A previously unknown watercolour painting attributed to British artist J.M.W. Turner, submitted by a member of the public through Christie's digital appraisal service, is set to go under the hammer in New York with an estimated value of $300,000 to $500,000. The painting, titled "The approach to Venice or Venice from the lagoon" (circa 1840), was reattributed to Turner by Christie's experts after being submitted for appraisal.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/01/09/watercolour-submitted-online-to-christies-found-to-be-by-turnerThe Australian art market remained stable and solid in 2024 despite global economic pressures. The year saw the sale of several notable works, including John Peter Russell's Cruach en Mahr, Matin, Belle-Île-en-Mer (c1905), which sold for $4 million at Deutscher and Hackett's auction house. This sale was part of a larger trend in 2024 where artworks were being bought by private collectors, with some notable examples including the purchase of Maurizio Cattelan's Comedian by crypto founder Justin Sun for $9.6 million. The art market is expected to continue this trend in 2025, with works from private collections re-emerging and a focus on high-quality pieces.
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/this-is-what-australian-art-collectors-splashed-out-on-in-2024-20241216-p5kyod.htmlHong Kong's culture officials can learn from the city's evolving pop culture, which has the potential to be a source of soft power if its creative economy is developed from the grassroots. The recent sale of a satirical artwork featuring a banana taped to a wall for US$6.2 million highlights the value of embracing and nurturing the city's unique cultural identity. Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, Hong Kong's new Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, can draw inspiration from this example as she works to develop the city's creative economy.
https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3291936/what-hong-kongs-culture-officials-can-learn-banana-wall?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionA painting by Vincent van Gogh, "Portrait of Dr Gachet", sold for $US82.5 million at a Christie's auction in Manhattan on May 15, 1990, setting the record for the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction. The painting was completed just weeks before Van Gogh's death by suicide and depicts his physician, Dr Paul Gachet, in his garden.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/the-search-for-van-gogh-s-lost-masterpiece-20241220-p5l01e.htmlA charity art auction was held at the Sheraton Grand Ballroom, featuring works from both established and emerging Filipino artists. The event showcased a range of pieces, including contemporary and traditional art, highlighting the talent and cultural heritage of the Philippines.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/12/19/tmt-newswire/sheraton-manila-bay-holds-a-successful-art-in-gathering-2024/2023897In December, the cities of Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Shunde in southern China's Greater Bay Area hosted an unofficial art week with four concurrent art fairs and numerous exhibitions. The event drew art enthusiasts from Shanghai and Beijing to the region, which boasts a mild winter climate that proved attractive to collectors from the northern hemisphere. Art Shenzhen, now in its 11th edition, welcomed a record-breaking 86 exhibitors, including prominent galleries such as ShanghART Gallery and Beijing Commune.
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3290615/guangdongs-contemporary-art-scene-taking-decembers-unofficial-art-week-shows?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionArtmark Auction House set a new record for the Romanian art market with its winter auction in Bucharest, where Nicolae Grigorescu's "Țărăncuță odihnindu-se" sold for EUR 365,000. The painting surpassed Grigorescu's previous record of EUR 340,000 and became the highest-priced work sold in Romania since 1990. The sale was part of a total of over EUR 1.375 million in sales, with an 80% success rate for lots. Other notable works included Eustațiu Stoenescu's "Concert la Ateneu (dirijat de George Enescu)", which sold for EUR 47,500 and exceeded the artist's previous record of EUR 36,000.
https://www.romania-insider.com/new-record-romanian-art-market-artmark-grigorescu-dec-2024The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has consigned 17 deaccessioned paintings by Dutch and Flemish artists to be sold at auction at Christie's in New York, with estimates suggesting they could fetch between $2.5m and $3.8m. The works include pieces by notable artists such as Rubens, Rembrandt, and van Dyck, which were donated to the museum by Boston-area couples Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo and Susan and Matthew Weatherbie in 2017. The proceeds from the sale will go towards future acquisitions for the Dutch and Flemish collection at the MFA Boston.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/12/12/museum-fine-arts-boston-deaccessioned-old-masters-christies-auctionAt the first day of Art Basel Miami Beach on December 4, collector Komal Shah purchased a painting by Vivien Zhang from dealer Pilar Corrias within 20 minutes of the fair's doors opening to VIPs. This marked one of several major sales at the event, giving cause for cautious optimism in the art market, which had seen a decline in sales for almost two years.
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3289638/art-basel-miami-beach-2024-sees-big-crowds-and-some-big-sales-following-art-market-slump?module=top_story&pgtype=section