NewsArt market
Bellotto's view of Verona sells for record £10.5m at Christie's Old Master sale in London
Seven new artist records were set in tonight's auction, including for Georges de La Tour, while a second highest prices were set for female painters Angelica Kauffman and Artemisia Gentileschi
NewsArt market
Head of a bear sets new record for a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, selling on a single bid for £8.8m at Christie's
The tiny "Post It note" drawing was sold by Thomas Kaplan, owner of the Leiden collection of Rembrandts, who bought it in 2008 based on a fax
NewsArt market
'An opportunity for bargain hunters' or a waste of time? Italy relaxes stringent export laws for Old Masters and antiques worth less than €13,500
Lower-value older works and those by artists who died less than 50 years ago no longer need an export licence to leave the country—but the process can still be slow
NewsArt market
England may be through to the Euro finals, but Sotheby's Old Master paintings sale scores an own goal
The auction house's £17.2m offering in London tonight was only 57% sold, overshadowed by the football
PreviewArt market
London Art Week finds the revolutionary in ancient relics with hybrid selling event
Collaborative shows from 2 to 16 July features over 40 galleries, with Florence’s Palazzo Strozzi chief curating an online exhibition for those who cannot make the trip
NewsArt market
Charles I disposed of this Van Dyck portrait when he signed the sitter's death warrant. Now it is up for sale at Christie's
The 17th century painting of the Earl of Strafford, recently discovered to have been in the Royal collection, is expected to sell for up to £5m in London in July
NewsHeritage
Catherine de Medici portrait returns to Horace Walpole’s Strawberry Hill after almost 200 years
Painting is the only surviving contemporary image of the monarch
NewsArt market
Colnaghi gallery to lead research into €1,500 painting now believed to be by Caravaggio
Established dealership will manage restoration and authentication of disputed work offered at auction for €1,500
NewsFakes and forgeries
'Cranach' painting of Venus at centre of Old Masters fakes scandal must be returned to Prince of Liechtenstein, court rules
Seized as part of a forgery investigation, the work has been fully studied and must no longer be kept as evidence
AnalysisOld Masters
Today’s obsession with assigning singular attribution to Old Masters may be lucrative, but it is often misleading
The cult of the individual reigns supreme but in reality Renaissance works were often not made by one hand
NewsArt market
The curious saga of a Russian cosmetics entrepreneur and his €107m Cellini painting
Bizarre story of a painting discovered in a French village, said by its owner to be a self-portrait by Cellini, is told in a new BBC radio series
FeatureObituaries
Thirty-seven years with Richard Feigen: the dealer who was a collector first—and sold to feed his habit
Frances Beatty remembers a mentor who would rather give you a lecture on Max Beckmann or Peter Saul than sell you a Van Gogh, but who could do both
FeatureObituaries
Remembering Richard Feigen, the high-profile dealer with an outsider's straight-talking outlook on the art industry
New York gallerist railed against auction houses, the inflation of prices and reputations, the industrial expansion of the art market, while still doing great business
NewsRembrandt
Family members fall out over Rembrandt stored in a New Jersey basement
An heir of an early owner claims that family members conspired to have it sold without his knowledge
NewsArt market
‘The ultimate dealer of Old Master paintings’: New York dealer Richard Feigen has died, aged 90
The Met director Max Hollein pays tribute to the late gallery owner and collector, who also promoted artists from Max Beckmann to Peter Saul
NewsObject lessons
Object lessons: from a rare outing for an Old Testament Rembrandt to a Bernini double act
Our pick of highlights from New York's Master Week sales
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
ReviewThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in New York this weekend
From Eugene Von Bruenchenhein’s rapturous paintings to Brassaï’s Parisian underground
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
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
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
PreviewExhibitions
Buckingham Palace masterpieces hop next door for exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery
While the royal residence is under repair, some of the Royal Collection’s most famous paintings have been relocated and displayed in a more convenient setting
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
NewsExhibitions
Return of a blockbuster: delayed Artemisia Gentileschi show to open on 3 October at London's National Gallery
Exhibition will include the never previously exhibited transcript of the Rome trial when Artemisia accused a fellow artist of rape
NewsArt market
Sotheby's to auction £4m restituted Bellotto painting that Jewish retail magnate was forced to sell to Hitler
The view of Dresden's Zwinger moat had been returned to the heirs of Max Emden and will now be offered for sale in London on 28 July
Newscoronavirus
See what a bustling Canaletto scene would look like emptied of people
José Manuel Ballester, the Spanish artist behind a series of reimagined Old Master paintings shared widely online during the coronavirus pandemic, has created a new work to help raise funds for Italy’s Pinacoteca de Brera
