Cézanne Self-Portrait, Hidden for 160 Years

December 16, 2022

Good morning. 🌧️ For almost 160 years, a self-portrait of Paul Cézanne was hidden underneath a still life with bread, eggs, and onions. It was recently discovered by conservators at the Cincinnati Museum of Art, who used X-ray imaging. The sinister self-portrait was made during the artist's "dark period," a joyless chapter of his life and work. Read more about this fascinating discovery in our report today.

In other news, workers at MASS MoCA signed a union contract after more than a year of strained bargaining, including a one-day strike. It's the latest in a string of wins for cultural workers.

And remember that problematic Lensa app that allegedly violates copyrights and data privacy to create AI-generated selfies? Now, users are also accusing it of being racist and misogynistic. This week's edition of Required Reading explains why.

— Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor

Cézanne Self-Portrait, Hidden for 158 Years, Found Under a Still Life

The painting, discovered by a Cincinnati Museum of Art conservator, might be one of the Post-Impressionist painter's first self-portraits. | Elaine Velie

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LATEST NEWS

MASS MoCA Union members on strike in August (courtesy MASS MoCA Union)

Workers at MASS MoCA have officially ratified their first union contract after 14 months of tense negotiations.

Art Matters Foundation announces the recipients of its Artist2Artist grant, where initial winners choose another artist to receive the prize.

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REVIEWS & MORE

Pat Steir Accepts Time's Passage With Grace

Steir’s work of the ’90s was the result of physically demanding processes. What happens when you cannot do what you once did? | John Yau

Demolishing the Categories of Word and Image

An anthology of poems, fiction, and translated essays combined with images explores the role of memory and the visual. | Melissa Holbrook Pierson

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CCS Bard Offers Expansive Resources and a Transformative Education in Curatorial Studies

Students in this two-year graduate program in New York enjoy access to the Hessel Museum of Art, the CCS Bard Library and Archives, and opportunities to curate in practice. Learn more.

Required Reading

This week, a rise in nuclear fusion, the downfall of the "COVID billionaire," holiday string lights with a twist, and how many people would actually return a lost wallet? | Hrag Vartanian and Lakshmi Rivera Amin

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TRANSITIONS

Lee Bynum was named chief education officer at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Corrinne Chong and TK Smith were appointed assistant curators at the Barnes Foundation.

Anne Helmreich was named director of the Archives of American Art.

Matthew McLendon was appointed director of the McNay Art Museum.

Adriano Pedrosa will curate the 2024 Venice Biennale.

Pae White is now represented by Jessica Silverman Gallery.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

The Arts Commission in Toledo has announced the recipients of the 2022 Merit Awards. They are Ayendy Bonifacio, Deborah Orloff, Jordan Buschur, and Krysta Sá.

The John C. Campbell Folk School and Olive's Porch have announced their 2023 artists in residence: Carly Owens Weiss, Jasmine Best, and Angela Eastman.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art received a gift of 220 works by Philip Guston from the collection of Musa Mayer, the artist’s daughter.

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