Art World News

Meticulously Animated in Stop-Motion, ‘Up in Smoke’ Warns of Impending Climate Catastrophe from Burning Fossil Fuels

Meticulously Animated in Stop-Motion, ‘Up in Smoke’ Warns of Impending Climate Catastrophe from Burning Fossil Fuels



A lone figure navigates swiftly vanishing terrain in a moving new stop-motion video from NOMINT (previously). Produced for WWF and presented this week as part of COP28, “Up in Smoke” follows a young woman as she floats on a melting ice floe, watches her home disintegrate, and witnesses wild animals unable to escape the toxic fumes.

A year in the making, the film included a full month dedicated to shooting entirely in-camera. “We employed a unique production process, integrating stop-motion animation with real smoke and using a full-color, 3D-printing technique to create over 700 unique sculptures for different poses of the girl,” the studio says.

“Up in Smoke” is set to a moving rendition of “When the Party’s Over” by The Social Singing Choir from Margate, originally performed by Billie Eilish and written by Finneas O’Connell. The song exposes the dynamic of an unhealthy relationship, emphasizing how unclear or deceptive messages lead to an emotional tug-of-war about the future.

As the scenes unfold, the central character bounds away from a plume of smoke, which destroys everything in its path. We’re reminded that burning fossil fuels is the primary driver of the climate crisis, and world leaders are encouraged to end reliance on coal, oil, and gas in favor of renewable energy.

Explore more work by NOMINT on the studio’s website, and learn more about the COP28 World Climate Action Summit.

 

All images © NOMINT, shared with permission

A gif from a stop-animation film depicting a young woman watching a silhouetted house fly off the ground in a plume of smoke and break apart.

A film still from a stop-animation film depicting a young woman running through a dark space, chased by a plume of smoke.

A gif from a stop-animation film depicting a young woman standing in a dark space, standing on a quickly-melting ice floe.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Meticulously Animated in Stop-Motion, ‘Up in Smoke’ Warns of Impending Climate Catastrophe from Burning Fossil Fuels appeared first on Colossal.

Class of 2023: Meghna Vemuri fashions a promising career path in a fie

Class of 2023: Meghna Vemuri fashions a promising career path in a fie

Meghna Vemuri was a high school sophomore when she realized she wanted to pursue a career in the fashion industry. But would her parents approve?

“I took marketing and entrepreneurship classes and always centered the topics of my projects around the fashion industry,” said the Fairfax native. “So, I started to do a lot of research on careers in fashion and decided it was what I wanted to pursue.”

By senior year, she was taking a fashion careers course — learning basic skills in fashion illustration, sewing and marketing — when professors from Virginia Commonwealth University visited to talk about its Fashion Design + Merchandising program.

It was exactly what Vemuri was looking for and, as an added plus, VCU was in-state. It seemed perfect. For Vemuri. But her family was another matter.

“I really had to convince [them],” she said. “I come from a family with very traditional career paths, and they were concerned about me pursuing fashion because they were scared that I wouldn’t have many career opportunities.”

Luckily she was able to convince them to let her attend VCU, where she has thrived majoring in fashion merchandising with a minor in general business.

Among her many accomplishments was co-leading the model committee for the 2023 VCUarts Fashion Event: Access – Runway Show at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in May, which she called an “amazing opportunity.” She also helped plan and facilitate events leading up to the Model Call, Jury, and Fittings show, as well as run back-of-house on the day of the show.

“The best part of this experience was working with my amazing team and working with all the designers and design professors,” Vemuri said. “It’s not often that merchandising gets to work so directly with the designers and their work, and I had so much fun being a part of this experience to showcase their achievements. I met so many amazing people and learned how to lead effectively and execute a professional fashion runway.” 

This past summer, Vemuri studied abroad in Florence, Italy, at the Santa Reparata International School of Art. “It was an incredible experience where I expanded my global viewpoints and gained so much creative inspiration from Italian art, fashion and culture,” she said. 

Vemuri had just as many impressive experiences stateside, she said, while working with her professors at VCU.

“All the professors in the fashion department are such amazing and dedicated people, so I feel lucky to have been able to be taught by this amazing array of faculty,” she said, noting that Tammy Davis and Deidra Arrington were particularly influential for her.

Davis teaches advanced event planning and her positive attitude affected Vemuri greatly.

“I had some difficulty assuming a leadership position in this course, and [Davis] always encouraged me and set an example for how to lead through kindness and respect,” Vemuri said. “Her humor and wittiness shone through the stories she told us about her many experiences, through which I learned lessons on how to stand up for myself and navigate the professional world.”

Arrington is not only the department chair, but also an associate professor who organized the Fashion Scholarship Fund case study program.

“I think I speak for everyone in the department when I say Professor Arrington is the warmest, most compassionate person ever,” Vemuri said. “Having her as a professor and mentor in the FSF program, I learned how to expand my perspective and think critically about my ideas in order to create an impact through my work. I look up to her so much and her unwavering support and words of advice will always stick with me.”

After graduating this semester, Vemuri will continue working as a freelance trend forecasting researcher for Fashion Snoops and make her way to New York, a dream she’s had for as long as she can remember. She visited the city in September for New York Fashion Week and volunteered for Sami Miro and Dur Doux.

“I loved every minute of it,” she said. “I’m drawn to the vibrancy of the city and the amalgamation of art, people and culture, and want to be a part of it.”

The VCU School of the Arts helped Vemuri grow in ways she never could have imagined, she said. And her family has embraced her career path. “Although they were nervous about me pursuing fashion, they are my biggest supporters, and I am so grateful that I was able to attend VCU to pursue what I love. … I have learned so much during my time here and am excited to open a new chapter in my life!”

How Samsung Has Led Innovations in Digital Signage for 14 Years

How Samsung Has Led Innovations in Digital Signage for 14 Years

The role of digital signage has evolved exponentially over the last decade. While previously only seen in boardrooms and airport directories, use cases now expand far beyond, from quick serve restaurant drive-throughs to digital out-of-home (DOOH) locations like stadiums and malls. Due in part to its flexibility and versatility, traditional technology like whiteboards in the classroom and projectors in meeting rooms are being swapped out for digital signage that’s driving immersive experiences and creating opportunity for users and consumers everywhere.