NewsExhibitions
'Ultimate masterpiece': Van Eyck drawing— rarely seen due to fragility—goes on display for first time in a decade
Exhibited from today at Dresden’s Kupferstich-Kabinett, the picture of an old man is the only undisputed drawing by the Dutch Old Master that survives
NewsArt market
Friends with benefits: art dealers cosy up to auction houses for online sales
As part of a growing trend, Sotheby's is launching The Dealer's Eye, two sales of works consigned by nearly 40 Old Master galleries in London and New York
NewsJohannes Vermeer
Unknown masterpiece? Picture 'likely' based on lost Vermeer to be unveiled in Antwerp
A Young Woman with a Wine Glass and a Musician playing a Tenor Recorder could be a copy of a work by the great Dutch painter
NewsExhibitions
Organisers of Van Eyck blockbuster bank on possible €3.5m insurance payout to refund ticketholders
“Once in a lifetime exhibition”, which closed early due to the coronavirus outbreak, will not be extended
ReviewBook Shorts
This facsimile of a late 16th-century Italian manuscript on how to fence is a masterpiece of draughtsmanship
Camillo Palladini was a master swordsman whose work has been lost for centuries until this publication
AnalysisVisitor Figures 2019
Here are the most visited Old Master exhibitions of 2019
The hype surrounding major anniversary celebrations saw big turnouts for Bruegel, Leonardo and Rembrandt
ReviewBook Shorts
This book makes an arresting argument for the foundations of modern art
The Hamburger Kunsthalle’s exhibition catalogue groups Tiepolo, Fragonard and Goya as forerunners of Modernism
NewsArt theft
Three paintings—including valuable Van Dyck portrait—stolen from Oxford University gallery
London-based Old Masters dealer says that the works are “an unusual group to steal—neither priceless nor small fry”
NewsTitian
Titian’s poesie reunited at London's National Gallery—but is it with the right Danaë?
Renaissance specialists are divided as to which painting is the one commissioned by Philip II of Spain: the one at London's Apsley House or the one at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid
PreviewTitian
Titian’s ‘remarkable’ poesie paintings reunited for first time in 440 years
The masterpieces produced for Philip II will go on show at London's National Gallery before touring to Edinburgh, Madrid and Boston
NewsOld Masters
Old Master scandal dealt fresh blow as Court of Appeal rejects arrest warrant
French investigation into Giuliano Ruffini, the prime suspect in the case, is hampered by Milan ruling
NewsDiscoveries
Unknown Dürer drawing to be sold by London dealer
One of very few examples in private hands, the work from an American collection is coming to the market via Agnews
PreviewExhibitions
Largest ever number of Raphaels gathered for ‘mega-exhibition’ in Rome
Survey at the Scuderie del Quirinale is jointly organised by the Uffizi in Florence and will focus on the Renaissance master's crucial Roman period
FeatureTefaf Maastricht 2020
Can you teach an Old Master fair new tricks?
While auction houses are more aggressive and newer works dominate the global market, Tefaf’s exhibitors remain resolute
NewsArt market
Old Master scandal: Italy rejects European arrest warrant for painter connected to forgery case
Lino Frongia was arrested in September as part of a major investigation involving works purportedly by Lucas Cranach, Frans Hals, Parmigianino, Gentileschi and Bronzino
NewsDiscoveries
Newly attributed Artemisia Gentileschi painting of David and Goliath revealed in London
Restored work—with “Artemisia” signature—will be shown by conservation studio during major National Gallery exhibition
PreviewExhibitions
Old Masters, new tricks: Chatsworth House drawings are off to Sheffield
Almost 60 works by artists including Rembrandt, Annibale Carracci and Sebastiano del Piombo will go on show at the Millennium Gallery
NewsForgeries
Alleged Bronzino seized from the Alana Collection in connection with ongoing Old Master scandal
French customs officials have barred the return of Saint Cosmos to the US following its inclusion in a show at the Jacquemart André Museum in Paris
BlogDiary of an art historian
Disneyfication at the National Gallery? Plus, the problem with deaccessioning in the UK
The stigma around state museums selling works means that other institutions dare not buy them; and a frank review of the National Gallery's Leonardo exhibition
NewsArt market
Dutch dealer promises new Rembrandt discoveries in five-volume publication
Part one focused on early years of Old Master's career will be published in 18 months
PreviewExhibitions
New perspectives on an Old Master: Andrea Mantegna show to open in Turin
Exhibition at Palazzo Madama promises an impressive number of works—and a fresh view of the Renaissance master's legacy
AnalysisArt market
'Christmas dinner without the turkey': little festive cheer at Sotheby's Old Masters sale
December auction generates less than half the total of last year's sale, with several lots failing to sell
AnalysisArt market
Tiepolo and Giovanni di Paolo spark excitement in underpowered Christie’s Old Master sale
Auction raised more than last year but supply still limited as Brexit-dominated general election looms
NewsArt market
Rediscovered Rubens to star in Sotheby's Old Masters sale in New York
Painting depicting the Holy Family in an evening landscape has been owned by a Manhattan family for more than 60 years
BlogDiary
Is this a previously unknown portrait of Queen Elizabeth I?
