| | The First Art Newspaper on the Net | | Established in 1996 | Wednesday, December 16, 2020 |
| | | Cairo restored hieroglyph typecaster tells new stories | |
|
|
A man operates a machine which allows the printing of ancient Egyptian inscriptions at the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo on December 10, 2020. The French-made typecasting machine is over a century old, the Egyptian hieroglyphs 5,000 years. Now, in a Cairo workshop, the mechanical marvel has come to life once again. Out of action for about three decades, a massive Foucher hot metal typecaster built in 1902 has been restored to its former glory. Ahmad HASSAN / AFP.
CAIRO (AFP).- The French-made typecasting machine is over a century old, the Egyptian hieroglyphs 5,000 years. Now, in a Cairo workshop, the mechanical marvel has come to life once again. Out of action for about three decades, a massive Foucher hot metal typecaster built in 1902 has been restored to its former glory. The French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo, or IFAO, recently showed off the machine which allows the printing of ancient Egyptian inscriptions. Over a century ago designers created a font of thousands of hieroglyphs and cast them in lead, so they could be arranged line by line, covered in ink and printed onto paper. "We managed to restart it in September after several repairs and purchasing new parts," said Mathieu Gousse, the IFAO's publishing director, of the typecaster. "We were very moved," he told AFP, when he saw an ancient Egyptian symbol, the Ankh or key of life, printed onto paper from one of the letters shaped from molten lead. "We are at a pivotal moment... when w ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day Artemis Gallery will hold its VARIETY SALE | Antiquities & Ethnographic Art sale on Thu, Dec 17, 2020 9:00 AM CST. The sale features classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Fine Art, more! In this image: Chavin Polychrome Mask of Ai Apec - TL Tested. Estimate $6,000 - $8,000.
|
|
|
|
|
| Sotheby's sets new record for Ansel Adams in $6.4 million Photographs sale in NY | | German police arrest fugitive twin over museum heist | | The Goya Code Chapter 4: Three Kings and an Emperor for the Crown of Spain |
Ansel Adams, The Grand Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (detail). Estimate $400/600,000. Sold for $988,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.
NEW YORK, NY.- A Grand Vision: The David H. Arrington Collection of Ansel Adams Masterworks, the most comprehensive and important collection of Ansel Adams photographs to come to market, concluded yesterday afternoon at Sothebys New York, bringing a total of $6.4 million, comfortably exceeding the pre-sale estimate of $4.1/6.1 million, and with an outstanding 94% of lot sold. The sale was led by Adams mural-sized print of The Grand Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming which sold for $988,000 (estimate $400/600,000) establishing a new record for Ansel Adams at auction. Photographed on commission for the Department of the Interior in 1942, this dramatic view of the mountains over Jackson Hole is believed to be one of less than 10 mural-sized prints of this image in existence and was acquired directly from the legendary photographers descendants. Emily Bierman, Head of Sothebys Photographs De ... More | |
This file photo taken on November 27, 2019 shows policemen leaving the Residenzschloss Royal Palace. Robert Michael / dpa / AFP.
BERLIN (AFP).- German police said Tuesday they have arrested one of two fugitive twin brothers from the so-called Remmo clan wanted over their suspected role in snatching priceless jewels from a museum in the city of Dresden. The 21-year-old suspect was detained in Berlin on Monday evening over what local media have dubbed one of the biggest museum heists in modern history, a spokesman for the police in the eastern city of Dresden said. The twins had eluded German authorities when they carried out raids last month and arrested three members of the Remmo clan, a family of Arab origin notorious for its ties to organised crime. Police then named them as 21-year-old Abdul Majed Remmo and Mohammed Remmo. All five suspects are accused of "serious gang robbery and two counts of arson," Dresden prosecutors said. Police did not immediately name the arrested twin. His brother remains on the run. The robbers launched their brazen ... More | |
Fig.3 - The Three Kings. Figure by Mariano Candial
MONTREAL.- The War of Independence against Napoleon has begun. There is no turning back. Francisco de Goya was the war correspondent and the witness to all of the aberrations committed, transmitting them to us through his impressive engravings and paintings. "There has never been a good war, nor has there been a bad peace." (Baltasar Gracián. 1601- 1658. Jesuit, philosopher and writer). On February 28, 1808, Napoleon invades Spain and under the pretext of reinforcing his army on the Portuguese front, he begins his incursion by sending in tens of thousands of well supplied soldiers. Soon thereafter, on the night of March 17 to 18, 1808, the Mutiny of Aranjuez begins, led by Prince Fernando and his followers. They had often met in Uncle Malayerba's tavern with the objective of conspiring to dethrone King Carlos IV, his father. "That canon bastard," the queen would always say, referring to the cleric Escoiquiz, whom she had appointed as the heir's tutor, "who has poisoned ... More |
|
|
|
|
| Historic scales returned to Scott's Discovery Hut in Antarctica | | White Cube opens an exhibition of recent works, many with historical roots, by Imi Knoebel | | Christmas gift sparks lifelong passion for puppeteer |
The scales hung in Susannas Idaho log cabin for around 15 years before she learned about the work New Zealands Antarctic Heritage Trust had done to conserve Discovery Hut and the artefacts in it.
