Mardi 25 février 2020
Last update on 2/11/2016
Last update on 2/11/2016
The latest news in the History of Western Art from the Middle Ages to the 1930's
Nicolas Sarkozy’s solemn promise in favor of heritage contradicted by Christine Lagarde 23/09/2010
Normally, a few months go by between the time a politician makes a promise and the enactment of the total opposite. The lie thus goes unnoticed by most. However, at times this interval is much (...)
Nicolas Sarkozy confirms the location of the Maison de l’Histoire de France 22/09/2010
In a speech delivered on 12 September in Lascaux, the President of the French Republic confirmed the information we had published last Friday : the Maison de l’Histoire de France will indeed be housed at the Archives Nationales in (...)
Recent acquisitions by the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Montreal : old paintings and 19th century 22/09/2010
On its one hundred-fiftieth anniversary, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montreal has launched a major campaign seeking the donation of 150 works. One of the most important gifts, thanks to the generosity of Michal and Renata Hornstein, is a superb (...)
The Virgin with Child and Saint John the Baptist by Eustache Le Sueur returns to the Louvre 20/09/2010
Our article, France’s Hidden Museum, did not claim to provide a complete list of all the works unfairly deposited by museums in places where they did not legitimately belong.
The Blérancourt construction permit cancelled by court order 20/09/2010
Readers will recall that some remarkable elements of the château of Blérancourt by Salomon de Brosse had been discovered when work first began for the extension of the Musée de la Coopération (...)
The lip service in the Assistance Publique’s press release about its museum 19/09/2010
Faced with growing resistance to the closing of its museum, the Assistance Mublique-Hôpitaux de Paris sent journalists (in any case, to some since we did not receive it…), a press release
The Duke of Rutland’s Ordination by Poussin to be auctioned on 7th December at Christie’s 19/09/2010
The first series of the Sacraments commissioned by Cassiano del Pozzo from Nicolas Poussin today resides in the Duke of Rutland’s collection, except for Penance which was lost in a fire in 1816, and Baptism purchased in 1939 by the National (...)
Acquisitions by the Musée de la Révolution Française in Vizille : the 19th century 03/09/2010
The acquisitions policy at the Musée de la Révolution Française in Vizille pursues a dual objective : works executed during the revolutionary period and successive ones presenting notably the 19th century vision of the French Revolution. In the (...)
Guardi and Dyce, two paintings acquired by the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff 01/09/2010
The Welsh museum has just received a painting by Francesco Guardi as “acceptance in lieu”. Since the price of the work exceeded the tax amount due, the museum also paid 85.000 £ of which 20.000 was provided by The Art (...)
Alfonso Pérez Sánchez Passes Away 20/08/2010
Alfonso E. Pérez Sánchez, born in 1935 in Cartagena (Spain), held a degree in Philosophy and Humanities as well as a doctorate in Art History, film major, obtained in 1965 ; before that he taught in his country as well as in Germany until joining (...)
Some photograph databases 16/08/2010
Our links pages, one devoted to museum websites, the other to art history sites (which we have just updated to account for changes), are among the most thorough listings currently provided on the net. The web is so rich however that recent (...)
Raphael, Murillo, Pierino da Vinci… An update on export bans in the United Kingdom 14/08/2010
We have already spoken on several occasions about the British system of exporting art works. Export bans are much shorter than in France, lasting only three months, unless a British purchaser comes forward with the firm intention of buying the (...)
A painting by Benigne Gagneraux purchased by the Musee de la Revolution Francaise 13/08/2010
We have not written about the additions to the Vizille collections since 2006 although it is one of the most active in France in terms of acquisitions. Upcoming news items will soon provide a complete account, but in the meantime we would like (...)
The Burning Bush by Nicolas Froment now restored 10/08/2010
The famous triptych of the Burning Bush by Nicolas Froment, painted in 1475-1476 for the funerary chapel of Roi Rene’ in the church of the Grands-Carmes at Aix-en-Provence, has resided in the Cathedrale Saint-Sauveur since the 19th century. It (...)
The Chardin works commissioned for Bellevue join the Louvre 09/08/2010
Thanks to the Amis du Louvre and the generosity of Eudoxe Marcille’s heirs, two masterpieces by Jean-Simeon Chardin, commissioned to hang over the doors in the chateau of Bellevue and exhibited at the Salon of 1767 where they were highly praised (...)
Another Turner for the Getty 09/08/2010
Last 7 July, at an auction at Sotheby’s London, the Getty Museum purchased a Turner painting, Modern Rome – Campo Vacino, for almost 30 million pounds. This is the last representation of the city painted by the artist, in (...)