NewsArt market
UK buyer bags Artemisia Gentileschi painting for a record €4.8m in Paris
Work depicting Roman heroine Lucretia was in a private collection for 40 years
NewsAuctions
A portrait of Rembrandt sold for more than 30 times its estimate—could it be by the Dutch master himself?
High price for painting at Christie’s in New York last week is prompting speculation but expert says his money is on Isaac de Jouderville
NewsArt fairs
A mix of old and new brings fresh collectors to Tefaf New York Fall though sales remain slow
Attempting to capitalise on the crossover collecting trend, the fourth edition of the Dutch fair brings in Modern and contemporary art to complement its historical focus
NewsArt market
'Kitchen Cimabue' sells for €24.1m
Rediscovered painting, found in a French house clearance, is the first work by the 13th century Florentine artist to be sold at auction in living memory
PreviewExhibitions
Munich exhibition uses X-rays to lay bare Anthony van Dyck's creative methods
Research project conducted by Alte Pinakothek reveals how the Flemish painter developed and reworked his canvases
NewsExhibitions
Louvre Leonardo show: forget Salvator Mundi, focus on Vasari
Forthcoming exhibition on the Renaissance master reveals ground-breaking new research on Italian literary sources
PreviewExhibitions
Paris exhibition to cast El Greco in new light
Survey at the Grand Palais aims to distance itself from the stereotypes usually associated with the artist
NewsArt market
Is this a Raphael? Madonna and Child painting to be auctioned at Dorotheum in Vienna
The work, previously unknown to scholars, was until now in a private ducal collection
PreviewExhibitions
Pieter de Hooch steps out from Vermeer's shadow in new Delft show
First survey in the Netherlands puts the spotlight back onto the ‘other’ Golden Age painter
NewsDiscoveries
Sotheby's to offer newly discovered Mantegna drawing
Preparatory sketch for The Triumph of Caesar will go on sale in New York in January
NewsArt market
'New' Artemisia Gentileschi to be auctioned in Paris
Painting of Lucretia has been in a private collection in Lyon for the past 40 years and is estimated to sell for over €600,000
NewsExhibitions
Despite Brexit, Britain is biggest lender to Louvre’s Leonardo blockbuster show
Speculation remains over whether Salvator Mundi will appear
NewsArt market
This could be the first Cimabue painting to be sold at auction in recent times
Panel depicting the Mocking of Christ will go on sale at French auction house, in collaboration with Eric Turquin, in October
PreviewExhibitions
Albertina’s Albrecht Dürer drawings enjoy a rare outing
Exhibition will bring together Vienna museum’s collection with key loans from European institutions, as well as unveiling a raft of new theories
NewsGiuliano Ruffini
Old Master fakes scandal: warrant issued for dealer Giuliano Ruffini as painter Lino Frongia arrested
Suspect has been jailed in northern Italy over case that has embroiled major international museums and dealers
NewsArt market
Is this $30m portrait the 'last Botticelli'?
