Articles

Ghent Altarpiece Restoration Sparks Controversy
Article date: Thursday, December 21, 2023

Ghent Altarpiece Restoration Sparks Controversy

Since the beginning of the third phase of the restoration of Van Eycks' Altarpiece in may of this year, the Flemish government has initiated an investigation into the results phase 2 of the restoration.

Say Hello to the World's Greatest Copy of 'Amazing Spider-Man' Number One
Article date: Thursday, December 21, 2023

Say Hello to the World's Greatest Copy of 'Amazing Spider-Man' Number One

Collectors will find among its superpowered offerings numerous iconic covers soaring alongside key Golden and Silver Age comic books in impossibly high grades, each one as stunning as it is significant.

Roman ‘Backwater’ bucked Empire’s decline, Archaeologists Reveal
Article date: Thursday, December 21, 2023

Roman ‘Backwater’ bucked Empire’s decline, Archaeologists Reveal

A rare roofed theatre, markets, warehouses, a river port and other startling discoveries made by a Cambridge-led team of archaeologists challenge major assumptions about the decline of Roman Italy.

ArtSnacky: Art for 1 Euro - Bringing Creativity to Everyone
Article date: Wednesday, December 20, 2023

ArtSnacky: Art for 1 Euro - Bringing Creativity to Everyone

ArtSnacky is an art project established by a group of artists in Zottegem, Belgium. The aim of the vending machine is to distribute art in an accessible and approachable manner. For just one euro, you become the owner of a unique piece of art – ranging from a small painting, collage, photograph, or sculpture to a virtual artwork viewable through QR codes.

German Academy of Arts criticises Violations of Artistic Freedom in an Open Letter
Article date: Tuesday, December 19, 2023

German Academy of Arts criticises Violations of Artistic Freedom in an Open Letter

The political and cultural climate is coming to a head. The current discussions about artistic freedom and so-called cancel culture are dangerous. Public discourse is increasingly characterised by an inadmissible mixing of topics and tendentious claims. This confusion has led to violations of civil liberties that are unacceptable for a democratic nation.

Manhattan D.A. Bragg Announces Return of 30 Antiquities To Greece
Article date: Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Manhattan D.A. Bragg Announces Return of 30 Antiquities To Greece

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the return of 30 antiquities to Greece collectively valued at $3.7 million. 19 of the pieces were voluntarily surrendered from New York gallery owner Michael Ward. Three of the pieces were seized from British art dealer Robin Symes.

British Museum announces new £50m BP Deal to fund Masterplan
Article date: Tuesday, December 19, 2023

British Museum announces new £50m BP Deal to fund Masterplan

The British Museum has announced a new £50m deal with the energy giant BP to help deliver its masterplan over the next 10 years.

Tracey Emin hospitalised in Thailand after Infection
Article date: Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Tracey Emin hospitalised in Thailand after Infection

Tracey Emin seeks treatment in Thailand after an infection nearly caused her intestines to explode.

Special loan The Little Cat by Paul Gauguin Now on Display at the Van Gogh Museum
Article date: Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Special loan The Little Cat by Paul Gauguin Now on Display at the Van Gogh Museum

The painting The Little Cat (Le petit chat) (1888) by Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) is currently at the Van Gogh Museum on long-term loan and will be on display at the museum from today (19 December 2023). The work was last exhibited in 1906, and this is the first time the work will be shown together with paintings that Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin made during the same period of intensive artistic exchange. The Van Gogh Museum plans to conduct extensive research on the work while it is on loan.

Italian Minster Sangiuliano appoints New Museum Directors
Article date: Monday, December 18, 2023

Italian Minster Sangiuliano appoints New Museum Directors

Eike Dieter Schmidt, the current director of the Uffizi Galleries in Florence has been chosen by Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano to be the new director of the Capodimonte Museum and Real Bosco in Naples.

