NewsArt market
Can Biden's inauguration galvanise the US art world into finally taking action against climate change?
As new US president plans to tackle global warming on "an epic scale", green initiatives such as Galleries Commit are gaining steam
NewsCommercial galleries
Galleria Continua opens new Paris space with JR-curated show
Amid Covid-19 pandemic, Italian gallery hopes to "generate smiles" with second outpost in France
NewsArt market
Déjà vu: Art Basel postponed from June to September—again
Swiss fair was also delayed from June to September in 2020, before being cancelled altogether due to coronavirus
NewsArt market
Why Sotheby's $80m Botticelli continues to mystify experts
Star lot of upcoming New York Master Week sales is set to smash previous auction record for the Early Renaissance painter
NewsArt market
Social media replaces fairs as the third most successful sales channel for galleries in 2020, study reveals
Websites have replaced walk-ins as the second best way to sell art, but staying in top position is outreach to existing clients, according to Artsy Gallery Insights 2021 Report
NewsArt market
New York art dealer Helly Nahmad pardoned by Trump
Hours before leaving office, former US president granted a pardon to Nahmad, who pleaded guilty to a federal gambling charge in 2014 and owned an entire floor of Trump Tower
NewsArt market
UK Supreme Court judgment on pandemic insurance payouts 'not a blank cheque' for art organisations
Some insurers using "aggressive tactics" to reduce barrage of claims following rejection of appeal on clarification of business interruption cover
NewsAuctions
Rejected Tintin cover design sets record for comic book art with €3.2m auction price
Sale of controversial 1936 painting criticised by organisation behind artist Hergé’s estate
NewsArt market
Holy hammer! Near mint copy of Batman #1 sells for record $2.2m at Heritage Auctions
The rare 1940 issue, which marks the first appearance of the Joker and Catwoman, is the second most expensive comic book ever sold
NewsLaw
Art lawyer Frank Lord opens private practice in New York
As well as working on high profile restitution cases, the former Herrick Feinstein partner has a PhD in art history
NewsArt fairs
Expo Chicago art fair is postponed again, until at least July
Online edition will open in April, however, as planners prepare for an in-person version, perhaps even later in September or next year
NewsArt market
Art shippers face ‘teething problems’ transporting works to Europe after Brexit
Some air freight crates are being broken open by customs officials in EU, but UK lockdown is posing greater problems, members of the trade say
AnalysisArt market
Blue-chip artists move over, here come the red chips
Art as a blue-chip investment has had its day, as buyers chase the latest "red-chip" names
NewsArt market
French High Court orders retrial of Wildenstein art dynasty tax fraud case
Guy Wildenstein and his nephew were accused of hiding assets worth hundreds of millions but were acquitted in 2017 and 2018—now they are wanted back in court for a third trial
NewsArt market
Lawsuit claims $100m damages in tangled case of hidden Russian art worth $60m
Shchukin Gallery and its lawyers file new lawsuit against Russian financier Rustam Iseev, his lawyer and a New York Supreme Court judge in bid to uncover location of paintings
NewsArt market
In a swift post-Brexit move, UK rejects EU’s strict import rules on cultural property
The rules, aimed at preventing trafficking, have been opposed by the trade and UK government's decision not to continue may put EU art market at a disadvantage
CommentArt market
A Covid-19 silver lining? Let’s not return to family-unfriendly art business as usual
The industry could work better for mothers and fathers if it doesn’t go back to the out-of-hours, out-of-town way things were
NewsArt market
In the battle against antiquities trafficking, Germany develops app to identify looted cultural heritage
Government-funded image-recognition software will enable law enforcers to work with international organisations
CommentDiary of an art historian
Auction houses have finally entered the Amazon age—and I’m addicted
I thought I’d kicked my online art and antiques buying habit but too much lockdown screen time has been my undoing
PreviewThe Year Ahead 2021
Art fairs in 2021—expect spring jitters, a summer crush and maybe even a return to some normality
After a year marked by cancellations, international fairs such as Art Basel, Frieze and Tefaf are vying for attention in an already crowded year
NewsArt market
‘The well is drying up’—rare Rembrandt biblical work could fetch $30m at Sotheby's next month
‘Abraham and the Angels’ is one of only two Old Testament paintings to remain in private hands
NewsBrexit
Art specialists pore over the Brexit trade deal—and deliver their verdict
