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Art Historian Left His Rembrandts To Museum. His Heirs Want Them Back. The Law May Be On Their Side.

Abraham Bredius was director of the Mauritshuis in The Hague 1889-1919, and he bequeathed 25 Rembrandts and other Old Master paintings to the museum on condition that they be displayed. Only five are on public view, so Bredius's heirs say the Mauritshuis is violating the bequest's terms. - The New York Times

Lloyd Macklowe, Major Dealer In Art Nouveau, Is Dead At 90

He and his wife started in 1965 with one Tiffany ceramic vase, purchased for $55 (roughly $548 today). By 1971, they opened Macklowe Gallery in Manhattan, ultimately becoming leading sellers for Tiffany glass, Mucha lithographs, and French cameo glass. (That vase, by the way, is now worth $25,000.) - The New York Times

At Stake In Landmark Case: Can You Copyright A Rhythm?

Plaintiffs Clevie and Steely are seeking remuneration for a series of songs that not only sample “Fish Market,” but that interpolate or copy its rhythmic pattern and any of the derivative works that came after “Fish Market.” - Pitchfork

Why Is Virginia Woolf This Fall’s Fashion Muse?

According to Claire Nicholson, chair of the Virginia Woolf Society of Great Britain and a retired lecturer at Cambridge University, “Bloomsbury dressing is creative and individual.” - The Wall Street Journal

“Unprecedented” Threat To Sudanese Culture From Civil War

At least one performing arts center has been destroyed, cultural and heritage sites are being looted, and the 2,000-year-old ruins at Naga as well as the National Museum in Khartoum have been left unprotected. - Deutsche Welle

The Art Market Is Plunging And Sotheby’s Is Scrambling

Sotheby’s had been riding a rollicking art market wave in recent years, bringing in at least $7 billion in sales annually and setting record-level prices. Now, amid signs cash is running low, it is pushing off payments to its art shippers and conservators by as much as six months. - The Wall Street Journal

A Gala Of Movies Created By AI

In some ways, the event had the trappings of a normal short film festival. There were awards and prizes, as well as appetizers, poke boxes and wine. But in other telling respects, it was a clear product of Silicon Valley’s incursion into Hollywood’s territory. - Los Angeles Times

Why I’ve Reset Puccini’s “Suor Angelica” In 20th-Century Ireland

Annilese Miskimmon, English National Opera's artistic director and a native of Northern Ireland, sees enough similarities between the original story (a young 17th-century woman forced into a convent after bearing an out-of-wedlock child) and Ireland's now-notorious Magdalene laundries that the resetting makes perfect sense. - The Guardian

In Qatar: Library As National Cultural Museum

"In a library, you create your own narrative. The material in the Heritage Library is of such a caliber that it could be considered works of art, so this really makes this building both a museum and a library.” - The New York Times

Ta-Nehisi Coates And The Power Of Words: No Wonder They Want To Ban Books

"I see politicians in Colorado, in Tennessee, in South Carolina moving against my own work, tossing books I’ve authored out of libraries, banning them from classes, and I feel snatched out of the present and brought into another age, one of pitchforks and book-burning bonfires." - Vanity Fair

Research: People Can Change Their Personality Over Time

People can intentionally shape the traits they need to be successful in the lives they want. That’s contrary to the popular belief that your personality type places you in a box, dictating that you choose partners, activities and careers according to your traits. - The Conversation

Atlanta’s Terminus Modern Ballet In A New Phase As Founding Members Depart And New Dancers Arrive

Terminus was founded in 2017-18 by five dancers who left Atlanta Ballet after longtime artistic director John McFall was forced out. Now four of those five charter members have retired from the stage, new dancers have replaced them, and the company has grown notably. - Atlanta Magazine

San Francisco Symphony Opening Night Gala Met With Protests About Budget Cuts

Elliott Encarnacion, a Chorus member and AGMA governor, accused the Symphony of “severely mishandling their funds,” particularly regarding the handling of the strike that forced the cancellation of Verdi’s Requiem last week. - San Francisco Chronicle

London Paper Plans To Have AI Based On Legendary Critic Review Art

London’s historic Evening Standard newspaper has been making plans to revive its former writer using artificial intelligence. Two sources said AI Sewell has been assigned to review The National Gallery’s new Vincent van Gogh exhibition, titled Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers. - ARTnews

The Increasingly Hapless West Coast Orchestra And Its Puzzling Real Estate Dreams

The plan for a new recital hall is especially puzzling because, in addition to the building’s own Zellerbach facilities, the Civic Center area is flush with performance venues. - San Francisco Classical Voice

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