Samsung Smart Signages have advanced immersion across various fields in 2023

As customers enter businesses and venues, they are immediately greeted by striking images of digital signage. These signage solutions are becoming a common sight across diverse industries, from the buzzing atmosphere of hotels and sports stadiums to the inspiring spaces of educational institutions and art galleries. They enrich customer experiences in every setting.

Digital signage is no longer perceived as a mere advertising display – it’s so much more. It has become one of the most sought-after media platforms for personalized information, content, education, sports, art, and more. These digital signage applications not only change the look and feel of the environment, but captivate and leave a lasting impression on its viewers.


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As the role of signage in everyday life continues to evolve, so evolves the depth of the market itself, too. According to Fortune Business Insight, the digital signage market is expected to grow to more than $35 billion by 2026.1 Along with the industry’s substantial growth, Samsung Electronics has maintained its number one position in the market for 14 consecutive years,2 and continues to expand the boundaries of digital signage with its unrivalled technology.

Let’s take a look at how Samsung has continued to lead the global industry for 14 consecutive years during the heyday of digital signage.

More than a Background: Becoming Part of the Experience in Historic Monuments, Sports Arenas, and Ultra-Luxury Resorts

In today’s world, organizations across sectors aren’t just adopting new technologies – they are embracing a total experience that provides an integrated approach that combines internal and external facets of their operations. According to Gartner, it’s expected that by 2024, organizations providing a total experience will outperform competitors by 25% in satisfaction metrics, impacting both customer and employee experiences.3 Similarly, Samsung supports projects from inception to completion in a number of ways including mechanical design and training, site surveys, product delivery, and installation, ensuring customers are equipped with the tools to be successful.

In times of such transformation, digital signage plays a pivotal role. A perfect example can be found in the heart of Vatican City. At the historic St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, visitors gather from all corners of the world for a once in a lifetime ceremony from the Pope.

Visitors and worshippers can clearly view the proceedings through Samsung’s outdoor LED signage (XHB series, two measuring 7.935m x 4.83m and two measuring 5.865m x 3.105m) at St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City

Enhancing this once-in-a-lifetime experience, Samsung has integrated advanced signage solutions seamlessly by installing four high-precision LED displays. The result is a dramatically improved experience for all in attendance, regardless of their physical positioning. Paired with audio solutions that deliver crystal clear sound, the technology ensures the Pope’s message resonates profoundly with everyone at the event.

In addition to bringing events closer to attendees, Samsung’s innovative technology turns any space into an immersive experience, filled with vivid colors, crystal clear picture quality and dynamic content. Capturing guest attention and ensuring a great experience is vital for any high-end destination. Digital signage solutions are a great tool for enabling this attraction and retention. A prime example of this in action is at one of the world’s top resorts, Atlantis the Royal in Dubai, with Samsung’s premium technology installed across the property.

Samsung LED signage behind lobby fish tanks
An awe-inspiring sight greets resort guests, made possible by Samsung LED signage installed behind the lobby fish tanks.
woman holding remote control for Samsung The Wall in hotel suite
Samsung’s innovative modular Micro LED display, The Wall enhances the hotel’s most luxurious guest suite, the Royal Mansion, measuring 146 inches with 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution.

Every moment of a guest’s stay is filled with awe-inspiring imagery and impressive displays for a one-of-a-kind experience – whether on their journey to the spa or in the hotel’s lobby where guests are met with the largest indoor LED displays installed on three large water tanks, projecting breath-taking scenes including a rainbow of fish swimming in the sea.

These displays also create an overwhelming atmosphere when bold content is paired with advanced technology. In Minute Maid Park – home of the Houston Astros, part of the US baseball league – Samsung upgraded impressive 6,875-square-foot primary scoreboard, left-field scoreboard and ribbon boards. Similarly, in Switzerland’s Swiss Life Arena, Samsung deployed display solutions including the largest indoor LED cube in Europe. As the most modern ice hockey arena in Switzerland, Swiss Life provides a drastically improved fan experience and enhanced operational efficiency thanks to Samsung.

Samsung LED display at Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park displays the impressive 6,875 square-foot scoreboard, giving fans a crystal-clear view from every seat in the house. It’s part of the larger videoboard that spans an impressive eight stories, featuring 5.3 million stunning LEDs designed to digitally enhance the fan experience.
Samsung LED Cube display at a hockey game at Swiss Life Arena
The central LED Cube display at Swiss Life Arena — measuring 12(w)x12(d)x8(h) meters — is the principal element of the fan experience with 416m² of the LED signage. Any one of the 12,000 seats within the area have a stunning view of the display.
More than Hands-on: A Transformative Education Experience with Samsung Smart Signage

Digital signage is powerful and has the ability to draw in a viewer, captivate them, and bring them to another world – it provides a truly transformative experience. This impact is felt across industries and when we look at the education space in particular, signage has made immeasurable improvements.

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Samsung partnered with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David to launch an unparalleled learning environment. The Immersive Room, equipped with 18 meters of Samsung LED screens across three walls provides incredible picture quality, detail, contrast, and color reproduction. Most importantly, its 12K image resolution empowers the University to push the boundaries of learning as the LED screens create virtual and augmented reality experiences and present a futuristic learning environment utilizing digital signage.

The University of Wales’ immersive space was an “Education Project of the Year” Finalist at the AV Awards 2023, recognized for the innovation it brings to education.

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University of Wales Trinity Saint David transforms education with a state-of-the-art immersive room and impressive learning spaces. The three LED walls that make up the immersive space are equipped with 18 meters of Samsung LED signages.

Similarly, Syracuse University in the US deployed The Wall in its S.I Newhouse School of Public Communications, drawing in prospective students by highlighting students’ accomplishments and the school’s world-class learning environment. The Wall creates a ‘wow factor,’ leaving a lasting impression during campus tours.

student-spotlight-the-wall-syracuse-university
The Wall showcases inspiring stories of Syracuse student achievements and accomplishments, helping prospective students envision their successful future at the University.

Now, teachers can begin their lessons sooner, and spend more time creating immersive, connected learning experience for students. This impact isn’t going unnoticed, and in fact, Samsung announced the new Interactive Display (Model name: WAC) designed for simplicity and students at British Educational Training and Technology, the world’s largest education technology exhibition and International Society for Technology in Education this year.

When we think back on the impact Samsung has had on education, it’s apparent that it comes in all forms. Samsung’s interactive display, Flip Pro, provides an extended learning experience for teachers and students at the Hogg New Tech Center in Dallas, Texas.

