French Restorer & Furniture Maker, Didier Guenard, Tells His Story of Creativity and InnovationThe Modigliani AffairePainting Bizzarrini into Automobile HistoryExclusive Interview with Dave Vescio – Part 1: Art, Fame, Life!
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.

Anna Teresa Laurita: A Life Devoted to Art and Literature

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Detail of Benedicta by Anna Teresa Laurita, with a red-hooded figure against a deep blue background.

Laurita describes her artistic impulse as an unavoidable force that invades her soul, demanding expression through poetry, prose, and painting. She perceives art as a paradoxical shadow—both luminous and mysterious—that penetrates the depths of the mind, seeking new forms of beauty and meaning. Her artistic journey is guided by an insatiable quest for spiritual and intellectual elevation, a theme that recurs throughout her extensive literary and visual portfolio.

Reception in the Harem: Discovered Masterpiece by John Frederick Lewis Shatters Expectations, Selling for Almost $1.5 Million

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Detail of figures on cushions and a small horned animal in John Frederick Lewis’s A Reception in the Harem.

A long-lost masterpiece by John Frederick Lewis, A Reception in the Harem, has emerged from obscurity after more than 60 years, stunning collectors and experts alike. The extraordinary watercolour, once hidden away in a private collection, shattered expectations when it fetched almost $1.5 million at Bonhams’ prestigious 19th Century & Orientalist Paintings auction in London. With its vivid colours and intricate detail, this rediscovered gem is one of the most significant discoveries in the art world this year.

Artevento Cervia 2025: A Spectacular Celebration of Art, History, and Freedom

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Kadek Armika’s sculptural kite with a masklike face and wide ribbed wings against a blue sky.

Colorful kites soaring against the backdrop of the Adriatic, world-class performers, and a celebration of history, culture, and freedom—ARTEVENTO CERVIA 2025 is more than just a festival; it’s a breathtaking spectacle. This special 45th edition brings together artists and kite masters from 50 countries, stunning aerial displays, and a powerful message of unity and peace. From mesmerizing night flights to a groundbreaking exhibition by Indonesian master Kadek Armika, this year’s event is set to be unforgettable. Discover what makes this festival a must-see experience.

Early Van Gogh Sketch Sells for Over $1.48 Million at Bonhams London Auction

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Detail of Vincent van Gogh’s Sien’s Mother’s House Seen from the Backyard, with a woman beside a fence and gabled houses.

Discover the story behind Sien’s Mother’s House Seen from the Backyard, a rare 1882 sketch by Vincent van Gogh that sold for over $1.48 million at Bonhams London. Created during the artist’s formative years in The Hague, this intimate work offers a glimpse into Van Gogh’s early focus on everyday life and working-class struggles—long before the bold colors and swirling brushstrokes of his later masterpieces. Learn how this quiet sketch reflects the roots of a genius and the personal connections that shaped his art.

The Silence of Iceland: A Study of Landscape and Spirit in Siarhei Yazlavetski’s Portrayal of the Country

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Black-and-white photograph of a narrow waterfall descending in front of tall basalt columns, from Siarhei Yazlavetski’s Silence of Iceland series.

Siarhei Yazlavetski’s photographic series, Silence of Iceland, captures the essence of Iceland with a poetic and succinct vision. Yazlavetski offers a glimpse of a landscape that appears real and mythical, grounded yet steeped in memory. His images evoke the feeling of standing amidst the spume of the ocean, where moss clings to ancient rocks, and the thyme-scented air drifts across vast, quiet beaches. These photographs convey Iceland’s solitude and strength, shaped by glaciers, volcanic rocks, and the constant presence of the ocean.

“Sovrimpressioni” A Photographic Project by Andrea Boyer

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“Sovrimpressioni” A Photographic Project by Andrea Boyer: layered views of a brown building with projecting glass sections.

Photographer Andrea Boyer’s ‘Sovrimpressioni’ project is part of a contemporary artistic context in which the intersection of science and art generates new visual narratives. Inspired by Feynman’s equation, which suggests the existence of a multiverse of possibilities and reality as a sum of potential states, Boyer develops a form of photographic decomposition that not only represents the visible world, but also sets out to explore the multiple layers of meaning and the intrinsic potential of each subject.

Rory Gallagher’s Legendary 1961 Fender Stratocaster Sells for Over $1.15 Million, Returns to Ireland

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Close view of Rory Gallagher’s Fender Stratocaster body, showing worn finish, a cream pickguard and three pickups.

The collection of famed Irish musician Rory Gallagher reached an extraordinary milestone at Bonhams New Bond Street auction house this October, where every item offered was sold. Leading the sale was Gallagher’s legendary 1961 Fender Stratocaster, which fetched a remarkable £889,400 ($1,156,793). The guitar, which Gallagher famously purchased for £100 on credit from Crowley’s Music Store in Cork in 1963, has become an icon in rock history for its worn look and unmistakable sound.

What Most People Don’t Know About Van Gogh

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Close-up of a painted red-bearded man, with a blue and pink horizontal band across his eyes.

When people think of Vincent van Gogh, they often imagine the iconic Starry Night, fields of sunflowers, or the tormented artist who famously cut off his ear. Yet, beyond the familiar images and myths lies a complex individual with a life and career filled with surprising, lesser-known details. Did you know Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime, or that he dreamed of becoming a pastor before turning to art? From his fascination with Japanese prints to the ongoing mystery surrounding his death, there’s much more to Van Gogh than the legend suggests. Here, we explore the hidden facets of one of history’s most influential artists.

Sandro Botticelli: The Renaissance Visionary Who Painted the Soul

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Detail of Botticelli’s Venus and Mars showing a reclining man, a shell held near his head and a small figure beside armor.

Sandro Botticelli, widely regarded as a master of the Italian Renaissance, has been described as the “Dante of painting,” a comparison made by art historian Annalisa Di Maria. Just as Dante Alighieri captured the complexity of human emotions in his poetry, Botticelli conveyed spiritual depth and intellectual ideas through his artwork. Central to his artistic philosophy was the Neoplatonic school, a 15th-century intellectual movement in Florence that deeply influenced his thought. This school, rooted in ancient philosophy, played a critical role in shaping the cultural landscape of Florence during that time.