Taleb Jubran, director of the department of tourism and antiquities in Hebron, shows pieces of bones and pottery found in an ancient burial site from the Roman-era which was discovered during construction of a new road in Idna village, northwest the West Bank city of Hebron on August 16, 2018. A set of Roman-era tombs dating back some 2,000 years have been discovered near the Palestinian city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank during road works, an official said on August 16. HAZEM BADER / AFP.
IDNA(AFP).- A set of Roman-era tombs dating back some 2,000 years have been discovered near the Palestinian city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank during road works, an official said Thursday. The cemetery dating to the first century AD, when the region was under Roman rule, was found in the village of Idna in the southern West Bank around two weeks ago. It was discovered during road work in mountainous terrain in the area, said Taleb Jubran, director of the department of tourism and antiquities in Hebron. Bones, pottery and some 32 tombs set into stone were found. It was clear to archaeologists that artifacts had been stolen from the site before it was officially discovered, said Jubran. "This discovery is very important for us to study it and to preserve it," Jubran said. The tombs were set out over a space of some 50 metres. Officials also hoped to turn the site into a tourist attraction, while further study of it would continue to turn up details of what was found and its importance, he sai ... More
Flowers and tributes are placed on the Star for Aretha Franklin on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California, August 16, 2018, after the music icon, legendary singer and "Queen of Soul" loved by millions whose history-making career spanned six decades, died on Thursday, August 16, 2018, her longtime publicist announced. Mark RALSTON / AFP.
DETROIT(AFP).- Aretha Franklin, the music icon, legendary singer and "Queen of Soul" loved by millions whose history-making career spanned six decades, died at her Detroit home on Thursday. She was 76. She influenced generations of female singers with unforgettable hits including "Respect" (1967), "Natural Woman" (1968) and "I Say a Little Prayer" (1968). The multiple Grammy winner cemented her place in US music history with a powerful, bell-clear voice that stretched over four octaves. In a career crossing generations, her hits spanned from soul and R&B, to gospel and pop. After a long battle with pancreatic cancer, Franklin passed away at ... More
This image shows a small Iron Age (c. 800BC – 43AD) settlement site. Photo: Historic England.
LONDON(AFP).- Previously hidden archaeological sites have emerged in fields across Britain after the hot, dry summer exposed new cropmarks, the Historic England agency said Wednesday. Aerial photographs have exposed patterns which reveal the sites of prehistoric settlements, burial mounds and Iron Age, Bronze Age and Roman farms. Among the new discoveries are two Neolithic monuments near Milton Keynes in central England. These are rectangular-shaped constructions believed to have been enclosed paths or processional ways, usually dating from between 3,600 and 3,000 BC. One monument was recently mapped, but until this year another one next to it was hidden beneath a bank of earth that is being gradually ploughed away. Several of the finds are in the south-west region of Cornwall, including an Iron Age round -- a settlement surrounded by a circular ditch ... More
LONDON.-The National Portrait Gallery has acquired a portrait of Dylan Thomas by his close friend Augustus John, it was announced today, Thursday 16 August 2018. The portrait, which links two of the most significant cultural figures in twentieth century Britain, has been purchased with support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund and The Thompson Family Foundation. The work, one of two portraits of Dylan Thomas by artist and fellow Welshman Augustus John, is a particularly striking portrayal of a young Thomas, painted in the 1930s when the poet was just twenty-three and at the height of his creativity. The painting was previously on long-term loan to the National Portrait Gallery, London where it has been on permanent display for twenty years. The newly acquired portrait will now go on loan to the ... More
John Watson Nicol (1856–1926), Lochaber No More. The Fleming Collection .
EDINBURGH.- The renowned Fleming Collection of Scottish art deemed to be the finest outside public institutions is staging exhibitions this August at the Fine Art Society in Edinburgh and the Maclaurin Art Gallery at Rozelle House in Ayr as part of its celebration of fifty years of collecting. The theme of refugees, past and present, takes centre stage in Radicals, Pioneers and Rebels at the Fine Art Society, Edinburgh, 15th August -‐‑ September 3rd. The show focuses on artists who have challenged the artistic, social and political consensus showing two of the most iconic paintings in the collection, Thomas Faed’s The Last of the Clan and John Watson Nicol’s Lochaber No More, which in their day exposed the human and economic cost of the Highland Clearances. Bringing the issue up-‐‑to-‐‑date are documentary photographs of the Calais Jungle by Iranian, Iman Tajek, who himself had spent time in ... More
Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930-2017), Walking Figures, 2005, cast iron, 284 x 135 x 71 cm (each). MMFA, purchase, gift of Marcel and Caroline Elefant. Photo MMFA, Denis Farley.