With its comprehensive range of display solutions from The Wall and LED signage, to Interactive displays, Samsung was also recognized as the Best Overall IT Solution Provider for the Education Market by the 2023 EdTech Breakthrough Awards.

young girl drawing on Samsung Flip Pro
Hogg New Tech Center uses Samsung Flip Pro interactive display (Model name: WMB) to facilitate interactive learning and collaboration through multi-touch features and various connectivity options.
More than a Vision: Bringing Ideas to Life As a Digital Art Platform

Whether with a global audience or at a local school, Samsung’s immersive environments power learning, celebrations, content consumption and much more. But digital signage is an art too, and as Samsung continues to embrace its role as a media art platform, it’s enabling creatives to truly bring their vision to life.

The Wall for Virtual Production (Model name: IVC), which launched earlier this year, is an example of how companies, producers and creatives alike are creating and displaying their art with unparalleled quality. This addition to The Wall product line up enables creatives to use ultra-large LED walls to create virtual content, integrating them with real-time visual effects technology to reduce the time and cost of content production. The latest addition to The Wall series makes production faster and easier in TV, film and other industries, and was highlighted during industry events including InfoComm 2023 and IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) 2023.

man looking at an ocean displayed on Samsung The Wall for Virtual Production
The Wall for Virtual Production makes production faster and easier in TV, film, and other creative industries.

Samsung is bringing other art forms to life too. Recently, it displayed a masterpiece by contemporary Korean art leader, the late Park Seo-Bo, on The Wall All-in-One (IAB model) at New York’s Rockefeller Center. The first digital rendition of Park Seo-Bo’s iconic “Écriture” series (Video art title: [1 OF 0], directed by Jifan Park) is on The Wall’s immersive 146-inch 4K screen. The Wall All-in-One provides an awe-inspiring visual experience that replicates the intense colors and intricate textures of Park’s painting, allowing visitors to be fully immersed in the artwork. Dutch-American audiovisual artist, 0010×0010, also held an exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand that redefined the boundaries of modern art and explores the convergence of the digital and physical worlds – all by utilizing The Wall All-in-One.

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The first digital rendition of the late Park Seo-Bo’s iconic “Écriture” series (Video art title: [1 OF 0], directed by Jifan Park) is on The Wall’s immersive 146-inch 4K screen.

Samsung’s Smart Signage is revolutionizing various sectors by creating immersive, interactive environments in every corner of the world. Whether it’s an ultra-luxury resort in Dubai, an immersive and futuristic classroom at the University of Wales, or a video art exhibition by a renowned artist, Samsung’s Smart Signage is making profound impacts globally, and our lives more colorful and enriching. This journey, spanning over the last 14 years, has continuously redefined the very experience of digital communication, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Samsung’s Smart Signage, which has been ranked No. 1 in the industry for 14 consecutive years.

[1] Fortune Business Insights; The global digital signage market size stood at USD 19.78 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 35.94 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period (2019-2026)

[2] Samsung has maintained its No. 1 position as the leading LCD signage brand in market share for 14 consecutive years, as reported in the Omdia Q2 2023 Public Display Report. Samsung has also been the number one in combined sales for LCD and LED signage (The LED Video Display History Report provides sales data for LED signage from 2017 onwards; comprehensive data for LED signage sales is not available prior to 2017). Note. Consumer TVs, along with Commercial Lite and Hospitality TVs used for signage are excluded.

[3] Gartner; The Total Experience Strategy for Better Retail Digital Interactions

The Art of Storytelling in Web3 Marketing

The Art of Storytelling in Web3 Marketing

In the digital renaissance of Web3, where decentralized applications (DApps), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and DeFi platforms are redefining interactions, storytelling emerges as a pivotal tool for marketers. Crafting compelling narratives is not just about brand promotion; it’s about forging a connection in a space where technology meets people. For Web3 marketers, the ability to tell a story that resonates with both investors and users is a blend of art and strategy.

Web3, the next iteration of the internet, is built on the pillars of decentralization, blockchain technology, and token-based economics. Here, the story is not just about a product or service; it’s about a vision of the future. Effective storytelling in this space involves weaving narratives that encapsulate the ethos of decentralization, the empowerment of users, and the transformative potential of the technology.

Consider the rise of NFTs, for instance. Beyond their market value, the true allure of NFTs lies in the stories they tell — be it about artistic expression, community belonging, or digital ownership. Successful Web3 projects like CryptoPunks or Bored Ape Yacht Club aren’t just selling digital assets; they are selling a part of a broader narrative, a membership to an exclusive digital renaissance.

Crafting Stories That Resonate

The crux of storytelling in Web3 marketing is to create narratives that resonate on a personal level while highlighting the technological prowess. This involves a delicate balance. On one side, there’s the need to simplify complex blockchain concepts into stories that the average user can relate to. On the other, there’s the necessity to showcase the innovation and potential of the project to savvy investors and crypto enthusiasts.

For example, when a DeFi platform talks about yield farming or liquidity pools, the story shouldn’t just dwell on the technicalities. It should paint a picture of financial empowerment, of being part of a system that’s more inclusive and equitable than traditional finance.

Utilizing Community as Storytellers

In Web3, the community is not just an audience; it’s an active participant in the storytelling process. Leveraging platforms like X (formerly Twitter) or Discord, projects can encourage their community to share their experiences, create user-generated content, and become brand advocates. These personal stories add layers of authenticity and credibility, crucial in a space often marred by skepticism.

Take, for instance, how DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) utilize community governance. The narrative here extends beyond just decentralized decision-making; it’s about community members shaping the future of the project, a tale of collective empowerment and direct involvement.

The Role of Transparency in Storytelling

In the blockchain world, where transparency is king, stories need to reflect this value. This means being open about the project’s roadmap, its successes and setbacks, and the team’s vision and values. A transparent narrative builds trust and demonstrates a commitment to the principles of Web3.

For example, when a project undergoes a smart contract audit, sharing this story isn’t just about showcasing security measures; it’s about illustrating a commitment to protecting user interests, a narrative that builds confidence and trust in the platform.

Conclusion

In the ever-evolving landscape of Web3, the art of storytelling is a powerful marketing tool. It’s about creating narratives that not only highlight technological innovation but also resonate with the community’s aspirations and values. By mastering this art, Web3 marketers can engage both investors and users, building a loyal community that’s invested not just financially, but emotionally in the project’s success. As Web3 continues to grow, those who can tell the most compelling stories will be the ones who define its future.

