Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s extensive art collection, looted by the Nazis during their reign of terror in Europe, is the subject of another lawsuit, filed by his heirs. At issue is an iconic Picasso painting known as “Madame Soler.” The Mendelssohn dynasty included famed composer Felix Mendelssohn and Enlightenment philosopher Moses Mendelssohn....
Eugene Delacroix’s homage to the French Revolution, entitled “Liberty Leading the People” has been defaced by a “9/11 truther,” raising questions once again about museum security and public access to priceless works of art. The 29-year-old woman used an indelible maker to write “AE911″ on the 1830 painting, one of the best known symbols of the 18th century Gallic upheaval....
Surrealist drawings by iconic artists such as Salvador Dalí, René Magritte and Joan Miró are on view at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York in a stunning new exhibit entitled “Drawing Surrealism.” ...
Sau-Wing Lam’s collection of rare Italian string instruments will go on display for the first time in the United States at the Metropolitan Museum of Art later this month. The collection includes rare violins by Antonio Stradivari. Sau-Wing worked as president of the Dah Chong Hong Trading Corp., Inc. in New York City, an import-export business. An amateur violinist and violist, Lam bought his first important violin in the 1960s and over the 25 years assembled his impressive collection of stringed instruments and bows....
Abraham Roentgen was known throughout Europe for fine cabinetmaking starting in the mid-1700s, when he established his shop in Germany. Today, Roentgen’s works are hailed as masterpieces, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art has gathered nearly 60 exquisite pieces, many of which have never been seen outside of Europe, for a special exhibition in New York....
Albrecht Dürer is German's dominant artist from a period spanning almost 300 years in Central European development. But a new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art showcases the works of other who shaped German, Swiss, Austrian, and early Bohemian drawings. The exhibition of artists were active before 1700 in the Holy Roman Empire runs from Apr. 3 through Sept. 3, 2012....
The Guggenheim Museum in New York wants to expand its global footprint with a dramatic $178 million museum on the waterfront in Helsinki, Finland. It would join facilities in Italy, Spain, Germany and the United Arab Emirates....
Fu Baoshi, one of the most renowned modern artists in China and a favorite of Chairman Mao, will be featured in a new Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibit. He painted during on of China's most tumultuous periods....
Douglas Druick, a curator at The Art Institute of Chicago, was named president of the prestigious facility after serving as interim president following the departure of James Cuno in June....
The American Museum of Natural History is showcasing new imaging technology the uncovers the once-hidden, intricate details of both natural phenomena and cultural artifacts. The exhibit features more than 20 sets of striking large-format prints....
New York’s Museum of Modern Art is taking a stand for artistic freedom with a controversial exhibit of David Wojnarowicz’s video artwork “A Fire in My Belly.” Catholics and Republican lawmakers forced its withdrawal from the National Portrait Gallery in November....
An ancient Egyptian obelisk, long a fixture in New York City's Central Park. could be on its way back to Egypt, if city officials don't take better care of it....
A painting by Dutch post-Impressionist Vincent Van Gogh, worth an estimated $55 million, was stolen for the second time from a Egyptian museum. Investigators are looking into the possibility the theft was an inside job....
The famed "Batta-Piatigorsky" 'cello made by legendary Antonio Stradivari is one of the highlights of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's newly reopened André Mertens Galleries for Musical Instruments....
A woman who fell into a Picasso and tore a six inch hole in the canvas, raises the delicate question, about how accessible rare works should be in a public museum....
The French art world has been unended in recent weeks by daring thefts of master works and disruptions at its top museums by workers upset by cost cuts....
