Gustave Caillebotte, "Man at His Bath," 1884, private collection Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (which has acquired it)[Part II is here.]The Boston Museum of Fine Arts this week announced its problematic plan to sell eight works (images below) at Sotheby's this November to fund the purchase of Caillebotte's "Man at His Bath" (above), a rare, nearly life-size … [Read more...] about Boston MFA Purchases Caillebotte’s Male Nude, Denudes its Permanent Collection—Part I
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Donor Intent Violation: Sotheby’s to Auction Denver’s Four Clyfford Stills on Nov. 9
Why am I not surprised? This just hit my inbox from Sotheby's:Sotheby's is delighted to announce that four masterworks by the celebrated American Abstract Expressionist Clyfford Still will headline the Contemporary Art Evening Auction on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. The paintings come from the Estate of Patricia Still and are being sold by the City and County of Denver. They are … [Read more...] about Donor Intent Violation: Sotheby’s to Auction Denver’s Four Clyfford Stills on Nov. 9
9/11 Memorial Photo Essay: Dispiriting Design, Stark Ambiance
A visitor making a rubbing last week at the 9/11 Memorial All photos, unless otherwise noted, by Lee Rosenbaum The 9/11 Memorial, on the site of the Twin Towers catastrophe, had a big buildup. But my visit there last week (as shown in the video at the end of this post) was a big letdown. A sense of "spiritual uplift" may be too much to ask of any 9/11 memorial. It was that … [Read more...] about 9/11 Memorial Photo Essay: Dispiriting Design, Stark Ambiance
Changes at CultureGrrl (again): Elaine de Kooning and Me (and blogroll additions)
Photo © by Jill KrementzSomehow, gremlins (or hackers?) have caused the original version of this post, published early yesterday, to vanish. So, for the record, I'll summarize what I then wrote.The headline refers to the de Kooning painting behind me ("Seated Woman," c. 1940, Philadelphia Museum of Art), a portrait of Elaine Fried, to become Mrs. de Kooning three years … [Read more...] about Changes at CultureGrrl (again): Elaine de Kooning and Me (and blogroll additions)
Roberta Smith Throws Weight Behind Rescuing the American Folk Art Museum
Roberta Smith, NY Times art critic Better late than never. NY Times art critic Roberta Smith has officially joined the Save the American Folk Art Museum campaign, with a powerful opinion piece (not in today's paper but online now)---As Folk Art Museum Teeters, a Grave Loss Looms. Roberta ends her piece this way: The transfer and dispersal of the collection should be … [Read more...] about Roberta Smith Throws Weight Behind Rescuing the American Folk Art Museum
Minneapolis Finally Agrees to Return Hot Pot to Italy (plus the Getty’s new Greek vase)
LEFT: A Polaroid from the files of convicted antiquities trafficker Giacomo Medici of a dirt-encrusted Athenian red-figure volute krater, attributed to the Methyse Painter, 460-450 B.C.RIGHT: Photo of the same krater, restored, at the Minneapolis Institute of ArtsWhat took Minneapolis so long?The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which since 2005 has known and publicly … [Read more...] about Minneapolis Finally Agrees to Return Hot Pot to Italy (plus the Getty’s new Greek vase)
Barnes Foundation Sets Opening Date in Philadelphia
Shattered Legacy: The Barnes Foundation's fragmented new logo, unveiled on its new websiteAt a press conference yesterday, the Barnes Foundation announced that it would open its new Philadelphia facility to the public on May 19. It has also launched a new website. Advance reservations to visit the museum will be accepted beginning Mar. 1. Members can reserve beginning Feb. 1 … [Read more...] about Barnes Foundation Sets Opening Date in Philadelphia
A Bent for Rentals? Stephanie Wiles, New Director of Cornell’s Johnson Museum
Rear view of Cornell University's I.M. Pei-designed Johnson Museum of Art, with its new, mostly underground addition (still in construction), at left Photo by Lee Rosenbaum When I told you yesterday about the new addition to Cornell University's Johnson Museum of Art (designed by the I.M. Pei firm and opening Oct. 15), I didn't mention that it's been without a permanent … [Read more...] about A Bent for Rentals? Stephanie Wiles, New Director of Cornell’s Johnson Museum