In the digital renaissance of Web3, where decentralized applications (DApps), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and DeFi platforms are redefining interactions, storytelling emerges as a pivotal tool for marketers. Crafting compelling narratives is not just about brand promotion; it’s about forging a connection in a space where technology meets people. For Web3 marketers, the ability to tell a story that resonates with both investors and users is a blend of art and strategy.

Web3, the next iteration of the internet, is built on the pillars of decentralization, blockchain technology, and token-based economics. Here, the story is not just about a product or service; it’s about a vision of the future. Effective storytelling in this space involves weaving narratives that encapsulate the ethos of decentralization, the empowerment of users, and the transformative potential of the technology.

Consider the rise of NFTs, for instance. Beyond their market value, the true allure of NFTs lies in the stories they tell — be it about artistic expression, community belonging, or digital ownership. Successful Web3 projects like CryptoPunks or Bored Ape Yacht Club aren’t just selling digital assets; they are selling a part of a broader narrative, a membership to an exclusive digital renaissance.

Crafting Stories That Resonate

The crux of storytelling in Web3 marketing is to create narratives that resonate on a personal level while highlighting the technological prowess. This involves a delicate balance. On one side, there’s the need to simplify complex blockchain concepts into stories that the average user can relate to. On the other, there’s the necessity to showcase the innovation and potential of the project to savvy investors and crypto enthusiasts.

For example, when a DeFi platform talks about yield farming or liquidity pools, the story shouldn’t just dwell on the technicalities. It should paint a picture of financial empowerment, of being part of a system that’s more inclusive and equitable than traditional finance.

Utilizing Community as Storytellers

In Web3, the community is not just an audience; it’s an active participant in the storytelling process. Leveraging platforms like X (formerly Twitter) or Discord, projects can encourage their community to share their experiences, create user-generated content, and become brand advocates. These personal stories add layers of authenticity and credibility, crucial in a space often marred by skepticism.

Take, for instance, how DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) utilize community governance. The narrative here extends beyond just decentralized decision-making; it’s about community members shaping the future of the project, a tale of collective empowerment and direct involvement.

The Role of Transparency in Storytelling

In the blockchain world, where transparency is king, stories need to reflect this value. This means being open about the project’s roadmap, its successes and setbacks, and the team’s vision and values. A transparent narrative builds trust and demonstrates a commitment to the principles of Web3.

For example, when a project undergoes a smart contract audit, sharing this story isn’t just about showcasing security measures; it’s about illustrating a commitment to protecting user interests, a narrative that builds confidence and trust in the platform.

Conclusion

In the ever-evolving landscape of Web3, the art of storytelling is a powerful marketing tool. It’s about creating narratives that not only highlight technological innovation but also resonate with the community’s aspirations and values. By mastering this art, Web3 marketers can engage both investors and users, building a loyal community that’s invested not just financially, but emotionally in the project’s success. As Web3 continues to grow, those who can tell the most compelling stories will be the ones who define its future.

Thumzup® Welcomes Joey Accardo Art to its Proprietary Cash Rewards Platform

Thumzup® Welcomes Joey Accardo Art to its Proprietary Cash Rewards Platform

Available in the App Store and Google Play, Thumzup Enables Virtually Everyone to Earn Cash Rewards for Posting on Social Media about the Brands They Love

Los Angeles, CA, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Thumzup Media Corporation (“Thumzup” or the “Company”) (OTCQB: TZUP) is excited to welcome Joey Accardo Art located in Venice, CA, to its AdTech platform, where users are financially rewarded for promoting our advertising partners on social media.

The Thumzup mobile app, which is available for download in the App Store and Google Play, incentivizes virtually everyone to become social media advocates for the brands they enjoy by paying them cash for approved posts.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Joey Accardo Art, led by Joseph Accardo, to the Thumzup platform,” stated Robert Steele, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Thumzup. “Thumzup’s users are now able to earn cash while commissioning sports posters and prints from Joseph Accardo. Joey Accardo Art boasts of an impressive portfolio of replicas of Kobe Bryant, Tom Hardy, and Jerry Rice to name a few. Thumzup is excited to help keep spreading the word of Joseph Accardo’s artistry so that it can be enjoyed by many more people.”

For more information, please visit https://www.thumzupmedia.com and https://artbyaccardo.com.

About Thumzup®

Thumzup Media Corporation (Thumzup) is democratizing the multi-billion dollar social media branding and marketing industry. Its flagship product, the Thumzup platform, utilizes a robust programmatic advertiser dashboard coupled with a consumer-facing App to enable individuals to get paid cash for posting about participating advertisers on major social media outlets through the Thumzup App. The easy-to-use dashboard allows advertisers to programmatically customize their campaigns. Cash payments are made to App users/creators through Venmo and PayPal.

Thumzup is a publicly traded company (OTCQB stock ticker: TZUP). For more information, please visit https://www.thumzupmedia.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, without limitation, statements about its potential growth, impacts on the advertising industry, and planned expansion. These statements are identified by the use of the words “could,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “continue,” “predict,” “potential,” “project” and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience and present expectations or projections. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and the trading price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact Info:
800-403-6150
investors@ThumzupMedia.com

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The art market in 2023: shaky year for heavily guaranteed single-owner sales

The art market in 2023: shaky year for heavily guaranteed single-owner sales

Selling prominent single-owner collections has long been seen as a key piece of strategy at the three major auction houses. It is for this reason that Christie’s and Sotheby’s (and to a lesser extent, Phillips) regularly compete to guarantee sums from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars to secure valuable consignments from significant living collectors and the estates of storied patrons.

But results in 2023 may give auction house decision-makers pause on this front, at least temporarily. Based on the conventional wisdom, offering major single-owner collections should have been a sure bet for the Big Three houses during a shaky, uncertain year of business. In hindsight, however, there is relatively little evidence that these big-name sales drastically outperformed those assembled from multiple owners with less fanfare, calling into question the sizeable upfront investment required to secure the former in the first place.

The glitziest evening auction in New York this autumn was devoted to the collection of Emily Fisher Landau, a late, great patron of the Whitney Museum of American Art. The 31 lots in the sale were expected to sell for as much as $430.1m combined, and Sotheby’s guaranteed the estate an undisclosed but hefty price for the privilege to offer them.