Painting will be exhibited at Frieze Masters next month, after a "style of Botticelli" sleeper sold for over £6m at Zurich auction in June
NewsMuseums & Heritage
The William Blakes that got away—and why
As the Tate Britain show opens, we reveal the inside story of the Tate’s failure to acquire 19 watercolours from a portfolio that turned up in a Glasgow bookshop
NewsMuseums & Heritage
UK's most valuable museum acquisition in a decade? National Gallery set to buy Gentileschi masterpiece
The Finding of Moses, currently on loan at the London museum, is owned by sofa-billionaire Graham Kirkham
NewsRestoration
Delicate seven-year restoration of altarpiece finally completed at London's National Gallery
The 16th-century work The Virgin and Child with Saints is now back on show in the museum
NewsAttribution
Hidden number discovered in conservation helps reveal painting is from Titian's workshop
Part of the Wellington Collection in London, the picture was originally believed to be by a minor north Italian artist
NewsLaw
Family claims quarter share of disputed Isleworth Mona Lisa
The painting, long the subject of an attribution dispute, is now at the centre of a legal conflict over ownership
AnalysisArt market
Price match! Old Masters vs contemporary art: what can you get for your money?
As London's Classic Week of sales comes to a close, we take a look at what the same sum will buy you at either end of the art historical timeline
NewsArt market
Sofa King's collection plumps up Sotheby's Old Master sale—helped by a suite of guarantees
Five lots from the DFS founder Graham Kirkham's collection made up almost half of the value of the £56.3m London sale, which was led by a late Turner
ArchiveLooted art
Top museums in Europe and North America face claims for Dürers looted during World War II
Poland and the Ukraine both want the Lubomirski drawings back
NewsArt market
Did US collector Tom Hill buy the 'lost Caravaggio'?
France's Gazette Drouot claims that Hill might have bought the painting and it could be headed for the Met in New York, according to a source
NewsArt market
Ignored by the Louvre, 'lost' Caravaggio bought in private sale is destined for 'important museum'
Estimated to sell between €100m-€150m at auction on Friday, an anonymous buyer has snapped up the disputed painting that was discovered in a French attic
CommentLeaders
Comment | Cupid ‘outing’ in Vermeer painting is the right move
The uncovered figure changes the composition of Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window
NewsLeonardo da Vinci
Louvre struggles to gain loans for Leonardo show
High-level diplomacy is being used to secure the artist’s most important works for blockbuster anniversary show in Paris
NewsLeonardo da Vinci
Italy secures loan of Leonardo da Vinci's Benois Madonna from Russia's Hermitage museum
There has been intense competition to borrow works by the artist during the 500th anniversary of his death this year
NewsArt market
With loot from two veteran dealers and one artist, Christie’s Old Masters sales push $50m
A Dutch double portrait from Frank Stella's collection led the New York auctions by fetching $10m
AnalysisArt market
Spanish still-lifes test the staying power of a dealer's legacy at Christie's
Two works from the private collection of renowned New York dealer Herman Schickman, previously on long-term loan to the Met, hit the auction block today
FeatureObituaries
Remembering Jayne Wrightsman
A reminiscence of the New York socialite, arts patron and philanthropist by Keith Christiansen, the chairman of the Met's European Paintings Department
CommentArt market
Should dealers reveal past prices in provenance?
London case surrounding Brueghel painting raises questions over whether a work's full sales history should be listed—even when that shows a big markup
InterviewArt market
'I would give my head to be cut off—like Holofernes!' Eric Turquin on the Caravaggio attribution
The Old Master specialist who researched the provenance of the recently attributed painting on the joys of exploring French attics
NewsThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in New York this weekend
From Moroni's inventive portraiture to Hans Op de Beeck's dreamlike world
NewsContemporary art
Artist installs mirror into panel of famous Ghent Altarpiece for new project
Kris Martin says his addition to the Flemish masterpiece turns observers into “just judges”
News
Van Ham to auction 4,000 contemporary works from SØR Rusche collection
Dutch Old Masters in the retailer’s corporate collection are to be sold at Sotheby’s
NewsAcquisitions
Kimbell Art Museum fêtes International Women's Day with Anne Vallayer-Coster acquisition
Still Life With Mackerel demonstrates the French 18th-century artist's virtuosity in the genre
NewsArt market
Getting Old Masters' sexy back: Colnaghi to take over Venetian abbey for Biennale show
London-based gallery will team up with interior designer Chahan to create "home of a 21st-century Grand Tourist" in the medieval Abbazia di San Gregorio
CommentBotticelli
'Looking just gorgeous': Granddaughter of $80m Botticelli's former owner on living with the masterpiece
Suzy Lewis recalls the "absolute disaster" of the painting's 1982 sale
Alison Cole