fine art

Sotheby’s to auction $450M trove led by $180M van Gogh

Sotheby's said Wednesday that 12 Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings from an Argentine private collection, most of them kept out of public view for decades, will be sold in New York on Nov. 18. The auction house expects the group to…

Two Monet paintings unseen for a century head to auction at Sotheby’s Paris

Two Claude Monet landscape paintings that have been hidden in private collections for more than a century are set to go under the hammer at Sotheby's Art Moderne et Contemporain Evening Auction in Paris on April 16. The works, "Les…

Michelangelo sketch sells for $27.2M, shattering auction record

A small red chalk sketch of a foot by Michelangelo sold for $27.2 million at Christie's in New York on February 5, 2026, shattering the auction record for any work by the Renaissance master and selling for more than 13…

Lost Rubens crucifixion sells for $2.7M at auction

A long-lost painting by Flemish Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ sold for €2.3 million ($2.7 million) at auction Sunday in Versailles, France, exceeding its estimated value and marking a rare rediscovery in the art…

Guido Reni painting shatters auction record at €12.4M

A 17th-century masterpiece by Baroque artist Guido Reni sold for €12.39 million at Artcurial in Paris on November 25, obliterating the artist's previous auction record and far exceeding its modest pre-sale estimate. The painting, "David with the Head of Goliath,"…

Long-lost Renoir painting sells for $2M at Paris auction

A previously unknown portrait by French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir depicting his young son and nanny emerged from a century of private ownership to fetch €1.8 million ($2 million) at a Paris auction on Tuesday, marking a notable sale amid signs…

Klimt portrait sells for record $236.4M at auction

Gustav Klimt's six-foot portrait of a young Viennese heiress shattered records on Tuesday, selling for $236.4 million at Sotheby's New York and becoming the second-most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. The sale of "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer" capped a…

Two hidden Modigliani portraits to lead Paris auction

Two previously unseen Amedeo Modigliani portraits, hidden from public view for half a century, will headline Sotheby's Paris auction on October 24 with estimates reaching $8.7 million each. The works anchor the house's "Modernités" sale, which carries the highest estimates…

Hauser & Wirth UK profits plunge 90% as art market slumps

Hauser & Wirth's UK operations suffered a devastating 90% drop in pre-tax profits for 2024, plummeting to just £1.6 million from £12.5 million the previous year, according to Financial Times reporting published Monday. The Swiss mega-gallery's UK revenue also collapsed…

Sotheby’s to showcase $150M art exhibition in Abu Dhabi

Sotheby's is set to showcase its most valuable exhibition ever in the Middle East, presenting masterpieces worth $150 million at Abu Dhabi's Bassam Freiha Art Foundation on October 1-2. The landmark two-day exhibition features works by Vincent van Gogh, Frida…

Unseen Picasso portrait of Dora Maar heads to auction in Paris

An 80-year-old mystery returned to the spotlight Thursday as auction house Drouot in Paris unveiled a previously unknown Pablo Picasso portrait of his muse Dora Maar, setting the stage for what could become one of the year's most significant art…

Lost Rubens masterpiece discovered in Paris mansion

A long-lost masterpiece by Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens has emerged from the shadows of a Parisian mansion, setting the art world abuzz with excitement. French auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat discovered the 1613 painting "Christ on the Cross" during a…

Pearlman Foundation gifts 63 masterpieces to three museums

The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation announced today the donation of its entire 63-piece collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and modern masterpieces to three major American museums in an unprecedented shared ownership arrangement. The collection, assembled over nearly three decades by…

Dalí watercolor bought for £150 could fetch £30,000 at auction

A Salvador Dalí watercolor illustration purchased for just £150 at a Cambridge house clearance sale in 2023 is now set to go under the hammer with estimates of £20,000 to £30,000, potentially delivering a 200-fold return on investment. The discovery…

Billionaire seeks $410M claiming fire made art lose its ‘oomph’

A Manhattan courtroom battle over what constitutes damage to priceless artworks reached new intensity this month as billionaire financier Ron Perelman testified that five paintings lost their visual impact after a 2018 fire at his Hamptons estate. The 82-year-old collector…

Johnny Depp unveils art from ‘happiest chapter’ of life

Johnny Depp has unveiled a deeply personal art collection that offers an intimate window into what he describes as the happiest chapter of his life. The two-piece collection, titled "Let the Light In," launched yesterday through Castle Fine Art and…

Canaletto’s Venice masterpiece sells for £31.9M, shattering his auction record

According to The Art Newspaper and Reuters, Canaletto's masterpiece "Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day" has set a new auction record for the artist, selling for £31.9 million ($43.9 million) at Christie's in London, far exceeding its…