Category: visual

The mother of Europe’s most prolific art thief was in court in France Thursday, charged with throwing away art her son had stolen. “When Mireille Breitwieser, a former nurse, found out that her son Stephane, 33, had been arrested on suspicion of stealing paintings worth tens of millions of pounds from museums across Europe, she rushed into his bedroom and started chopping up all the canvases she found there, prosecutors said yesterday.”

The art thief accused of stealing 23 works worth an estimated €1bn in France, plus two in Denmark and one in Austria, has tried to commit suicide in his cell. “Police have put Stephane Breitwieser, 33, under suicide watch following the attempt, which could delay his trial in Strasbourg, officials said. A fellow detainee alerted authorities to the hanging attempt, the officials said.”

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s “Still Life” (1880-1885) has been officially declared a genuine work by van Gogh. Okay, you say, it’s been labeled as such since its aquisition in 1960. But the painting’s authenticity has been questioned over the years, and kept in storage. But now a team of experts has pronounced it genuine, and the painting has been brought out in public.

“A French thief already convicted in Switzerland for stealing dozens of valuable artworks has gone on trial in Strasbourg, eastern France. Stephane Breitwieser, 33, has admitted stealing 239 artworks – including priceless masterpieces – in seven European countries in 1995-2001. He claims a love of art motivated him. He was given a four-year jail sentence in Switzerland in February 2003. He was extradited last year to face charges for 20 works stolen in France.”

Great to own a Frank Lloyd Wright house, eh? But “some owners of one-of-a-kind houses conceived by the iconic architect are discovering it’s not easy selling them in an era when cathedral ceilings and easy commutes are on the wish lists of many prospective purchasers. But the sellers are also concerned about finding the right Wright buyers – ones who will cherish, not demolish, his creations.”

The taste of art buyers is changing in London. Where formerly Old Masters and Impressionists were most highly coveted, now the young and wealthy are buying contemporary. “Most people buying contemporary art in London are still foreign, but the enthusiasm has proved contagious. A new breed of rich British collectors and investors now chase work by both established and emerging artists – things that their friends can admire – rather than a Regency dining room table and chairs.”

Iraq’s cultural heritage continues to be at risk, though some progress has been made. “The challenges facing archaeological and other historic sites are even more complex, given their remote and dispersed locations. Most of these sites are not safe to visit and have no guardians. Looting, now often carried out by bands of armed professionals, has caused irreparable damage to many archaeological sites and has scattered objects not seen in centuries among smugglers and collectors around the world.”

“Gearing up for an expansion downtown that will more than triple its gallery space by 2007, the Seattle Art Museum has created a new curatorial position and hired a conservator of sculptors, installations and other objects.” The hires are part of a larger strategy to raise SAM’s profile and enourage donations to enrich the museum’s collection.

Amid the inescapable glut of billboards and oversized wall advertisements in New York City, a giant 1300-square-foot digital video screen is garnering attention. And it isn’t selling anything. “Operating on the notion that New York deserves art where it least expects it, SmartSign Media is presenting a month-long exhibition of images from Magnum Photos, the legendary photojournalism collective.” The images appear on the giant screen which wraps around Port Authority, the city’s main bus terminal.