CHRISTCHURCH.- New Zealands Antarctic Heritage Trust is celebrating the return of a set of Salter scales which an American Navy Seabee Captain souvenired from Robert Falcon Scotts Discovery Hut in Antarctica. The scales were taken by Captain James Douglas who was a distinguished engineer and Naval command officer in charge of the construction of eight United States bases in Antarctica in the late 1950s. Before he passed away, Captain Douglas gave the scales to his daughter Susanna Marquette. He told me that theyd come from Scotts Discovery Hut where theyd been used to weigh meat for the dogs. I was very, very honoured that he had passed them onto me, says Susanna. I was only six when my Dad went to Antarctica and remember getting postcards from him with pictures hed drawn of penguins and of himself with a beard. The scales hung in Susannas ... More | |
Imi Knoebel, Recent Works. White Cube Bermondsey. 18 November 2020 - 27 February 2021. © the artist. Photo © White Cube / Theo Christelis.
LONDON.- White Cube Bermondsey is presenting an exhibition of recent works, many with historical roots, by Imi Knoebel. An installation of multipart, monochrome paintings in 9 Ã 9 Ã 9 pairs new works from the artists ongoing Konstellation series with a six-panel piece, all of which were first conceived in 1975. The adjacent South Gallery I groups a variety of new paintings, several of which trace their origins to 1968 and 1975. Together the presentations highlight the artists playful, evolutionary approach to non-objective art. In 9 Ã 9 Ã 9, three works in vivid cadmium red, titled Kadmiumrot 6 , 9 and 10 (1975/2017 and 1975/2019), consisting of three, seven and five irregular rhomboidal panels, respectively, are inspired by both astronomical objects and Knoebels own light projection experiments of 1968, in which fields of light became distorted into complex shapes as they fell on the insides and outsides of bu ... More | |
Augusto Grilli checks his puppets on the stage at the " Alfa Theatre" in Turin, on November 30, 2020. Marco Bertorello / AFP.
TURIN (AFP).- Augusto Grilli's eyes still light up when he recalls receiving the little theatre and 12 puppets almost 75 years ago, a childhood gift that sparked a career and a lifelong passion. "It was in 1946, the first Christmas after the war, a moment of celebration, of joy -- a very special atmosphere," recounted the elegantly-dressed Italian, now 80. "I woke up and among the gifts from 'Baby Jesus' was a big box containing a theatre and puppets. It was love at first sight." He turned out to have a talent for marionettes -- puppets with strings -- and soon became something of a star in his school in Turin, northern Italy. "I used to put on a show, they made me go to all the classes in primary school because the children had so much fun," he told AFP. But while he was happy to show off his toys, "no child was allowed to touch them", Grilli said: "The theatre was always a sacred place." The little gold and white theatre ... More |
|
|
|
|
| 2020 Archibald Prize People's Choice award winner announced | | William Turner Gallery presents a new series of paintings by Andy Moses | | Ann Reinking, dancer, actor, choreographer and Fosse muse, dies at 71 |
Angus McDonalds portrait of Behrouz in progress. Photo: Nolan Verheij.
SYDNEY.- Six-time Archibald Prize finalist Angus McDonald has been awarded the 2020 ANZ Peoples Choice award for his portrait of Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish-Iranian writer, poet, filmmaker and journalist. The artist, who is based in Lennox Head, NSW, first made contact with Boochani in 2018, while he was creating his award-winning short film Manus (2019) about Manus Island, where Boochani was held by the federal government for over six years as a refugee. McDonald said he is thrilled and humbled that his portrait, Behrouz Boochani has received this years ANZ Peoples Choice award. Its the highest compliment to receive the vote of the public, for me as the artist but I suspect even more for Behrouz, who despite never even setting foot on the mainland, has earned the respect, admiration and even the love of so many Australians for his writing, his art, and his tireless struggle against captivity until he got to New Zealand last year, said ... More | |
Geodynamics 704, 2020. Acrylic on canvas over hexagonal shaped wood panel, 36 x 32 inches.
