There’s always something going on in the art world. Every Sunday, Agora starts the new week by looking back at what happened the week before. Here are our top art news stories from May 8th – May 14th, 2016.
Source: artnet news
This week we saw Christie’s host a $318.4m contemporary art sale, a selfie destroy a 126-year-old statue, and the retrieval of 17 stolen artworks in Ukraine.
Top Art News
Indiana University Art Museum Receives a $15 Million Donation
Collectors Sidney and Lois Eskenazi have donated $15 million to the Indiana University Art Museum. They also gifted a hundred works on paper to the museum. It is the largest gift the museum has ever received. The donation will be used to carry out some much-needed renovations in the building. The museum holds an extensive collection of works from nearly every era. Full Story Here →
French Mechanic Snaps up a Renoir Online for $700
French mechanic Ahmed Ziani purchased a $700 artwork that he believed to be a work by a lesser 18th-century artist, Vernet. He thought the work was unsigned but following further investigation by Ziani and his 11-year-old son, they found what appears to be the signature of Renoir, and the date it was painted. The work was listed in the French classifieds website Le Bon Coin. Experts are now trying to authenticate the work, which could take many months. It has been confirmed the pigments, framework and canvas are the same as those used by Renoir at the time the discovered work is dated. Full Story Here →
Rodin Museum to Pay $7.25M to Injured Worker
An engineer who fell through a glass ceiling at The Rodin Museum while inspecting light fixtures has been awarded $7.25m after he sued the museum. The engineer was badly injured and had to be hospitalized for 45 days. A security guard working at the museum told the engineer it was perfectly safe to step onto the glass ceiling, but it was not long before he fell through the glass and plummeted to the museum floor. Full Story Here →
Source: Philly
Selfie Taker Destroys 126-Year-Old Statue
A statue of Dom Sebastiao, ruler of Portugal in the 1500s, at Lisbon’s Rossio train station has been destroyed due to a man climbing on the statue to take a selfie. The man then fled the scene but was apprehended shortly after by the authorities. It is unknown if and when the statue will be repaired. This is one of a number of recent incidents where the quest for a perfect selfie has ended in the destruction of priceless monuments. Full Story Here →
$318.4M Contemporary Art Sale at Christie’s Set’s a New Record
Christie’s recent Contemporary Art Sale raised $318.4m, with several records being set. Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled (1982) sold for $51 million, the most a Basquiat work has ever sold for at auction. The work was purchased by an enthusiastic Japanese collector via phone bid. Other works at the auction were not so popular, with an Andy Warhol painting estimated at $10 – $15 million failing to sell. Full Story Here →
Source: artnews
17 Old Master Paintings Stolen in Daring Heist Recovered in Ukraine
17 paintings from Verona’s Castelvecchio Museum were recovered in the Ukraine. Stolen in November of 2015 and hidden in plastic bags, the works are estimated to be worth $18.3 million. Three masked men eluded the museum’s security system by sneaking in before it was activated. Because of the nature of the timing, the security guard on duty that day is suspected of assisting the robbers. This isn’t the first time Agora’s blog has informed our readers of stolen art showing up in the Ukraine. We also shared news of recently recovered works that were stolen from Westfries museum in 2005. Full Story Here →
These are just some of the many news stories that caught our eye this past week. For more stories as-they-happen, be sure to also follow our Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for our newsletter for news about Agora Gallery, our exhibitions, and our artists!
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