| | The First Art Newspaper on the Net |    | Established in 1996 | Saturday, July 9, 2022 |
| | Decoding the defiance of Henry VIII's first wife | |
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Vanessa Braganza, a Ph.D. student in English, at Kings College Chapel in Cambridge, England, June 22, 2022. Using a process she called early modern Wordle, Braganza claims to have uncovered a hidden message from Catherine of Aragon in a book of jewelry designs. Tom Jamieson/The New York Times.
by Jennifer Schuessler
NEW YORK, NY.- It has long been a beguiling and mysterious treasure of the British Museum: a collection of sketches for jewelry and other lavish ornaments, commissioned during the reign of Henry VIII from artist Hans Holbein, for a time the court painter. Some of the designs are ciphers, or coded symbols, entangling the initials of Henry and his many paramours. Some of the most elaborate have never been decoded. This spring, while finishing a chapter of her dissertation, Vanessa Braganza, a doctoral candidate in English at Harvard and a self-described book detective, became fascinated by one particularly dense tangle of letters. By the end of the afternoon, Braganza thought she had figured it out in her notebook, via a trial-and-error process she compared to early modern Wordle. The cipher, she concluded, spelled out HENRICVS REX Henry the King and KATHERINE his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Nothing remarkable there, perhaps. But Braganza argues that th ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day Installation view of Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color, on view July 5, 2022 â March 26, 2023 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Photo by Anna-Marie Kellen, Courtesy of The Met
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| ALBERTINA Museum opens an exhibition of works by Tony Cragg | | Sam Francis abstracts highlight Roland Auctions NY July 16th Summer Auction | | James Caan, actor who won fame in 'The Godfather,' dies at 82 | 
Tony Cragg, Off the Mountain, 2011. Gusseisen © Tony Cragg / Bildrecht, Wien 2022. Photo: Michael Richter.
VIENNA.- With a selection of key sculptures and drawings from the past two decades, the ALBERTINA, one of the world's most renowned museums, is paying tribute for the first time to the internationally respected work of Tony Cragg, an artist born in Liverpool in 1949 and living in Wuppertal. In his sculptural work, there is a development from figurative to abstracted form, whereby the artist's handling of sometimes unconventional materials such as fiberglass and Kevlar, in addition to wood, stone and stainless steel, leads to a presence of the sculpture in space, which can be perceived in very different ways. Since the 1990s, Cragg has also increasingly turned to drawing, which can be both a sketch and an expression of reflections on questions of form and content. In doing so, the artist likes to work in series in which he deals with the respective representational as well as abstract motifs. According to Capital magazine's Art Compass, which ... More | | 
Sam Francis, untitled abstract monotype, with Windsor Newton oil and dry pigments, on rag paper, signed in pencil lower right, dated 1979.Estimate $20- $30,000.
GLEN COVE, NY.- Roland Auctions NY in Glen Cove, NY will present their July Auction on Saturday, July 16th at 10am, with a focus on Fine and Contemporary Art, decorative arts, furniture, silver and Asian items. Previews will be held on Thursday, July 14tht and Friday, July 15th from 10am - 6pm. Highlights this month include a selection of Abstract pieces by American artist Sam Francis (American, 1923 - 1994). Sam Francis occupies a prominent position in post-war American painting. Although associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement and Clement Greenberg's Post-Painterly Abstraction, unlike many American painters of the time he had direct and prolonged exposure to French painting and to Japanese art which had an individual impact on his work. Featured will be an Untitled abstract monotype, with Windsor Newton oil and dry pigments, on rag paper, in an acrylic frame, ... More | | 
The actor James Caan, at home in Beverly Hills, Calif. in May 2010. Caan, who built a durable film career in varied roles across six decades but was forever identified with one of his earliest roles, the quick-tempered Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, died on July 6, 2022. He was 82. Hugh Hamilton/The New York Times.
by Clyde Haberman
NEW YORK, NY.- James Caan, who built a durable film career in varied roles across six decades but was forever identified most closely with one of his earliest characters, the quick-tempered, skirt-chasing Sonny Corleone in the original Godfather movie, died Wednesday. He was 82. His death was announced by his family on Twitter and confirmed by his manager, Matt DelPiano. Both his family and his manager declined to say where he died or cite a cause. By the time The Godfather was released in 1972, Caan had established himself as a young actor worth keeping an eye on. He had a meaty role in El Dorado, a 1966 Western that starred John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. ... More |
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| Hake's July 26-27 auction led by Star Wars comic strip original concept art | | Step into a bedroom from the Roaring Twenties at the Cincinnati Art Museum this summer | | Donna Ferrato's camera is a weapon for women | 
One of six consecutive lots of Al Williamson (1931-2020) original, unpublished concept art that preceded the Star Wars daily newspaper comic strip (which was ultimately written and drawn by Russ Manning and ran from 1979-1984). Of 12 proposal strips created by Williamson, the first six were gifted to George Lucas; the other six were given to Star Wars marketing genius Charles Lippincott, whose widow has consigned them to Hakes. Each is absolutely fresh to the market. Estimate $10,000-$20,000.
