The sovereign led a mass vaccination campaign against smallpox that laid the groundwork for over two million Russians to be inoculated against the deadly disease
Auctions
Frida Kahlo Portrait Hammers at $31 Million, Shatters Records for Latin American Art
The sale of “Diego y yo” (1949) skyrocketed past Kahlo’s previous auction record, $8 million.
Looted 16th-century Manuscripts Are Returned to Mexico’s National Archive
At least 10 stolen documents that had been illegally taken from Mexico’s National Archive were ultimately identified.
Remember That Banksy That Self-Destructed? It’s Going Up for Auction
“Girl with a Balloon,” which started shredding as soon as it sold in 2018, could fetch more than $8 million.
Logbook Signed by Martin Luther King Jr. in Birmingham Jail Breaks Auction Record
The ledger signed by the civil rights activist in 1963 fetched $130,000 at Hake’s Auctions.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Personal Collection Heads to Auction
Sotheby’s is auctioning artworks that were once in the pair’s home, including kitschy cookie jars that Andy Warhol collected.
Art Auction Hopes to Help Relief Efforts in Artsakh
Sixty artists from around the world are participating in this auction to benefit refugees who have fled the takeover of Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, by Azerbaijani forces.
George Condo’s Cutism
Condo’s paintings play to his viewers’ sense of superiority; it gives them something to smile at without thinking too deeply into the work.
New Auction Platform Will Contribute to HBCU Art History Scholarships
Greenhouse Auctions, launching its inaugural sale on December 2, will help fund scholarships for students at over 50 historically Black colleges and universities.
Kent Monkman Auctions One of His Drawings to Support Toronto’s Indigenous Communities
Proceeds from the sale will be donated to Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council (TASSC), a nonprofit that provides cultural, socio-economic, health, and housing support for the city’s Indigenous residents.
Christie’s Expects $51M for One of China’s ‘Da Vinci’ Scrolls, But Provenance Questions Remain
Centuries before Wester Europe coined the term, “renaissance man,” artist Su Shi moonlighted as a pharmacologist, gastronome, and statesman for the Song Dynasty.
Two Dalí Paintings, Bought by a Countess in the 1930s, Finally Head to Auction
Dalí’s Freudian delusions of love might make you feel better if you’re having a lackluster Valentine’s Day.