News

15.02.2018

Can we show the history of painting in a minute and a half? Probably not, said earlier. But the media director from China Cao Shu decided to destroy this myth. Media artist with his friends and acquaintances undertook the development of a video, where they demonstrated the development of the art of all nations (synchrony and diachrony, as they say). It is no exaggeration to say that the viewer will see all styles, genres and trends in art: from rock art to pop and comic art; all directions of modernism (for fans of Paul Klee, and for fans of Marc Chagall); masterpieces of Japanese and Chinese masters.
By the way, the animated movie itself is an unusual example of contemporary creativity. Thus, art “flows” into art, only now wearing a new form.
True, there is one remarkable fact: the video was published back in March 2015, and the viewer awarded it with his views only three years later.

09.02.2018
The “blue room”, created during the period of Picasso’s work, called “blue”, does not have such a dramatic pathetic that is characteristic of other paintings by the master at that difficult time. And although there are no blind and beggars, the color of the canvas is striking by its cold and alienation.

In a tight room, made in blue tones, in the very center takes a bath woman. She bent her head and it is impossible to accurately determine her age on the dry figure. Colored spots, in the form of vivid striped curtains, paintings on the wall, carpet, bouquet of flowers on the table – in no way revitalize the cold interior, but only enhance it, emphasizing the icy color.
In the 50 years of the last century, curious researchers drew attention to the nature, or rather, the illogicality of the directions of smears on the canvas, suggesting that Picasso thus sought to paint something. Not long ago, this guess was confirmed: before the blue room appeared, the canvas depicted a bearded man in a butterfly. The X-ray shot made it possible to put forward the hypothesis that it was none other than Mr. Wollar, a patron of the artists whom they joked about – no even the most charming woman was depicted more often than Ambrosia Wollar.

Today it is difficult to say why Picasso painted a portrait – he could have predicted that his best option was still ahead (remember the cubic portrait of Vollar), and maybe the blue room with a single girl in the center took all the thoughts of the wizard, forcing the rewrite of the canvas.

07.02.2018

On February 2, 2018, an exhibition of works by Tatiana Yablonska from the collection of the artist’s family was opened at the Museum of Books and Printing of Ukraine. Over 70 works of the late period of the master’s work are presented in the exposition – lyrical landscapes and portraits in painting techniques, as well as its “little masterpieces” – delicate still lifes with flowers on the windowsill, made with a pastel, to which the artist appealed after a stroke.
“… now I came to my own circles.” I feel that I am completely free in my work. I write from windows and near from my house. This “narrowing of the horizon” on the contrary expanded it to me – opened the beauty and poetry where I have not seen them before. Each of us has a window in which Nature looks. ” 
The artist’s family provided not only works but also Tetyana Yablonskaya’s memories and her daughter’s memories – Gayane Atayan, who took part in the organization of the exhibition. These texts reveal the inner world of the artist, her views on creativity, tell about the flares of inspiration and the “elusive dreams” of the creative personality. The exhibition “Listening to yourself” sets the viewer to a sincere, heart-warming conversation with the artist, to meet with true beauty.
“In life, as in a long field, everything was – and joy and grief. In ancient Japan there was a custom: the artist, changing the creative style, took a new name for himself. So I have not been the “Yablonska” that was once a long time … “.
Tetyana Yablonskaya taught at the Kiev Art Institute. Students were very fond of a strict and demanding teacher, and they simply called “Tatiana”. Often, students came to her home to drink tea – they discussed works, plans … And the artist’s studio was in front of the educational building of the institute:
“I really love my workshop. She is in a happy place. Just come in to it, look at the high windows on the old hills – you forget all the life problems and cover you with a sense of calm and harmony with the outside world. In the thirties, when I was a student of the artistic institute, my teacher FG Krichevsky worked in this studio. . After the war, she belonged to AA Shovkunenko, whose assistant I was then. I really like to work in these walls. From the window the facade of my native institution, with which there is so much in my life, looks at me “.
“I like to work alone, alone with nature and my feelings, in silence and peace.” 

