Law & Politics An Elderly Couple Sold a ‘Worthless’ African Mask for $157. Now They Are Suing the Buyer Who Auctioned It for $4.4 Million The couple has accused a local antiques dealer of cheating them out of a fair price for the rare object. By Adam Schrader, Oct 3, 2023
Auctions The Bizarre Saga of How an Isa Genzken Sculpture Wound Up on a German TV Show, Then a Sotheby’s Auction, Only to Be Mysteriously Yanked How did a valuable sculpture end up on TV? By Eileen Kinsella, Oct 2, 2023
Archaeology & History A Mexican Journalist Went Viral After He Presented ‘Alien Bodies’ to Congress. Now He Is Accused of Plundering Them From Ancient Sites Peru's culture minister believes the specimens are stolen pre-Hispanic objects. By Adam Schrader, Sep 30, 2023
On View A New Show at MCA Denver Reins in the Myth of the Cowboy With Works by John Baldessari, Amy Sherald, and More "Cowboy" deconstructs the long-held archetype of masculinity through works by 27 contemporary artists. By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 27, 2023
Art World The Vast Scope of Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovich’s $1 Billion Art Collection Is Revealed in a New Trove of Leaked Documents The leak of confidential information has likely set off alarm bells in elite art collecting circles. By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 25, 2023
Law & Politics NFT Artist Scores Big Win in Multimillion Dollar Contract Dispute Over a Blank Space The plaintiff's contract with artist Coolman Coffeedan contained a "fatal" error, the court said. By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 22, 2023
Auctions A Set of Rare Daguerrotypes Linked to a Notorious British Naval Disaster Raked in More Than $500,000 at Sotheby’s The early photographs were unseen for 178 years. By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 22, 2023
On View A Stunning Show of Portraits by Barkley Hendricks Has Opened at the Frick, Where the Artist Was Once Inspired by Old Masters The pioneering artist is celebrated for his vivid portraits of Black subjects. By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 21, 2023
Crime Disgraced Dealer Inigo Philbrick’s Co-Conspirator, Robert Newland, Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison Newland, who helped Philbrick execute and perpetuate the massive fraud, will serve just over one and a half years in jail. By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 20, 2023
Galleries South Africa’s Goodman Gallery Arrives in New York Bearing Artworks by William Kentridge, Candice Breitz, and More Owner Liza Essers talked to Artnet News about the broader strategy behind the veteran gallery's latest move. By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 19, 2023
Law & Politics John Baldessari’s Heirs Are Caught Up in a Tangle of Litigation Over the Care and Ownership of the Late Conceptual Artist’s Works The estate is suing former dealer Marian Goodman Gallery—and being sued by a former collaborator. By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 18, 2023
Law & Politics Prosecutors Seek Prison Time for Ex-Dealer Robert Newland for Orchestrating an $86 Million ‘Ponzi-Like Scheme’ With Inigo Philbrick The government says Newland must serve a "meaningful" sentence to send a message to the "unregulated art market" By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 14, 2023
Art World A Group Backed by Laurene Powell Jobs Is Eyeing a Former San Francisco Art Institute Building With a $50 Million Diego Rivera Mural The school filed for bankruptcy earlier this year after financial struggles and a failed bid to sell the mural, which is now landmarked. By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 12, 2023
Crime Fake Celebrities, Code Names, and ‘Stuffing’: Inigo Philbrick’s Collaborator Reveals the Elaborate Plots They Used to Con Collectors Out of Millions 'I’d quickly come to learn that a fair amount of deception was accepted practice in the art world,' disgraced dealer Robert Newland said. By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 12, 2023
Art Fairs The Armory Show’s VIP Preview Opened With Brisk Sales and a Lot of Chatter About the Fair’s Future The New York fair marches on even as questions swirl about consolidation in the industry. By Eileen Kinsella, Sep 8, 2023