| The First Art Newspaper on the Net | Established in 1996 | Friday, December 2, 2011 |
| | Museum of Liverpool opens more galleries as it announces record visitor figures
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, second left, meets Yoko Ono, right, during their visit to the Museum of Liverpool in Liverpool, England, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011. With 8,000 meters of public space, the recently opened museum looks at Britain and the world through the eyes of Liverpool, with 6,000 objects showcasing the city's unique contribution to the world. AP Photo/Tim Hales.
LIVERPOOL.- The new Museum of Liverpool will open even more galleries and an entire new floor before the end of the year. The news comes as it is announced that it has received a record half a million visitors in the first three months since opening in July. Galleries including The Great Port and much awaited Liverpool Overhead Railway will open on Friday 2 December, along with a 38 metre time traveller’s timeline, and a gallery dedicated to Liverpool’s King’s Regiment. Janet Dugdale, Director of the Museum of Liverpool said: “Having already had 500,000 visitors through our doors to see the first galleries opened, we’re so excited to be opening even more, which will reveal some much-loved and anticipated objects that we know will be taken into the ... More |
| J. Paul Getty Museum announces acquisition of rare, early portrait by Edouard Manet | | Art Miami draws record crowds and top sales during opening night VIP preview | | La Trobe University's Sven Gronemeyer says Mexico glyphs don't predict apocalypse | 
Portrait of Madame Brunet will compliment the Getty Museum's major Impressionist paintings and will go on view December 13, 2011.
LOS ANGELES, CA.- The J. Paul Getty Museum announced today the acquisition of Portrait of Madame Brunet (also known as Young Woman in 1860), painted in 1860-1863, and reworked by 1867—a rare, early portrait by the modern French master Édourd Manet (1832-1883). "We are thrilled to add to our collection this significant and compelling portrait from Manet's decisive early period," said David Bomford, acting director of the Getty Museum in announcing the acquisition. "Opportunities to acquire museum-quality paintings by Manet are few and this brilliant portrait of a mysterious young woman will command instant attention." The painting will be presented near Manet's renowned work, The Rue Mosnier with Flags, 1878, which has long been on view at the Museum. The two paintings together—one much later than the other—will vividly illustrate Manet's range and the development of his technique over time. This new acquisition ... More | | 
Kenneth Noland, Blue Painted Blue, 1959, Acrylic on Canvas, 34 x 34" sold for $350,000.
MIAMI, FL.- Last night, Art Miami, the city’s longest running contemporary art fair and anchor fair, hosted an unprecedented Opening Night VIP Preview, which unveiled a compelling array of works from internationally renowned modern and contemporary artists from the 20th and 21st centuries. Nearly 8,000 collectors, museum curators, artists, connoisseurs and interior designers attended this kickoff of Art Week in Miami. The event benefited The Lotus House Women’s Shelter, a vitally important Miami charity that offers a sanctuary for homeless women and infants in need. The VIP Preview provided top collectors the first opportunity to acquire modern and contemporary works from prominent blue chip, cutting edge and emerging artists from around the world, a day before the fair opens to the public. Renowned for its stylish, gallery-like ambiance, its outstanding variety and extraordinary quality artwork, Art Miami exhibit ... More | | 
Sven Gronemeyer. Photo: DMC INAH/M. MARAT.
By: Adriana Gomez Licon, Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP).- The end is not near. At least that's according to a German expert who says his decoding of a Mayan tablet with a reference to a 2012 date denotes a transition to a new era and not a possible end of the world as others have read it. The interpretation of the hieroglyphs by Sven Gronemeyer of La Trobe University in Australia was presented for the first time Wednesday at the archaeological site of Palenque in southern Mexico. His comments came less than a week after Mexico's archaeology institute acknowledged there was a second reference to the 2012 date in Mayan inscriptions, touching of another round of talk about whether it predicts the end of the world. Gronemeyer has been studying the stone tablet found years ago at the archeological site of Tortuguero in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Tabasco. He said the inscription describes the return of mysterious Mayan god Bolon ... More |
| Can't afford Elizabeth Taylor world renowned gems, how about a $2,500 Christie's catalog? | | LACMA acquires two life-size allegorical sculptures by Baroque master Giovanni Baratta | | First appearance of Superman: Action Comics 1 sells for $2.16 million in auction | 
Outfits owned by Elizabeth Taylor on display during a press preview for 'The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor' at Christie's in New York. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT.
