London – Max Beckmann’s Hölle der Vögel (Birds’ Hell) (1937-38) achieved a new world record price for the artist of £36,005,000 / $45,834,365 / €40,865,675 in the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale on 27 June. Hölle der Vögel (Birds’ Hell) continues the Germanic tradition of using gruesome allegorical scenes at the same time as taking aspects of Classicism and mythology to turn reality into a timeless evocation of human suffering.
Art News
André Zlattinger, Head of Modern British & Irish Art and Will Porter, Head of Sale: “The Modern British & Irish Art Evening Sale launched 20th Century at Christie’s (17 – 30 June 2017) totalling £20,199,500 / $25,734,162 / €22,966,831 and was led by Henry Moore’s Family Group which saw spirited bidding in the room and on the phone, selling for £3,861,000 / $4,918,914 / €4,389,957 to an Asian collector.
The Dali Museum has partnered with Inception, a leading provider of 360° and VR entertainment content, to make their award winning “Dreams of Dali” virtual reality (VR) experience accessible on Inception’s app for audiences around the world. The interactive version of Dreams of Dali is now available for both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive; and the linear 360° video version is available for Gear VR, Daydream, Cardboard and more.
In the second half of the 19th century, advances in physics, electromagnetic radiation theory, and the optical sciences provoked new thought about the physical as well as the spiritual worlds. Aspects of that thought are revealed in Edvard Munch: Color in Context, an exhibition of 21 prints that considers the choice, combinations, and meaning of color in light of spiritualist principles.
SAN FRANCISCO—Best known for his depictions of Parisian dancers and laundresses, Edgar Degas (French, 18341917) was enthralled with another aspect of modern life in the French capital: high-fashion hats and the women who created them. Degas’s fascination inspired a visually compelling and profoundly modern body of work that documents the lives of what one fashion writer of the day called “the aristocracy of the workwomen of Paris.” Despite the importance of millinery as a subject in Degas’s oeuvre, there has been little discussion of its place in Impressionist iconography, until now.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art today announced a number of new acquisitions that will significantly enrich its collection. Among the works that have been recently acquired are: a group of contemporary films and videos; Japanese ink paintings mounted as handscrolls, hanging scrolls, and folding screens; nine pieces of early American furniture that illuminate the artistic achievements of cabinetmakers in colonial New England and Pennsylvania; and a major work in stained glass dating to the 1520s commissioned for a church in Paris.
For the first time, the auction for Asian art was offered in two parts this year. The first part of Indian, South East Asian and Japanese art took place on 9 June in Cologne, whilst the second part of Chinese and Tibetan/Nepalese art was auctioned on 18 June in Lempertz' offices in Brussels. The decision to hold the auction during the Brussels’ fair for non-European art (CULTURES), and time-wise close to the China auctions in Paris, attracted many Chinese buyers – and so is over 90% of the Chinese art going back to China.
The 48th edition of Art Basel in Basel closed on Sunday, June 18, 2017, with galleries throughout the show reporting exceptional sales, pointing to Art Basel's ability to convene leading galleries and collectors from around the world. Running simultaneously with the Venice Biennale, documenta 14 and Skulptur Projekte Münster, Art Basel drew a particularly strong turnout of both established and new collectors from over 100 countries, with strong attendance from the Americas and Asia.
New York–Christie’s New York Books and Manuscripts sales realize $9,690,563, across three auctions that took place on June 15, 2017, with an overall 75% sold by lot. The various owner sale totaled $6,894,875, setting the highest total ever for a single-session various-owners Books sale at Christie’s New York.
North Carolina Museum of Art celebrates new gallery with summer programming and September community event for all ages, including free concert with Grammy award winner Angélique Kidjo.