Yet the sale generated a hammer total of $351.6m ($406.4m with fees), barely above the $344.5m low estimate (which excludes fees). The financial upside for the house was further limited by its decision to secure third-party guarantees for 25 of the 31 lots (80.6%). For the vast majority of the Fisher Landau works, then, Sotheby’s paid a fee to an outside guarantor—either in cash, if a competitor later beat out their advance bid, or as a discount on the final sale price, if their advance bid won the lot.

Guarantors don’t guarantee success

Phillips took an even more risk-averse approach for its evening sale of works from the pTriton Collection Foundation, a Dutch non-profit that is churning some of its Modern and post-war holdings to fund acquisitions of newer pieces. To offset the undisclosed minimum price guaranteed to the Triton Collection Foundation for the group, the auction house found third-party guarantors for all of the 30 lots offered in the evening auction. The hammer total of $69.9m ($84.7m with fees) fell short of the $73.3m low estimate, giving reason to wonder whether the house’s return justified its investment.

The risk aversion by Sotheby’s and Phillips in November looks less extreme relative to the dreary performance of two major single-owner auctions earlier in 2023. On 5 October, Sotheby’s staged an evening auction in Hong Kong of 39 works from the personal holdings of the Chinese entrepreneur Liu Yiqian and his wife, Wang Wei, who co-founded the Long Museum in Shanghai. The house guaranteed only seven of the works in the sale and negotiated third-party guarantees for only five.

Sotheby’s almost undoubtedly regretted the latter. The evening sale made $58m ($69.5m with fees), well below its presale target range of $95.9m to $135.5m. Ten of the lots failed to find buyers. The expected star of the evening, Amedeo Modigliani’s Paulette Jourdain (1919), hammered at $30m ($34.8m with fees), only two-thirds of the unpublished estimate in the region of $45m; it carried a house guarantee but no third-party backing.

A similarly wince-inducing story played out at Christie’s in May, when the house staged its much-hyped 65-lot evening sale of works from the collection of the late real estate developer Gerald Fineberg. The auction generated a hammer total of $124.7m ($153m with fees), roughly 25% by value below its low expectation of $163m. The result was poor for Christie’s but arguably worse for Fineberg’s heirs, who sources say declined a house guarantee in favour of receiving a portion of the buyer’s premium on sold lots. (Partly as a result, the auction also featured no third-party guarantees.)

Although the two other single-owner evening sales in New York last spring performed adequately relative to expectations, neither of the sums they generated is more than a footnote seven months later. Sotheby’s auction of 15 lots owned by Mo Ostin, an American music industry executive, delivered a hammer total of $104.5m ($123.7m with fees), barely above its $103.3m low expectation. Christie’s sale of works from the holdings of S.I. Newhouse, the late publishing magnate, brought $150.5m ($178m with fees) against an estimate of $142.6m to $202.6m. All 16 of Newhouse’s works were guaranteed by Christie’s, and 11 (around two-thirds) were backed by third parties.

The economic uncertainty surrounding New York’s autumn sales may have justified the ultra-conservative strategy adopted by Sotheby’s and Phillips for their Fisher Landau and Triton Collection Foundation evening sales. (It is also plausible that Christie’s would have proceeded similarly had it won those consignments.) But 2023 at least clarified this much: in a soft market, the benefits of offering a major single-owner collection can be undermined—if not overwhelmed—by the costs of winning it, derisking it, or both.

A New Book Contains Dozens of Rare Photos of Salvador Dalí’s Seaside Home and Studio

A New Book Contains Dozens of Rare Photos of Salvador Dalí’s Seaside Home and Studio

All images © Coco Capitán and Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, VEGAP, Barcelona, courtesy of Apartamento, shared with permission

A perfectly ovoid egg perched atop a dovecote, a taxidermy rhino with a wide, outstretched wingspan, and a sleek pink couch in the shape of Mae West’s lips are not uncommon sights in the seaside home of Salvador Dalí (previously). Now compiled in a revealing new book published by Apartamento, rare photographs by Coco Capitán document the surrealist domain that vacillates between private space and architectural artwork in its own right.

Casa Dalí spans 96 pages of images that spotlight the small home on Spain’s Costa Brava that Dalí and his wife Gala bought in 1930 and transformed into a characteristically dreamlike space: a snarling lion peers out from under a geometric archway, small figurines stand guard encircling an outdoor water feature, and a regal canopy sweeps high above two identical beds. The slim volume also features an introduction by architect Oscar Tusquets, who was friends with Dalí and frequented the home where the artist spent the last 15 years of his life.

Captured in the summer light of golden hour that Dalí reportedly loved so much, Capitán’s photos glimpse the eccentric space while leaving some details—like the partially revealed contents of the artist’s bookshelves or a cabinet holding paints and other supplies—to the viewer’s imagination.

Casa Dalí is currently available from Apartamento. You also might enjoy Dalí’s cookbook and guide to wine. (via It’s Nice That)

 

a large white egg sits atop of a white structure with tree branches jutting out of it

a japanese style umbrella hangs from the ceiling over stairs lined with natural material. books are tucked in shelves below the curved staircase

a white stone exterior with a round archway cradling an egg. trees grow around the structure

a book spread open to two images. on the left is a taxidermy lion with snarling teeth. on the right is a rhino attached to birds wings over a window

four tire works hang on an outdoor wall with a pink couch shaped like lips in front of them. small statues stand in a water feature

a book spread open to one image of a yellow L-shaped couch with a window on the right side looking down to the beach with small fishing boats docked

two beds with red and purple bedding are side by side with a massive purple canopy sweeping overhead

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article A New Book Contains Dozens of Rare Photos of Salvador Dalí’s Seaside Home and Studio appeared first on Colossal.

Seaspan Corporation enters new market segment with strategic order of new dual-fuel LNG Pure Car and Truck Carrier vessels

Seaspan Corporation enters new market segment with strategic order of new dual-fuel LNG Pure Car and Truck Carrier vessels

VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ – Seaspan Corporation (Seaspan), the world-leading owner and operator of containerships, continues quality growth through the 10,800 CEU dual-fuel LNG, with ammonia and methanol ready, Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) newbuild program in partnership with a market-leading car carrier, Hyundai Glovis (Glovis).

