This exhibition is the first of its kind. It doesn't just tell the history of an art dealer but also the history of art, the history of a family and plain History with a capital H, filled with the blood and tears of the Second World War. ‘21 rue La Boétie’ is the...
True connoisseurs of Picasso will already know it well. In the village of Gisors, an hour outside Paris, the Boisgeloup studio is whispered about in hushed tones and is central to the work of the Spanish artist. It’s where he created a collection of exceptional...
Edgar Degas (1834-1917), a major artist from the dawn of modernism, both as a painter and a sculptor, died exactly 100 years ago this year. A hundred years is how long it took for a forgotten box containing 55 unseen drawings by this exceptional artist to appear on...
The greatest artists present us with endless opportunities to discover new sides to their work. A perfect example is at the Beyeler Foundation in Basel, Switzerland, where 62 paintings by Claude Monet are currently on display. The thematic hanging and the choice of...
In the pantheon of poets, the most prized names are those collectively known as the maudits – the cursed ones. Literature, like art, has been partial to its martyrs, the ones who died too soon, or who were marginalised by society and who appear to have died at the...
There is not one surrealism, but in fact many surrealisms. Proof if required is to be found at the Centre Pompidou where that most Belgian of surrealists, the painter René Magritte, is in the spotlight until 23rd January. Also at the Pompidou until 17th January is...
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” Ernest Hemingway. A moveable feast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrIJjB_dyP0 When Paul Gauguin went...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2slfSt8OJYw For the past few years, it’s been a thing for museums to show artists in pairs. This often involves some stylistic affinity that shines a light on their respective works. For the new major exhibition at the Picasso...
The history of art spends its time righting past wrongs. The most recent case comes in the shape of a stunning exhibition on an Impressionist artist at the Musée d’Orsay, which runs until 5 March when it will travel to the National Gallery in Washington. Through the...
Every year in November and May, the contemporary art auctions in New York are awaited as the final verdict on the overall health of the art market. Their impact is colossal, trickling down across all price ranges, as well as across other areas of the market. This year...
The international calendar of fairs is extremely full, to the extent that any new venture seems unneeded. It must be stated, however, that the brand-new Tefaf New York that took place from 22 to 26 October, is absolutely remarkable. Located uptown at Park Avenue...
This story was written after a trip to Saint Petersburg and Moscow The history of modern art, in its great sweep, has been punctuated by miraculous tales of wealthy patrons who were more than just far-sighted, they were enormously generous towards artists who, thanks...