A ‘Tsunami of Lawsuits’ Hits the Art World as Money Gets Tight, Regulators Descend, and the Music Finally Stops

The Art Detective

A ‘Tsunami of Lawsuits’ Hits the Art World as Money Gets Tight, Regulators Descend, and the Music Finally Stops

Why is the art world suddenly airing its dirty laundry?

By Katya Kazakina, 48 mins ago

The Art Detective

Armory Week’s Lackluster Commerce Wasn’t Happy News for the Art Market. But the Real Test Is Yet to Come

Despite the New York fairs' effort to put on a brave face, quiet aisles and slow sales were notable across the city.

By Katya Kazakina, Sep 15, 2023

The Art Detective

In a Jittery Market, a Glut of Art Fairs Is Again Putting Galleries Through the Wringer—With No End in Sight

Remember when a crammed calendar of global art fairs drove art dealers to desperation? Well, it's ba-aack.

By Katya Kazakina, Sep 8, 2023

The Art Detective

Billionaire Financier Thomas H. Lee’s Heirs Are Selling His Art Privately After His Suicide. Public Filings Show He Leveraged the Heck Out of It, Too

The late leveraged-buyout tycoon's loan agreements show he was a pioneer in leveraging art as well, almost from the beginning.

By Katya Kazakina, Aug 25, 2023

The Art Detective

Once Celebrated and Then Forgotten, the French Artist Marie Laurencin Is About to Step Into the Limelight Again, Seven Decades After Her Death

With a sensational biography fit for Hollywood and an artistic style that feels utterly today, the Modernist painter is poised to have a big moment.

By Katya Kazakina, Aug 18, 2023

The Art Detective

Digging Into David Zwirner’s Messy Chelsea Gallery Development Deal That Wasn’t

The developer's LLC connected to the stillborn project filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week.

By Katya Kazakina, Aug 10, 2023

The Art Detective

He Was the Legendary Impresario Who Put Jean-Michel Basquiat on the Map. But Now Former Friends Reveal Another, Darker Side of Diego Cortez

Years after the events took place, denizens of the art world are still reckoning with the dealer's complex legacy.

By Katya Kazakina, Jul 28, 2023

The Art Detective

Who Bought the Mysterious Klimt at Sotheby’s? An Equally Enigmatic Hong Kong Power Broker, Some Believe

Sold by one shadowy entity and purchased by another, will the masterwork's fate ever truly be known?

By Katya Kazakina, Jul 15, 2023

The Art Detective

The $202 Million Sale of Heidi Horten’s Jewels Was a Massive Success. Its Aftermath Continues to Haunt Christie’s

Critics are unwilling to forget the tainted provenance of Horten's jewelry, or forgive the auction house.

By Katya Kazakina, Jul 7, 2023

The Art Detective

At First Glance, Billionaire Maja Hoffmann’s Private Museum in Arles Looked Like Another Vanity Project. Then It Blew My Mind

With great art, continual innovation, and ambitions that stretch far beyond the art world, the Frank Gehry-adorned campus is no ordinary mega-collector bauble.

By Katya Kazakina, Jun 30, 2023

The Art Detective

Market Reset or Not, Art Basel Still Dazzles: Top Trophies Range From a $60 Million ‘Mellon’ Rothko to $22.5 Million Bronze Spider

Several artworks are being offered at a significant markup over prices they commanded just recently, while others are coming to the fair at a steep discount.

By Katya Kazakina, Jun 9, 2023

The Art Detective

What Went Wrong With Christie’s Fineberg Sale, the Auction That Nearly Drove the Art Market to Despair? Plenty.

At first, people were stunned to see art by major names selling for a pittance. Then they got excited.

By Katya Kazakina, May 26, 2023

The Art Detective

‘My Assistant Told Me to Slow Down’: How Top Art Collectors Budget Their Money (and Time) During New York’s Big Auction Season

With auctions, art fairs, and gallery dinners galore, it's not easy for the well-heeled to stick to a schedule.

By Katya Kazakina, May 13, 2023

The Art Detective

Revealed: The Mystery Consignors to New York’s $1.3 Billion Spring Auctions, From a Storied Mega-Dealer to the Founder of Cirque de Soleil

Who is liquidating art in this season's spring sales? The answers might surprise you (or not).

By Katya Kazakina, May 5, 2023

The Art Detective

Christie’s Neglected to Reveal the Ugly History Behind Its Sensational Planned Jewelry Auction. Then a Billionaire’s Wife Complained

The sparkling treasures of the “The World of Heidi Horten” auction have a sinister backstory if you follow the money.

By Katya Kazakina, May 1, 2023