YORK, PA.- If modern art aficionados could be granted one wish, it might be the discovery of a major, previously unknown Picasso. While Picasso lovers may have a very long wait ahead of them, those who revel in the uniquely imaginative art and imagery of the Star Wars saga just might have their wishes granted later this month, when Hakes auctions six extraordinary artworks from Star Wars earliest days. The July 26-27 auction of pop culture memorabilia includes six consecutive lots of original Star Wars art that only a small circle of insiders would even know about. Each lot contains unpublished concept ... More | | 
Alvina Lenke Studios (American, active 1930s), Elaine Wormser, 1930, photograph, Private collection.
CINCINNATI, OH.- The Cincinnati Art Museum presents a lavish bedroom designed by Austrian-born architect Joseph Urban for 17-year-old Elaine Wormser in the special exhibition Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom by Joseph Urban, on view from July 8Oct. 2. More than 90 years after its completion, the Wormser Bedrooms furnishings have been fully conserved and displayed to reflect their state as originally installed in Chicagos Drake Tower and photographed in 1930. When Elaine Wormser Reis moved to Cincinnati in 1936, she brought nearly all of her bedroom with herincluding the custom wall-to-wall carpet. The rooms elements, donated to the Cincinnati Art Museum by Elaine Wormser Reis in 1973, form the largest collection of Urban-designed furnishings held by a public institution. Urban (18721933) was a prolific illustrator, scenic designer, and architect who trained in fin-de-siècle Vienna. During this period, man ... More | | 
Whole Womens Health Clinic, San Antonio, TX, 2019. 14 x 11. Gelatin silver print.
by Arthur Lubow
NEW YORK, NY.- Even with blackened eyes, the women in Donna Ferratos photographs look defiant, not defeated. A photojournalist and feminist activist who is best known for her documentation of domestic violence, Ferrato, 73, has also depicted women pursuing sexual pleasure, giving birth, raising children, enticing men and demonstrating in the streets. Her subject is women taking control of their bodies, and in her fiercely empathetic mission, sometimes she turns the camera on herself. A selection of images drawn from a book published last year, Holy, at Daniel Cooney Fine Art, was timed to coincide with the anticipated overturning of Roe v. Wade. Ferrato annotates her photographs with handwritten captions, often inscribed on the prints. Without that supplementary information, you could not know that a picture of cots ... More |
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| M+ welcomes its one millionth visitor | | Pace Gallery presents a series of handwoven paintings by Brent Wadden | | Harvey Dinnerstein, proudly realistic painter, is dead at 94 | 
Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+ welcomes the 1,000,000th visitor in the Main Hall, M+. Photo: Winnie Yeung @ Visual Voices. Courtesy of M+, Hong Kong.
HONG KONG.- M+, Asias first global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District, announces the record-setting one million visitations today. To celebrate the milestone, Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+ welcomed the one millionth visitor, who received from the museum a one-year M+ Membership and museum souvenirs, in the Main Hall, M+. Opened to the public since 12 November 2021, M+ recorded over 383,000 visitations before its temporary closure in early January 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Since its reopening on 21 April 2022, the museum saw more than 617,000 visitors. The museum has hence received one million visitations across a four-month opening period. Suhanya Raffel says, It is an unprecedented moment in Hong Kong where a museum, despite the restrictions posed by the pandemic and social distancing measures, ... More | | 
Brent Wadden, Untitled (Pink/Gray), 2015, handwoven fibers, wool, cotton and acrylic on canvas, 79-1/4" à 71-1/16" (201.3 cm à 180.5 cm) © Brent Wadden.
