The “Byzantine Mona Lisa” Discovered in IstanbulTop 15 Most Unusual Museums You Should Consider Visiting in AmericaCreating a Winning Art PR Campaign in 2025 – Exclusive Insights from International Media Expert Christina IoannouArt With A Bite: CoBrA Sale Returns To Bonhams Auction
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

Christian Art

Raffaello Sanzio’s Mary Magdalene has been Found!

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Facial detail from the Mary Magdalene painting, showing long dark hair against a dark background.

The recent unveiling of a remarkable masterpiece by Raffaello Sanzio, depicting Mary Magdalene and dating back to 1505, has sent shockwaves through the art world. This extraordinary find, acquired by a discerning French private collector from a gallery, has rekindled the fervor surrounding Raphael’s genius. The astute gallery owner, with a discerning eye, purchased the painting at an auction, oblivious to the fact that the poplar board had been subtly mounted onto the back of a nineteenth-century Florentine-style parquet. This feature mirrored that of another Raphael masterpiece, the three Graces, housed at the Condé Museum. Interestingly, this newfound treasure originated from a private London collection, adding a layer of mystery to its storied past.

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.

Deposition of Christ by Donatello – The Mystery of a Restoration

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Detail of Donatello's Deposition of Christ relief, with mourners gathered around Christ above a decorated tomb.

We learned from the press that the Pontifical Delegation for the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua appointed a scientific committee composed of four scholars to evaluate the conservation and restoration program of the “Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata” which stands out in the square adjacent to the Basilica of Padua.

Since 2020, Ce.St.Art and the association Territori have conceived, promoted, and presented a far-reaching project which covers not only the restoration of the “Gattamelata Statue” but above all the restoration of the “Deposition of Christ” by Donatello stored inside the Basilica and which, while representing an absolute masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, is in a questionable condition.