SANTA MONICA, CA.- William Turner Gallery is presenting Recent Works , an expansive new series of paintings by Los Angeles-based artist Andy Moses. This extensive presentation marks the artists first solo exhibition since his highly acclaimed 30 Year Survey exhibition in 2017 at the Santa Monica College Pete and Susan Barrett Art Gallery. Andy Moses: Recent Works presents an artist fully engaged and at the height of his creative process, showcasing perhaps his most ambitious and diverse body of work to date. Implementing techniques that utilize the artists almost obsessive study of the alchemical properties of paint, Mosess work blurs the line between abstraction and a new kind of pictorialism. The images reveal undeniable traces of natural phenomena, seeking not to replicate the natural world, but rather to suggest the forces of nature itself. His complex process of mixing and pouring paints conveys a sense of undulatin ... More | |
Ann Reinking in New York in August 1998. Fred R. Conrad/New York Times Photo.
by Julia Jacobs
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Ann Reinking, a dancer, actor and Tony Award-winning choreographer who performed on Broadway for nearly three decades, where she was also known for her long association with Bob Fosse and his work, died on Saturday. She was 71. Reinking died in her sleep in a hotel room in the Seattle area, where she was visiting her older brother, said Dahrla King, her sister-in-law. The cause was not yet known, she said. She was perhaps best known as a performer for playing Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago. It was the role that she stepped into in 1977 at 26, and which helped make her a star. And it is the role that she returned to triumphantly nearly two decades later in the hugely successful 1996 Broadway revival which she also choreographed. Her success onstage also fascinated audiences because of a romantic subplot playing out offstage. ... More |
|
|
|
|
| Phillips announces highlights from the January Evening & Day Editions Auctions in London | | Hindman's Luxe Holiday Couture Auction presents renowned designers' work & achieves top results | | Gannit Ankori named Director of the Rose Art Museum |
Roy Lichtenstein, Reverie, from 11 Pop Artists, Volume II (C. 38), 1965. Image courtesy of Phillips.
LONDON.- Phillips announced highlights ahead of the Evening & Day Editions auctions in London. Kicking off the season and the new year as the first auctions of 2021 and comprising 272 lots in total, the Evening & Day Editions auctions present exceptional examples of Pop, Modern and Contemporary editions as well as pieces from key periods of art history. For the first time in London Phillips will present a work from the sixteenth century, offering an iconic etching produced by Albrecht Dürer in 1513, Knight, Death and the Devil, which comes to auction this January amongst a selection of works from a distinguished private collection. The Day sale will take place at 12pm on Thursday 21 January with the Evening sale following at 6pm. Rebecca Tooby-Desmond, Specialist, Head of Sale and Auctioneer, said, We are delighted to start a new year with our Editions auctions. Highlighting key moments from the history of Western ... More | |
Hermès 32cm Shiny Black Crocodile Sellier Kelly, 1973. Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000. Price Realized: $12,800.
CHICAGO, IL.- Hindmans December 11th Luxe Holiday: A Collectors Collection auction realized over $250,000 in 252 lots, exceeding its presale estimate with international bidder participation. Gorgeous accessories and garments by renowned designers including Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Comme des Garçons, Gucci, and others marked an exciting end to the year for Hindmans Couture & Luxury Accessories Department. We were pleased to see the enthusiastic response that international bidders had to timeless and iconic fashion and handbags, and how the Couture & Luxury Accessories Department is continuing to blossom, said Timothy Long, Hindmans Senior Specialist for Couture & Luxury Accessories. Hindman is proud of how many works by renowned fashion houses we continue to offer. Compiled from around the world over many decades, the sales featured ... More | |
Ankori will lead all artistic and programming initiatives at the Rose as well as the museums management. Photo: Mike Lovett.