For many years Tatyana Nilivna went to rest in Sednev, who called her “third house”. Here, in the picturesque lands of Chernigov region, dozens of sketches were written, which later became the basis of its famous works.

Source: https://ukraineartnews.com

02/02/2018

The Isabella Museum Stewart Gardner of Boston offers an award of $ 10 million for any information that will help find unique masterpieces of art. Recall that the works disappeared from the museum after the notorious robbery in 1990. In March last year, the museum increased the award from $ 5 million to $ 10 million for two paintings by Rembrandt , Vermeer cloth and 10 extraordinarily rare items. The proposal of $ 10 million was due to expire on January 1, but the council of the museum voted for its extension for an indefinite period.
Early in the morning of March 18, 1990, two thieves disguised themselves as policemen and tricked into the Gardner building in Boston. They tied the guards, carved the most recognizable paintings from walls and frames, and then disappeared. The lost art includes Vermeer’s “Concerto” and Rembrandt’s famous seascape “The Storm on the Sea of ​​Galilee”. 
“We hope that someone who knows anything about the whereabouts of works will respond. The museum, in turn, guarantees the informer complete confidentiality. ” “Usually stolen masterpieces are soon after the theft or a generation later. We are optimistic that these works will eventually return home, “said museum security director Anthony Amor.
Interesting! In March 2018, the museum plans to release its first book on theft called “Stolen”. It will become a “picturesque essay” and a guide to 13 lost works of art.

Source: http://art-news.com.ua/muzei-zaplatyt-10-mln-za-ynformatsyiu-pro-mestonakhozhdenye-kartyn-18466.html
© Art News Ukraine. Under the guidance of Sotheby’s.

29.01.2018

Did you think that 2017 was a “super artistic year”? By no means, because in 2018 every month will be able to surprise art lovers, when world art events will begin to open simultaneously in different corners of the earth. We offer a look at the most interesting exhibitions, biennial and triennial, which deserve attention.
Art Summit in Dhaka 2-10 February. The fourth edition of the two-year summit in Bangladesh invited many famous personalities of the art world to the event. So, about 300 artists in 10 curatorial exhibitions will take part in it. The Dhaka Arts Summit will be held at the Shilpakala Academy, the national cultural center of Bangladesh.

Triennale in the New Museum, New York February 13 – May 27.  The curator duo of Harry Carrion-Murayari and Alex Gartenfeld organized an exhibition representing about 30 young artists from 19 countries. This global presentation is devoted to “interference in political and social structures”, considering racism and colonialism.
Biennale of Sydney March 16 – June 11, the 21st edition of the largest event of contemporary art in Australia will be held for three months. This is the only free festival of its kind in the country, and the show itself will be opened by Ai Weiwei with the art director Mami Kataka. The event will present the works of 70 artists and will be held in seven museums, galleries and exhibition areas of Sydney.
Glasgow International April 20 – May 7.  The program of 2018 will be led by Richard Parry. Reacting to the politically turbulent period, the exhibition, headed by the artist, will present projects dealing with such topics as personality, race and paternity. More than 45 group shows and 35 personal exhibitions will show the works of 190 artists, including the winner of the Turner Prize, Lubajny Khimid.
10th Berlin Biennale June 9 – September 9. The experimental and promising 10th Berlin Biennale offers “a plan how to face collective madness.” Gaby Ngkobo (South Africa) was elected as the curator of the event.
Manifesto 12 June 16 – November 4. Two architects, journalist, director and curator of contemporary art … This Manifesto promises to be truly interesting, and the efforts seem quite noble – the fight against serious crimes, corruption and poverty through art.
Front Triennial July 14 – September 30. The event will present more than 70 international artists, from Candice Breitz and Allan Sequelly to Inca Shonnibare MBE, and will have an endless list of possibilities: artist residences, lectures, film and video programs, a lecture tour for publications in the studio.
Liverpool Biennale July 14 – October 28. The tenth edition of one of the leading European art shows will open in Liverpool in July and will last until the end of October. The Biennale “invites us to reconsider the past, promoting a new sense of beauty.”
Biennale Gwangju September 7 – November 11. Extensive theme “Imagined borders” of the 12th edition of the Biennale is a timely, inspired by migration and refugees, both historical and real exhibition, which raises the issue of “closed borders”.
Biennale of Arts in Bangkok October 19, 2018 – February 3, 2019. The capital of Thailand has planned a unique program in which 70 artists, from international stars Elmgreen and Dragset, to less familiar local talents such as Sanitas Pradittasni and Kavita Vatanayankur will take part. The exhibition will take place in various places on the Chao Phraya River.