SEOUL.- Pace Gallery is presenting the first exhibition of Brent Wadden in the Seoul gallery. The solo exhibition, titled Plecto, presents a series of handwoven paintings, all of which were completed this year. Challenging the canonical concept of painting, Waddens woven geometric compositions revisit the spectrum of creative production that consists of overlapping categories of fine art, design, and folk art. While Waddens non-conformist attitude aligns his practice with the mid-20th century post-painterly abstractions, it also perpetuates a dialogue with contemporary concerns surrounding labour, consumerism, and capitalist culture. The exhibition is titled Plecto, the Latin verb for to weavebut it also means to punish, beat or blame. It foregrounds the importance of the artists chosen methodology for his practice. Waddens practice can be described as self-reflexive research into medium and pro ... More | | 
Harvey Dinnerstein, Brownstone, 1958-1960, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. Philip Desind, 1986.90.1
NEW YORK, NY.- The Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott was in its early days when Harvey Dinnerstein and his friend Burt Silverman two socially conscious realist painters motivated by the lack of photographic evidence of the protests took the train from Penn Station in Manhattan to Alabama in 1956 to draw that seminal chapter in the nascent civil rights movement. They used pencils and charcoal to document the trial of the boycotts leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., as well as church rallies and services and the lives of people surviving without city buses. The Black community welcomed us into their homes, where we quickly realized that far more than the trial needed to be recorded, they wrote in the catalog to an exhibition of their drawings at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in 2006. We intuitively decided to draw these ordinary citizens, and they became the ... More |
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| Important collection of Australian Indigenous art heads to online auction | | Arnolfini opens a major group exhibition including artists, writers, filmmakers, and composers | | The Met announces a gift from Merryl H. and James S. Tisch to endow a new curatorial position | 
Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Love Story Dreaming.
LOS ANGELES, CA.- Abell Auction Co. will present a wonderful array of Aboriginal art from the collection of Richard Kelton (1929-2019), whose respect and passion for the Australian Indigenous culture inspired him to curate one of the worlds most important private collections of its kind. Live bidding at the July 28 online sale will start at 9 a.m. PDT. Featuring over 400 lots, the important sale will offer oil on canvas, oil on linen, natural earth pigments on canvas, bark paintings, spears, boomerangs, painted maps of Australia and other unique items. This is a special opportunity for the contemporary art community to continue Richard Keltons legacy of preserving the spirit and culture of the Australian Indigenous people, said Abell Auction Co. Vice President Todd Schireson. These extraordinary works demonstrate important developments in 20th century art, including the use of non-traditional colors, depictions of sacred im ... More | | 
Untitled, 2013 by Maria Nepomuceno Beads, ropes, ceramic, resine.
BRISTOL.- This Summer Arnolfini welcome visitors to celebrate what lies above and below the forest floor with Forest: Wake this Ground, a major group exhibition including artists, writers, filmmakers, and composers from across the globe: Rodrigo Arteaga, Mark Garry, Alma Heikkilä, Eva Jospin, Jumana Manna, Zakiya Mckenzie, David Nash, Maria Nepomuceno, John Newling, Rose Nguyen, Ben Rivers, Ai Weiwei, and Hildegard Westerkamp. Building on our renewed understanding of the restorative power of nature, the exhibition draws upon the richly woven layers of the forest habitat. Exploring the accompanying stories, myths, and folktales, passed down between humans over centuries, Arnolfini will invite visitors to share and create their own forest tales responding to just some of the multiple languages, materials, and processes used by artists in the show. At the heart of many of the artists ... More | | 
Denise Murrell. Photo: Courtesy of The Met.
