"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
Artist and CalArts professor Mel Chin "had to pull off something like an art heist in reverse. Instead of stealing art from a well-guarded museum, Chin wanted to smuggle art onto the set of one of the most popular television shows in the world." - Slate
The artist started work on this during lockdown in July, 2020. "Three years, approximately 2,602 working hours and 1,642 animal species later, “Wild World” is a hand-drawn map of our planet that both inspires and celebrates wonder." - The New York Times
The words "Nazi" and "Israel" appeared next to each other in performance artist Mike Parr's work, says his longtime gallery owner, Anna Schwartz. Parr also said that "Israel is an apartheid state and a tragedy for Jews everywhere." - The Guardian (UK)
Amy Hau "set up first archives and built the collection records for more than 3,500 works, including sculptures in stone, metal, wood and clay, drawings, models and designs." - The New York Times
"The French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal are famous for their belief in keeping existing buildings whenever possible, no matter how unpromising or unloved they may be." - The Guardian (UK)
Why was Fini, who was part of the first major surrealist exhibitions, ignored for so long? André Breton, of course. He "would not have a woman be a Surrealist. In his view, women were muses." - NPR
"It was embarrassing to want excitement, but never more than when looking at a Ruisdael did I realize how wholly I was a creature of the age of entertainment." - The Guardian (UK)
