From the True Meaning of the Artworks in ‘Bridgerton’ to Overcrowding at the Vatican: The Best and Worst of the Art World This Week

Catch up on this week's news, fast.

Screen capture from Bridgerton. Image courtesy of Netflix.
Screen capture from Bridgerton. Image courtesy of Netflix.

BEST?

Christo and Jeanne-Claude Make Coin – Sotheby’s sale of works by, and belonging to, the late artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude brought in $11 million.

The Beauty of Bridgerton – Netflix’s latest period drama is chock full of artworks that buttress the show’s lusty narratives.

Christie’s Goes for Crypto – The auction house is holding a sale of a digital blockchain artwork, and will be accepting cryptocurrency for the first time.

An Art Historian’s Reflections – Trailblazing art historian Richard J. Powell looks back on his influential career, and how the reception of art by Black artists has changed in academic circles.

New New Deal? – On this week’s Art Angle podcast, Artnet News’s National Critic Ben Davis analyzes FDR’s historic New Deal arts programs, and muses about how a contemporary version could help artists in need today.

Archaeologists Discover Ancient Ale – The world’s oldest brewery was discovered by archaeologists excavating a royal graveyard in Egypt.

Guggenheim Strikes Union Agreement – Union organizers and the museum struck a deal for better pay and benefits following a protracted battle this summer.

Banksy Off the Wall – A British art dealer just snapped up one of the anonymous street artist’s works from its owners in Nottingham.

 

WORST?

Newfields Director Steps Down – After the museum sparked outrage with a job posting, Charles Venable has resigned from his post as Newfields’s president.

Artists Against Brexit Rules – UK artists want Boris Johnson to renegotiate terms of Brexit so they can travel to the EU without visas.

Storm Watch – Texas museums are struggling amid power outages after a raging snow storm. 

Very Crowded Vatican – Visitors and tour guides were distressed at a lack of crowd-control or social distancing at the Vatican museums, which have recently reopened.

French Court Closes Museums, Again – The court ruled that four museums opened by a mayor last week in defiance of the country’s laws must be shuttered for now.


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