VISUAL

The Making Of A de Kooning

Like Balanchine, de Kooning made images for the mind about the body as it was expressed in the streets of the city. Sometimes, when I watch Balanchine’s choreography, I can’t help imagining “Monumental Woman” and other drawings from the “Women” series flashing behind the dancers as they embody de Kooning’s symphony of flesh. - The New Yorker

Today In French Museum Robberies: Thieves Take Renoirs From Museum On Riviera

Just a few days after the question of whether Pierre-Auguste Renoir was even a good artist re-entered public discussion, some “well-equipped” and “well-informed” burglars made off with two paintings from Renoir’s home in Cagnes-sur-Mer. (In their rush to escape, the thieves left two other works in the garden.) - AP

Kennedy Center Chairman That Trump Fired Buys Sculpture That Trump Had Removed

David Rubenstein, the billionaire philanthropist who was chair of the Kennedy Center’s board until Trump ousted him in early 2025, has purchased the Joel Shapiro sculpture Blue, which was carted away from the Center’s grounds last week. Rubenstein will loan the work to the National Gallery’s Sculpture Garden. - The New York Times

UK Loans Parthenon Pieces To Germany

The British Museum will lend two fragments of the Parthenon sculptures to an exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, while Greece has rejected a request to lend nine Parthenon fragments from the Acropolis Museum for the same exhibition. - Greek Reporter

The Lucas Museum’s Populist Bet

It would be easy to describe the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which opens Sept. 22, as “unconventional,” a description the museum’s leaders seem to favor, though “oppositional” also comes to mind. - Los Angeles Times

What Happened To The Pieces Of Steel Salvaged From The World Trade Center?

“Everyone experienced the attacks on 9/11 as this really, really intense television event, and bringing a piece of steel from the World Trade Center ... allowed people to lay hands on these artifacts and to really feel this kind of deep expression of complex and lingering grief.” - NPR

Was Renoir Actually A Fairly Bad Painter?

The age-old question returns. “Surely Renoir would at least have benefitted from being slightly less prolific.” - Artnet

At Crystal Bridges, Renovation And Expansion Are The Order Of The Day

Of course, “while the museum and the Walton family espouse natural connections between art, community and general well-being (see also recent major investments in healthcare), the urge to collect continues apace.” - KC Studio

Another Long Dive On How The Bayeux Tapestry Made It Back To England

"Among the French, the mood is anxious. The tapestry’s early life is shrouded in mystery, but it seems to have led a fameless existence in Bayeux for hundreds of years.” - The New Yorker

Court In Argentina Rules In Favor Of Jewish Art Dealer’s Heir

“Portrait of a Lady by Italian baroque painter Giuseppe Ghislandi was missing for eight decades before being photographed in 2025 hanging in the home of the daughter of a senior Nazi officer who had fled to Argentina after the second world war.” - The Guardian (UK)

Maurizio “Banana Taped To The Wall” Cattelan Insists He’s Serious (And He’s Probably Right)

The art world’s merriest prankster; the guy who duct-taped a banana to a gallery wall, called it “Comedian,” and saw it get eaten, sold for $6.2 million, and then eaten again — he says “My work has always been serious. The problem is people often stop at the joke.” - The Guardian

Why The Bayeux Tapestry Thrilled Ancient Audiences

If we look at the meanings incorporated into different objects during the early medieval period, we see that the Bayeux tapestry is a visual form of the scop, an early medieval storyteller who told tales of heroes and great deeds, helping to preserve the oral tradition of the early English peoples. - The Conversation

Vancouver Police Break Into Gallery Mistaking Sculpture For Person In Distress

According to the VPD, a caller reported seeing a person’s feet sticking out from behind a counter and believed medical assistance was needed. - Vancouver City News

Iconic Salt Lake City Temple Has Been Transformed. Now A Rare Look Inside

After years of extensive renovation and structural upgrades, the LDS Church will open its signature temple April 5 to the public — Mormons and non-Mormons alike – for six months of unprecedented tours. - CNN

Far-Right German Party Attacks Iconic Bauhaus School

Attacks on Bauhaus by Alternative for Germany, also known as AfD, come as Saxony-Anhalt in eastern Germany is about to vote in an election that could see a far-right party take control of one of the country’s states for the first time since World War II. - AP

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