NEW YORK, NY.- The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today that Trustee Merryl H. Tisch and her husband, James S. Tisch, have provided a generous gift to endow a recently established curatorial position. In recognition of the gift, the position has been named the Merryl H. and James S. Tisch Curator at Large. Denise Murrell, who joined the Museum as Associate Curator of 19th- and 20th-Century Art in 2020, is the first incumbent. Were deeply grateful to Merryl H. and James S. Tisch for their generosity and support of the Curator at Large role, which will enable The Met to significantly advance an interdepartmental curatorial practice that works collaboratively across curatorial departments to bring broader, more inclusive perspectives to our exhibitions, collections, and programming said Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director of the Museum. Denise brings great depths of expertise and passion to her work. In thi ... More |
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A Ferocious Fossil: The Gorgosaurus
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| More News |
 Christian Louboutin, L'Exhibition(niste) returns in a new version to the Grimaldi Forum MonacoMONACO.- The next major summer event from the Grimaldi Forum Monaco will be dedicated to the work and imagination of Christian Louboutin, a footwear designer and key figure in the fashion industry who has drawn much of his inspiration from the Principality. Christian Louboutin, LExhibition[niste], chapter II redesigned by its curator Olivier Gabet (Director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs), will give the public a new perspective following the first exhibition at the Palais de la Porte Dorée in Paris in 2020. The set design being prepared for Monaco will encompass 2,000 m² and unveil previously unseen works tied to the designer's Monegasque inspirations as well as new collaborations, including a unique project being developed with British artist Allen Jones. Far from a classic retrospective, the exhibition path was designed as a joyful odyssey through three decades ... More  Joslyn Art Museum welcomes new Curator of Twentieth-Century ArtOMAHA, NEB.- Joslyn Art Museum announces the appointment of Kenneth Brummel (pictured) to the position of curator of twentieth-century art. Most recently, Brummel served as associate curator of modern art at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) in Toronto, Canada, where he stewarded the AGO's collection of twentieth-century art; curated numerous permanent collection displays; and inaugurated its 2017 reinstallation campaign, Look: Forward, with a suite of new modern art galleries. In 202122, he co-curated with Susan Behrends Frank of The Phillips Collection the highly acclaimed exhibition, Picasso: Painting the Blue Periodenthusiastically reviewed by The Wall Street Journal as a curatorially innovative, not to miss show featuring more than 100 objects from fifteen countries. Also in 2021, Brummel curated the AGO presentation ... More  François Ghebaly opens Magali Reus's first exhibition in Los AngelesLOS ANGELES, CA.- François Ghebaly is presenting Magali Reuss And Orchard, the first exhibition by the Dutch sculptor in Los Angeles. The exhibition opens with a public reception on July 9 and remains on view through August 20. And Orchard consists of two new series of works, Candlelights and Landings, that explore metabolism, energy, the passage of time, and the coursing lines of power that bring sustenance from the sun to our cities, homes and dinner tables. Reuss sculptures are the product of numerous production processesmolding, printing, sanding, casting, painting, welding, sewing, carving, 3D printingdeployed in combination and without heed to standard fabrication chronologies or practices. The resulting sculptures are in turn charismatic and evasive, telegraphing meaning through open-ended symbolism and oblique connectivity. ... More  Costume sketches for Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, other Golden Age legends hit their mark at Heritage AuctionsDALLAS, TX.- Decades after her Hollywood reign, Edith Head remains the most lauded costume designer in history. By the time of her death in 1981, she had racked up eight Academy Awards (still the most Oscars won by any woman in cinema) a testament to her 50-plus years designing the most memorable costumes for the most celebrated movies ever to hit the silver screen. Seeing Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly or Elizabeth Taylor glide across a set in a Head ensemble, we understand the timeless impact of the designers work. A great deal of the power of Heads designs is grounded in her profound understanding of how the clothes propel a story forward how they move with the actor not only through motion, but through ... More  Preservation society holds Gilded Age exhibitionNEWPORT, RI.- The Newport Mansions feature one of the greatest collections of fine and decorative arts of the Gilded Age. Set in elaborate period rooms, these objects are not always visible up close, and their significance is often overlooked. The Preservation Society of Newport County shines a spotlight on important Gilded Age artifacts with Anything You Want: A Closer Look at Treasures from Newports Gilded Age. The title of the show prompts visitors to ponder the question: Why did Gilded Age consumers desire such things? The exhibition runs through Sunday, October 30, in the second-floor galleries at Rosecliff. Several of the objects are featured at NewportMansions.org/Exhibitions. This is a wonderful showcase for some of the objects in our collection that even our most observant guests may have missed, Preservation Society CEO and Executive ... More  Isaac Grünewald self-portrait donated to NationalmuseumSTOCKHOLM.