The challenge is bringing the 1955 canvas — an example from de Kooning’s celebrated but also contested “Woman” series, known for their grotesque, even savage renderings of the female nude — back to near-original condition. Ulrich Birkmaier, the Getty Museum’s senior paintings conservator, and Tom Learner, the Getty Conservation Institute’s head of science, have teamed up for the project. They expect the process to take at least a year. – The New York Times
Tag: 03.13.19
Tulsa Symphony’s New Executive Director: Keith Elder Of Aspen Festival
“Keith C. Elder, whose career as a performing arts administrator has included stints with such prestigious organizations as the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Eastman School of Music, has been named the new executive director of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra.” – Tulsa World
Why Would Someone Pay Millions For A Copy Of The Mona Lisa?
In Sotheby’s recent New York Old Master sale, a copy of the Mona Lisa soared past its estimate of $80,000-$100,000 to sell for $1.69m. It seems extraordinary that someone would pay so much for a copy (in fact, that’s probably an auction record for any copy). Then there is the fact that the painting had been offered privately before the auction for considerably less, but with no takers. Some have seen the transaction as suspicious. – The Art Newspaper
CEO Of Cartier: The Arts Define Who We Are
“Whether it is photography, painting, sculpture, or design, the arts define who we are at Cartier. Some of our creations were directly linked to the aesthetics of the Mughal period in India with Cartier looking less to local jewelry and more to miniature paintings. Also, geometric shapes found in Islamic Art inspired the designs of some of our accessories and the ornamental “guilloché” patterns in our watches. Art motifs enter Cartier’s vocabulary and then we use them in intuitive ways, on products without a logo or in the architecture of our booths or boutiques, so that our clients feel they are walking into Cartier’s universe.” – Artnet
Why Are There So Many Movies About Horny Dancers Going Insane And Killing Each Other?
Just in the past year, there’s been Red Sparrow, Suspiria, and Climax. “What is it about dancers that inspires filmmakers to depict them in various forms of total destruction? And, most importantly, how closely do these films hew to real life? In other words, are all dancers really just horny, deranged murderers?” Rachel Handler asks a couple of real-life dancers for the truth. – Vulture
The 25 Top-Earning Authors Of The Past Ten Years
The top name on the list pulled in $290 million more than the runner-up, who in turn grossed just over twice as much as number three. The takeaway? “Franchises make money, and so do adaptations, but if you want to be a literary millionaire, you really have to write a) for children or b) a mystery (or romance) that strikes fear (or lust) in the hearts of the world.” (But isn’t there anyone writing in Chinese, Spanish, or Hindi who’s sold enough books to qualify?) – Literary Hub
Sexing Up Female-Female Relationships For Biopics Isn’t Enough? Now They’re Adding Fake Lesbian Lovers To Movies About Real People
“The latest sapphic storyline to get tongues a-wagging” is Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet as paleontologist Mary Anning and Saoirse Ronan as her entirely fictional lover. Laments Guardian writer (and lesbian) Hannah Jane Parkinson, “It is immensely damaging that LGBTQ relationships are being fetishised for entertainment – and depressing to think that the mass audiences may not be interested in women unless they’re in bed together.” – The Guardian
Harper Lee Hated Monroeville, Ala. For Turning Her ‘Into A Tourist Attraction Like Graceland Or Elvis’: Letter
“The hypocrites in charge, not a one of whom I know, say they are doing this to ‘honor’ me. What they are doing is trying to drown me in their own bad taste, and are embarrassing me beyond endurance.” – The Guardian
Adding Up What The Government Shutdown Cost Museums
“In that time, the Smithsonian — 19 museums including the Cooper Hewitt design museum in New York and the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) and National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, along with the National Zoo — lost an estimated 1 million visitors. … Although national museums (except the Cooper Hewitt) offer free entry, the Smithsonian lost an estimated $3.4m in gross revenue from its gift shops, concessions and IMAX film screenings.” – The Art Newspaper
Thieves Stole €3M Brueghel From Italian Church — But It Was A Copy Put There By The Cops
“The bona fide version of The Crucifixion, donated to Santa Maria Maddalena church in the small Ligurian town of Castelnuovo Magra more than a century ago, was safely stored away last month as part of a carefully concocted bluff.” – The Guardian