Category: Investigations

Latest Investigations by The World Art News journalists into the intriguing World of Art, Antiques, and Collectibles

Breaking Down Elements Behind Sascha Fonseca’s Award-Winning Wildlife Photo “World of the Snow Leopard”

The indigenous peoples of the Indian Himalayas call them “the ghost of the mountain.” The moniker fits; with its thick, whitish-grey fur that blends perfectly with its icy local habitat, the snow leopard seems made for camouflage. This is not, however, enough to protect it from poaching or the ruinous effects of climate change. Not only are snow leopards difficult to find—there are now fewer of them to see. This is why the snow leopard is the subject of the photograph that won Sascha Fonseca the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award. The London Natural History Museum hosts this photography competition to highlight the connection between photography, science, and art.

ART APPRAISAL: Understanding and Auditing – Everything You Need To Know

Every day thousands of art market participants find themselves in search of a ‘good art appraisal’ that will suit their specific needs. Even more art owners are already in possession of such valuation documents, which they use for important legal purposes. At the same time, we all know that art appraising process can be a little intimidating. Many people rely completely on the guidance of the first art experts they meet without doing their homework on the expert and, more impartially, the process involved. In this article, I would like to share everything you need to know as a client about the process of art appraisal. We will discuss the purpose of these documents, how to audit them yourself, what standards should good appraisers follow, and much more. But, first things first – what is art appraisal?

Artificial Intelligence on Art Investing

The World Art News is continuing its art exploration of the World’s Leading Artificial Intelligence system ‘ChatGPT’. This time we decided to find out what AI knows about Art Investing. Keep in mind that this entire article was written by a machine, we just asked it the right questions and added some headlines.

“One of the main benefits of investing in art is its lack of correlation with the stock market. While the stock market may experience fluctuations, the art market has its own set of independent factors that can affect prices. This means that an investment in art can potentially provide a hedge against economic downturns.”

A Modern Romantic: Reflections on the Art of Tom Glynn

If some artists are born and others made, Tom Glynn is undoubtedly one of the former. Growing up in West Sussex in the 1950s and 60s, he possessed a voracious  aesthetic sensibility from the start. Not long after beginning at school, aged five,  he spent the best part of a week constructing an elaborate tunneled structure in a  sandpit – astonishing his teachers in the process. In subsequent years he fashioned  animals from plasticine, made assemblages from scavenged wood, sketched on  scraps of paper, and built miniature model theatres. As he grew older, Glynn became  interested in earlier artists, establishing what he has called a ‘lifelong friendship’  with the work of Picasso, Matisse, Arp and Brancusi. But his ambitions to become  a serious artist himself only crystallized at the age of fifteen, when he visited the  studio of the great post-war British sculptor, Robert Adams. Glynn even showed  the older artist some of his own creations, which Adams is said to have admired. 

Brief History of Digital Art

Digital art has a rich history that spans several decades. The earliest forms of digital art can be traced back to the 1960s, when artists began experimenting with computers as a medium for creating visual art. One of the first artists to work with digital technology was John Whitney, who used a computer to create abstract animations in the 1960s. Whitney’s work laid the foundation for the development of digital animation and set the stage for other artists to explore the potential of computer technology.

In the 21st century, digital art has become a global phenomenon, with many artists using evermore powerful digital tools to create a wide range of art forms, including video art, installation art, and interactive art. With the advent of the internet and social media, digital art has become more accessible than ever, allowing artists to share their work with a global audience.

Top 5 Most Expensive Paintings Ever Sold

leonardo salvator mundi

When it comes to the world of art, some pieces command truly staggering prices. These works represent the pinnacle of human spending power, and are treasured by investors, collectors, and art lovers alike.

The top 5 most expensive artworks ever sold are a testament to the enduring value of art. From the masterful brushstrokes of Leonardo da Vinci to the bold color fields of Mark Rothko, these works hold more capital than some banks.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the most expensive artworks ever sold, examining the artists, the works, and the prices they fetched at auction or private sale. So, whether you’re a seasoned collector or simply an art enthusiast, read on to discover the most valuable artworks in history.

What Does World’s Best AI ‘ChatGPT’ Say About NFTs? …Everything!

As promised, The World Art News is continuing its art exploration of the World’s Leading Artificial Intelligence system ‘ChatGPT’.

This time we decided to find out what it knows about NFTs, and as it turns out, this AI knows pretty much everything, including some funny jokes that you can find at the end of this article.

Keep in mind that this entire text was written by a machine, we just asked it the right questions and added some headlines, so without further ado here are the results of our fascinating conversating with ChatGPT.

What does World’s Best AI ‘ChatGPT’ think about Top Art, Antiques, and Collectibles? We Asked!

The World Art News asked the World’s Leading Artificial Intelligence system ‘ChatGPT’ to write an article about top art, antiques, and collectibles. In less than a minute we received a shockingly good art story written entirely by a machine! We did not edit a single word or punctuation. This is what the AI wrote:

“Art as an investment has been a popular choice for centuries, with many investors purchasing pieces by well-known artists with the hope of selling them at a higher price in the future. The art market has seen some significant booms in recent years, with the value of certain artists and pieces skyrocketing. However, it’s important to note that the art market can be highly speculative and illiquid, and values can fluctuate greatly. The art market’s value is also often driven by the market sentiments, trends, and the demand for certain artists.”

Is Art Financing Terrorism?

Art and terrorism seem to be worlds apart, however what most people perceive as heritage and culture – criminal organizations see as cold hard cash. Cash that is hard to trace and very easy to move undetected through any borders of any country.

First crucial point to understand is that when we are talking about art, we do not mean your local flea market ‘stuff’. Nor do we limit ourselves to just paintings. We are talking about high-end ‘movable cultural property’ consisting of art, antiques, and collectibles … very expensive art, antiques, and collectibles. Items that by far exceed a $100,000 dollars benchmark.

Second point to understand – there are lots of them, everywhere, in every country, city, and town. In fact there will never be a shortage of them. With the latest modern art hype the market literally became a factory. These modern creations are breaking multimillion dollar records at top auctions around the world.

The Modigliani Affaire

The death of Amedeo Modigliani and of his devoted partner Jeanne Hebuterne starts one of the most emblematic stories of the Art Market, which will lead the works of the unfortunate Tuscan artist to be subject of an “exceptional enterprise of economic revaluation”.

The acme of the speculative operation has been reached with the auction award for 170,405,000 US dollars of the “Red Nude”, which previously belonged to Gualino Collection and to Feroldi Collection and then in 1950 was acquired by the art collector Gianni Mattioli thanks to the interest of his cousin, Fernanda Wittgens, the then Director of the Pinacoteca di Brera.

The valorization of Modigliani’s Work thus began in the ‘50s on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean: in Europe activities revolved around “Il Milione Gallery” in Milan and in America around Museum of Modern Art in New York.