A Mark Rothko from the estate of Donald Marron sold for about $70 million, Bloomberg reports.   The sales mark an initial flurry since it was announced that the Marron family would bypass the auction houses and sell directly through Gagosian, Pace and Acquavella. (more…)

Luhring Augustine will open its new space in Tribeca on May 1st, a 3,500 square foot space on White Street.  The inaugural exhibition will showcase a selection of sculptures and works on paper by the late Lucia Nogueira.  (more…)

Grayson Perry has won the prestigious Erasmus Prize, one of the Netherlands’ highest honors. “I always love a medal. I’ll probably design an outfit to match,” he said.  (more…)

The 2020 Getty Medal, the highest honor given by the J. Paul Getty Trust, will go to philanthropist Alice Walton, artist Martin Puryear, and scholar Kwame Anthony Appiah. “The Getty Medal recognizes excellence and impact in cultural areas that help expand our understanding and appreciation of the world around us,” says David Lee, chair of the Getty Board of Trustees. “This year we are thrilled to honor three influential and transformative leaders.” (more…)

Brazilian collector and mining magnate Bernardo Paz has been cleared of charges in a money laundering case, Art News reports.  “I’m glad the truth came out and for being officially exonerated,” he says. “Now I hope to be able to focus my attention exclusively on my companies and on art, which is what really matters to me.” (more…)

Van Gogh’s Sunflowers are currently being held in quarantine in Japan, after part of a traveling exhibition of works was held due to museum closures in the country. “We are consulting closely with our partners … we hope that the exhibition will be able to open on 17 March 2020, or as soon as possible after that,” a statement from the loaning institution, London’s National Gallery reads. (more…)

A piece in Art News looks at recent research into the provenance of the Elgin Marbles, and asks if Britain committed fraud to claim legal ownership of the pieces. “The more I dug into the issue, the more I began twitching,” says David Rudenstine, a constitutional law professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University. “The British position just didn’t sound right.” (more…)

Artist Haegue Yang is profiled in the NYT, discussing recent work at MoMA and her busy work schedule. “What comes along with the intensity of the work is you almost lose yourself,” she says. “I think the confusion is good to have.” (more…)

A group of experts charged with evaluating works for loan at the Uffizi Gallery have quit en masse over the decision to send a Raphael work to Rome. “Keeping us busy for months drafting lists which are then ignored undermines the very existence of the committee,” reads an open resignation letter. “We think that the mass resignation of the scientific committee of Italy’s most important museum makes a rethink inevitable, and a redefinition of the role of the scientific committees in the management of autonomous museums.” (more…)

João Ribas has been as hired executive director and vice president for cultural partnerships at REDCAT in Los Angeles. “João brings a deep practice of working directly with artists on presenting new work and has been a great champion of free expression and diversity, values made important to him from his own experience growing up as an immigrant in Newark, N.J.,” says CalArts President Ravi Rajan. (more…)

Artist Michael Rakowitz will install a sculpture on the shores of Margate, featuring a soldier pointing an accusatory finger towards Parliament.  “The sculpture in Margate points towards [the UK] Parliament and the Foreign Office, where the decision to invade Iraq was made, and where these veterans who are now peace activists feel their moral injury began,” Rakowitz says. (more…)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has altered the provenance of The Rape of Tamar, attributed to the French artist Eustache Le Sueur, noting the work was owned by a Jewish art dealer, Siegfried Aram, who fled Germany, and who claimed that the work had been taking illegally by businessman Oskar Sommer. “We updated the online provenance information, with the confirmation that the painting in dispute between Aram and Sommers was the same as the Met’s,” the museum said in a statement. (more…)

The Louvre’s blockbuster Leonardo da Vinci drew 1,071,840 visitors over its four month run, doubling its previous attendance record of 540,000 visitors.  “It is wonderful that, 500 years after his death, an artist of the Italian Renaissance continues to fascinate the general public so much,” says Jean-Luc Martinez, the Louvre’s president. (more…)

A former director of Mary Boone Gallery has filed a lawsuit alleging that the dealer and her companies engaged in an “unlawful scheme” involving the sales of a number of works and a failure to pay profits to the director as agreed. “Our client, James Oliver, who worked dutifully for Ms. Boone and Mary Boone Gallery for over 24 years, was deceived and divested of significant sums from Ms. Boone’s allegedly improper and unlawful conduct,” says lawyer Brett Gallaway. (more…)

Sotheby’s will sell 26 works from the collection of renowned West Coast collectors Harry “Hunk” and Mary Margaret “Moo” Anderson, including Clyfford Still’s 1947-Y-No.1 valued at $25 million–$35 million. The works will go on sale this May in New York. (more…)

Barcelona’s city council has rejected a planning application for a branch of the State Hermitage Museum in the city. “A few years ago, the Hermitage was asked to create a satellite centre in Barcelona, similar to the Hermitage Amsterdam, Hermitage Kazan and Hermitage Italy,” says Mikhail Piotrovsky, the Russian museum’s director. “Agreements were signed with the government of Catalonia and the city of Barcelona. The Hermitage had no further contacts with the Barcelona authorities and has none to this day. The Hermitage is ready to show its collections and share its experience of museum work around the world, but never forces it on anyone and is used to being treated politely.” (more…)

A Midtown lobby designed by Isamu Noguchi is under threat as developers make plans to disassemble the work for planned renovations. “The most significant part of the original ensemble has survived, and it’s landmark worthy,” says John Morris Dixon, a board member of the New York/Tri-State chapter of Docomomo “You already have this strong, creative treatment of the walls and the ceiling and you can’t expect to come up with something nearly as artistically effective again. Why risk it when you’ve got it already? The lobby is a great asset that gives a high degree of individuality to the building.” (more…)

The Armory Show has issued a statement on the threat of the coronavirus to its run next week.   “At a time of great global concern and uncertainty, the Armory Show is closely monitoring the evolving situation with the coronavirus,” it reads. “Our hearts go out to those directly affected. As the safety of our exhibitors and guests remains a top priority, we will continue to consult with experts in the field and pursue best practices in safeguarding The Armory Show 2020 edition.” (more…)

The Ahmanson Foundation, a long-running supporter of LACMA, has announced it will no longer donate works to the museum.  “We’ve been unable to get a commitment from Michael Govan about presenting the collection as it has been throughout the life of the museum,” says foundation President William Ahmanson. “Our greatest concern is that the public has access to the art we’ve provided throughout LACMA’s history.” (more…)

Art Basel has announced the exhibitor list for the 2020 edition of its annual fair, with a list of 288 galleries participating. (more…)

Rashid Johnson’s Native Son was awarded an NAACP Image Award last night for Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television).   (more…)

Independent NY is partnering with Crozier fine arts to offer discounted shipping for LA Galleries participating in next week’s fair, Art News reports. “One of the hardest parts about being a gallerist is looking after things you haven’t sold and getting them back cost efficiently,” says Tom Hale, Crozier’s senior vice president and general manager for North America. “It takes so much energy to erect these art fairs.” (more…)

David Hockney muse Celia Birtwell gets a interview in The Guardian this week, as she reflects on her time sitting for the artist. “Life changes, doesn’t it? My brain, thinking about doing such a thing now, well, it’s inconceivable!” she muses. (more…)

Sales of works from the Stephen Marron collection have already started, with casino magnate Steve Wynn buying up two Picasso works for about $105 million from the estate. (more…)