Source: http://art-news.com.ua/top-10-kliuchevykh-sobytyi-yskusstva-2018-hoda-18305.html
© Art News Ukraine. Under the guidance of Sotheby’s.

26.01.2018

The Dutch Van Gogh Museum said on its official website that the artist’s collection was replenished with two previously unknown works. Each of them is dated March 1886.

In the beginning, a new picture of Vincent van Gogh was discovered: “Montmartre Hill with a Stone Quarry”,

dated March 1886. The discovery was confirmed after extensive studies conducted by the Van Gogh Museum.

As a result of this discovery, the artist is also credited with a work that was previously rejected as Van Gogh’s hand. This work, entitled “The Hill of Montmartre” (1886),

housed in the Van Gogh Museum, highlights an unmistakable link to the newly opened drawing in terms of subject, size, style, technique and materials. Axel Rüger (director of the Van Gogh Museum): “It is fantastic news that now you can add two drawings to the work of Van Gogh.”

Teijo Medendorp, a senior researcher at the Van Gogh Museum, commented on the finds: “These two drawings are clearly made with one hand and stylistically reminiscent of Van Gogh’s model drawings of the beginning of 1886, which he created in Antwerp, and then in Paris, at Cormona’s studio. In the multifaceted work of Van Gogh, these two striking works show how the artist continued to seek his style in the winter and spring period of 1886. They demonstrate the stage of the learning process of Van Gogh – in Paris he re-discovered himself, but here he still followed the traditional artistic path. “

16.01.2018

Last year, more than 100 thousand people gathered at an exhibition in Genoa to see the paintings attributed to the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. However, the examination of these works showed that most of the work is fake. 20 of the 60 paintings by Amedeo Modigliani presented at the exhibition in the Palazzo Ducale (Genoa) proved to be quality forgeries of the original master paintings. This conclusion was made by a team of specialists after various inspections and examinations.

The first in the authenticity of paintings doubted the art expert and collector Carlo Pepi (Carlo Pepi), who saw photos from the exhibition in social networks. He notified the Italian police and the international press about his suspicions. Initially, the organizers did not take the criticism of the man seriously, calling it groundless, and even wanted to sue Pepi for damage to his reputation.

It is also worth noting that these arts were exhibited before in several well-known museums in Europe, so there was no doubt about their authenticity. Soon, prosecutors in Genoa decided to remove 21 of the 60 paintings exhibited in July, which led to an unexpected closure of the exhibition three days before the scheduled time. The experts concluded that only one investigation work, which had a certificate of authenticity issued by the Italian government, was not forged. “For many years now I’ve been trying to fight the fakes of Modigliani’s works. Sometimes there is a feeling that after the death of the artist created much more work than in life. What we were able to spot is just the tip of the iceberg, “commented Carlo Pepi. The art historian Isabella Quatrocci, whom the Italian authorities asked to study the works, described the pictures as “frankly falsified”, referring to their style and pigment composition. According to Pepi, the market works Modigliani just riddled with fakes. He is one of the most frequently copied artists, as works of the master are sold for fabulous money.

Source: http://art-news.com.ua/20-kartyn-modyliany-okazalys-poddelkamy-18437.html
© Art News Ukraine. Under the guidance of Sotheby’s.

05.01.2018

Perhaps everyone has heard the story that people bought “beautiful pictures” on flea markets and other knick-knacks for a pittance, and then it turned out that they acquired world masterpieces worth millions of dollars. In this review are collected real works of art, which at one time were purchased for a mere penny.

