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Given the indications in public affidavits, revealed last week in the LA Times, that the feds are probably building a case for criminal indictments and charges of tax fraud related to last week's four-museum early morning raid by federal agents, recent comments made to reporters by the Bowers Museum's director, Peter Keller, and by alleged artifacts smuggler Robert Olson seem … [Read more...] about Federal Case: Californians’ Comments Make Bad Situation Worse

Imagine my surprise to find CultureGrrl touted on BBC Radio 4's website yesterday, in a podcast by Mary Beard, a professor of classics at Cambridge, who has long had me on the blogroll of her own blog for the London Times Literary Supplement, A Don's Life. In her BBC comments, she singled out CultureGrrl and two other blogs for special praise. I could quote what she said, but … [Read more...] about Cambridge Loves CultureGrrl: “Don’s Life” Classics Professor on a BBC Podcast

Jason Felch of the LA Times today has published an updated report of his shocking revelations yesterday about the long-term federal sting operation and the sudden four-museum early morning raid by federal agents. They were seeking evidence in connection with their five-year investigation of transactions and possible tax fraud involving allegedly looted objects. Before I get to … [Read more...] about More on the Raiders of the Los (Angeles) Art

I would say one thing to counterbalance yesterday's top story---Jason Felch's report in the LA Times about the massive, coordinated raid by federal agents on four art museums, a dealer and an alleged smuggler: Felch's article, as he states, is based on the contents of the publicly filed search warrant affidavit that allowed the federal agents to seek records and other evidence … [Read more...] about LA Museum Raids Prompt Premature Talk of Scandal

James Cuno, right, shows donors a model of the Art Institute of Chicago's planned new Modern Wing James Cuno, president and director of the Art Institute of Chicago, hosted a press lunch in New York yesterday to whet our appetites for his museum's new Renzo Piano-designed Modern Wing, which is still more than a year away from opening. But although I was interested to hear about … [Read more...] about James Cuno Discusses the Met’s Directorship

I'm passing on this link to you for what it's worth, which may be nothing: The German news magazine Der Spiegel, in an article by Matthias Schulz (posted online today), False Gods: 'Ancient' Forgeries Fool Art Markets, had this to say about "Artemis and the Stag" (or is it "Deer"?), sold by the Albright-Knox Gallery and now on loan to the Metropolitan Museum: In a report … [Read more...] about Der Spiegel Raises Doubts About Whether “Artemis” is Ancient

Anish Kapoor, "As Yet Untitled," 2007 While I was at the Metropolitan Museum last week, viewing the new ancient art additions to its galleries, on loan from Italy, I also had to seek out the museum's new purchases of just-made art. One of the fun things about the shark's new roommate is that it allows you to steal a photograph of the otherwise unphotographable predator. That's … [Read more...] about The Met’s New Kapoor Reflects the Shark (and You)

It's not that I give a hoot about who's on top---Sotheby's or Christie's. But what activates the needle of my sensitive journalistic spin-monitor are Christie's representations about its sales leadership and superior profitability---claims that are, respectively, exaggerated and unsubstantiated. In its Jan. 18 press release summarizing 2007 sale results, Christie's included … [Read more...] about Christie’s Dubious “Leadership” in 2007 Sale Results

My LA Times Op-Ed piece yesterday about cultural property issues elicited some thoughtful responses: ---A prominent curator at a major museum (not the Metropolitan or the Getty) brought the elephant into the room: What would happen if Greece were to move to claim the Euphronios Krater from Italy, on the potentially logical basis that it was made in Greece and emotionally and … [Read more...] about Responses to LA Times Op-Ed, “Make Art Loans, Not War”

Michael Brand It seems that once a museum director gets a source country off his back by reluctantly relinquishing claimed objects, he feels compelled to backpedal furiously, reminding everyone, in public pronouncements, that givebacks are not necessarily a good thing. Philippe de Montebello of the Metropolitan Museum, having acceded to Italy's demands for objects, has recently … [Read more...] about Michael Brand Says the Getty Bronze Stays; Describes Artworks as “Migrants”

Those of you who rose earlier than I did on this holiday Monday probably beat me to this link. But here's my cultural property Op-Ed piece in today's LA Times---Make Art Loans, Not War. It is, as you will see, the missing Part III of my series of posts last November, presenting "My Ceasefire Proposals for the Cultural-Property Wars"---here and here. Those of you coming to this … [Read more...] about My LA Times Op-Ed: More Ceasefire Proposals for the Cultural-Property Wars

Once you finish watching the Giants-Packers game (about to go into overtime), you can get in the mood for my LA Times piece tomorrow, with National Geographic's nine Treasure Wars Videos, covering such hot-button topics as the Parthenon Marbles, Rosetta Stone, and objects from the Machu Picchu excavations, recently returned by Yale to Peru. I particularly liked the Bactrian … [Read more...] about National Geographic’s Culture War Videos

If all goes according to plan (and I think it will), I'll have an Op-Ed piece in tomorrow's LA Times about the future course that I believe source countries should take in the cultural-property wars. As usual, I will include something to annoy (and to gratify) each side in these disputes. A museum director recently told me that what makes me interesting is that you never know … [Read more...] about My Cultural-Property Op-Ed in Tomorrow’s LA Times

Today's NY Times antiquities scoop on Shelby White's agreement to relinquish to Italy 10 objects (nine already in transit, one departing in 2010) adds the "Why Me" corollary to the Times Change justification for past antiquities trangressions. Both defensive arguments will win no converts. Reporter Elisabetta Povoledo, who overcame a confidentiality agreement between the … [Read more...] about Shelby White and the “Why Me?” Antiquities Defense UPDATED

Philip Conisbee, 62, senior curator of European paintings at the National Gallery, Washington, died Wednesday night from lung cancer complications. With a long list of scholarly and curatorial achievements, the British-born French paintings expert may be best remembered for two glorious exhibitions: Georges de La Tour and His World, 1996, the first American exhibition devoted … [Read more...] about Philip Conisbee, Consummate Scholar and Communicator