MONTREAL.- Three monumental sculptures by the artist Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930-2017), Walking Figures, have joined the collection of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts thanks to two generous donors, Marcel and Caroline Elefant. Art lovers first discovered the work in the summer of 2017 as part of the MMFA’s exhibition La Balade pour la Paix: An Open-air Museum. These impressive figures now “stride along” the Path of Peace in the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace, on the Level 3 terrace, which will now be named for Marcel and Caroline Elefant. This is the first acquisition of this Polish artist’s work by a Canadian museum. The installation of the three sculptures on the terrace was an impressive technical feat. Each “walker,” whose individual weight is nearly a ton, was solidly anchored in preparation to be ... More
This fresh-to-the-market oil painting by the Pierre Auguste Renoir (Fr., 1841-1919), titled Portrait of Gabrielle leaning on her hand (circa 1918) will be auctioned September 22nd.
CRANSTON, RI.- A fresh-to-the-market oil painting by the French impressionist master Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), done around 1918 and titled Portrait of Gabrielle leaning on her hand, promises to be the centerpiece lot in an auction planned for fall or winter – probably in November – by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, online and in the firm’s gallery at 63 Fourth Ave. A firm auction date will be posted on the Bruneau & Co. website, at www.bruneauandco.com. Last month, the painting was given an insurance appraisal of $250,000 by Dr. Lori Verderame, Ph.D, the director of Masterpiece Technologies Trumbauersville, Pa. Dr. Verderame said in her report the painting’s signature, lower right (“Renoir”) was “in the artist’s characteristic manner,” and the sitter was the artist’s “long-standing model and relative by ... More
Charles-Francois Daubigny (1817 -Paris-1878), L’Inondation, 1875 (detail). Oil on panel, 38.3 x 67 cm (15 x 26.3 in.) Signed and dated lower left. Image courtesy Stoppenbach & Delestre / Stand 321.
NEW YORK, NY.- Following the success of the second annual TEFAF New York Spring in May, TEFAF is offering a “first look’ at the works that will be showcased this Fall. With a focus on fine and decorative arts and jewelry from antiquity through the early 20th century, TEFAF New York Fall returns to the historic Park Avenue Armory from October 27-31. As the conversation and climate for historic art in America continues to grow, TEFAF New York Fall is at the forefront of the renewed interest in this area, highlighting the beauty and relevance of historic art within the current marketplace and providing an engaging platform for collectors and enthusiasts to view, explore and purchase the highest quality works across collecting categories. “We’re looking forward to the third iteration of TEFAF New York Fall in October; it is a pleasure to see the New York Fairs take root in the US’, said Patrick van Maris, CEO of TEFAF. “TEFA ... More
Nielsen has worked for 20 years in curatorial and leadership roles in museums across the United States. Photo: Darren Pellegrino.
SAN MARINO, CA.-The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens has appointed Christina Nielsen as the Hannah and Russel Kully Director of the Art Collections, Karen R. Lawrence, The Huntington’s incoming president announced today. Nielsen, currently William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Collection and Exhibition Program at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, assumes her new position on Oct. 15. Nielsen has worked for 20 years in curatorial and leadership roles in museums across the United States, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She received her PhD in art history from the University of Chicago, and recently completed a fellowship at the Center for Curatorial Leadership in New York. At The Huntington, Nielsen will be responsible for the development, care, and interpretation of some 36,000 museum objects in the European and American art collection ... More
Portrait of John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, 1972, by Dominick Elwes. Estimate: £1,500-2,500. Photo: Bonhams.