First Look: Rem Koolhaas’ Architecture for Architects at Cornell University (with video)
Cornell University's new Milstein Hall for architecture studies, designed by Rem Koolhaas All photos (unless otherwise noted) by Lee Rosenbaum It's not entirely finished yet and it's been under the radar in terms of press coverage. But Rem Koolhaas' new Milstein Hall, tucked behind the Arts Quad at Cornell University, has opened for the new school year, providing much … [Read more...] about First Look: Rem Koolhaas’ Architecture for Architects at Cornell University (with video)
Dept. of Crass 9/11 Promotions: New Yorker Magazine’s Commercial Exploitation
I wouldn't have expected this of the New Yorker.There's been a lot of talk about how to properly commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11, without improperly exploiting it commercially. To my mind, this promotion from the New Yorker, usually an arbiter of good taste, crossed the line into skin-crawl territory: At least they're designating a token 10% of net proceeds from this … [Read more...] about Dept. of Crass 9/11 Promotions: New Yorker Magazine’s Commercial Exploitation
Back-to-School: Art History Department Rankings, Harvard Arts Detractors (plus my flood-challenged Cornell trip)
The new art season is not quite upon us, but the new academic season is. I was incommunicado yesterday while making my way through the flooded Mohawk Valley (and avoiding my usual route through the Susquehanna Valley, where roads were washed out) to get to my alma mater, Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. I'll be seeing some of the starchitects' additions to the campus, while my … [Read more...] about Back-to-School: Art History Department Rankings, Harvard Arts Detractors (plus my flood-challenged Cornell trip)
The 9/11 Decade: The Images, the Memorial, the Architecture UPDATED
Rendering (by Squared Design Lab) of National September 11 Memorial and Visitor Center With Sunday marking the tenth anniverary of the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001, the news media are already barraging us with images more viscerally powerful than any work of art---the sights of the impact, the implosions and the immediate aftermath. For those of us who were uncomfortably … [Read more...] about The 9/11 Decade: The Images, the Memorial, the Architecture UPDATED
James Levine’s (new) Fall: Met’s Music Director Withdraws from 2011 Performances CORRECTED
New back injury: Metropolitan Opera Music Director James LevineCORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, I said that Levine had been stripped of his principal conductorship. Although he was for many years the Met's de facto principal conductor, Levine did not possess that official title, the Met has informed me. I had assumed (as did others) that since Fabio Luisi had … [Read more...] about James Levine’s (new) Fall: Met’s Music Director Withdraws from 2011 Performances CORRECTED
Still Chill: More on Christie’s Protest Against Sotheby’s Deal with Denver
Jan Brennan, Arts & Venues Denver's Director of Cultural Programs: Contract-awarding process was "fair and appropriate." In taking the highly unusual step of publicly taking Denver to task (scroll down) for choosing Sotheby's as its agent for the sale of four Clyfford Still paintings (to benefit his eponymous museum), Christie's may have created potential … [Read more...] about Still Chill: More on Christie’s Protest Against Sotheby’s Deal with Denver
Details (and text) of Clyfford Still Sales Agreement Between Denver, Sotheby’s
Denver's new Mayor, Michael Hancock, expected to sign Still sales agreement with Sotheby's next weekThe Denver City Council approved on Monday evening an agreement with Sotheby's for the marketing of four paintings by Clyfford Still from the estate of his widow, Patricia. The proceeds will fund an endowment for the Clyfford Still Museum, scheduled to open on Nov. 18. Were they … [Read more...] about Details (and text) of Clyfford Still Sales Agreement Between Denver, Sotheby’s