Auctions Two Rare Rembrandt Portraits Will Hit the Block at Christie’s in July—199 Years After They Were First Sold by the Auction House The rediscovered paintings are believed to be the last known portraits by the artist in private hands. By Taylor Dafoe, May 15, 2023
Politics 600 Cultural Figures Have Signed an Open Letter Protesting an Art Exhibition Sponsored by Data Analytics Firm Palantir The show was organized by Walter Smerling, a curator who has come under fire for his connections to toxic philanthropy. By Taylor Dafoe, May 11, 2023
Museums & Institutions The Met Museum Plans to Hire a Team of Provenance Researchers Amid Increased Scrutiny Around Its Collection Museum director Max Hollein announced four new initiatives related to the institution's collecting policies. By Taylor Dafoe, May 11, 2023
Crime Stolen Ancient Tomb Carvings Sat in Storage at the Met Museum for Decades. Now, They’ve Been Returned to China The objects are among 89 antiquities seized by the D.A. as part of a years-long criminal investigation into Shelby White’s collection. By Taylor Dafoe, May 10, 2023
NFTs The Quilters of Gee’s Bend Head to the Blockchain, Collaborating With a Young Generative Artist on a Series of NFTs The project will go live on May 17 on Arsnl. By Taylor Dafoe, May 10, 2023
Archaeology & History A California Man Repatriated 30 Ancient Artifacts He Found in His Father’s Cupboard After Reading a Viral Article About Repatriation The objects were likely created between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC, according to an illicit antiquities trafficking expert. By Taylor Dafoe, May 9, 2023
Crime An Elderly Man Spray-Painted a Miriam Cahn Painting at a Paris Museum After Right-Wing Attempts to Censor It Failed The Palais de Tokyo will keep the defaced painting on view until the end of the show next week. By Taylor Dafoe, May 8, 2023
Art Fairs Art Basel Has Named Maike Cruse, Head of Gallery Weekend Berlin, the Director of Its Flagship Fair in Switzerland Cruse is one of three directors recently hired by the company to oversee its fairs around the world. By Taylor Dafoe, May 4, 2023
Museums & Institutions Austria Will Return Two Small Parthenon Marbles to Greece. Officials Hope the Move Will Encourage Britain to Follow Suit The return comes at a crucial time for Greece as it seeks to reunite the remaining pieces that once wrapped the Parthenon Temple. By Taylor Dafoe, May 3, 2023
Museums & Institutions Questions of Provenance Cloud a Major Gift of Native American Objects to the Met Museum, According to a New Report The ProPublica investigation found that 85 percent of works donated by Charles and Valerie Diker lack complete ownership histories. By Taylor Dafoe, May 2, 2023
Law & Politics An Art Collector Is Suing His Former Attorney For Allegedly Stealing a $5 Million Andy Warhol Painting Stuart Pivar sold the painting to his lawyer for $100,000, then wanted to buy it back for $150,000. The attorney refused. By Taylor Dafoe, Apr 28, 2023
Art World The San Francisco Art Institute, Which Educated Artists From Ansel Adams to Kehinde Wiley, Has Filed for Bankruptcy The school will liquidate its assets to pay creditors, but the fate of its famed Diego Rivera fresco remains unknown. By Taylor Dafoe, Apr 27, 2023
Museums & Institutions The Brauer Museum’s $20 Million Deaccessioning Plan Has Hit Another Snag: A Lawsuit From Its Founding Director The complaint argues that the proposed sale would violate the intentions of the artworks’ donor. By Taylor Dafoe, Apr 26, 2023
On View Counterpublic’s 2023 Exhibition in St. Louis Shakes Up the Formulaic—and Often Problematic—Shape of American Triennials Projects by David Adjaye, Raven Chacon, and Torkwase Dyson highlight this year’s exhibition. By Taylor Dafoe, Apr 26, 2023
Crime A Dealer Who Fled the U.S. After Being Convicted of Selling Fake Art by Franz Kline and Milton Avery Has Just Been Extradited Angela Catherine Hamblin was convicted of selling $400,000 of fake paintings in 2009. By Taylor Dafoe, Apr 25, 2023