By: Chris Michaud
NEW YORK, N.Y. (REUTERS).- Can't spare a few million for one of Elizabeth Taylor's world renowned rocks at the December auction of her jewelry? You aren't alone. Less well-heeled fans of the late screen star are consoling themselves by snapping up lavish, limited edition sets of catalogs for Christie's upcoming auction of Taylor's jewelry, clothing, art and memorabilia. But even the books aren't that cheap. While catalogs from individual auctions of her memorabilia can be had for as little as $60, the crown jewel for collectors is an ultra limited edition, boxed set of the gem sale catalog accompanied by a signed copy of Taylor's out-of-print 2002 book, "My Love Affair With Jewelry." Packaged in a lavender presentation box, it's going for $2,500. Only 25 are available, with profits going toward Taylor's AIDS Foundation. The same set, minus ... More | | 
Originally part of one of the Giovanni Baratta's most illustrious commissions, the works are noted for their refined elegance. © 2011 Museum Associates/LACMA.
LOS ANGELES, CA.- The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has acquired two life-size allegorical figure statues by the late Florentine Baroque master, Giovanni Baratta (1640–1747). The rediscovery of these sculptures, Wealth and Prudence, has been recognized as a major contribution to the study of early eighteenth-century Florentine art. The works are generous gifts to the museum by long-time benefactor, The Ahmanson Foundation, which has contributed extensively to the development of LACMA’s collection of European Painting and Sculpture over the last forty years. The sculptures are on view on the third floor of the Ahmanson Building, in the recently reinstalled European galleries. Originally part of one of the artist's most illustrious commissions, the works are noted for their refined elegance. The sculptures were commissioned by Niccolò Maria Giugni (1672-1717) for the gallery in his Palazzo on the Via degli Alfani in F ... More | | 
The cover of copy of "Action Comics No. 1" is shown. AP Photo/Metropolis Collectibles, Inc./ComicConnect, Corp.
By: Matt Moore, Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA, PA (AP).- A rare and pristine copy of the first issue of Action Comics, famed for the first appearance of Superman, has set a record Wednesday for the most money paid for a single comic book: $2.16 million. The issue, graded at 9.0, was auctioned starting Nov. 11 online at www.comicconnect.com. The starting bid was just $1 but there was a reserve price of $900,000. Neither the name of the buyer nor seller was disclosed. It's the first time a comic book has broken the $2 million barrier. The issue was published in 1938 and cost just 10 cents. "When we broke the record in 2010 by selling the Action Comics No. 1, graded at 8.5, for $1.5 million, I truly believed that this was a record that would stand for many years to come," said Stephen Fishler, CEO of ComicConnect.com and Metropolis Collectibles. The previous record set in March 2010 was followed by the sale of another copy for $1 million. But neither of tho ... More |
| Next legal step uncertain for Georgia O'Keeffe art collection at Fisk University | | Complete poster works of Roger Broders at Swann Galleries December sale | | Nerua, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao restaurant headed by chef Josean Alija, obtains its first Michelin Star | 
Georgia O'Keeffe, Radiator Building Night, New York, 1927. AP Photo/Fisk University.
By: Erik Schelzig, Associated Press
NASHVILLE, TN (AP).- Fisk University's decade-long quest to generate cash from a 101-piece art collection donated by the late painter Georgia O'Keeffe is one step closer to fruition. But it is unclear how quickly the historically black university in Nashville will be able to complete a $30 million deal to sell a 50 percent stake in the collection to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Ark. Under the agreement, the artworks including O'Keefe's own 1927 oil painting "Radiator Building — Night, New York — would move between Fisk and the Arkansas museum every two years. A state appeals court ruling Tuesday threw out a judge's requirement for Fisk to reserve two-thirds of the proceeds to ensure future upkeep of the collection amid the university's shaky financial circumstances. Fisk officials argued at last year's trial that ... More | | 
Vichy / Comité des Fêtes, circa 1928. Estimate: $15,000 to $20,000.
NEW YORK, N.Y.- On Thursday, December 15 Swann Galleries will offer an unprecedented single-owner sale of The Complete Poster Works of Roger Broders, the celebrated travel poster artist whose name is synonymous with French Art Deco. Not only is this the first time that all of Broders’s work, including previously unknown variants and non-travel images, has come to auction, it is the first time the complete works of any poster artist have been offered at one time. The posters comprise an outstanding private collection that is remarkable for its range and for the fine condition of most of the pieces. “Being surrounded by all of these stunning posters was glorious and uplifting,” said Nicholas D. Lowry, Swann President and Director of the Poster Department, “It is like seeing France as it hasn’t been seen since the 1920s. To see them in person, all in once place, is an exceptional opportunity for a ... More | | 
Josean Alija is the chef who took over the restaurant at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1998.
