In 1873, Jasper Francis Cropsey’s Autumn in the Ramapo Valley, Erie Railway was taken to London by its commissioner. It remained overseas until last year, when a couple of American art collectors acquired it — then sent it to a museum because it wouldn’t fit through the door of their home. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
“In a good museum, it’s a lot about imagination. You don’t want to spell things out. We are complex. History is complex, and history has both triumphs and it has dark pages.” - The Times
The Vondelkerk, a 154-year-old Gothic Revival church which had been deconsecrated and run as a concert and events venue in recent years, ignited shortly after midnight. The flames were fanned by strong winds, and the tower and roof of the building collapsed. - The Telegraph (UK)
By no means is all of this bad art actually from 2025, though a fair bit of it is. In fact, one choice (this writer’s personal favorite) has been on display in Philadelphia for more than a century, and it just keeps on looking god-awful. - Artnet
In the U.S., a tense political climate and moves by the Trump administration to exert more control over the country’s cultural institutions is creating new challenges for museums, both financially and ideologically. - Artnet
The (let’s say) unfortunate ways in which the Louvre’s inadequate security and deteriorating physical plant were revealed, a major gallery abruptly shutting down, two different arguments involving Vincent van Gogh, dissension among the heirs of one of Europe’s great art mystics, and, as usual, the Parthenon Marbles. - Artnet
That’s the theory proposed by historian Benjamin Pohl. It’s fairly certain that the tapestry was conceived and designed by the monks of St. Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury and stitched by skilled embroiderers nearby; Pohl argues that the 230-foot work was intended for, and first hung in, that abbey’s refectory. - Artnet
Will the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi finally open its doors after all this time? That remains to be seen, but there’s certainly a chance! Here’s what you can look forward to in the coming months: - The Observer
Over time, this popularity has become both a blessing and a terrible burden, and daring jewel heists are only the most eye-catching of the museum’s problems: it is bursting at the seams, at times literally. - The Guardian
While it’s easy to see buildings and public spaces as somewhat neutral or superficial, it’s not. Like the frame of a painting, it frames the spaces in which politics takes place, both literally and symbolically. - The Conversation
“They used . . . as though his work aligned with their values, i.e., promoting this segregationist vision of America. And so of course we were upset by this, because Norman Rockwell was really very clearly anti-segregationist.” - The Bulwark
The UK Treasury is guaranteeing around £800 million to insure the 230-foot-long tapestry against damage or loss during its journey to and from its home museum in France to the UK. No money will be paid in advance, however; the £800 million comes into play only if something goes wrong. - ARTnews
There are more than 1,200 works by 125 artists and collectives in the exhibit, titled “Not All Travelers Walk Roads,” with many of them proposing ways of creating new, kinder, more just forms of existence. - The New York Times
“A group of activists have been attempting to preserve the city’s crumbling mansions, built in a playful style known as Ukrainian modernism.” - The Guardian (UK)
