ARTFIXdaily News Feed - Breaking News from the Art World

After Strong Initial Sales, TEFAF Maastricht Closes Early Due to Coronavirus

ArtfixDaily / March 10th, 2020

UPDATE 3/11/2020: TEFAF has closed four days early after an exhibitor from Italy, who had already returned home on Monday, March 8, tested positive for COVID-19, reported the Art Newspaper. The 33rd edition of TEFAF Maastricht drew 10,000 international visitors over Early Access Day (March 5) ...

5 Things to To Do During NYC's Americana Week

ArtfixDaily / January 21st, 2020

New York's signature Americana Week continues through February 2, with a number of fairs, auctions, gallery and museum exhibitions and events centered on American art and antiques, and other categories, offering a mix of historic period objects deftly combined with contemporary works to reflect ...

What's Missing From the Dresden Green Vault After 'Appalling and Shocking' Heist

ArtfixDaily / November 26th, 2019

Early Monday morning thieves broke into the Dresden Royal Palace's famed Green Vault (Grüne Gewölbe) and stole precious jewels in what could be Europe's biggest museum heist ever. After a suspicious fire cut off electricity to the area of the German museum, two thieves with axes entered ...

'Priceless' Artifacts Taken in Massive Heist at the Dresden Green Vault, While Its Most Famous Treasures Are On Loan to the Met

ArtfixDaily / November 25th, 2019

The world's "biggest jewelry heist" overnight at a German museum has missed the prized Dresden Green Diamond and other signature treasures that are currently on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for the exhibition Making Marvels: Science and Splendor at the Courts of Europe. A ...

Empire State Building Sparkled Green to Draw Attention to A Special Exhibit at the Met

ArtfixDaily / November 18th, 2019

Gather the kids (young and old) for the ultimate in STEAM immersion: science, technology, engineering, art and math all come together in an unprecedented gathering of historic treasures in New York. Of note, there is a glittering green delight. Highlighting that the world's largest natural ...

5 Finds to Preview From 2019's AADLA Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show in NYC, Oct. 31-Nov. 4

ArtfixDaily / September 26th, 2019

{{image}} The Art & Antique Dealers League of America (AADLA) will present their third annual Fine Art & Antiques Show—with 24 dealers—for a 5-day run starting Thursday October 31st at the St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Wallace Hall, 980 Park Avenue on New York’s Upper East Side. ...

Virtually Browse (and Support) the 20 Museums Closed by the Government Shutdown

ArtfixDaily / January 15th, 2019

With the 19 federally-funded Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery of Art in DC closed due to the continuing federal government shutdown, people can still view collections and support these vital American institutions--online. The Smithsonian website has an array of thematic exhibitions ...

Swedish Crown Jewels Swiped by Thieves

ArtfixDaily / July 31st, 2018

Thieves stole prized royal crown jewels from the Strängnäs Cathedral in Sweden, according to the Swedish Police Authority on Tuesday. Two crowns and a royal orb were taken and the suspects escaped in a motor boat from below the church.  As of Tuesday night, police were still pursuing the ...

20 Pieces for Chippendale’s Tercentenary Plus New Work by Marina Abramović Among Highlights of Masterpiece London 2018

ArtfixDaily / June 6th, 2018

The Masterpiece London 2018 edition, which runs from June 28 - July 4 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, will present an array of art from the 18th-century carved creations of Thomas Chippendale to the debut of new forms of work by famed performance artist Marina Abramović. With Thomas ...

George Washington's Diamond Eagle Medal On Display With Newly-Discovered 7-Foot Watercolor in Philadelphia Exhibition

ArtfixDaily / December 6th, 2017

The Diamond Eagle — an exquisite jewel-encrusted medal owned and worn by George Washington — is now on display in Philadelphia for the first time since it was presented to Washington in the city 233 years ago, and it will be shown this winter with a rare, newly-found Revolutionary War-era ...

Gems Worth $3.9 Million Stolen From Masterpiece Art Fair

Telegraph / July 9th, 2017

Gems reportedly worth 3 million pounds, or $3.9 million, were mysteriously swiped from the Masterpiece art fair in London last week. Even with high security, the crime went undetected at the stand of Swiss jeweller Boghossian. Staff discovered the gems were missing early on Wednesday ...

Pair of Diamond Earrings Fetch Record $57.4 Million

ArtfixDaily / May 17th, 2017

A mis-matched pair of fancy colored diamond earrings sold together for $57.4 million at a Geneva auction Tuesday, setting a new record. A single anonymous buyer won both of the pear-shaped earrings which were auctioned separately by Sotheby's. The lots were expected to bring $50 to $70 million ...

'Pink Star' Diamond Fetches Record $71.2 Million in Hong Kong

ArtfixDaily / April 4th, 2017

Huge and rare, the 59.60 carat 'Pink Star' is the largest polished diamond ever to go under the auction hammer. It sold for a record-breaking price to a telephone bidder at Sotheby's in Hong Kong on Tuesday. The final price for the fancy pink diamond, the highest grade, was 553 million Hong ...

Dutch Court Orders Crimean Treasures Returned to Ukraine

Dutch News / December 15th, 2016

A Dutch court has ruled for Ukraine in the return of historical treasures from Crimea loaned a few years ago to the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam for an exhibition titled “The Crimea: Gold and Secrets from the Black Sea.” A near two-year legal battle has been waged over whether the loaned ...

Treasure Hunters Zero In On $62 Billion of Lost Nazi Loot

Daily Mail / October 10th, 2016

The Daily Mail reports that a pair of treasure hunters claim they are near to recovering $62 billion in Nazi loot left behind by Hilter's forces as they fled a Czech town in 1945.   In Štěchovice, about 20 miles from Prague, Josef Mužík and his partner have been on a decades-long search ...

Four Museums in Legal Action for Return of Crimean Treasures

Dutch News / October 6th, 2016

Dutch News: A court case began in Amsterdam on Wednesday to determine the future of a collection of gold and other treasures from the Black Sea region.  Four museums in Crimea are taking legal action to force the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam to hand back treasures loaned for an ...

Export Ban Placed on $6.5 Million Queen Victoria Crown

BBC / August 29th, 2016

The BBC reports: A temporary export ban has been placed on a sapphire and diamond coronet that belonged to Queen Victoria, preventing it from being sold abroad. The coronet, designed by Prince Albert for their wedding in 1840, is at risk of being exported unless a UK buyer matches the £5m ...

Oppenheimer Blue Diamond Sets Record in Geneva

Robb Report / May 19th, 2016

Robb Report: On Wednesday, Christie’s Geneva sold the 14.62-carat Oppenheimer Blue, the largest and arguably the highest-quality fancy blue diamond ever to come to auction. It sold for $57.5 million, surpassing its $45 million estimated price and eclipsing the previous auction record ($48.5 ...

Shirley Temple's Blue Diamond Ring Stars at Sotheby's

LA Times / March 20th, 2016

A blue diamond ring that belonged to the late Shirley Temple Black will hit the auction block next month with a pre-sale estimate of $25 million to $35 million. The child star received the 9.54-carat fancy deep blue diamond ring as a gift from her father, according to the auction ...

Philippines to Offer $21m Worth of Imelda Marcos's Jewelry at Auction

Guardian / February 14th, 2016

The Philippine government will hold a public exhibit and auction of the jewelry collection of  the widow of Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda, this spring. Experts have appraised the ill-gotten collection  at about 1bn pesos ($21m). Marcos's jewelry was seized after the popluar revolt that ...