BILBAO.- After only six months of existence, NERUA, the new gastronomic space dedicated to gourmet cuisine at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, headed by chef Josean Alija, has won its first star in the prestigious Michelin restaurant guide, which sets the standard for haute cuisine throughout the world. At the eagerly awaited presentation of its annual ratings, held at the Palace Hotel in Barcelona, the prestigious Michelin Guide of Spain and Portugal has granted full recognition to the work of Josean Alija, the chef who took over the restaurant at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1998 and who, after being awarded the prize for Best Young Cook in 2000, has won numerous awards for his revolutionary purist style that is replete with aromas, textures and flavors at the same time. Since June 2011, Alija has been at the helm of Nerua, a project with an international scope conceived to offer visitors to the Guggenheim Museum B ... More |
| Rich offering of Chinese art fill two-day December auction at Bonhams in San Francisco | | Galerie Gmurzynska presents Yves Klein/ John Cage Playing with Fire at Art Basel Miami Beach | | 'Little Mole' animated cartoon character creator Czech artist Zdenek Miler dies at 90 | 
A rare archaic bronze covered vessel, Yu, Western Zhou Period, 9 1/4in (23.5cm) high. Est. $90,000-120,000. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Bonhams presents enticing works of art in every category of collecting in its auctions of Fine Asian Works of Art and Asian Decorative Art to be held December 20-21. Together, these sales will put more than 900 objects on the auction block, obtained from private collectors, estates and institutions throughout the United States. The first day is devoted to the bi-annual auction of Fine Asian Works of Art at Bonhams. Focusing almost exclusively on the arts of China, highlights of this 460 lot session will include a pair of zitan and hongmu recessed leg tables, 19th century (est. $120,000-200,000); a rare zitan and hongmu throne, 19th century (est. $200,000-300,000); and a fine and rare eight panel cinnabar lacquer screen, 18th/19th century, signed Lu Guisheng (est. $150,000-250,000), all from the estate of Elinor Majors Carlisle, San Francisco. Bonhams & Butterfields sold a magnificent ... More | | 
Yves Klein, F 125 (Diptychon), 1961 (detail). Fire painting, 57 x 200 cm.
MIAMI, FL.- Yves Klein and John Cage are two of the most influential artists of their generation. And while each is widely recognized for his innovative and experimental artistic principles and practices— especially in his respective native country—rarely have they been seriously discussed together. The exhibition Yves Klein / John Cage: PLAYING WITH FIRE mines and explore one particularly intriguing affinity between these two formative artists: their attraction to and manipulation of fire as an art-making tool. Throughout their careers Klein and Cage each sought out purposefully unpredictable techniques and (anti)materials by which to create art. Both artists were eventually drawn to the volatile—potentially destructive, unquestionably magnetic and awesome—power of flames. In 1961 Klein made a series of “Fire Paintings” by launching an open flame at chemically modified paper. Similar to the technique he used to create his famous “Anthropo ... More | | 
File photo of Czech animator and illustrator Zdenek Miler. AP Photo/CTK, Stan Peska.