“Landscape on the banks of the Seine.” Auguste Renoir, 1879

In 2009, a resident of Virginia (USA) bought several plastic figurines and a painting for $ 7 on the flea market. According to the girl, she was more attracted not by the picture, but by a beautiful frame. Already at home she saw in the picture a sign with the name of the famous artist Auguste Renoir. At the insistence of her mother, the girl attributed the acquisition to the auction house, and there they confirmed the authenticity of the Impressionist painting. “Landscape on the banks of the Seine” Auguste Renoir estimated at 75 thousand dollars. The joy of finding the mistress gave way to grief, because the picture could not be sold. It turns out that the canvas was stolen. In 1926, it was acquired by the American collector Herbert May, then the painting was exhibited at the Baltimore Museum of Art. From there, in 1951, she was abducted. At the end of 2014, the canvas was returned to the museum.

“When is the wedding?” Paul Gauguin, 1892

Paul Gauguin was one of the outstanding representatives of post-impressionism. Unfortunately, during the artist’s lifetime his paintings were not in demand. Gauguin was very poor. To his friends he wrote that he did not even have anything to buy a piece of bread, he had to eat only water and fruits, which were growing everywhere in Tahiti. In 1892, living on the island, Gauguin painted the painting “When is the wedding?”. After the death of the artist, it fell into the hands of private collectors almost for nothing, but, ironically, it became the most expensive painting in the world. In 2015, the museum acquired the picture of Qatar for a record $ 300 million.

Egg Faberge – a gift of Emperor Alexander III to Maria Fyodorovna’s wife for Easter in 1887
After the October Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks practically sold out works of art, paintings, icons, jewelry belonging to the royal family for almost nothing. The same fate befell the 36 precious eggs made by the jeweler Carl Faberge. Egg Faberge with a clockwork. The fate of one of these eggs, long considered lost, is simply amazing. Once an American metal trader bought a gold product for 14 thousand dollars and planned to resell it for 15 thousand to get “quick” money. However, there were no buyers. Then the owner decided to remelt the jewelry, but finally still looked in the Internet and entered into the search keywords: “egg”, “Vacheron & Constantin” (the inscription on the watch mechanism inside the egg). He found an article in the British newspaper The Telegraph, which talked about Faberge eggs. In one of the photos, an American saw a piece of jewelry similar to his purchase.

Exhibition in the mansion of von Derviz, St. Petersburg, 1902
The trader closest flight went to London to the director of the antique gallery Wartski Kairen McCarthy and showed him the photo of his egg. The antiquary came home to an American and saw an egg standing on a table between a sugar bowl and a pie. When McCarthy said that the find is real, the trader lost consciousness. The pedestal of the jewelry is decorated with golden wreaths, blue sapphires, miniature bows with diamonds. Inside it are ladies’ watches with golden arrows. It was this egg Alexander III presented as a gift to Maria Feodorovna for Easter in 1887.
Egg Faberge, bought for 33 million dollars. According to the antiquarian, an American received for Faberge’s egg so much money that “it turned his whole life”. A gold product was bought by a private collector for $ 33 million.

The wedding crown of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna
Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in a wedding diamond crown
Touching on the topic of the deplorable fate that befell the jewels of the imperial family after the revolution, we can not fail to mention the marriage crown of Alexandra Feodorovna “Russian Beauty”, decorated with 1535 diamonds of antique cut. In November 1926, the Bolsheviks began selling crown diamonds literally to kilograms. The diadem went under the hammer for a mere penny – only 310 pounds. Needless to say, the real price of the decoration is estimated at millions of dollars.

Declaration of Independence of the United States of 1776

In 1989, at a flea market in the state of Pennsylvania (USA), a man for $ 4 bought a most interesting artifact – the US Declaration of Independence in the frame. Over time, it turned out that this is not a copy, but an original. It is known that on the night of July 4, 1776, 200 copies of the Declaration were made, of which up to today only 25 pieces have reached. The document was sold at Sotheby’s auction in 1990 for $ 2.45 million.

From the recently found 3500-year-old tomb in Egypt to solve the puzzle works of René Margritte – this is the 5 most remarkable artistic and historical discoveries of the past year.
1. The discovery of new tombs and artifacts in Egypt.

