Ukrainian and German police have recovered a painting by 17th century Italian artist
"Taking of Christ" -Caravaggio
stolen from a Ukrainian museum, the Interfax news agency quoted Ukraine’s interior minister as saying on Tuesday.
The painting, called the “Taking of Christ,” or the “Kiss of Judas,” and considered the most valuable piece of art in Ukraine, was stolen from a museum in the Black Sea port of Odessa in 2008 in what officials described as a “cultural catastrophe.” View full article »
17. Jeff Koons 2010
Jeff Koons this week revealed his latest creation in Paris, BMW Art Car number 17. Koons and his staff have been working on the brightly colored design since February.
The BMW M3 GT2 is covered in a vinyl wrap with a design that really pops. The car will race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, June 12-13, 2010. View full article »
Louise Bourgeois – a legendary painter and sculptor
Bourgois was well known for her abstract, often controversial pieces of artwork that would inspire many other artists (especially young women).
Her sculptures were often made of metal, wood or rubber and would often use an emotionally agressive theme. Underlying all of her work, however, was the idea that the fragile human body had a need for nurture and care in a dangerous world.
Her most popular works include “Nature Study” (1984) and “Fillette” (1968).
Louise Bourgeois, the grande dame of contemporary artists best known for her sculpture and disquieting symbolism, died Monday May 31, 2010 of a heart attack at a hospital in Manhattan. She was 98. View full article »
still from "Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies"
“Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies” is filled with celebrated talking heads,including Martin Scorsese, who produced the film with Mr. Glimcher and Robert
Greenhut; artists like Julian Schnabel, Chuck Close, Eric Fischl and Lucas Samaras; and the video performance artist Robert Whitman (the most articulate), discussing the relationship of movies to the artists’ work.
Directed by Arne Glimcher; narrated by Martin Scorsese; director of photography, Petr Hlinomaz; edited by Sabine Krayenbühl; produced by Mr. Glimcher, Mr. Scorsese and Robert Greenhut; released by Arthouse Films. At the Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street, Greenwich Village. Running time: 1 hour 2 minutes. This film is not rated. View full article »
With the anticipated Stephen Spielberg Tintin film, illustrator Hergé is in demand.Fans of Tintin, the Belgian comic-book boy detective, should flock to Paris or check out the website of Piasa auctioneers, which has assembled 230 items – original drawings, plates, first editions, rare objects and documents – for the “Hergé Sale” on Saturday. View full article »
"Venus and Mars" Botticelli
The lovers in one of the National Gallery’s most famous paintings may be depicted experiencing the effects of a hallucinogenic drug, according to an art expert. View full article »
Hold Your Horses! SJB scene
How a rock band restaged art-history classics for a music video that went viral
As Salome carries his head on a silver platter, John the Baptist opens his eyes and sings a merry little melody to the camera. That scene—enacted by members of the French-American indie pop band Hold Your Horses!—helped turn the music video for their song “70 Million” into a viral hit on the Internet, viewed nearly 300,000 times within two weeks of its being posted on the Web site Vimeo. View full article »
the eruption of iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano
Disruption to flights is likely to impact on art shipments up until late April and possibly into early May, affecting exhibitions and the trade. Flights in north-west Europe were banned from 15 April following the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Although air traffic had partially resumed as we went to press, this could be interrupted by further volcanic ash clouds. Even after the airports fully reopen, logistical problems and shortage of seats will take some days to resolve.
The Van Gogh exhibition at London’s Royal Academy was one of the first shows to be hit, in terms of returning pictures following its closure on 18 April. The blockbuster, which attracted just over 400,000 visitors, included works from 24 European lenders and 22 from North America. Although the impact in terms of short-term delays on artworks being returned was “considerable”, an Academy spokeswoman said that “the adaptation and flexibility of everyone has been extremely impressive”. View full article »
Museum of London
The Museum of London opens its modern galleries on 28 May, following a £20.5m refurbishment. These cover the period from the Great Fire of 1666 to the present. It is the largest development since the museum opened at the Barbican in 1976.
The modern galleries, which closed three years ago, are on the lower level of the museum. The collection covering the 1789-1914 period was redisplayed in 2000, but the remainder dated back to 1976. View full article »
