Season For Art

A survey of 20 museums across the country revealed that most museums are experiencing a rise in attendance. According to a recent article this trend holds true for institutions requiring payment as well as those that offer free admission.

I was a little surprised to learn that not only has there been an increase in attendance during hard economic times, but the museums that have benefited the most are the contemporary art museums. It appears that contemporary art is currently a hot item at auction houses as well as at museums.

One of the museums that has benefited from this increase in attendance is the Chicago Museum of Art. It’s believed the increase in visitors at this museum is due to its location, recent expansion, many choosing to stay close to home and various other reasons.

This holiday season may be a great time to visit a local or museum that is not too far away.

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Discovering Van Gogh

There has always been a great deal of interest and fascination with the life and work of master artist Vincent van Gogh. I recently had an opportunity to view a video on the behind-the-scene work being done at the Van Gogh Museum. Technical research is being done on the paintings and drawings of Vincent van Gogh.

The project begain in 2005 and seeks to find answers to how this self-taught artists acquired his knowledge. Van Gogh was known to experiment with various materials. Not only Van Gogh’s work is being studied but also his contemporaries.

The Van Gogh Museum should be congratulated for their efforts to unveil the mysteries of one of the greatest artist of all time. I find it amazing that we continue to discover new information about one of the great artist of the Post-Impressionist period.

More information on van Gogh and the research being done can be found on Art Babble.

You will find art books on Van Gogh and other artists, art catalogs, books and magazine back issues at Nella’s Books and Collectibles.

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Sky-High Prices for Warhol

A recent article stated that one of Andy Warhol's first silk-screen prints sold at Sotheby's for an extraordinary amount. This silk-screen print was one of Warhols first. The item that sold was "200 One Dollar Bills". This item sold for about 43 million dollars.

What is remarkable about this purchase is not only the amount it sold for but what it also may mean for the U.S. art market. It is not unusual for Warhol's work to go for a large amount of money. I believe the record for a piece of his work for over 71 million dollars in 2007. Recently more expensive art work has not done well. Many are hoping that the art market is turning around.

You will find art books, art auction catalogs and magazine back issues at Nella's Books and Collectibles.

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Collecting Art

I recently read about a great art collection that was destroyed in a fire. The last I heard, the cause of this great catstrophe was not known. I of course have a lot of sympathy for the owner who had spent years discovering great artists both known and unknown and collecting their work.

I began to think about why people collect. How do they decide what to collect? What do these collections mean to them. In my research I discovered that collecting the work of living artists for private commercial reasons or for pleasure began in the 17th century in Holland. The private collectors became more prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many great masterpieces of the Renaissance and the 17th century were sold to foreign art collectors.

The popularity of collecting art was said to have created competition for artists. They felt a great need to live up to comparisons that would be made between them, the major artists of the past, as well as the current artists.

You will find art auction catalogs, exhibition catalogs, art books and magazine back issues at Nella’s Books and Collectibles.


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The Last Word on Van Gogh

It seems that we cannot get enough information about Van Gogh. I know I have written a few times about this remarkable artists work and strange life. I just learned about a new publication on Van Gogh.

You might ask yourself as I have, what is left to say about this artist? Many books have been written and movies have been made. Apparently, there were letters left that untouched until most recently. Van Gogh’s Letters, is published in six volumes. Although the letters were noted some time ago, it appears that some newly uncovered information has been discovered. A few new letters have been found and some information missing from material presented in the past has been included. I believe this is to be the last word on Van Gogh.

I love reading and learning about one of the most mysterious artists of all times. I’m not sure I’m ready to tackle six volumes.

You will find art books on Van Gogh and other artists, art catalogs, books and magazine back issues at Nella’s Books and Collectibles.


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No Guarantees

I was looking through one of my newly acquired auction catalogs and I was stunned by the wording “No Guarantee of Authenticity”.

This catalog contained many valuable Asian decorative art pieces. Among the many items in this beautifully illustrated catalog were Japanese and Chinese paintings. The statement of No Guarantee of Authenticity was made with reference to the paintings. The auction house does state that if you can demonstrate “forgery” within a designated period of time you can claim a refund.

I find this to be a little strange. If I’m making a purchase of an item that is suppose to be of value and pay a great price for it, I would not expect to have to verify its authenticity. I suppose in the world of art things are a bit.

You will find art auction catalogs, exhibition catalog, books and magazine back issues at Nella’s Books and Collectibles.

www.nellasbooksandcollectibles.ecrater.com

Not Really a Fake

I read an article recently about an unusual discovery in the art world. A work of art originally thought to be a fake is now after further examination considered to be an original work of art. The painting first thought to be the work of the notorious 20th century faker Van Meegeren at the Courtauld Institute Galleries is not a fake.

It seems that the Courtauld Institute acquired a painting, The Procuress, thought to be a Van Meegeren fake that was recovered by the Dutch. There was not a significant amount of investigating at the time to confirm that this work was created by fake artist Van Meegeren.

I find it interesting that when this painting was given to the Courtauld in 1960 it was just accepted that this was truly a Van Meegeren fake. There was little investigation of its origin. This picture was part of a touring show on fakes in 1952-53 before being acquired by Courtauld. This work was loaned out to 3 different galleries over the years. It is now believed after close examination and investigation by the experts, this work is the 17th century version of The Procuress by Baburen.

You will find a catalog from the Courtauld Institute along with other great art catalogs, books and magazine back issues at Nella’s Books and Collectibles.

www.nellasbooksandcollectibles.ecrater.com