The Getty Museum will meet with Greek authorities to discuss antiquities the Greeks say were looted and are now in the Getty collection. “The visit by museum Director Michael Brand, announced Wednesday by the J. Paul Getty Trust, comes as Greek authorities step up a criminal investigation aimed at securing the return of four Getty objects, including a 2,500-year-old solid gold funerary crown considered to be one of the museum’s antiquities masterpieces.”
Blog
When A Masterwork Is Decertified (Where Do You Put It?)
In 1985 the LA County Museum acquired a Van Dyck painting with great fanfare. But “these days, ‘Andromeda’ is all but invisible. Although it probably cost about $1 million, it hasn’t been hung in a public area for several years, and the museum has never announced a reason. The answer is there, however, for those who dig into LACMA’s online collection database: In July 1998, the museum decided it wasn’t a Van Dyck after all.”
A Plan For Music Education Drifts…
New Labour made big promises about remaking music eduction in UK schools. But its initiatives have dwindled away, and it’s looking less and less likely that things will get better…
Gaddafi, The Opera
English national Opera will presnt an opera about Libyan disctator Muammar Gaddafi. “The opera tackles some of Libya’s most controversial moments on the world stage, including U.S. attacks on the country in 1986, the Lockerbie disaster of 1988 and the shooting of police officer Yvonne Fletcher outside Libya’s London embassy in 1984. Little wonder its creators see the project as high risk for one of Britain’s two main opera houses.”
Movie Star Salaries Falling?
“After years of ever-rising star salaries, the prices for top talent are now coming down because the cost of making movies is going up, among other issues.”
Sweden Returns Totem Pole To Canada
“The deal completes a 25-year campaign to return the artefact, known as the G’psgolox Totem after the chief who commissioned it, to a tribal site. The sculpted column was removed from Canadian territory in the 1920s by the then-Swedish consul, who had it chopped down and shipped to Stockholm.”
DC’s National Gallery Admits Plagiarism Of Catalogue
“The National Gallery of Art, in Washington, DC, has admitted copyright infringement and agreed to pay two Edouard Vuillard scholars $37,500 for publishing a catalogue that uses their research without authorisation or acknowledgement.”
Calling All (Canadian) Poets
“The two-year term of current poet laureate Pauline Michel runs out Nov. 16. The Library of Parliament has called for nominations to the post and a selection committee will look at applicants. The job description? Write poetry, sponsor poetry readings and get Canadians interested in poetry.”
da Vinci Code Losers Late On Legal Fee Payment
The pair who sued Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown for plagiarism and lost, are late on their court-ordered payment of Brown’s legal fees. “Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, who sued publishers Random House, were ordered to pay 85% of the company’s legal bill, estimated at £1.3m. Their first instalment of £350,000 had been due on Friday. But they have applied for more time to pay.”
MacMillan Symphony Wins At Classical Brits
The Classical Bit Awards are back, and Placido Domingo picks up two awards. “Domingo received a lifetime achievement award and shared the critics’ prize for his part in the Royal Opera House’s production of Tristan and Isolde. Katherine Jenkins won album of the year for Living A Dream while Andreas Scholl beat Bryn Terfel and Renee Fleming to the singer of the year crown.”