Buying and selling art has long stood as a pastime for the elite – and in the case of multi-million dollar transactions, one could argue it’s a sport of its own. And it’s certainly competitive. Even the most prestigious auctions are merely a race measured in time, taste, and resources; and we can imagine thatContinueContinue reading “Loopholes and laundering: when free trade turns nefarious”
Tag Archives: Art
Notre-Dame: Making a case for replication
British architect Karl Singporewala writes his take for Architects’ Journal: “Replicating Notre-Dame’s spire is wrong.” We all watched in horror when Notre-Dame burned last spring. We saw the bright blaze tear through her center and force panicked plumes of smoke every direction – they’re tragic images one can scarcely forget in a lifetime. The embersContinueContinue reading “Notre-Dame: Making a case for replication”
Underground in plain sight
Theft and obfuscation are open secrets in the antiquities exchange. With more calls than ever for restitution, how can we make sure to place artifacts most responsibly? An unfortunate preface to this conversation: when an item of historical significance is procured by theft at any point in time, it becomes a statistic in this problem.ContinueContinue reading “Underground in plain sight”
Too many restorations are botched
And too few of us are taking this seriously. Last week may have surprised you with the news that Bartolome Murillo’s rendition of the Virgin Mary is now utterly disfigured. To some others, this came as almost no surprise at all. Shown at left: “The Immaculate Conception of El Escorial” by Bartolome Esteban Murillo; theContinueContinue reading “Too many restorations are botched”
Present Preservation 