WALTHAM, MASS.- Brandeis University has named Gannit Ankori as the Henry and Lois Foster Director and Chief Curator of the Rose Art Museum, effective January 1, 2021. Ankori, a professor of art history and theory in the departments of Fine Arts and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Brandeis University, has been serving as interim director at the Rose since July 2020. A Jerusalem native and citizen of the world, Ankori is a critically acclaimed author, curator, and educator who brings an in-depth knowledge of the Rose Art Museums unique role as a world-class museum within a university setting. During a time of uncertainty due to COVID-19, her leadership and expertise have proven invaluable to the museum. Im pleased that Gannit will be leading the Rose at such a critical time when so many arts and culture institutions are struggling to ... More |
|
Gossaert in 10 minutes | National Gallery
|
|
| |
| More News |
Sotheby's opens "Contemporary Showcase: My Life Is Pointless by Joan Cornellà"
HONG KONG.- This December, Sothebys presents Contemporary Showcase: My Life Is Pointless by Joan Cornellà , a solo exhibition of iconic works by acclaimed artist Joan Cornellà . In collaboration with creative partner AllRightsReserved, the exhibition features 48 works by Cornellà , making it the biggest solo exhibition of the artist ever in Hong Kong. The exhibition runs from 15 December 2020 to 29 January 2021 at Sothebys Hong Kong Gallery. My Life Is Pointless is Cornellàs third solo exhibition in Hong Kong and marks his return to the city after three years, showcasing for the first time the artists latest life-sized panels, shaped panel paintings and a selection of limited bronze sculptures. With nearly 8 million followers on social media, Cornellà is highly regarded on the international stage and his works have been exhibited globally, ... More
MFA Boston receives $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment to establish curatorial position for Islamic art
BOSTON, MASS.- The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has received a grant of $2.5 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative, which will support an endowment for a new curatorial position dedicated to Islamic art. Working in collaboration with Islamic communities in the Greater Boston area and beyond, the inaugural Assistant Curator of Islamic Art will draw on the Museums collectionamong the most important holdings of Islamic art in the country and the worldto create exhibitions, publications and public programs. The MFA is one of 18 organizations from across the U.S. receiving grants through the initiative. We are deeply grateful to Lilly Endowment for their generosity. It is especially meaningful in this moment, as a museum with a global collection, to be able to demonstrate our commitment to the diversity ... More
North Carolina Museum of Art announces The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant and new hires
RALEIGH, NC.- The North Carolina Museum of Art welcomes seven new staff members in departments across the Museums curatorial, performing arts, and membership departments, supported in part by a grant awarded from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This exciting slate of new hires brings diverse perspectives to the Museums member and visitor offerings, as part of a passionate staff dedicated to the Peoples Collection of North Carolina, said Director Valerie Hillings. We are dedicated to making the NCMA a welcoming place for all visitors through multifaceted exhibitions and music, dance, film, and theater programming, aided by the Mellon Foundations support of the Museums strategic vision. This grant will allow us to lead boldly through our incredible collection, pushing to shift the current narratives around art history. The North ... More
Animation art shows it must be taken seriously after Heritage Auctions' record-setting event
DALLAS, TX.- Charles Schulz, Winsor McCay, Disney's Mary Blair and Ub Iwerks quite famously drew comic-strip and cartoon characters, amusements aimed at children of all ages. But in 2020 their achievements are as revered and treasured as fine art, as evidenced by the fact their original works brought chartbusting sums in Heritage Auctions' record-setting Animation Art event held Dec. 11-13. The auction realized more than $4.27 million significantly more than any previous auction of animation art. The sale included renderings and storyboards, production cels and master backgrounds from myriad beloved titles shown on screens big and small. More than 4,700 bidders worldwide took part in the landmark sale that saw an almost unheard-of sell-through rate of more than 99% and resulted in the highest price ever paid for an original Peanuts ... More
Days after reopening, London theaters must shut
LONDON (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- On Dec. 5, Six the hit show about the wives of Henry VIII staged a triumphant comeback when it became the first musical to be staged in Londons West End since the coronavirus pandemic began in March. Now, just nine days later, that comeback has been brought to a sharp halt. Matt Hancock, Britains health secretary, announced on Monday that the government was tightening restrictions in London, as well as other parts of southern England, because of a very sharp, exponential rise in coronavirus cases. The new restrictions, which include a ban on theatrical performances and the closure of other indoor cultural institutions, like museums, would take effect Wednesday, he added. Pubs and restaurants would also close, though they could still offer takeout. For businesses affected, it will be a significant ... More
The essential John le Carré