Earlier in December, the Ministry of the State Service for Antiquities announced the opening of two 3,500-year-old tombs in the necropolis of Draa Abu-Naga in Thebes near the southern city of Luxor. The researchers believe that the structure was built during the 18th dynasty (1550-1292 BC). They also found a number of artifacts, including funerary furniture, painted wooden masks and about 450 statues. Another 3,500-year-old tomb in the same necropolis, built for the royal jeweler Amenemhat, was discovered in September. And in March, pieces of the 8 meter-high statue of the pharaoh (probably Psammetich I, who ruled between 664 and 610 BC) were dragged from a dirty ditch in the working class area in Cairo.
2. Archaeologists have found one of the most significant Roman mosaics.

Although the project began in 2011, it was not until August 2017 that the organizers realized that they had found something extraordinary. As it turned out, they found a surprisingly well-preserved mosaic, which depicts the Greek mythological hero Bellerophon. Scientists have called it “the most unusual” discovery in the UK over the past half century.
3. There were new facts of the biography of Leonardo da Vinci.

It was a great year for da Vinci, and it’s not just about his painting, which was sold at auction for a record $ 450 million. The experts managed to determine the identity of the artist’s mother. For centuries, historians have been sure only that her name was Katerina. A new book based on previously forgotten financial documents from Vinci and Florence indicates that she was a poor orphan named Katerina di Meo Lippi. When the girl turned 15, she began to meet with 25-year-old lawyer Sero Piero da Vinci. Later, the master’s mother married a local farmer, Antonio di Piero Buti. A new study in the book also disputes the birthplace of Leonardo, because for a long time they considered the village Anciano.
4. The last part of the picture of Magritte was found in Belgium.

In November, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium announced that the researchers found the fourth and last part of the work of René Magritte “The Enchanted Pose” (1927). This discovery completes the artistic and historical puzzle, which the researchers tried to solve in 2013.
5. Details of 2000-year-old petroglyphs in Venezuela with the help of drone.

Although archaeologists have known about engravings for many years (their size and location), the group of islands Atures Rapids greatly impeded their photographing in full. Only thanks to unmanned aerial vehicles managed to capture all these unique drawings. These images are part of a larger project that studies the pre-Columbian civilizations.

Source: http://art-news.com.ua/top-5-samykh-ynteresnykh-otkrytyi-2017-hoda-18215.html
© Art News Ukraine. Under the guidance of Sotheby’s.

Qi Baishi became the first Chinese artist to join the club $ 100 million. A collection of 12 unique works by the artist “Twelve Landscape Screens” (1925) went under the hammer for $ 140.8 million (931.5 million yuan) on Sunday at the Poly auction house in Pekin. This is the highest price for the work of Chinese art at auction.
Only 15 other artists, including Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh, were auctioned for more than $ 100 million (including inflation).

The name of the buyer representatives of Poly is not yet called. According to Leon Vender, an expert on Chinese art who was present at the sale, the auction was “insane” and was conducted by phone.

Qi Baishi created his works in 1925, when he was already 62 years old. The artist was born into a poor family in 1864 and worked as a carpenter before he began to travel to China at the age of 40. “Scrolls can be considered as the most expressive style in the stylistic transformations of Qi Baishi. In addition, they are the largest works of the master, “- wrote the auction house. The only other example of the set was created in 1932 for the military commander of Sichuan Province Wang Zunhu (currently in the Sanxia Museum in Chongqing). “I’m not surprised that the meeting was sold much more expensive than its estimeyta, because Baishi is the most influential of all Chinese artists in the XX century,” – said Leon Wender. He also added that the 12-band set has a “reinforced concrete provenance” and an “amazing state”.
Till Sunday, Baishi’s auction record was $ 28 million and was set in December 2016 at Poly International. However, in 2011 the triptych “Eagles on the Pine” (1946) was sold for $ 65 million, but the buyer did not pay for it.

Source: http://art-news.com.ua/khudozhnyk-tsy-baishy-pobyl-rekord-na-auktsyone-poly-18159.html
© Art News Ukraine. Under the guidance of Sotheby’s.