Artist’s resale right, import VAT, red tape, and smuggling directives are addressed by our experts
NewsArt market
UK 'tourist tax' will hit dealers of jewellery, silver and small pictures hard, trade body says
Lobby groups fear abolishing tax-free shopping will deter buyers from China, the Middle East and Russia at a cost of £6bn
InterviewArt market
A crisis hits the art market once a decade. What is different this time? Christie's president Dirk Boll assesses the impact of the pandemic
As his new book is published, the auction house chief compares coronavirus fallout to previous economic disasters
BlogThe Buck stopped here
'A global conversation'—in face of pandemic, 21 galleries launch a collaborative exhibition programme
NewsArt market
Gallery asks collectors to give their discounts back to the artists
Los Angeles-based Commonwealth & Council has launched the Council Fund to help support artists' financial needs with the help of its clients
NewsArt market
European auction houses weather crisis as customers spend millions on art online
Expecting the worst, French, German and Austrian auction houses have been surprised by how well sales have held up through the pandemic
NewsAuctions
Warhol, Oldenburg, Fontana: star works from Christo and Jeanne-Claude collection go on the block
Proceeds from the pieces sold at Sotheby’s Paris in February will go towards the artist duo's estate
NewsArt market
Tech-savvy Sotheby's $5bn global sales beat Christie's $4.4bn in 2020
The two rivals have made record online and private sales as pandemic overturns traditional live auction format
News1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
1-54 Contemporary African art fair pops up at Christie’s in Paris as Marrakech edition is postponed
French fair is a “one-off”, according to its founding director, though a good opportunity to “test the market”
CommentArt market
How art world leaders can embrace new money laundering regulations and create a 'think risk' culture
Punishment for the new rules now falls on the art market's top dogs, says Sotheby’s founding global compliance director Rena Neville
CommentArt Market Eye
Asian art market flies in the face of coronavirus
Why are Asians in hot pursuit of art, and what are they buying?
NewsArt market
Organisers confident physical Art Dubai fair will go ahead in March 2021
It will be the first major international art fair to return to the art world calendar since the pandemic upended business around the world
NewsArt market
Grime stars: paintings set new records for Domenico Ghirlandaio and Jan Davidsz de Heem despite being covered in dirt
Christie's end of season Old Masters evening sale in London totals £22.8m, despite last-minute withdrawal of Bernadino Luini's Nativity
NewsArt market
With new Chelsea space, Nara Roesler expands Brazilian presence in New York
Gallery moves from Upper East Side to larger Chelsea space and will launch residency program to promote Brazilian curators in the US
BlogDiary
Abso-lot-ely fabulous: Joanna Lumley tries out her auctioneering skills at Christie’s
Star sold seven illustrations in aid of Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity
AnalysisArt market
‘We have to broaden our reach, be more interesting’: the year the Old Master trade went digital
The pandemic has forced a resolutely analogue trade to go digital. Despite the technical hurdles, the results have surprised even traditionalists
NewsDeaccessioning
Union League Club of Chicago considers selling a prized Monet to stay afloat
The decision has divided members, but there are hopes the work might stay in the Windy City
NewsArt market
Record for Barkley Hendricks and $18.2m Calder at otherwise unremarkable Sotheby’s sale
Almost half of the auction's total sales value was bought by Asian buyers, but 12 lots sold below their estimates
NewsArt market
Courtney Willis Blair becomes partner at Mitchell-Innes & Nash
She is one of a small few Black partners at white-owned galleries in the US
NewsArt market
Rare Georges de la Tour painting sells for record €4.3m—the most expensive Old Master painting ever sold at auction in Germany
The 17th century painting of a young girl blowing on brazier by the French baroque painter sold at Lempertz in Germany today
NewsArt market
New online platform puts London’s emerging art scene on the map—literally
Credit X has created digital map and database of less established art spaces and galleries in the hopes of balancing out an art world "shaped by market forces", it says
NewsArt market
Christie’s and Sotheby’s ordered to disclose dealings with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
Sales of paintings by Cézanne and Picasso worth a combined $139m are also under scrutiny by the US Virgin Island attorney general
CommentArt market
The art trade benefits from the UK's low import duty. What will happen to it after Brexit?