(NYT NEWS SERVICE).- John le Carré, who died over the weekend at age 89, left behind a remarkable literary legacy. He wrote 25 novels over nearly six decades, zeroing in on the machinations of the espionage community and distilling complex interior conflicts into eminently readable tales. For millions of readers across the world, his allure lies in the authenticity and believability of his novels. Le Carré worked as a British agent until his literary success allowed him to quit his undercover work to write full-time. His spies are morally ambiguous, genteel, solitary a marked departure from the suave and high-octane figures like James Bond, who glamorized the practice of espionage. His books feature labyrinthine plots and high stakes; the greatest betrayals and acts of deception are often internal. One of his most enduring heroes, Alec Leamas, ... More
Carol Sutton, a stage and screen actress devoted to New Orleans, dies at 76
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Carol Sutton, an actress who was featured in films like Steel Magnolias, The Big Easy and The Pelican Brief, and who was devoted to the theater community in her native New Orleans, where she was a fixture on the citys stages for a half-century, died Thursday at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans. She was 76. The cause was complications of COVID-19, her sister, Adrienne Jopes, said. As an actress, Sutton had an expansive oeuvre, bringing characters to life on the stage, in the movies and on television. But her many roles were not confined to acting: She also spent decades doing social work for Total Community Action, an organization that assists low-income families to help reduce poverty in New Orleans. And she was a beloved figure in her local theater scene in part because she never ... More
Review: This 'Nutcracker' is a fantasy you can enter
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- You may have seen the ballet The Nutcracker countless times. Watching it every year might be a holiday tradition. But have you ever been inside it? This weekend, I stood in front of a house I had never visited before, but familiar music made it seem like a place I had long known. Then the door opened and I walked right into the ballet. This dreamlike experience and how it is sustained is the great achievement of The Nutcracker at Wethersfield, which BalletCollective is presenting through Dec. 23 at the Wethersfield Estate in Amenia, New York. (The production will be also streamed for free on its website Dec. 23-26.) Wethersfield is a find. A red brick, Georgian-style house with antique-stuffed parlors, surrounded by formal gardens and augmented for the occasion with a circus tent, ... More
Converse Auctions announces Important Chinese New Year Antique Auction
PAOLI, PA.- Converse Auctions invites collectors to ring in the New Year a few days early by participating in an online-only Important Chinese New Year Antique Auction on Saturday, the day after Christmas, December 26th, at 12 noon Eastern time. We have been saving our finest items to feature in this important sale, said Todd Converse. There are over 300 lots to bid on. The many fine Chinese antiques on offer include exquisite jade carvings, porcelain (including palace vases and chargers), paintings, jewelry, bronze Buddhas, scholars items, fine furniture (including throne, carved chairs with stone insets and tables), snuff bottles and seals, jewelry and items from the collection of Dr. Morris V. Shelanski, a prolific antiques collector (1950s-1970s). One item certain to attract great attention is lot 305, a rare 19th century French rolling ... More
Sundance unveils pandemic lineup, Redford son's final film
LOS ANGELES (AFP).- Next month's Sundance will be the first major festival highlighting movies made during and about the coronavirus pandemic, as organizers Tuesday unveiled a lineup featuring the final film by co-founder Robert Redford's late son. Due to Covid restrictions, the indie film extravaganza will largely leave behind its usual mountain base in the western US state of Utah, showing premieres online and at nationwide drive-ins and arthouse theaters. Among them is "Life in a Day 2020," Ridley Scott and Kevin Macdonald's follow-up to their 2011 documentary painting a "global portrait of life on our planet" using thousands of videos shot and submitted by members of the public from a single day in July. The filmmakers received 300,000 submissions, as people around the world adjusted to their radically transformed life under an unprecedented ... More
Heritage Auctions breaks all-time sports auction record with $22 million event
DALLAS, TX.- Heritage Auctions' four-day Fall Sports Collectibles event was a record-breaker full of record-makers. The auction, held at HA.com Dec. 10-13, realized more than $22 million, making it the largest sports auction ever held. It surpasses the previous sports-auction record of $21.8 million, which was set with the sale of the single-owner Barry Halper Collection in 1999. Ever since, that auction has been considered the hobby's milestone event. Heritage Auctions' December sale was an event in every imaginable way, from the thousands of bidders who participated from around the globe to final prices that shattered all estimates and expectations up and down the auction's all-star roster. "The prices were extremely strong across the board, as the auction surpassed our preliminary auction estimates by more than 35%, said Chris ... More
|
|
PhotoGalleries
Anne Truitt Sound
Islamic Metalwork
Klaas Rommelaere
Helen Muspratt
Flashback On a day like today, Spanish-Mexican surrealist painter Remedios Varo was born December 16, 1908. Remedios Varo Uranga (16 December 1908 - 8 October 1963) was a Spanish-Mexican para-surrealist painter and anarchist. Born in Girona, Spain in 1908, she studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid. She is known as one of the world famous para-surrealist artists of the 20th Century. During the Spanish Civil War she fled to Paris where she was greatly influenced by the surrealist movement. She met her second husband, the French surrealist poet Benjamin Péret, in Barcelona. In this image: Remedios Varo (Spanish/Mexican 1908-1963), Vampiros vegetarianos. Oil on canvas. Painted in 1962. Estimate: $1,500,000 - 2,000,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2015.
|
|
|
|