Two Victorian paintings sold by an English museum 06/08/2010
In Europe, the Netherlands is one of the few counties to practice, rarely but still regularly, what is known as deaccessioning, that is when a museum sells its works. There is no equivalent French term, but would correspond to the expression (...)
Noah’s Anger from the Abbey Church at Essomes-sur-Marne is restored 03/08/2010
In 2003 we had published five 19th century paintings residing in churches in Picardie. Of the two anonymous works, one was a large canvas with a subject which was also hard to identify for which we had (...)
Dutch paintings recently added to the National Gallery in Washington 03/08/2010
Over the past few years several Dutch paintings which we had not mentioned previously on our site joined the collections at this American museum. Starting with 2006, the Kaufman Americana Foundation (...)
Architecture by David d’Angers acquired by the Musee du Louvre 26/07/2010
Last December, in its annual 19th century exhibition, the Talabardon & Gautier Gallery presented a large terracotta medallion by Jean-Pierre David d’Angers, representing Architecture which we had reproduced at the (...)
Exchange in deposits between Versailles and Montpellier : a Cabanel for an Albani 23/07/2010
The very beautiful retrospective highlighting Alexandre Cabanel at the Musee Fabre which recently opened for a duration of five months and which we will soon review, has been chosen as the occasion to reveal a large painting by this artist, The (...)
Fundraising appeal for The Three Graces by Lucas Cranach 21/07/2010
After having been banned for export by a decree published in the Journal Officiel of 13 July 2009, a painting by Lucas Cranach representing The Three Graces was then listed as a national treasure (Journal Officiel of 23 July 2009). The Louvre (...)
A painting by Frere Andre for the church of Saint Thomas d’Aquin 20/07/2010
Thanks to family patronage, in memory of a child, the Parisian church of Saint Thomas d’Aquin will soon welcome a large painting by the Dominican Frere Andre, a student of Carlo Maratta and Jean Jouvenet, representing Saint Louis Receiving the (...)
An Equestrian Portrait of Henry IV by Marin Le Bourgeoys acquired by the Musee de l’Armee 20/07/2010
With an estimate of 120 to 150.000 euros at Sotheby’s Paris last 22 June, the Equestrian Portrait of Henry IV painted by Marin Le Bourgeoys remained unsold. However, it was acquired after the auction by the Musee de l’Armee. Previously (...)
The Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci restored in London 19/07/2010
he National Gallery in London has just finished restoring the Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci which is now once again on display to the public since Wednesday, 14 July 2010.
The Louvre exhibits some of its recently acquired drawings 19/07/2010
In renewal of a lost tradition, though only temporarily and in part, the Louvre is currently displaying the fruit of its latest acquisitions to the public.
A Christ on the Cross by Bronzino discovered in Nice 18/07/2010
A major event was announced in the latest issue of the Revue de l’Art in an article signed by Philippe Costamagna and Carlo Falciani : the discovery of an important Italian Renaissance masterpiece, unknown until now, in a French provincial (...)
Carpeaux, Dalou, Susse : an exhibition organized by Orsay and the Ecole du Louvre 01/07/2010
What better training for a future curator than a chance to help prepare an exhibition for the prestigious Musée d’Orsay ? This is exactly what happened to sixteen first year students at the Ecole du Louvre under the supervision of Catherine (...)
A Nicolas Colombel work identified in Auxerre 30/06/2010
We had chosen an anonymous French painting representing Clytia to illustrate the article in the Debates section on the Auxerre museum, in the hopes that a learned reader might be able to identify it. We didn’t have to wait long as a few hours (...)
Acquisitions for the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Valenciennes 30/06/2010
Some museums, despite particularly low acquisition budgets, at times manage to make purchases or else receive donations, thus continuing to enrich their collections, albeit in a modest way. We have not yet mentioned (except perhaps on one (...)
A small painting by Bazille preempted by the Musée Fabre 25/06/2010
The Musée Fabre is undoubtedly the most active establishment in the provinces today when it comes to acquisitions. We will soon offer an article detailing the many works recently added to its collections. For the moment, we wish to point out the (...)
Preemption of a drawing album by Delécluze for Clermont-Ferrand 25/06/2010
At the Sotheby’s auction in Paris on 21 June the Musée Roger-Quilliot in Clermont-Ferrand preempted an album of 72 drawings by Etienne-Jean Délécluze representing views of Auvergne produced in 1821 which had remained in the artist’s family (for (...)
Fundraising : A Gauguin for Lyon 24/06/2010
The Commission consultative des trésors nationaux has just listed a painted relief by Paul Gauguin, currently in a private collection abroad, in this category. The Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, which wishes to acquire the work, has launched a (...)
Several art auctions in Paris 22/06/2010
Traditionally, many old master paintings and drawings, as well as 19th century, art sales take place in Paris during the fourth week in June, allowing museums at times to preempt certain lots. At the Christie’s auction of 23 June, these (...)
