Who was Artemisia Gentileschi and how does she portray herself in this rare self-portrait? Letizia Treves, the James and Sarah Sassoon Curator of Later Italian, Spanish, and French 17th-century Paintings at the National Gallery, UK, explores the life story of the most celebrated female artist of the 17th century, and why her 'Self Portrait' is such an important acquisition to our collection.
August 2018 Art News
Opening this season’s Sotheby’s Hong Kong Chinese Works of Art Autumn Sale Series 2018 on 3 October is The Yamanaka Reticulated Vase which has remained dormant in a Private Japanese Collection for almost a century since its acquisition in 1924 following its exhibition with Yamanaka in New York in 1905. Carved and exquisitely painted with four pairs of fish below Rococo-inspired motifs on a yellow sgraffiato ground, the exceptional famille-rose reticulated vase is skillfully modeled with an inner blue-and-white vase.
Two hundred years after Audubon traveled across America, tracking native bird species for his magnum opus, The Birds of America (1827–39), Italian artist Hitnes has retraced Audubon's steps, creating an updated documentation of the birds Audubon painted. His homage to Audubon, The Image Hunter: On the Trail of John James Audubon, is now on display at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art in Charleston.
In this Episode of Masterworks: Rewind, Sotheby's revisits one of the most iconic pieces of art ever to be auctioned - Edvard Munch's The Scream.
This fall, as part of the ongoing dialogue over AI and art, Christie’s will become the first major auction house to offer a work of art created by an algorithm, which will be included in the Prints & Multiples auction in New York October 23-25. The work is titled Portrait of Edmond de Belamy (estimate: $7,000-10,000), created by artificial intelligence and conceived by the Paris-based collective Obvious.
At their August 17th World and Ancient Coins Platinum Night, Heritage Auctions offered the legendary “First Dollar of the New World.” According to mint records, the coin is one of eight reales struck by assayer Francisco del Rincón for the Spanish in 1538. Of the eight recorded, only three known examples of the coin exist today. Minted in Mexico City, the coin sunk aboard the shipwreck of the "Golden Fleece" in 1550.
In Chinese culture, the Ruyi Scepter has a long history not only as a congratulatory gift, but also as a symbol of authority. In China, the term Ruyi is a homophone for “As you wish” or “As you desire,” making the gift of a Ruyi Scepter a way to convey wishes for good luck or congratulations, often for auspicious birthdays or significant promotions. On September 7, Freeman’s will host its autumn Asian Arts auction.
The 89-year-old Claes Oldenburg has created a series of sculptures that look like maquettes, comprised in part of familiar works from his oeuvre. "Shelf Life" is a clever play on words from an artist looking back on a rich and full career, reviewing his body of work and seeing what sticks.
"How do remains convey what's no longer present?" Curator Janice Kamrin and Conservator Anna Serotta on the coffin of Nedjemankh
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery recognizes the life of acclaimed singer and musician Aretha Franklin. Her portrait will be installed in the museum’s In Memoriam space on the first floor, and it will remain on display through Aug. 22.