- An expressive self-portrait by Isaac Grünewald, dating from 1915, has been donated to Nationalmuseum. The artist was one of the leading figures of Swedish modernism and a cultural celebrity in his day. The painting, depicting the artist in profile, is a significant addition to the Swedish National Portrait Gallery, which is managed by Nationalmuseum. Isaac Grünewald (18891946) grew up in very humble circumstances in the Södermalm district of Stockholm. He came from a poor Jewish family with roots in eastern Europe. Grünewalds artistic talent became apparent at an early age, and in 1905, aged just 17, he enrolled at the Konstnärsförbundet art school. Between 1908 and 1911 he studied at the Académie Matisse in Paris, where he learned a Fauvist style of painting, expressive and decorative in character, with a rich palette and large ... More  Jane Lombard Gallery opens 'Punchline' curated by Praise Shadows Art GalleryNEW YORK, NY.- Jane Lombard Gallery opened its summer group exhibition: Punchline, a takeover of its Tribeca space by the Boston-based Praise Shadows Art Gallery. Presenting works of various media from ceramics to video games, the show is inspired by artists who use humor to communicate issues that are often considered taboo or difficult subjects of conversation. Punchline is also inspired by our need for levity, our desire to laugh out loud unexpectedly. The (art) world could use a little more laughter. The exhibition, featuring work by Jon Burgerman, Reniel Del Rosario, Madeline Donahue, Divya Gadangi, the Guerrilla Girls, Garrett Gould, Oliver Jeffers, Nina Katchadourian, Kalup Linzy, Duke Riley, and Ben Sloat, opens with a public reception on July 7th from 57 PM, and will be on view through August 12th, 2022. The OGs of using humor ... More  Tornabuoni Arte opens an exhibition of works by Alberto BiasiFLORENCE.- Tornabuoni Arte pays homage to Alberto Biasi with a solo exhibition held at the Florence based gallery. Alberto Biasi (Padua, 1937) is one of the most interesting artists of postwar Italy and one the most important proponents of Programmed Art. He co-founded Group N in Padua and is a pioneer of optical-kinetic research. Tornabuoni Arte has already dedicated three solo exhibitions to this artist, twice in Paris (2015 and 2022) and once in London (2017). Around 50 artworks are being exhibited in Florence, with a specific focus on his most recent production of the Torsioni cycle, among the most iconic pieces of Biasis oeuvre. This series, like others conceived by the artist, requires audience participation. These Torsioni are made using classical geometric shapes, with double-sided plastic stripes in contrasting colors that converge ... More  Finery from elegant fashion to antique weaponry form July at Michaan'sALAMEDA, CA.- On Saturday, July 16, Michaans Auctions will hold its monthly gallery sale. This month offers a variety of desirable genres, from elegant diamond jewelry to antique Indian weaponry. An engraved gold and steel shield, a fine flapper dress circa 1925, a lithograph in color by Marc Chagall (French/Russian, 1887-1985), a ring featuring a 2.25 carat diamond, and rare Chinese ceramics are only some of the highlights that will make their appearance in July. Among this months unique furniture and decoration is a koftgari shield, featuring a gilt metal star on the central face and four bosses around the center (estimated $3,000-$5,000). Koftgari art originated in India as early as the 16th century as a means of decorating lethal instruments with elaborate gold and silver chiseling, yet preserving the functionality of the piece; this shield is a stunning example ... More  Detroit Institute of Arts names Katie Pfohl as Associate Curator of Contemporary Art DETROIT, MICH.- The Detroit Institute of Arts has named Katie Pfohl the museums new Associate Curator of Contemporary Art. Pfohl will join the DIA on July 18, 2022. Pfohl has served as the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) since 2015. During her tenure there, she curated almost 30 exhibitions, acquired or commissioned over 100 works of art by local, national and international artists for NOMAs collection, worked collaboratively on innovative educational programming and community outreach, and reinstalled the museums 20th century and contemporary galleries. Her work seeks to amplify the voices of artists, foster connections between communities, and create space for people to engage with the urgent issues of our time. Recent projects have addressed climate change and environmental ... More  Clars Auction Gallery announces Asian Art, Jewelry, Fine Art Paintings, Prints, Furniture saleOAKLAND, CA.- Clars Auction Gallery will offer a fine selection of Asian works of art on Sunday, July 17th. This auction will include various Chinese Ming dynasty bronze Buddhist sculptures, huanghuali furniture, Chinese paintings, porcelains, and other categories of Asian works of art. The auction will be led by three Ming dynasty bronze Buddhist sculptures. The first will be a bronze Avalokiteshvara figure seated on a double-lotus thrown with one hand in an abhaya gesture, estimated at $10,000-15,000. The back of the base is incised with the name of the patron of the sculpture and dated the sixteenth year of Hongzhi reign (1503). This bronze sculpture of Avalokiteshvara is from a Bay area private collector who previously acquired it from Gu Yea Guan Art Gallery in Bangkok in 1993. The other is a seated figure of Avalokiteshvara in royal ... More |
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PhotoGalleries 
Brandywine Workshop @ Harvard Museums 
Set It Off 
Frank Brangwyn: 
Marley Freeman
Flashback On a day like today, English artist David Hockney was born July 09, 1937. David Hockney, OM, CH, RA (born 9 July 1937) is an English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer. An important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century. In this image: David Hockney, âWalk Around the Alcazarâ, 2017. Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 72â (hexagonal). No. 17A20 © David Hockney. Photo: Richard Schmidt.
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