As one of the world largest car carriers and part of the Hyundai Motor Group, Glovis can leverage Seaspan’s proven competencies of consistent operational excellence, innovative customer partnership, and solid financial strength. The vessels will be under long-term time charter upon delivery and, as the largest PCTCs under development to date, will bring unparalleled quality, scale, and flexibility to Glovis.

With a proven track record of working with major shipping lines and shipbuilders to develop a customer-inspired alternative fuel vessel portfolio, Seaspan negotiated the purchase from a China State Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard – Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. These state-of-the-art dual-fuel LNG PCTC vessels will be methanol and ammonia-ready, underscoring Seaspan’s leadership in transition pathways, innovative ship design, and newbuild execution, in addition to Seaspan’s existing 70-vessel newbuild program which includes 25 dual-fuel LNG containerships.

“This deal signifies our customers’ trust and value of Seaspan’s commitment and capability executing alternative fuel initiatives,” emphasized Bing Chen, President and CEO of Seaspan. “By incorporating our extensive experience in dual-fuel LNG containerships, while working proactively with all stakeholders during this decarbonization journey, Seaspan is uniquely poised to contribute to the standards and progress of sustainable shipping.”

“We’re extremely proud of partnering with Glovis, the market leader in the PCTC sector, and leverage our integrated platform to facilitate their strategic success,” added Kun Li, Seaspan’s Chief Commercial Officer. “As jurisdictions seek to transition away from conventional fueled vehicles to electric vehicles, we see this as an opportunity to not only meet the current demand for sustainable shipping solutions but also support the global initiative for cleaner transportation alternatives.”

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains “forward-looking statements” (as such term is defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) concerning future events. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as “will”, “believe”, “intend”, “plan”, “expect”, “estimate”, “project”, “forecast”, and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events, are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Atlas Corp.’s (Atlas) control and are difficult to predict. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to factors detailed from time to time in our periodic reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Atlas’ Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022. Atlas undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after this release. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual events could vary materially from Atlas’ expectations. We make no prediction or statement about the performance of any of our securities.

About Atlas Corp.

Atlas is a leading global asset management company, differentiated by its position as a best-in-class owner and operator with a focus on disciplined capital deployment to create sustainable shareholder value. Atlas targets long-term, risk-adjusted returns across high-quality infrastructure assets in the maritime sector, energy sector and other infrastructure verticals. Atlas’ wholly owned subsidiaries include APR Energy and Seaspan Corporation. For more information visit atlascorporation.com.

About Seaspan Corporation

Seaspan is the largest global containership lessor, primarily focused on long-term, fixed-rate leases with the world’s largest container shipping liners. As of September 30, 2023, Seaspan’s operating fleet consisted of 142 vessels with a total capacity of 1,410,800 TEU, and an additional 47 vessels under construction, delivering through to December 2024, increasing total fleet capacity to 1,927,800 TEU, on a fully delivered basis. For more information, visit seaspancorp.com.

SOURCE Atlas Corp.

Did the Russians Take His Family’s Tintoretto? He’s Intent on Finding Out.

Did the Russians Take His Family’s Tintoretto? He’s Intent on Finding Out.
image

John Barry says that in the last days of World War II, his great-grandfather, a prominent German art historian, lost a massive painting of the 16th-century sea battle at Lepanto.

In the annals of history painting, few topics have captivated artists more than the Battle of Lepanto, an epic 16th-century naval contest in which massive fleets of Christian and Ottoman galleys clashed off the coast of Greece.

Among the numerous depictions of the scene is an enormous, 10-foot-wide version of the engagement created soon after it took place in 1571 that has been attributed to Tintoretto.

That work, “The Battle of Lepanto,” was sold in Venice in 1908 to a German archaeologist and art historian, Friedrich Sarre, the first director of the Museum for Islamic Art in Berlin.

The painting hung in that city for a time just before World War II. But then, as was the case with tens of thousands of works of art, its trail grew murky in the chaos of the times. The work was not listed as having been exhibited again in a public setting until the 1980s.

Now members of Sarre’s family have come forward to say they believe they know what happened to the painting. John Barry, a great-grandson of Sarre, said it is likely the work was looted from the archaeologist’s spacious villa outside Berlin in 1945 when Russian forces advanced to occupy the home and much of that area, based on family writings from that time.

Those documents, the family acknowledges, do not discuss the painting’s whereabouts then or during the war. But Barry said they represent a good start and that his efforts to further track the work have been stymied by Sotheby’s, the auction house, which sold the painting in 2016.

Sotheby’s has a team that focuses on the provenance of artworks that could have been lost as a result of persecution in World War II. It has publicized its success in settling multiple restitution claims. But Barry said that for more than two years, Sotheby’s has stonewalled his efforts to learn more about “Lepanto” beyond what appeared in its sale catalog.

That catalog, as Barry points out, referred to a 1910 exhibition in which his great-grandfather had been listed as the work’s owner. Yet when Barry pressed Sotheby’s for help in tracking the painting, he said an auction house representative questioned whether the painting it had sold was even the same one.

“There are many extant oil paintings of the Battle of Lepanto — it is in fact one of the most painted sea battles of the 16th and 17th Centuries — and I am struggling to connect the dots,” Lucian Simmons, the worldwide head of restitution at Sotheby’s wrote to Barry, according to email records Barry provided.

In fact, Barry said, the Sotheby’s catalog cited another connection to his great-grandfather —— an article he had written about the painting in 1938.

Barry, a lawyer who formerly served in the U.S. Justice Department, said he is disappointed that Sotheby’s stopped responding to his queries more than a year ago.

“A firm like Sotheby’s cannot take the public-facing position that a painting’s looted provenance matters greatly from the point-of-view of ethics, integrity, and market value, and then selectively ignore those concerns and refuse to come clean when it is confronted with uncomfortable facts,” he wrote in an email message to The New York Times.

Sotheby’s said it has treated Barry’s inquiries appropriately and that it has made every reasonable effort to evaluate his claims and engage in an open exchange. In a statement, Sotheby’s referred to Barry’s great-grandfather as a “pioneering scholar” and expressed sympathy for the family’s loss of the villa and its treatment by the Russians. But it said it has seen no evidence to clearly indicate Sarre owned the painting after 1910 and found no indication that it had been looted.

“Sotheby’s remains amenable,” the statement said, “to facilitating an amicable solution with the Sarre family in the event that WWII-era evidence of ownership and loss comes to light.”

