The dealer and collector Giuliano Ruffini, who is suspected to be the mastermind behind a major Old Master forgery scandal, has transferred to France following his arrest in Italy last month. - The Art Newspaper
Clifford Schorer saw the painting, described as in the "manner of Rembrandt" in an auction catalogue with a high estimate of $1,500, he smelled a super-bargain. He's certain the piece is the Dutch master's Old Man (ca. 1627-29), and he's figured out where it's been since 1935. - Artnet
The plaintiffs claim the artwork were stolen from Fritz Grünbaum by the Nazis via an unlawful power of attorney while he was imprisoned and tortured at Dachau. - The Daily Beast
The Gospels don't really tell much about the birth of Jesus: the shepherds are only in Luke, the Wise Men only in Matthew. So depictions of the Nativity over the centuries — what they include, what they leave out, what they add — offer something of a history of Christianity. - Smithsonian Magazine
The fact that art styles and techniques are now transferable in this way is immensely disruptive and extremely upsetting for artists. As technologies like Lensa become more mainstream and artists feel increasingly ripped-off, there may be pressure for legislation to adapt to it. - Science Alert
Oh, no, not another Beast Jesus! Piero della Francesca's The Nativity (ca. 1470-75) is back on display after three years with the conservators. There's a loud online chorus, led by The Guardian's Jonathan Jones ("astounding insensitivity") arguing that the restoration is disastrous, though others consider those objections overblown. - Artnet
Although the Vatican fragments will belong to the church rather than the state, a museum spokeswoman said they would be “reunited in their positions,” helping to breach a palpable void in the reconstructed monument that Greeks feel almost viscerally. - The New York Times
"German authorities said Saturday that they have recovered a significant part of the 18th-century treasures stolen from Dresden’s Green Vault museum in a spectacular break-in more than three years ago." - Seattle Times (AP)
"Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft in East Sussex has been more closely associated with Gill than any other artist since it was founded in 1985. ... So close was its connection that for years it was widely known as 'the Eric Gill museum.'" No more. - The Observer (UK)
"The pope called the return a 'donation' to the Greek Orthodox Christian archbishop His Beatitude Ieronymos II of Athens and a gesture of his intention to 'follow in the ecumenical path of truth.'" - Hyperallergic
"Some collections removed to Crimea have already been moved on, further into Russia. Meanwhile, Russian looters are targeting Crimean sites that they perceive to be of high value for antiquities, including Unesco world heritage sites." - The Observer (UK)
Mr. Ovchinnikov is a rare dissident in Russia, where public criticism of the war can land people in jail or exile. He said his age and his family history offered a modicum of protection, even though he has been fined, questioned by the authorities and pelted with snowballs. - The New York Times
Cincinnati Museum of Art chief conservator Serena Urry was inspecting the artist's Still Life with Bread and Eggs this past spring when she saw a couple of white patches between tiny paint cracks, developed a hunch, and had the piece X-rayed. She discovered a rare self-portrait from Cézanne's mid-20s. - CNN
