The Journal

Artist Kevin McCoy, known for his creation of the first NFT, has successfully defended his ownership of the token in a lawsuit which could form an important precedent. Kevin McCoy, Quantum (2014). Image courtesy Sotheby's. Artist Kevin McCoy, known for his creation of the first NFT, has successfully defended his ownership of the token in a lawsuit filed against him and auction house Sotheby's. The suit, filed by an anonymous plaintiff represented by Canadian holding company F

Prior to the rediscovery of the works of Hilma af Klint, a Swedish artist, it was commonly believed that Wassily Kandinsky was the pioneer of modern art's turn to abstraction. However, a theory posits that Kandinsky may have been influenced by Klint's artistic creations, which he might have encountered prior to embarking on his abstract art journey. The following discussion delves further into this intriguing theory. The evolution from figurative to abstract art has been exte

The expansion of Western art businesses into the Asian market has been extensively documented. Notably, Hong Kong has emerged as a leading hub for the art market, hosting all three major auction houses and attracting prominent galleries such as Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and David Zwirner. In recent years, the art scene in Seoul has also gained momentum, resulting in the expansion of Gladstone and Pace galleries to the city. According to UBS and Art Basel's A Survey of Global

The latest art investing trends are providing some useful insights for investors.

The art market has shifted from old paintings to contemporary works by living artists with a strong Instagram presence.

Now it is estimated to pull in up to $3 million. Anthony van Dyck, A Study for Saint Jerome (1615–18). Photo courtesy of Sotheby's. An oil sketch by Anthony van Dyck, executed early in the Flemish artist’s career and rediscovered in a farm shed some four centuries later, will star in Sotheby’s Master Week series, where it is estimated to pull in up to $3 million. After several years of research and conservation, the small work was determined to be an original Van Dyck, and wa

Two protestors spray-painted the logo of Woodside Energy, an oil and gas company, on a prized Frederick McCubbin painting last week at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth. The painting was protected by a clear perspex cover and no serious damage was done. The activists claim that Woodside's activities on the Burrup peninsula are causing damage to sacred Murujuga rock art. Woodside has responded in a statement that their operations have not impacted the rock art and

The Chinese art market in 2021 was surprisingly strong despite the pandemic and threats of a recession, according to the tenth annual Global

The short story story behind the Nazi-loot claim to Tokyo’s $250m painting Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (December 1888-January 1889) Sompo Museum, Tokyo The Van Gogh Sunflowers painting, which is currently on display at the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, Japan, has been at the center of a Nazi-loot claim for over a decade. The painting, which is valued at $250 million, was allegedly stolen by the Nazis during World War II from the family of Jewish art dealer Paul Rosenber

Guarantees, withdrawals and billionaires bidding at their own auction houses.

Money laundering is the process of disguising the proceeds of illegal activity as legitimate funds. The art market, like many other high-value markets, is particularly susceptible to money laundering because art transactions can be opaque, and the value of art can be difficult to determine. One common method of money laundering in the art market is to purchase a work of art with illicit funds and then "clean" the money by selling the artwork to a legitimate buyer at a higher

Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs, are a type of digital asset that represent ownership of a unique item or piece of content, such as a digital artwork or collectible. Unlike traditional digital assets, such as a JPEG image, an NFT is verified on a blockchain, which is a digital ledger that is decentralized and distributed across a network of computers. One of the main advantages of NFTs is that they provide a way for creators of digital art and other forms of digital content to s

Esoteric art is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of artistic styles and movements that are linked by their focus on the hidden or occult aspects of reality. The history of esoteric art is a long and varied one, spanning centuries and continents, and featuring contributions from some of the most enigmatic and visionary artists of all time. One of the earliest examples of esoteric art can be found in the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Greece, where hieroglyphs and

Street art is a form of public art that has its roots in the graffiti and urban art movements of the 1960s and 1970s. However, the origins of street art can be traced back even further, to the cave paintings and murals of ancient civilizations. Throughout history, people have used public spaces to make political and social statements, to tell stories, and to beautify their surroundings. The modern street art movement began to take shape in the 1960s and 1970s, as artists in c

The cubist movement, which emerged in the early 20th century, was a revolutionary art style that marked a significant shift in the way art was perceived and created. The movement, which was led by artists such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, aimed to break away from traditional artistic conventions and instead focused on creating abstract and geometric representations of reality. Cubism was a style that sought to represent the world in a new way, breaking away from tradi

The Surrealist movement, which emerged in the early 20th century, is considered one of the most influential and important movements in the history of art. The movement, which was led by Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, and René Magritte, among others, sought to break free from the constraints of reality and explore the unconscious mind through art. The Surrealists believed that the subconscious mind held the key to understanding human behavior and the world around us, and they sough

A blow by blow record of global art auctions 2012 - 2022 Art auctions have been a significant part of the art market for centuries, providing a platform for buyers and sellers to come together and exchange works of art. The past decade, from 2012 to 2022, has seen a number of notable trends and developments in the art auction scene. 2012 was a strong year for art auctions, with total sales reaching $12.4 billion, according to a report by art market research firm Art Basel and

The art world has always been one of the earliest adopters of new technologies, and the rise of the metaverse is no exception. For those unfamiliar with the term, the metaverse is a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented realities, and the internet. The traditional art market, which includes galleries, auctions, and art fairs,

The art market has experienced significant growth over the past decade. According to a report by the art market research firm Artprice, the global art market's total value increased by almost 200% between 2010 and 2020. One of the main drivers of this growth has been the increasing interest in contemporary art. In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of contemporary art fairs, auctions, and exhibitions, which has helped to raise the profile of contemporary artis