By: Karel Janicek, Associated Press
PRAGUE (AP).- In the 1950s, Zdenek Miler stumbled over a molehill in woods west of Prague, giving him the idea for an animated cartoon character that has enchanted millions of children around the world and even made it into space on a NASA shuttle. Miler, creator of the Little Mole character, died Wednesday. He was 90 and spent the last months of his life at a nursing home in Nova Ves pod Plesi, southwest of Prague. Born Feb 21, 1921 in the town of Kladno, he graduated from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. He illustrated a number of children books and made several cartoons, but his most famous creation was the mole. He created the character, which is always cheerful and ready to help those in need, in 1956 after walking in woods near Kladno and tripping over a molehill. "So, I said to myself: that's it. The mole," Miler said in a 2006 ... More |
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 François Linke Vitrine cabinets expected to bring $200,000+ in Heritage Auctions' sale DALLAS, TX.- A pair of important Franҫois Linke (French, d. 1846) Kingwood and Tulipwood Gilt Bronze Mounted Vitrine Cabinets with Wedgwood Jasperware Plaques, made in Paris, circa 1900, may bring $200,000+ Heritage Auctions’ Dec. 7 Decorative Art Signature® Auction, being held at the company’s Dallas Design District Annex, 1518 Slocum Street. “This stunning pair of tall vitrine cabinets display Linke’s ability to adapt historical models within a new context,” said Tim Rigdon, Director of Silver, Decorative Arts & Design at Heritage. “To find one vitrine of this amazing design and quality is rare, but a matched pair is almost unheard of.” While the top offering in the auction is a dazzling piece of French craftsmanship, the Dec. 7 auction is heavy on fine design across the board from all over Europe and the United States, including an Italian Carrara Marble Sculpture after Romanel ... More Queen Elizabeth's grandparent's 1931 gold bowl to be sold at Heritage Auctions DALLAS, TX.- A Rattray & Co. Scottish Gold Presentation Bowl, circa 1931, inscribed with the coat of arms of the 14th Earl of Strathmore, and the house's motto, IN TE DOMINE SPERAVI, is expected to bring $50,000+ as the top lot of Heritage Auctions' Dec. 7 Silver & Vertu Signature(r) Auction, taking place Dec. 7 at Heritage's Dallas Design District location, 1518 Slocum Street. "This gorgeous bowl was presented to the Earl and Countess of Strathmore on Sept. 30, 1931, by a deputation of the city of Dundee in honor of their Golden Wedding Anniversary at their home, Glamis Castle," said Tim Rigdon, Director of Silver, Decorative Arts & Design at Heritage. "The Earl and Countess were parents to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Queen Consort to George VI of England and Queen Mother to Elizabeth II, so this is not only a beautiful piece, but also one with historical importance." Another "royal" highlight of the auction ... More 'Reconstructed Rooms: Four Centuries of Furnishings' on view at the National Museum of Ireland DUBLIN.- Jimmy Deenihan, T.D., Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has officially opened a new exhibition titled Reconstructed Rooms : Four Centuries of Furnishings on Thursday, 10th November at the National Museum of Ireland – Collins Barracks, Dublin 7. This new exhibition displays some of the National Museum of Ireland's furniture collection in a series of room settings. There is a 17th century bedroom with a rare Flemish stand-bed, oak chests and panelling, a refined Georgian dining room and the exuberant style of a 19th century music room. The music room showcases an eccentric Irish invention the idiophone or musical glasses. The 20th century gallery looks at Irish modernism, displaying various design movements from 1900 to the present. On display are various Arts and Crafts pieces of furniture coming from the Kilkenny woodworker’s colony, Art Nouveau chairs purchased at the Paris exhibi ... More 50 masterworks from the collection on blu-ray and DVD featuring MoMA masterpieces PHILADELPHIA, PA (AP).- Just in time for the holidays comes 50 Masterworks from the Collection on Blu-ray™ and DVD from MoMA and Screen Dreams, a leading developer and distributor of galleries, wallpapers, and screensavers for all flat-panel and HDTVs. This stunning release features licensed masterworks from The Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection and will create a relaxing ambiance and beautiful setting in any home. Whether you live in Phoenix, Orlando or Killington, VT, with just a flick of your television’s remote control, you can be transported to the New York Museum of Modern Art. From your own living room, you can marvel at the beauty and creativity of the world’s greatest art works produced by some of the most renowned artists in history including Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne and Jackson Pollock. “What if you could hang an actual Van Gogh in your living room?” asks ... More Piers Secunda presents a unique modern interpretation of political artwork at the Aubin Gallery LONDON.- Aubin Gallery presents Taliban Relief Paintings and Crude Oil Silk Screens, a major exhibition of new works by Piers Secunda. The exhibition will run 17th November – 24th December 2011. Secunda’s distinct studio practice has pushed the development of paint as a fully operational sculptural material for fifteen years. The works in this exhibition reveal a progressive and dynamic new direction, presented through a striking geo-political texture: sheets of paint shot by the Chinese army (2009) and more recently casts formed out of real Taliban bullet holes, results of suicide bomb attack sites in Afghanistan. With these works Secunda has pushed his practice to arrive at new forms, in his most complex and challenging works to date. In August 2010, Secunda flew to Kabul with the sole intention of specifically casting Taliban bullet holes. Two suicide bomb attack sites were located in advance and existing bu ... More |
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