Art Movements
This week in art news: ISIS recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran called for the release of two jailed Tehran gallerists, and an 18th-century Chinese seal sold for $22 million at auction — over 20 times its estimate.
Art Movements is a weekly collection of news, developments, and stirrings in the art world.
ISIS recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported that Karan Vafadari and his wife, Afarin Niasari, the owners of Tehran’s Aun Gallery, have been held at Evin Prison for over four months, despite having no formal charges filed against them.
An 18th-century Chinese imperial seal was sold at Drouot auction house for $22 million, over 20 times its pre-sale estimate. The palm-sized seal, which is made from a mineral rock named steatite, was owned by Emperor Qianlong.
A group of Chinese artists was detained by police in Chengdu for protesting against air pollution. In Xi’an in northwest China, university students spent 10 hours applying face masks to over 800 stone lions.
Congress approved legislation that will make it easier for families to reclaim artworks confiscated during World War II. The legislation, which is expected to be signed into law by President Barack Obama, will loosen and standardize the statue of limitations for claims related to looted works of art.
A full-length portrait of Oscar Wilde will be exhibited in the UK for the first time as part of the Tate’s upcoming Queer British Art 1861–1967 exhibition. US artist Robert Goodloe Harper Pennington presented the portrait to Wilde and his wife, Constance, as a wedding gift in 1884.
A Manhattan federal court dismissed a lawsuit filed by collector Scott Mueller over Cady Noland’s sculpture “Log Cabin.”
A court in Munich ruled that Cornelius Gurlitt was of sound mind when he bequeathed his collection to the Kunstmuseum Bern. The German Center of Lost Cultural Property has so far confirmed that 100 of the 1,500 works in Gurlitt’s possession were looted by the Nazis.
A court in Amsterdam ruled that a number of ancient artifacts loaned to the Allard Pierson Museum should be returned to Ukraine. The objects — which include a Scythian ceremonial helmet from the 4th Century BCE — were loaned to the museum from institutions in Crimea prior to its annexation by Russia in March 2014.
Sotheby’s announced that it will expand its art advisory division in order to offer services to living artists and artist estates, further eroding the distinction between auction houses and galleries.
Tracey Emin abandoned plans to demolish a listed building in Spitalfields, east London, in order to build a new home and studio space. The proposal was vehemently opposed by a number of conservation groups, including Save Britain’s Heritage, the Spitalfields Trust, and the Twentieth Century Society.
British Archaeology magazine put its entire 21-year archive online.
The New York Public Library announced a publishing partnership with Macmillan.
Transactions
The Carnegie Museum of Art acquired Kerry James Marshall’s “Untitled (Gallery)” (2016).
The National Gallery of Denmark acquired Casper David Friedrich’s “After the Storm” (1817).
Property magnate Harry Hyams reportedly left around $560 million to his foundation in order for his home to be converted into a public gallery. The bequest has been described as one of the largest in English legal history.
J. Landis Martin, the chairman of the Denver Art Museum, and his wife, Sharon Martin, donated $25 million to the museum — the largest gift in the institution’s history.
The Toledo Museum of Art acquired Jaume Plensa’s 23-foot-tall bronze sculpture, “Paula.”
The Smithsonian American Art Museum acquired 93 works of art from the collection of Margaret Z. Robson. The gift includes works by self-taught artists such as Ulysses Davis, Thornton Dial Sr., William Edmondson, Judith Scott, and Bill Traylor.
The McNay Art Museum acquired Vincent Valdez’s painting “The Strangest Fruit 9” (2013).
A group of three pastels by James Abbott McNeill Whistler were allocated to the Fitzwilliam Museum after they were accepted by the UK government in lieu of inheritance tax.
The National Portrait Gallery in London acquired a portrait of its former director Sandy Nairne by Chuck Close.
The George Eastman Museum received a $20,000 grant from the NEA to preserve two 35mm nitrate film prints: The Rich and the Poor (American Film Manufacturing Co., US, 1911) and The Inevitable Retribution (Biograph, US, 1915) [via email announcement].
The Victoria & Albert Museum acquired a rare watercolor by Flemish artist Joris Hoefnagel. The work is thought to be the earliest depiction of Henry VIII’s Nonsuch Palace in Surrey.
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum received an anonymous donation of 110 letters written by Georgia O’Keeffe to her sister, Anita O’Keeffe Young.
William B. Jordan donated “Portrait of Philip III” (1627), a painting recently attributed to Diego Velázquez, to the American Friends of the Prado Museum.
Transitions
Johnnetta B. Cole, the director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, will step down from her post in March 2017.
Anne Marion, the founder of the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, announced her retirement. Roxanne Decyk was appointed chair of the board of trustees while Marion will assume the role of chair emeritus.
Philip Rylands will step down as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s director for Italy in June.
Guillaume Cerutti will succeed Patricia Barbizet as CEO of Christie’s next month.
Ravi S. Rajan was appointed president of CalArts.
Hank Willis Thomas was appointed to the Public Art Fund’s board of directors.
The Cincinnati Art Museum appointed five new trustees: Tim Elsbrock, Marcia Joseph, Bruce Petrie, Jr., David Wolf, and Manuel Chavez III.
Jennifer Scott was appointed the first female director of the Dulwich Picture Gallery.
Christine Buhl Andersen was appointed director of the Glyptotek in Copenhagen.
The George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum appointed Maria Fusco as chief conservator and chair in conservation and Elizabeth Shaeffer as associate conservator.
Blair Murphy was appointed managing director of the DC Arts Center.
Ilaria Bonacossa will succeed Sarah Cosulich as the director of the next three editions of the Artissima art fair.
The estate of Lee Mullican (1919–1998) is now represented by James Cohan.
Pulse announced that it will discontinue its New York fair.
Outlet Fine Art opened its final exhibition.
Richard Gray Gallery plans to open a second space in Chicago next year.
Accolades
Art Matters announced its 2016 grant recipients.
Nicholas Serota was awarded CCS Bard’s 2017 Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence.
R.H. Quaytman was awarded the 2016 Robert De Niro Sr. Prize.
Obituaries
ER Braithwaite (1912–2016), author. Best known for To Sir, With Love (1959).
Jean Fisher (1942–2016), arts critic and educator.
Marti Friedlander (1928–2016), photographer.
Valerie Gell (1945–2016), guitarist and singer with the Liverbirds.
A.A. Gill (1954–2016), critic and essayist.
Herb Hardesty (1925–2016), tenor saxophonist.
Shirley Hazzard (1931–2016), author.
Mika Kurosawa (1957–2016), dancer and choreographer.
Joe Ligon (1936–2016), gospel singer.
Jim Lowe (1923–2016), D.J. and singer.
Esma Redzepova (1943–2016), singer.
Rodney Smith (1943–2016), photographer.