Friedrich Sarre, a German archaeologist and art historian, who is credited with expanding an understanding of Islamic art. via the Sarre family

So many works were looted in Europe during the war that museums and the art market have committed to analyzing the history of paintings like the Lepanto battle image that have significant gaps in their wartime histories. Most of those works were lost by Jews at the hands of the Nazis. The Sarre case is different in that he was from a Huguenot background and the work, at least according to the family’s thesis, would have been lost to the Russians, who the U.S. State Department has said carted away major amounts of art and archives from Germany at the end of the war.

There is no evidence, though, that this painting ever left Germany. The most recent research by the Sarre family indicates that by 1957 it was in the possession of a German scientist whose heirs held onto it for more than a decade.

Complicating any transport of the painting would have been its immense size, which was perhaps viewed as necessary by the artist to capture the scope of a battle that featured hundreds of vessels and left thousands on either side dead or wounded. Giorgio Vasari, Paolo Veronese and Titian were among the other artists who depicted the battle, in which a coalition of forces from Spain, Venice and other states, assembled at the urging of the Pope Pius V, defeated a fleet from the Ottoman Empire.

One expert, Frederick Ilchman, chairman of European art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, said he is not convinced “Lepanto” is by Tintoretto, given differences he noted with other battle scenes by the artist.

“Tintoretto tends to present particular moments of drama in the foregrounds of his compositions, adding anecdotal interest to the story,” said Ilchman, who co-curated a major 2019 exhibition on the painter at the National Gallery of Art. “That is absent here.”

But, even so, he said he found the monumental depiction of one of the top naval conflicts of all time “automatically interesting.”

Sotheby’s characterized the Lepanto painting in its catalog as “attributed” to Tintoretto, a term it uses to indicate there are serious grounds to believe a work is by a particular artist. In the auction house’s protocol it is one step in certainty below saying a work is “by” an artist.

Soon after acquiring “Lepanto” in Venice, Sarre lent the painting to the 1910 Munich exhibition where a catalog identified its owner as Fr. Sarre. It was displayed again in Berlin in 1936 and two years later Sarre discussed the importance of the painting in the article he wrote. He said it had been in a private collection in Berlin for 30 years, but he did not mention that the collection was his own.

The whereabouts of the painting during the war remain unclear, but Barry has collected documents that indicate Sarre’s home in an area outside Berlin was occupied by the Red Army in June 1945. One of Sarre’s sons wrote in a diary entry that on June 4, 1945, the Russians gave his family an hour to leave their home. Barry said Sarre’s wife, Maria, wrote in a 1954 memoir that she departed with only a dress, a coat and a blanket, adding that her family had lost “art treasures.”

The Barry family said it had determined that by 1957 the painting was in the possession of Arthur Scheunert, a scientist whose image later appeared on an East German postage stamp. Scheunert’s family attempted in the 1970s to sell the work to the State Museums of Berlin, which includes the Museum for Islamic Art. But the sale did not go through, according to a 1986 letter from the museum to Sarre’s daughter, Maria Louise Sarre

Sotheby’s catalog for the 2016 auction of “Lepanto” did not include information about the whereabouts of the painting for the decades after 1936, saying only that it had been acquired before 1980 by Alfred Lefmann, a German collector. The auction house said that the provenance provided in the 2016 catalog was the most complete available at that time, and that the painting was never listed in databases of lost artworks.

It was exhibited in Germany in the 1980s, on loan from Lefmann, according to Sotheby’s and was subsequently held by at least one other collector before being sold at auction in Paris in 2016 for $352,000.

Barry began reaching out to Sotheby’s for information about the painting in 2021 when family members first noticed it had been sold at auction. Simmons, the Sotheby’s executive, responded promptly, the email records show, and discussed the work with Barry by email and over the phone. At one point, he sent Barry a 1994 story mentioning “Lepanto” from the German newspaper Die Zeit that said there was evidence that it was in Sarre’s villa in 1945. The article noted that the home “was confiscated by the Russians.”

Sarre lived in this villa outside Berlin, which was occupied by Russian forces in 1945. His family believes the painting of the sea battle may have been in the home at that time. via the Sarre family

But Simmons later wondered whether the work that Sarre had owned was the same one Sotheby’s sold, which led Barry to send pictures of “Lepanto” from the 1910 Munich exhibition catalog and from the 2016 Sotheby’s catalog. The images look identical, though the painting, once roughly 6-by-13 feet suffered damage and is now just over 10 feet wide.

“There is no doubt that the painting Sotheby’s sold in 2016 was owned by Friedrich and Maria Sarre,” Barry wrote to Simmons in August 2021.

The two men communicated several times after that, Barry said, including in an hourlong video call in which Simmons listened to him make his case. In an email from May 2022, Simmons wrote: “I wanted to let you know that I haven’t forgotten about you.” He then wrote, according to copies of that correspondence from Barry, “I’m briefing both buyer and seller in the Paris auction and will let you know when I have any news.”

Barry said that since then, Sotheby’s has stopped responding to his phone calls and correspondence, but he has no plans to drop the matter. He said he does not expect that anyone will simply hand over “Lepanto” to his family, but that he would like Sotheby’s to acknowledge the work’s provenance had been incomplete and to explore what solution might be fair to all parties involved.

“My family has a strong connection to this painting,” Barry said. “I feel an obligation to them.”

The auction giving you the rare chance to buy footballing artworks at affordable prices

The auction giving you the rare chance to buy footballing artworks at affordable prices

Sporting memorabilia makes big money. Think of Michael Jordan’s Nikes, which sold for $1.4 million, or Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” shirt ($9 million). It also makes smaller money, in quantities. Specialist auctioneers Graham Budd in Northamptonshire have a sale today of more than 1,000 items, ranging from a 1958 West Ham vs Manchester United programme at £30 to a silver salver presented to footballing legend Billy Wright estimated at £30,000. 

But what about art representing sport? There is nothing to speak of in Budd’s auction, and in the contemporary field, the most memorable work I’ve previously seen was at Art Basel – a 2006 film by Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno of Zinedine Zidane and his famous headbutt (an edition bought by the National Gallery of Scotland for £200,000 in 2006). In fact, there has never been a single collection of football-related art at auction – until now.