As talks with the EU resume to reach a last-ditch trade deal, the lawyer Louise Williamson looks at what UK import rules might look like after 1 January
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
Poignant Van Gogh watercolour of a windmill coming up for sale
Sheltering from a rainstorm at the mill, Vincent and his brother Theo made a teenage pact
NewsArt market
Frieze takes gallery space on London's Cork Street for 'ambitious' exhibitions
Magazine publisher and fair organiser plans to rent the premises on a permanent basis
AnalysisArt fairs
The art world's Miami vice: bored with OVRs, galleries return with some physical events in lieu of Art Basel—but should they?
While the city’s flagship art fair was cancelled this year, other in-person events and pop-up projects abound despite rising coronavirus cases
AnalysisArt market
Six of the best catalogues raisonnés
From Leonardo to Bacon, take your pick from a selection of essential texts on leading artists
NewsArt market
This Hans Memling painting failed to sell at Christie's—now its owner has given it back to Bruges where it was painted over 500 years ago
The work was offered for sale at £1.5m to £2.5m in 2019 but US collector Bill Middendorf has decided to give it to the Belgian city
NewsAuctions
A tale of two cities: Christie's 20th-century relay sale sees six records set in Hong Kong before slower New York finish
In demand contemporary artists hit big in Asia but several Modern stalwarts failed to make a splash in multi-city hybrid auction
NewsArt fairs
In Nigeria, art is spreading the word about police brutality
Opening online today, Art X Lagos fair to show more than 100 works about #EndSARS protests
CommentArt market
Provenance: the Trojan horse that can make or break a work of art
The who, where and when of ownership can lead on to scholarly, ethical, legal and existential issues
NewsArt market
Instagram rules but don't expect loyalty: new report analyses our online art buying behaviour
The latest Hiscox Online Art Trade Report found that online only art sales at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips more than tripled at $597m
NewsFraud
Client confidentiality overturned by London High Court, as Dickinson forced to reveal buyer of $4.85m Signac painting
US collector Linda Hickox is seeking to recover the work which was sold via broker by the now jailed art dealer Timothy Sammons
FeatureCatalogues raisonnés
It is time for catalogues raisonnés to join the digital age
Printed publications can quickly become obsolete, so the ease with which a digital document can be revised is a godsend—and that is what makes many uneasy
NewsArt market
New gallery platform South South launches to promote art from outside the dominant US-Europe axis
Goodman Gallery's Liza Essers came up with the idea in lockdown and plans an online selling event, called Veza, using auction technology in February
AnalysisArt market
'One of the most shocking, tumultuous years on record': art market figures reflect on 2020—and guess at what 2021 might hold
The pandemic has ripped apart the industry as we know it this year but it has sparked innovation and conversation like never before
AnalysisArt market
Art market 2020: the year of cancel culture and bricks-and-clicks
A year marked by wholesale event cancellations and job losses has also seen the art market innovate to keep businesses going.
CommentArt Market Eye
The turn of the screw: will tighter regulations impact the art market?