Rembrandt Used a Lead-Containing Layer to Protect the Night Watch from Moisture
Article date: Saturday, December 16, 2023

Rembrandt Used a Lead-Containing Layer to Protect the Night Watch from Moisture

New research within Operation Night Watch has revealed that Rembrandt impregnated the canvas for his famous 1642 militia painting The Night Watch with a lead-containing substance even before applying the first ground layer. Such lead-based impregnation has never before been observed with Rembrandt or his contemporaries. The discovery underlines Rembrandt's inventive way of working, in which he did not shy away from using new techniques.

Museum St. John's Hospital in Bruges reopens as New Museum focusing on Care and Hospitality
Article date: Saturday, December 16, 2023

Museum St. John's Hospital in Bruges reopens as New Museum focusing on Care and Hospitality

The St. John's Hospital in Bruges, one of the oldest and best-preserved hospital buildings in Europe, reopens on 16 December as a completely new, contemporary museum. The new museum is conceived as a place that speaks to the heart, where hospitality - in all senses of the word - and care - through all ages - ​ are central.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Returns 16 Khmer Sculptures to Cambodia and Thailand
Article date: Saturday, December 16, 2023

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Returns 16 Khmer Sculptures to Cambodia and Thailand

The Met has initiated the repatriation of 14 sculptures to the Kingdom of Cambodia and two to the Kingdom of Thailand, including all of the Khmer works known by the Museum to be associated with the dealer Douglas Latchford.

Oprah Winfrey Portrait revealed at National Portrait Gallery Washington
Article date: Friday, December 15, 2023

Oprah Winfrey Portrait revealed at National Portrait Gallery Washington

Oprah Winfrey’s portrait is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Chicago-based artist Shawn Michael Warren painted Winfrey in a purple taffeta dress amidst a lush garden at her California home.

Ancient Roman Home With 'Unparalleled' Mosaic found in Italy
Article date: Friday, December 15, 2023

Ancient Roman Home With 'Unparalleled' Mosaic found in Italy

Italian archaeologists have uncovered a luxurious Roman home near the Colosseum, boasting an unparalleled mosaic featuring shells, marble and precious glass, the culture ministry said Tuesday.

First Klima Biennale Wien to Open on 5 April 2024
Article date: Friday, December 15, 2023

First Klima Biennale Wien to Open on 5 April 2024

In response to the urgency of the climate crisis and the corresponding need for a radical change in the way we think and act, the City of Vienna has launched a new festival. The first Klima Biennale Wien, hosted by the KunstHausWien, will begin on 5 April and run until 14 July 14 2024.

Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas named Co-Curator of Desert X 2025
Article date: Thursday, December 14, 2023

Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas named Co-Curator of Desert X 2025

Desert X announced the appointment of Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas as co-curator of Desert X 2025, which will open March 8–May 11, 2025 at sites across the Coachella Valley, California. Garcia-Maestas joins the organization’s curatorial team under the leadership of Artistic Director Neville Wakefield and Executive Director Jenny Gil.

Berlin's State Museums are Becoming More Expensive
Article date: Thursday, December 14, 2023

Berlin's State Museums are Becoming More Expensive

In future, the almost four million visitors to Berlin's state museums will have to pay more to see Nefertiti or the works of Gerhard Richter.

Uffizi Museum to set New Record of 5 Million Visitors this Year
Article date: Thursday, December 14, 2023

Uffizi Museum to set New Record of 5 Million Visitors this Year

The Uffizi Gallery museums said Thursday that they are set to register a new record of over five million visitors this year.

Rediscovered Rembrandt Portraits on Long-Term Loan to the Rijksmuseum
Article date: Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Rediscovered Rembrandt Portraits on Long-Term Loan to the Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum has rediscovered two small portraits by Rembrandt. The 1635 portraits of Jan Willemsz van der Pluym and Jaapgen Caerlsdr. disappeared from view for almost two centuries, before resurfacing two years ago.