The steel spike clad in gold and silver commemorated the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.
Christie’s
Christie’s Tasteless “Art Handler” Shirts Removed After Criticism
The auction house partnered with Highsnobiety to sell “Art Handler” shirts for up to $125, drawing ire from workers in the field who say they’re overworked and underpaid.
Dinosaur That Inspired Jurassic Park’s Raptor Sells For $12.4M
But some paleontologists think dinosaur specimens should be in public institutions, not private hands.
Warhol’s “Blue Marilyn” Breaks Records With $195M Sale
The painting, which bears the bullet holes shot by performance artist Dorothy Podber, is now the most expensive 20th-century artwork to sell at auction.
The “Witch” Who Shot Andy Warhol’s Marilyns
Dorothy Podber should at least be acknowledged as the co-author of Warhol’s multi-million dollar Shot Marilyns series.
Iconic Warhol Marilyn Could Fetch $200 Million, Set Records for 20th-Century Art
Christie’s says the sale will benefit a foundation “dedicated to improving the lives of children.”
MFA Houston Acquires Rediscovered Diego Rivera Painting for $4M
The work has not been viewed by the public for nearly 100 years.
Wikipedia Auctions Off Some Of its History
The auction offered a 2000 strawberry iMac that Wales used to develop Wikipedia, and an NFT of the first Wikipedia edit, made in 2001.
After Disappearing for Decades, a van Gogh Watercolor Sold Under Duress and Then Stolen by Nazis May Fetch $30M
The heirs of two Jewish collectors, one who sold the work to fund his escape from Germany, and another who had the artwork stolen by the Nazis, will receive financial restitution from the Christie’s sale.
Taíno Activists Gather at Christie’s to Protest Impending Sale of Indigenous Artifacts
A petition urging the artifacts to be repatriated to the Dominican Republic garnered over 41,000 signatures.
A Turkish Idol Will Not Be Repatriated, New York Judge Rules
A US District Judge ruled Turkey “slept on its rights” to the figurine by waiting until 2017 to seek its return, after it had been on view at the Metropolitan Museum for decades.
Frankenstein First Edition Became the Most Expensive Book by a Woman
The rare copy of Mary Shelley’s classic, one of only 500 copies, sold for $1.17 million at Christie’s.