Often described as totally unregulated, the art trade is facing more stringent rules
NewsArt market
'The law has to fall on someone': Seller of allegedly fake Frans Hals must pay Sotheby's $5.3m for cancelled sale, judge insists
Co-vendor of the painting, Fairlight Art Ventures had appealed the ruling last year but court upheld the decision yesterday, finding in favour of the auction house
AnalysisArt market
All ears: why collectors can’t get enough of industry hype right now
In an increasingly asset-driven art trade, collecting by listening to the buzz is fast becoming the norm
NewsArt fairs
Salon fair releases glossy, digitally enhanced publication instead of another online viewing platform
The New York art and design event has issued a 152-page magazine with interviews, features and QR codes that link to multi-media content
Newscoronavirus
Colourist painter and Royal Academician Philip Sutton opens new gallery—at the age of 92
Artist—who is now blind in one eye and lives in a sheltered care home—is launching a space in Bridport, England, to sell his own works
NewsArt market
'A crisis is always a good time to unite': Russian art galleries form new alliance to boost industry
The Association of Galleries aims to simplify the country's customs procedures and secure government funding
BlogInstagram
Auctions, pledges and DMs: creative ways to buy and sell art on Instagram
Alternative sales models are springing up on the social media platform
NewsArt market
Carphone Warehouse billionaire David Ross did buy the Royal Opera House's $12.8m Hockney—now he is loaning it back
The portrait of David Webster will return immediately to the opera house before going to the National Portrait Gallery in 2023 for its reopening exhibition
NewsArt market
Billionaire art collector Sheldon Solow's tax-exempt art foundation was infamously inaccessible—now his widow says she will open it to the public
The real estate developer died on Tuesday aged 92. His collection in New York has been parodied for being almost impossible to visit despite receiving tax breaks
NewsArt market
Rediscovered painting by Leonardo da Vinci's 'little devil' lover and collaborator sells for record €1.7m in France
Penitent Magdalene by Salaì, who entered Leonardo's workshop at the age of ten, was estimated at €100,000 to €150,000 and is one of only a handful of known works by the artist
NewsArt market
Pace to take over Blain Southern's former gallery in London expansion
Announcement comes as two of the gallery's presidents in the US are facing allegations of abuse in the workplace
CommentArt market
Pastures new: why some top gallery staff are moving on from longtime jobs
Without art fairs and hectic travel, the pandemic has transformed the way most of us work—and some are branching out rather than returning to their old lifestyle
NewsCollectors
Actor Samuel L. Jackson and footballer Samuel Eto’o pay tribute to art collector Sindika Dokolo during six-hour televised memorial
Dokolo was buried at Brompton Cemetery in West London yesterday following his funeral at Westminster Cathedral
AnalysisArt market
Africa’s art market grows even amid adversity
In a year marked by closures, cancellations and postponements, African art fairs are going ahead with new models and the continent’s galleries are growing
NewsArt market
Frieze Los Angeles bids goodbye to Paramount Studios as art fair is postponed to July
Social distancing rules have limited the number of people on film sets creating a movie production backlog
NewsArt market
Art Basel in Hong Kong postponed to May as coronavirus throws 2021 art fairs into disarray
Summer crush expected with Art Basel’s flagship show in Switzerland still scheduled for June and Taipei Dangdai moved back to July
NewsArt market
Seller contests having to repay Sotheby’s for allegedly forged Frans Hals
In latest hearing of ongoing legal saga, Fairlight Art Ventures, co-vendor of painting sold in 2011 for $11.75m, is refusing to pay auction house more than $5.3m
NewsDiscoveries
Constable oil sketch—previously dismissed as fake—goes on sale for £150,000
Sworder's auction house is selling the work, which is one of many by the Romantic painter depicting the area around Dedham Vale where he grew up
AnalysisArt fairs
'Dealers are smiling under their masks': Shanghai art week pulls in art-starved collectors
More than 100 art exhibitions and events have taken place in the Chinese city this week and galleries are reporting strong sales
NewsArt market
Frieze art fairs global director Victoria Siddall takes ‘strategic’ role as board director
Frieze magazine publisher Rebecca Ann Siegel appointed director of Americas and content and will oversee the New York and Los Angeles fairs
NewsArt market
Collection of Balthus drawings and paintings to be sold for €1.2m—so why no mention of his infatuation with pubescent girls?
