing wealth, prestige, and femininity, pearl jewels have transcended ages, fashions, and styles with unparalleled elegance. Constantly elevated by daring jewelers, pearls hold a special place in the history of jewelry. “The Pearl Odyssey” retraces the captivating story of pearls and their enduring tradition. Through a carefully curated selection of thirty outstanding pieces from esteemed private and heritage collections, alongside previously unseen projects and archival materials, visitors can explore the creativity and expertise developed around the world’s oldest jewel and delve into the science of pearls.

The Dark Side of Everyday Life: Wang Guangyi’s Solo Exhibition “Obscured Existence” in Italy at Palazzo Pitti

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Artwork with an open-mouthed face divided by a yellow grid and overlaid with long vertical paint drips.

This exhibition, comprising 28 masterful paintings by the renowned artist Wang Guangyi, guides visitors through four distinct cycles. These cycles delve into the underlying essence of the ritualistic nature of daily gestures and the use of common objects. Simultaneously, the works delve into the profound impact of one’s cultural background on the interpretation of art. The journey begins with “Daily Life,” a series of paintings focusing on the intimacy of small, everyday gestures performed by each of us. Within this initial series, Wang Guangyi portrays moments of private life, capturing individuals in vulnerable states, emphasizing how the ordinary can attain ritualistic significance.

Dutch Artist Willem Vos to Exhibit in China with a Message “Art is Freedom”

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Portrait of a bearded person in black clothing and a black beanie, seated beside a large red painting.

Renowned Dutch artist Willem Vos is embarking on a cultural odyssey to China as he collaborates with the Hong Art Museum in Chongqing and Pashmin Art Consortia from Germany to present their highly anticipated exhibition, “Transcendence: A Fusion of Art and Culture.” The exhibition will run from November 28, 2023, to February 28, 2024. This immersive showcase of contemporary artistic expressions promises to transport visitors into a vibrant tapestry of European cultural heritage, brought to life in the heart of Chongqing, China.

GemGenève 7th Edition: International Show Dedicated to Jewellery Professionals and Enthusiasts Will be Back this November

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Close-up of a necklace with green oval accents and long hanging rows of clear sparkling details against white.

The 7th edition of the exhibition catering to professionals and enthusiasts of precious stones and jewelry is scheduled to commence from Thursday, November 2nd, to Sunday, November 5th, within the premises of Palexpo Hall 6, the same venue as the November 2022 edition. Occupying an expansive 14,000 square meters of exhibition space, this event strategically coincides with the significant autumn auctions and other activities during the Geneva Luxury Week. The event’s organizers are diligently crafting a novel layout, set to be unveiled in due course.

High-End Art and Celebrity Collaborations: Exclusive Interview with Renowned Curator Jean-David Malat | Part 1

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A man seated on a purple sofa beneath a framed photograph of a woman at an open helicopter door.

Jean-David Malat is a distinguished celebrity art curator and owner of JD Malat Gallery. His collaborations with icons like Madonna, Kate Moss, Dolce & Gabbana, and Bono have solidified his prominence within the art world. Jean-David’s perspective within the art community stands out due to a unique blend of expertise, evoking admiration and garnering accolades. This quality makes him an engaging interviewee, as his insights possess the power to captivate and enlighten.

Rare Byzantine Treasure Resurrected: Restoring the Sacred ‘Ierosolimitiko’ Icon Unites Past and Present

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Detail of the Ierosolimitiko icon showing dark scenes on the left and brightly coloured scenes on the right.

In this captivating story, a team of experts from Venis Studios undertakes an extraordinary conservation and restoration journey to revive a rare and historically significant “Ierosolimitiko” icon found within Kuruçeşme’s Saint Demetrius church in Istanbul. The remarkable artwork, depicting Jerusalem and the Holy Land, suffered severe damage and wear over time, but through meticulous scientific research and traditional techniques, the team successfully brought it back to life. The restoration process involved delicate cleaning, selective retouching, and careful lining interventions to provide stable support for the ancient canvas. The hidden beauty of the sacred icon was unveiled, capturing the imagination of viewers as they discover its profound religious and artistic significance. The successful preservation of this ancient treasure not only rescues memories from the Holy Lands but also safeguards tradition and history, bridging the gap between the past and the present.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Ideal Horse has been Found!

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Vitruvian Man overlaid on a horse drawing, with dashed horizontal lines, blue markers and phi symbols.

Leonardo da Vinci, widely regarded as the preeminent Master of All Time, stands as the most extensively studied artist globally. This polymathic genius continues to captivate the imagination, as exemplified by the suspenseful thriller “The Da Vinci Code,” a work of fiction positing that Leonardo embedded intricate clues within his creations. This fascination stems from his embodiment of the universalist spirit of the Renaissance. Among his most iconic drawings, “The Vitruvian Man” has long been a subject of discourse, as scholars endeavor to unveil the concealed secrets behind its depiction of ideal proportions.

Salvator Mundi: a Bone of Contention – Prominent Art Restorer Speaks Out

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Salvator Mundi is a remarkable painting by Leonardo da Vinci, known for its record-breaking sale of $450 million. This renowned artwork possesses a long and intriguing history, with some experts dating its creation back to the late 1490s, while others argue it was completed after 1500. There is a theory suggesting that it may have been commissioned for King Louis XII of France and his consort, Anne of Brittany, possibly soon after the conquests of Milan and Genoa. However, it is important to note that not all historians accept this theory. By delving into the painting’s history from its inception to the present day, we can observe the impact of the art market, pricing, and the various interventions it has undergone.

NordArt 2023: Exploring ‘Mythos Europa’ through ANTOINETTE’s Works of Art | VIDEO

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Detail of Wasser und Angst by ANTOINETTE, with fantastical figures in a blue and green landscape.

The highly anticipated NordArt 2023 exhibition brings forth an extraordinary collection, unveiling a selection of ANTOINETTE’s remarkable artworks from her renowned picture cycle, “Myth of Europe.” Notably, the exhibition proudly presents drawings featuring towering figures reaching an impressive height of 2.5 meters. Over the past two decades, NordArt has firmly established itself as a prominent fixture among European art fairs, attracting an estimated 100,000 art enthusiasts from Germany and beyond. Spanning an expansive area of more than 20,000m2 indoors and 80,000m2 outdoors, this year’s event promises ample room to showcase a portion of ANTOINETTE’s captivating 250-piece art cycle, “Mythos Europa.”

The “Byzantine Mona Lisa” Discovered in Istanbul

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Detail of the Panagia Eleousa icon, with the Virgin Mary and Christ Child beneath an ornate metal covering.

In a church on the Princes’ Islands of Istanbul, a masterpiece and Byzantine treasure awaited discovery. This unique bilateral post-Byzantine icon of Panagia Eleousa held a peculiar feature: on its reverse side, there was another painted icon from the 14th century, which had remained “hidden” for over a hundred years inside a heavy metal box, kept in the Church of Panagia Eleousa on Büyükada/Pringipos. This magnificent, rare, and unique artifact, often regarded as the Byzantine Mona Lisa, has endured through the centuries, conveying numerous historical, social, and artistic messages. With the expertise of a conservator, who tends to it as an art doctor, it has been safeguarded for future generations. Currently, this masterpiece is housed at the Church of Panagia Eleousa in Büyükada/Pringipos, Istanbul.