In a first of its kind, a collection of more than 100 paintings and cartoons inspired by the beautiful game has just gone on view at Bonhams, where online bidding has commenced. The collection was almost bought in 2018 by the National Football Museum in Manchester, but the funding could not be found. Last year it was offered by the Chris Beetles Gallery in its entirety for a reported £1.5 million, but individuals only wanted parts so it was not sold. Now, not wishing to keep it in storage, its elderly owner has decided to disperse it to the winds so more people can enjoy its parts. Estimates range from £100 to £100,000 so almost anyone can participate until noon on December 13, when bidding closes.

The story of the collection begins 25 years ago at the fashionable upmarket London eatery, Le Caprice, when St James’s art dealer Chris Beetles sat down for lunch with a wealthy client who was, like him, a football fan. Beetles had supported Spurs since he was 11. The only clue he gives as to the identity of his client is that he is from the Midlands and had been the chairman of a Premier League club. The two decided to acquire original works of art with football as their subject. 

They would not, it was agreed, go for sporting ephemera; just the art. And they would focus on the history of the sport, and the social involvement that went with it – the crowds and supporters as well as the players. But where was the art to be found? As Beetles says: “Until recent decades, when football became the nation’s favourite sport and the democracy of wealth had given it superstar status, it has always been regarded as the working man’s pastime. So previously artists have not routinely been able to attract clients and patrons to the artworks with as much enthusiasm as those depicting ‘upper class’ sports, such as cricket, horse racing, motor racing, rugby, tennis, croquet and shooting.”




Ronald Searle’s Molesworth in the Jug Agane cartoon is estimated to sell for £3000-£4000

A good starting point was Beetles’s own gallery, where he specialised in original cartoons and illustrations for magazines and newspapers for regular illustrators’ exhibitions in which sport was a consistent category.

These were not expensive, and Beetles was able to mop up all the best examples that came to auction. One of their earlier buys was a Giles cartoon of a lone reveller by a snowbound pitch made for the Sunday Express in 1969 bought for £750 at Sotheby’s in 1998. In 2001, a Ronald Searle drawing of the schoolboy Molesworth, with a football cost them a triple estimate £3,290. 

Other cartoonists they bought who had turned their hand to football were Reg Wootton, whose rotund dynamo, Sporting Sam, graced the pages of the Sunday Express in the 1940s, Norman Thelwell, better known for his ponies, Louis Wain for his cats, Roy Ullyett from the Daily Express, and Larry from Punch and Private Eye. All saw football’s funny side.

At the same time, Beetles and his collector were looking at more serious art. A favourite provenance they discovered was the first Football Association prize for a football painting in 1953, won by LS Lowry’s Going to the Match (recently sold for £7.8 million). They tried for another Lowry football painting in 2007 but were outbid by the Professional Footballers’ Association at £1.1 million. But the collection does boast other works that were in this competition by Bernard Dunstan, Stanley Roy Badmin and Michael Bernard Critchlow.




Stanley Roy Badmin’s RWS depicts a match between Charlton and Arsenal in the early 1950s

Badmin’s watercolour – inscribed “Here They Come! The Valley”, with reference to Charlton Athletic’s home ground – depicts the crowd, stadium and players at a match in the early 1950s between Charlton and Arsenal. Bought in 1998 for a record £8,800, it is now estimated at a tempting £7,000. Also in the 1953 exhibition was Bernard Critchlow’s view of a match from between the stands at Fulham’s Craven Cottage. This doubled estimates at Christie’s in 2005 at a record £30,000, and now has a tame £15,000 estimate.

Further records were set when they bought a panoramic view of an Aston Villa vs Sunderland match in the 1950s by the little-known Birmingham artist Henry Cotterill Deykin for £5,300, for which a mere £7,000 is expected; and a wonderfully observed view of the crowds, some climbing trees to watch a third round FA Cup tie between Manchester City and the popular Corinthians in 1926 at Crystal Palace by Charles Cundall. Bought at Christie’s in 2003 for a triple estimate £49,350, it is now expected to fetch double that.

Although the cartoons in this sale outnumber the paintings by 10:1, they might be bought for as little as £100 each. In terms of prices, it is the more serious paintings that will win the day.


Where Rembrandt rubs shoulders with Damien Hirst

While the contemporary art travelling circus lands in Florida this week for the Art Basel Miami Beach fair, London maintains its traditional winter focus on historical art as dealers stage a panoply of exhibitions known as London Art Week. Viewing is already underway, and special mention should be made of Eros, a new gallery in St James’s which places sculptures by Rodin side-by-side with his lesser-known contemporary Aime-Jules Dalou for the first time. Also, Colnaghi’s, now Spanish owned, has assembled a rare solo exhibition by the Spanish modern master, Joaquin Sorolla, as a worthwhile postscript to the 2019 exhibition at the National Gallery.




Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait in a cap, wide-eyed and open-mouthed (1630)


Credit: Christies Images Limited.

This sets the scene for London’s Old Master auctions which are estimated to bring around £60 million this week. Sotheby’s touts the highest value lot in a rediscovered Rembrandt at £10 to £15 million, but Christie’s may have the last laugh with the highest value sales. A few years ago, in the face of dwindling sales totals for Old Master paintings, Christie’s rebranded by calling their series ‘Classic Art Week’ to make it sound sleeker and sexier. In addition to its routine Old Master sales – led this year by a sumptuous pair of rediscovered Canaletto paintings of Venice (£8 to £12 million) – there is a £5 million sale devoted to the Josefowitz collection of Rembrandt prints, the largest private collection ever assembled, which includes no less than six etched self-portraits. Dating from his earliest in 1629 to his largest in 1639, each brimming with character, they are estimated to be worth between £15,000 to £120,000 each.  

Less expected will be the sight of contemporary works by Antony Gormley and Damien Hirst whose golden The Severed Head of Medusa (2013) was part of his imagined shipwreck of ancient treasures that was shown at two Francois Pinault Foundation venues in Venice in 2017, and is now estimated at £500,000. The contemporary works are part of a series of sales from the £7.5 million collection of Christian Levett who is renowned for combining Old Masters and antiquities with modern and contemporary art which he turned into a museum near Cannes as a model for collectors to explore within their own collections. But after 12 years he has decided to empty the museum and fill it instead with works solely by female artists, notably abstract expressionists. With the boom in rediscovered female artists of the 20th century going strong, one wonders how far that £7.5 million will go.


Art Market Focus runs on the first Tuesday of each month