LONDON.- The estate of the late Lady Lucan leads Bonhams Private Collections Sale at Bonhams on Wednesday 3 October. The proceeds from the sale will be donated to Shelter, a charity whose objective is to see safe, secure and affordable housing for everyone. Lady Lucan was married to John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, who disappeared in 1974, shortly after the attempted murder of his, by then, estranged wife and the murder of the nanny of their children, Sandra Rivett. At the inquest into Rivett’s death, Lucan was identified as her killer, the first member of the House of Lords to be named in court as a murderer since 1760. The whereabouts of Lord Lucan captured the public imagination and was the subject of years of intense media and public speculation. The official presumption was that he had died. Probate was granted on his estate in 1999, and a death certificate was issued in 2016. Lady Lucan died in 2017. The many fascinating family it ... More
DALLAS, TX.-SMU announces the merger of its National Center for Arts Research (NCAR), a leading provider of evidence-based insights on the nonprofit arts and cultural industry, with DataArts, the respected Philadelphia-based resource for in-depth data about U.S. nonprofit arts, culture and humanities organizations, effective immediately. The two are joining forces to strengthen the national arts and cultural community through data, the knowledge that can be generated from it, and the resources to use it. The combined entity, SMU DataArts, will integrate the strengths and capabilities of both organizations, which have been closely collaborating since 2012. The merger will continue the core operations of both organizations and build on their existing successful programs. NCAR’s research expertise, its partnerships with other data providers, and the resources of a major research university will be combined with DataArts’ existing data collect ... More
SYDNEY.- First time finalist in the Archibald Prize Anne Middleton has taken out the 2018 ANZ People’s Choice award with her portrait of Australian actor, Guy Pearce. The Melbourne artist’s portrait Guy is her first venture into large-scale portraiture. Middleton said she was intrigued by the depth of emotion in Pearce’s face and wanted to take on the challenge of painting him. “The entire process of painting this portrait was both daunting and exciting. Guy and I talked about the qualities of tin-type photography and discussed how we could capture a similar sensation of peering into his soul. The scale of the painting was liberating, and I could paint loosely and expressively despite the level of detail.” Pearce visited Middleton’s studio to sit for the portrait on weekends while filming in Melbourne. Middleton drew upon her knowledge of European oil painting techniques from the 17th ... More
Portrait of Charles Gaines. Photo: Fredrik Nilsen. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth.
NEW YORK, NY.-Hauser & Wirth announced worldwide representation of Charles Gaines, the Los Angeles-based artist and educator lauded for his contributions to the evolution of conceptual art and the emergence of the LA art scene. Gaines holds a unique place in the narrative of modern and contemporary art: A pioneer of Conceptual Art, he has since the 1970s been one of the few African-American artists to eschew overt political expressionism in favor of abstraction, aesthetics, and philosophy as tools to explore perception, objectivity, identity, and relationships as political issues. His exquisitely original and diverse practice spans photography, drawing, installation, and music in a rigorous investigation of systems, cognition, and language that has unfolded over more than five decades. Born in 1944 in Charleston, South Carolina, Gaines began his career as a painter, earning his MFA from the ... More
Quote A man paints with his brains and not with his hands. Michelangelo Buonarroti
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Museum of Fine Arts, Boston announces new curatorial appointments BOSTON, MASS.- Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has announced several new curatorial appointments. Anne E. Havinga has been promoted to Estrellita and Yousuf Karsh Chair, Department of Photography, while Christine Kondoleon has been promoted to George D. and Margo Behrakis Chair, Art of Ancient Greece and Rome. Additionally, Akili Tommasino has been appointed as the Associate Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art, and will begin his new position at the MFA in October. Havinga began her career at the MFA nearly three decades ago, becoming the Museum’s first curator of photographs in 2001. She has organized more than 35 exhibitions over the years—including, most recently, Alfred Stieglitz and Modern America; In the Wake: Japanese Photographers Respond to 3/11 (co-curated ... More
Last chance to see: James Cook: The Voyages at the British Library LONDON.- Marking 250 years since the Endeavour set sail from Plymouth, James Cook: The Voyages (open until 28 August 2018) explores Captain James Cook’s three world-changing voyages through stunning artworks, iconic maps and original journal accounts created on board ship. Bringing together the most important surviving records of all three voyages for the first time in a generation, the British Library exhibition features: • James Cook’s journals and logbooks, including his account of his landing at Botany Bay in Australia and the first crossing of the Antarctic Circle • 80 stunning original artworks by exhibition artists including Sydney Parkinson (first voyage), William Hodges (second voyage) and John Webber (third voyage) • The only surviving drawings by Tupaia, the Polynesian high priest and navigator who joined the first voyage at Tahiti, displayed ... More
