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The Headlines
FOR THE LOVE OF REMBRANDT… NOT MONEY. The heirs of Dutch museum director Abraham Bredius (1855-1946) have filed a legal motion demanding a trove of Rembrandt paintings he donated to the Mauritshuis museum in The Haugue be returned to the family. The claimants insist the institution reneged on Bredius’ initial conditions for making the gift, and should pay the consequences, reports The New York Times. Bredius bequeathed 25 paintings, two dozen of which are by Rembrandt, to the museum, which he also directed. But he stipulated that all the artworks must remain on permanent display. When some of his heirs visited the museum in 2021, they could only see five of the paintings and subsequently called a lawyer. They now argue the museum is in “gross violation” of Bredius’ terms for the bequest and that all 25 artworks should be returned the family. “It’s a slap in the face of Abraham Bredius,” said one of the claimants, Otto Kronig. The museum hasn’t comment on the ongoing case, though it has questioned the authenticity of a few of the donated Rembrandts in the past. The case was filed by Otto and Sophia Kronig, who are the grandnephew and grandniece of art critic Joseph Kronig (1887-1984), a friend, and some historians believe, life partner of Bredius. “We’re not planning to sell them,” Sophia Kronig said. “It’s not about the money. It’s important to us they get attention, and that they’re not in some back room where no one can see them.”
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STATUE OF LIBERTY MODEL TO AUCTION. An early, clay model of the Statue of Liberty by the French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904) will be auctioned at Artcurial on November 26 in Paris, reports Le Figaro. Estimated to be worth between 300,000 and 500,000 euros ($335,000-$560,000), the 49-cm-high sculpture has appeared on the market and was gifted by the artist to Edouard Laboulay, who helped spearhead the Lady Liberty project. It’s been with his family ever since. Unlike a previous Statue of Liberty model sold in 2020, this one is reportedly in excellent condition. An “intermediary” model, it shows the artist’s working process, and a few differences from the final version we know in today’s New York Harbor, inaugurated in 1886. For one, Lady Liberty has a bit more of a swagger, if you will. Her hip is slightly more jutted to the left, and her left arm is extended lower, not up against the body. This early model is also not holding the Declaration of Independence, but instead, a broken chain…
The Digest
One of Norway’s largest private collections of Edvard Munch paintings will be sold after its owner, shipping heir Petter Olsen, declared bankruptcy. The collection includes self-portraits, but no details have yet been shared about the sale. Olsen reportedly owes about $75 million in debts. He was once one of Norway’s wealthiest people. [Bloomberg]
In still more market news, the Vincent Van Gogh painting expected to smash records at Christie’s in Hong Kong fell short of those hopes. Les canots amarrés (1887), previously owned by Princess Camilla of Bourbon Two Sicilies, sold for $32.2 million on Thursday. It was hyped to hammer for $50 million. Still, it was a record for a Van Gogh in Asia, noted Cristian Albu, deputy chairman and head of 20th/21st century art at Christie’s Asia Pacific. [AFP and France 24]
As Christie’s gets over the tepid results in Hong Kong, the house has released details of its upcoming sales, including the Impressionist and Modern Art Works on Paper in London on October 9 (over Frieze London btw). It includes a George Grosz wartercolor with a high estimate of $740,000. [Christie’s]
WWD China is hosting a series of exhibitions titled “Heritage next” in Paris and Shanghai, starting with a focus on emerging Chinese designers. The events, which begin this month, mark the fifth anniversary of the WWD branch and coincide with the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations. [WWD]
The Kicker
INFINITE BLUNDERLAND. Artnet News’ critic Ben Davis latest piece is titled, “Let’s all laugh at how cursed Google’s Generative-Art ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is,” and we’ve gladly accepted the invitation. If you haven’t been following, Google Labs used AI to recreate illustrator John Tenniel’s drawings for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Davis explains that if you click on any line in the AI Carrol text, you generate a new, AI image that is supposed to look like the originals. But the experience quickly fell flat for Davis, who gives a relatable analogy in his intro. “Imagine someone gives you a new edition of a beloved picture book, … As you look through it, you notice that a lot of the new images feel like weird, off-putting outtakes. Or they are just confusing. ‘Don’t worry,’ your friend says…. ‘there are so many pictures that if you keep flipping, you’ll eventually get something you want.’ This would not be a good gift!”
