The German-born Schmidt, widely admired for his stewardship of the Uffizi in Florence, acquired Italian citizenship last month; he'll be replacing French national Sylvain Bellenger at the Capodimonte in Naples. The other nine new directors are Italian-born museum professionals. - Artnet
Van Gogh wasn't cooking with onions, the British Museum wasn't keeping good track of its items, and then, you know, Michelangelo's David wasn't actually pornographic. (And so, so much more.) - Hyperallergic
Remy Golan, an art history professor whose review for Brooklyn Rail was tanked by Koons, says, "I thought it was pathetic. ... Supposedly these journals are about opinion, about free speech, so where’s the free speech?" - The New York Times
"At the barbecue restaurant, like someone biting an old nickel, Mr. Donahue checked the banking app on his phone to make sure the money had been deposited." - The New York Times
A company near Carrara called Litix has developed software to make carefully crafted mechanical arms carve the legendary stone into statues (occasioning many a "could robots replace Michelangelo?" article). Photographer Caleb Stein traveled to Italy to document, from start to finish, a Litix robot carving a single artwork. - Smithsonian Magazine
Housed at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the display of the 1603 canvas Diana and Actaeon reportedly “disturbed” some students, according to the French newspaper Le Monde. - ARTnews
"Whether lost at the bottom of the ocean, tucked away in a library’s archives or hidden behind a kitchen wall, this year’s arts, archaeology and literary discoveries spanned an astonishing range. Some had only been mysteries for a few decades, … while others dated back a bit longer — say, 6,000 years?" - CNN
The installation, “AI & Me,” was first shown this summer at the Metropolink #09 Festival in Heidelberg, Germany, as an experiment into how far humans are willing to let themselves be judged by A.I. - Artnet
"The luxurious residence, dating back to the latter half of the 2nd century BC to the conclusion of the 1st century BC, has been described by (the) Culture Minister as an 'authentic treasure.' … The mosaic features an array of shells, Egyptian blue tesserae, precious glass, and fragments of white marble." - Euronews
"About 1,500 items (have been) classified as missing or stolen. Around 350 items in the museum’s collection have gold mounts or gems missing and 140 have been damaged by tools" — and that gold has probably been melted down by now. "Just 351 of the stolen items have been recovered." - Artnet
Ultimately, when you see a book cover in a store or online, you’re really just seeing the tip of the iceberg. Because at most of the really big imprints, that cover probably went through the ringer. - Fast Company
"A 2019 study … found that from just two sites of the over 5,000 under their control, the Islamic State looted an estimated $20 million worth of the country’s cultural heritage. … Because these crimes rarely involve average citizens ..., the perpetrators largely evade public scrutiny." - USC Annenberg Media
"Admission will rise from €17 to €22, the first hike of its kind since 2017. Per a statement from the Louvre on Friday, the new price will offset rising expenses related to energy and help fund free entry for visitors under 18, students, and journalists." - ARTnews
The date was confirmed by the French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to the site on 8 December, according to the French newspaper Le Monde. - The Art Newspaper