DeCordova awards Rappaport Prize to Titus Kaphar LINCOLN, MASS.-DeCordova announced Titus Kaphar as the nineteenth recipient of the prestigious Rappaport Prize, an annual award of $25,000 given to a contemporary artist with strong connections to New England and a proven record of achievement. The Rappaport Prize, established in 2000, is one of the most generous contemporary art awards of its kind. In 2010, the Rappaport Prize was endowed in perpetuity by the Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation, assuring the ongoing support of contemporary art and artists in New England. “I’m excited for deCordova to award this year’s Rappaport Prize to Titus Kaphar,” says deCordova Executive Director John B. Ravenal. “He’s an exceptional artist and a visible advocate for social justice and community engagement. I’ve long admired his work, especially how he brings together ... More
Flying Doctor lands at the National Museum of Australia CANBERRA.- An historic 1960s medical chest and an innovative early pedal generator and radio transceiver used on remote outback homesteads, feature in a new exhibit at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, celebrating the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s (RFDS) 90th year. Commemorating the ingenuity and commitment of the 1928 founders of the RFDS, the exhibit explores the way transport and communication networks have connected Australians across our vast continent. The RFDS CEO Dr Martin Laverty said the development of the Flying Doctor 90 years ago reflected a demand for the service, which is still needed today to bring vital primary health and emergency care to rural and remote Australia. ‘Through a partnership with the National Museum of Australia we are excited to create an exhibit that tells the historical and contemporary significance ... More
Rubbish-collecting crows a star attraction at French theme park PUY-DU-FOU(AFP).- Visitors to a theme park in western France this week have a new attraction to enjoy: six crows that have been specially trained to pick up cigarette ends and rubbish. The birds have been in action since Monday at the Puy du Fou park, picking up litter on the site that features shows and rides themed around different periods of history. The black rooks, a member of the crow family, were chosen for their intelligence and have been trained to take small items of litter to a special wooden box in exchange for a tasty nugget of bird food for each deposit. There have been some instances of cheating, however, with some of the crows attempting to steal rubbish from others to win the rewards. "It's ecological, it's practical and it's fun to see," Swiss tourist Dorothee Haefliger told AFP. The managers of the park say the experiment is designed to make ... More
Britain's brightest artists to compete in The Harley Open WELBECK.- The search for Britain’s most exciting artists has been launched by The Harley Gallery on the Welbeck estate in Sherwood Forest. Artists of all ages and experience are invited to enter their work into ‘The Harley Open’, which has a top prize of £1000 for the biennial competition. Encouraged to let their imagination run riot, entries can be serious or funny, detailed or abstract, traditional or contemporary, but must be able to be wall-mounted and have been made by the artist in the past two years. Entry is open to both professional and leisure artists working in any medium. Artworks must be submitted between 2-6 January 2019 before judging by an expert panel who will choose the prize winners. Around 140 of the entries will be selected to go on show in a special exhibition running at The Harley Gallery from 19 January until 24 March and expected to attract ... More
IFSE presents Study on the Situation of Artists in Berlin and the Gender Gap BERLIN.- The Institute for Strategy Development (IFSE), in cooperation with the Professional Association of Visual Artists Berlin (bbk berlin), publishes the results of its study on artists in Berlin. After New York, Berlin is the most important contemporary art production centre worldwide. Under what conditions do artists live in this city? The IFSE addresses this question concerning the situation of Berlin’s artists within the scope of this study. After the first study in 2011 with a focus on the increasing shortage of space for artistic practice in Berlin, the Gender Pay Gap in visual arts will now be highlighted. The nationwide IFSE study on art galleries (2013) already showed that women are highly underrepresented in art galleries. This situation has hardly changed since: In the current study of artists in Germany's most important city of fine arts, the average number of solo ... More
Caroline Fowler named associate director of the Clark's Research and Academic Program WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS.-The Clark Art Institute announces the appointment of Caroline Fowler as associate director of its Research and Academic Program (RAP). Prior to joining the Clark, Fowler was the A.W. Mellon Fellow in the Physical History of Art at Yale University from 2016–2018, where she taught graduate seminars on the history and philosophy of conservation practice, and coordinated workshops and symposia that introduced graduate students to the theoretical and practical concerns of working with objects. She received her PhD from Princeton University and has held fellowships at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts in Washington, DC, the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, and the Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte in Munich. “Caroline Fowler is an exceptional scholar who brings many different perspectives, and great vitality ... More
Aretha Franklin - Think (The Blues Brothers 1980)
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On a day like today, Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez was born