The works are from the estate of the artist’s teenage “muse and model” Frédérique Tison, who was also his step-niece
NewsHeritage
Unesco, stop citing 'bogus' $10bn figure, art trade pleads
Ahead of a major anniversary this weekend, the international organisation is under fire for apparently exaggerating the scale of the illicit trade in cultural goods
NewsArt market
The devil is in the paperwork—don't be caught out by provenance fraud
The rise of the online art market means due diligence on purchasing art is becoming increasingly complex
NewsArt market
All eyes on Shanghai as city hosts multiple fairs despite first coronavirus case in months
New Art Tower will be hub of a busy art week alongside Art021 and West Bund Art & Design Fair
NewsArt market
New York state sues Sotheby's for allegedly helping collector evade tax on $27m of art
Auction house "vigorously refutes the unfounded allegations" made by the attorney general, who claims the auction house knowingly aided the offshore company Porsal Equities
BlogDiary
Rent a sculpture from this London gallery for lockdown 2.0
While its gallery is closed, Pangolin is offering works by artists including Lynn Chadwick to UK clients to take home until January
Analysiselection 2020
What the presidential election means for the US art market—no matter who is in the Oval Office
A dwindling middle market faces a stingy Senate while rising inequality and public unrest could prompt even more private sales
NewsArt market
Gagosian director Sam Orlofsky let go following allegations of ‘unacceptable and repugnant’ misconduct against women
Gallery brought in outside counsel to investigate claims against the senior New York-based digital-focused director, who was suspended without pay last month
NewsArt market
London galleries to accommodate collectors ‘by appointment’ during second coronavirus lockdown
Some dealers say they will continue to hold private viewings for buyers, while opening hours are extended in the West End tonight
NewsArt crime
Artful codgers: why the art market is a hotbed of grey crime
The recent case of a 71-year-old dealer convicted of art fraud is far from unique—in fact, elderly offenders could be on the rise
PreviewPrivate view
Our pick of must-see gallery shows opening around the world in November
From new works by the emerging artist Collins Obijiaku in Accra to a pre-election tribute to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg in Los Angeles
NewsPublic art
The estate of George Rickey, who created balletic kinetic sculptures, now at Kasmin gallery
Monumental moving works by the artist will be shown next fall on the Chelsea space’s rooftop and along Park Avenue uptown
NewsReal estate
The pull of Palm Beach proves irresistible for blue-chip galleries—but for how long?
Lehmann Maupin and Paula Cooper are the latest to join dealers like Acquavella and Pace in setting up seasonal spaces in the Sunshine State
NewsArt market
Richard Saltoun Gallery builds entire 2021 exhibition programme around late political philosopher Hannah Arendt
Her work addresses relevant issues today such as tyranny, fascism and totalitarianism, dealer says
NewsArt market
French and German art fairs forced to cancel as new national lockdowns come into force
Fine Arts Paris and Art Cologne boldly believed they could run Covid-secure events in November, but both have had to relent to new restrictions
NewsCovid-19
Exclusive survey: how small US galleries are surviving the coronavirus crisis as Trump tables relief plans
With a second federal aid package stalled until after the election, our study reveals the financial straits some galleries are finding themselves in—and how they are responding
NewsArt market
Ancient Greek bust of Hercules dug up in a garden will now appear in virtual reality at Tefaf Online
ArtAncient has created a VR experience of the marble bust to enliven the digital version of the now-cancelled New York fair
CommentArt market
How will US money laundering crackdown actually impact the art market? A lawyer explains
Congress is increasing its regulation of antiquities trade and while its powers are limited for now, change will come so the art industry must prepare
Nicholas M. O'Donnell