ARTFIXdaily News Feed - Breaking News from the Art World

Indian Police Probe Deaths of Acclaimed Artist Hema Upadhyay and Her Lawyer

Times of India / December 14th, 2015

Hema Upadhyay, the renowned Indian artist, and her legal counsel, Harish Bhambhani, were found dead in Mumbai on Dec. 12. Police are investigating the deaths as murders and several people have been questioned, including Upadhyay's ex-husband. The 43-year-old artist and her lawyer were ...

San Francisco Fall Antiques Show Highlights Something Old, Something New Aesthetic

ArtfixDaily / October 22nd, 2015

Rooted in Victorian times and infused with the energy of today's tech industry, San Francisco is a place where old and new, tradition and innovation, blend seamlessly. West Coast art collectors and designers just as easily mix styles and periods, and flock ...

Chinese Imperial Portrait Tops $344 Million Sale Series in Asia

Diamond World / October 8th, 2015

An imperial portrait depicting Chinese Emperor Qianlong's favorite consort fetched a record $17.6 million on Wednesday at Sotheby's in Hong Kong closing a five-day flurry of sales. An anonymous bidder prevailed after a 20-minute bidding battle for the painting by Italian ...

Indian Artist F.N. Souza's 'Birth' Brings Record $4 Million at Auction

Christie's / September 20th, 2015

Considered to be one of his finest works, 'Birth' by famed Indian artist Francis Newton Souza sold for a record $4.08 million (with buyer's premium) at Christie's New York on Sept. 17. The price set the record both for the artist and for any Indian painting. The sale total came to $8.7 million ...

Counter-protesters Escalate 'Kimono Controversy' at MFA Boston

Boston Globe / July 19th, 2015

Protests that erupted this month over 'Kimono Wednesdays" at the Musuem of Fine Arts, Boston, have spurred other voices in support of the new event. Visitors were encouraged to "channel their inner Camille Monet" and don a kimono similar to the artist's wife in Claude Monet’s painting “La ...

Art Dealer Robert Ellsworth Left Waitresses a Hefty Tip

NYPost / May 11th, 2015

Renowned Asian art dealer and collector Robert "King of Ming" Ellsworth left two of his favorite waitresses massive tips in his will. Ellsworth, who died at 85 last August after a fall, gave $50,000 each to Maureen Donohue-Peters, 53, and her niece Maureen Barrie, 28. The pair served ...

NYC Prosecutors Seek Custody of $100M in Artifacts

Telegraph / April 16th, 2015

New York City prpsecutors are asking a judge for custody of a trove of 2,622 Hindu and Buddhist treasures plundered from South Asia and seized by U.S. authorities. New York storage facilities were raided from 2012 to 2014 to recover the relics as part of the investigation of art dealer Subhash ...

Rare Painting by Hokusai Purchased for New Museum in Japan

Japan Times / March 4th, 2015

Known the world-over for his "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa," Hokusai (1760-1849) will be celebrated with a new museum in Tokyo and the acquisition of a rare painting by the famed ukiyo-e woodblock print artist. Tokyo’s Sumida ward, in the north of the city, announced ...

Smithsonian Unveils $2 Billion Renovation Plan

ArtfixDaily / November 19th, 2014

A master plan to renovate and improve the South Mall campus of the Smithsonian Institution was revealed with an estimate of $2 billion.

Family Feud Sends Masterpieces Missing from C.C. Wang Collection of Chinese Art

New York Times / October 19th, 2014

One of the most important collections of Chinese art ever assembled has been the center of a long-running legal battle between family members. Now some of the most historically-significant pieces from the estate of C.C. Wang are missing.

Architect Jean Nouvel Reveals Big Plans for National Art Museum of China

ArtfixDaily / September 22nd, 2014

Spanning 1,399,308 square feet, more than double the size of the Louvre, a new National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) has been conceived by French architect Jean Nouvel.

Ai Weiwei Fills Alcatraz with 1.2 Million Legos in Major Exhibition

ArtfixDaily / September 22nd, 2014

Perhaps one of the biggest art exhibitions of the year will not be attended by the artist behind its creation. Chinese dissident artist...

Detroit Hit With a $4 Billion Proposal for City's Art

New York Times / August 27th, 2014

New York-based Art Capital has offered Detroit a loan of up to $4 billion in a new proposal that leaves the city's museum intact with its art used as collateral.

Artist Pleads Guilty to Smashing Ai Weiwei Vase

ArtfixDaily / August 14th, 2014

A Florida artist has pleaded guilty to a criminal mischief charge for destroying a $1-million vase that was part of ...

Florida Collector of Asian Art Sues Ringling Museum

Herald Tribune / July 31st, 2014

A new building at the Ringling museum in Florida might open as scheduled in January 2016 without the $30 million collection meant to go inside.

Chinese Collector Ruffles Feathers After Drinking from "Chicken Cup"

Examiner / July 28th, 2014

When billionaire art collector Liu Yiqian was photographed sipping tea from a $36.6 million cup, he sparked a wave of controversy.

Zhang Xiaogang's Painting of Little Red Guard Brings Record $12.1 Million

ArtfixDaily / April 6th, 2014

Auction records were smashed for Chinese contemporary artist Zhang Xiaogang and seven other Asian artists at Sotheby’s HK$670 million ($86 million) Hong Kong evening sale over the weekend.

Korean Art Treasure Discovered in Vault of Honolulu Museum of Art

ArtfixDaily / February 20th, 2014

A valuable and historically-important 425-year-old scroll was found in the basement of the Honolulu Museum of Art. The relic was discovered by...

Christie's Inaugural Sale in Mainland China Brings $25 Million

ArtfixDaily / September 26th, 2013

Christie's International auction house debuted in mainland China on Thursday with a sale of art, jewelry, watches and wine that brought a total $25 million for 43 lots.

Smithsonian Receives $1 Million Grant for Chinese Painting Conservation

ArtfixDaily / September 11th, 2013

The Mellon Foundation has given the Smithsonian a $1 million grant to endow the next generation of conservators of Chinese painting.