Domenichino’s Saint John Evangelist on loan to the National Gallery in London 21/06/2010
Last September, we spoke of two important Old Master paintings which English museums would have liked to see remain on British soil. The first was a Saint Sebastian by Cornelis van Haarlem
Recent acquisitions by the Metropolitan Museum : Gérôme and Tissot 21/06/2010
We continue our presentation here of recent acquisitions by the Metropolitan Museum with three 19th century French paintings donated by Mrs. Charles Wrightsman.
A plaster cast by Thomas Woolner for the National Museum Wales 20/06/2010
In a recent news item on “acceptance in lieu” donations, we had mentioned the acquisition of a painted plaster cast by Burne-Jones at the National Museum Wales. Since then, three remarkable works have joined the (...)
Recent acquisitions in sculpture at the Musée du Louvre 19/06/2010
During the two-year period of 2008 and 2009, aside from acquiring a fragment from the tomb of Jean de Lièges which we already mentioned here, the Département des sculptures at the Louvre was able to add the following pieces to its (...)
The Portrait of Yvonne Lerolle by Maurice Denis joins the Musée d’Orsay 16/06/2010
The masterpiece by Maurice Denis which just joined the Musée d’Orsay is an important acquisition for French heritage. In 1982, the planners of the future museum had tried to purchase it from the Parisian gallery who owned it at the time but to no (...)
Natoire and Coustou : two preemptions for Versailles and the Louvre 15/06/2010
On Friday, 4 June 2010 at an auction in Paris at the Hôtel Drouot (auctioneers : Binoche-Giquello-Renaud) the Versailles château preempted a watercolour by Charles Natoire representing an Allegory for the Birth of a (...)
Recent acquisitions by the Metropolitan Museum : Annibale Carracci and Gaetano Gandolfi 13/06/2010
In 2009 the Metropolitan Museum received a small copper by Annibale Carracci representing Saint John the Baptist Showing Christ as a donation from Fabrizio Moretti and Adam Williams in tribute to Everett Fahy. The work had been sold at (...)
The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire in Geneva buys a Corot 08/06/2010
Last 2 June the Swiss museum made the final bid at a Sotheby’s auction in London for a painting by Camille Corot, Young Girl at the Fountain, for £ 1,609,250. The painting had formed part of the collections at the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, (...)
The Musée de la Chartreuse in Douai claims a Jules Breton painting 08/06/2010
The Museum in Douai was destroyed in 1944 along with part of the holdings (many sculptures, ceramics, the ethnographic collection…). Before then, it had already undergone extensive looting in 1918 due to its location in the occupied war zone. (...)
A Louis Anquetin painting joins the Van Gogh Museum 01/06/2010
At the forefront of modern pictorial trends, close to the art of Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh and Gauguin, Louis Anquetin underwent a conservative revolution towards 1894 returning to decorative historical painting influenced by the Old (...)
Two 18th century globes donated to the Bibliothèque nationale 29/05/2010
Two globes, one of the earth and one of the heavens dating from 1728-1730, of remarkable aesthetic quality as well as of high scientific interest, have been donated to the Bibliothèque nationale by the Club Français du (...)
The Maurice Denis décor in Le Vésinet will be restored 28/05/2010
In July 2009, the Sacred Heart chapel in the church of Sainte Marguerite at Le Vésinet, painted by Maurice Denis, was severely damaged by a fire. At the time, it seemed that the marouflé canvas on the ceiling would be permanently lost : the (...)
Photographs of the five paintings stolen at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la ville de Paris 21/05/2010
Unfortunately, photographs of the five art works stolen the night before at the Musée d’Art Moderne have not been made readily available to the press as this might help in finding them. There is no doubt that this is one of the most important (...)
Acceptance « in lieu » adds five major Bouguereau paintings to Musée d’ Orsay 20/05/2010
Five important paintings by William Bouguereau were acquired through acceptance “in lieu” in 2009, directly from the artist’s family. We could not discuss them previously as their final destination (should they be placed on deposit in different (...)
Some Internet websites 19/05/2010
The château de Versailles is currently showcasing an exhibition highlighting the castle’s successive chapels. A virtual visit has been posted here for the occasion, allowing viewers to admire the décors executed by Antoine Coypel, Jean Jouvenet (...)
Fundraising appeal for the acquisition of a Natoire for the château in Compiegne 17/05/2010
The tapestry series, The Story of Don Quijote, is made up of ten pieces woven from cartoon designs by Charles Natoire. Commissioned by Pierre Grimod Dufort, this ensemble was produced by the Beauvais factory between 1735 and 1744 and, except (...)
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