By far, the star of the bunch was the 1951 masterpiece Saying Grace, which sold for $46 million — a record for Rockwell’s art… The AP says the artist’s previous record of $15 million had been set by “Breaking Home Ties” at a 2006 Sotheby’s auction.
Category: visual
How Do We Make Sure Detroit’s Art Sale Doesn’t Happen Again
“The real goal, in a larger perspective, is how to de-monetize art. It’s too late for Detroit to think about such things–any attempt to keep its art out of the market would be vigorously protested by the city’s creditors–but the Detroit crisis has people thinking about how to avert such things in the future.”
A Global Conversation – Miami’s New Museum Opens
“The diversity of display styles suits a young institution that lacks deep holdings of major figures. Instead the museum layout convenes a conversation among local artists and global ones. That’s just perfect for Miami, the restless nexus of the Americas and Europe.”
Barnes Foundation Director Stepping Down
“Derek Gillman, the British-born executive director and president of the Barnes Foundation who guided it through the latter stages of a controversial move from its longtime home in suburban Merion to a grand new gallery on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, announced his resignation Tuesday.”
How Smartphones Are Ruining The Museum Experience
“Flash photography has long been banned owing to the damage its blasts of high-intensity light can inflict on paintings. Smartphones and tablets pose a less visible but potentially graver threat. They disconnect the visitor from the art on display and imperil the museum in other, very real, ways.”
The Problem With Involving The “Public” In Public Art
“Consultation doesn’t work. If I am going to be kicked for a piece of art work, and I fully expect to be, than I want to be kicked for a piece that I have chosen, that I can stand by.” Public art, though, executed in our name, requires the vision of an artist who can shape and lead public taste without patronising people.”
Michelangelo, Our First Celebrity Artist
“The day after Michelangelo died, an inventory was made of his goods. It listed the contents of a house that was sparsely furnished but rich in other ways.”
How Vermeer Became A Superhero
To see Vermeer as “a god” makes him “a discouraging bore.” But if you think of him as a genius artist and an inventor, he becomes a hero: “Now he can inspire.”
All Of That Glitter At Art Basel Miami Beach Is Starting To Bore Everyone
“Last year’s spate of parties had its highlights, and it just so happened that most had little to nothing to do with art. The most-discussed moment wasn’t a bidding war or a Damien Hirst brawl. It was the Chanel dinner where Demi Moore spent the evening petting a stray cat.”
The Turner Prize: Yet Another Way The UK And US Are Deeply, Deeply Different
“The prize is well known in Britain, and it makes for a moment when people entirely uninterested in contemporary art discuss contemporary art. The award ceremony on Monday will be shown live on national television, as it is each year, and bookmakers are eagerly taking bets on the winner.”