Law The Louvre Has Redoubled Its Efforts to Be Named a Civil Party in the International Antiquities Trafficking Case Against Its Former Director The museum wants to enter a legal gray area wherein it is declared partly a victim, which may help absolve its tarnished reputation. By Devorah Lauter, Sep 20, 2023
Shows & Exhibitions A Spanish Arts Center Has Invited 50 Contemporary Artists to Pry Open the Legacy and Myth of Pablo Picasso The varying responses from artists show the complexity and vastness Picasso's work and life. By Devorah Lauter, May 24, 2023
Up Next Emerging Artist Diane Dal-Pra’s Cushiony Paintings of Women Blend Magical Realism with a Touch of Insomnia Dal-Pra's work is currently included in "Rear View" at LDGR's new flagship New York location. By Devorah Lauter, May 19, 2023
People Meet Frédéric Jousset, the Thrill-Seeking French Millionaire Funding Outlandish Ideas to Make People Fall in Love With Art Jousset's ideas included building a museum on a boat because "boats fascinate people." By Devorah Lauter, May 4, 2023
Art Fairs ‘We Are Part of the Appeal’: To Fete Art Brussels, Savvy Local Collectors Host Sophisticated Tea Parties While Snapping Up Works By Young Artists The collector-rich region held the 39th edition of the fair, known for being ripe for the discovery of emerging talents. By Devorah Lauter, Apr 25, 2023
Law A Court Has Ruled That a Controversial Miriam Cahn Painting, Targeted by Far-Right Censors, Can Remain Hanging at the Palais de Tokyo This is the second legal pronouncement on the work, following weeks of controversy fueled by figures in France’s far-right. By Devorah Lauter, Apr 14, 2023
Law A Judge Has Dismissed Far-Right Efforts to Remove a Miriam Cahn Painting of Russian War Crimes From the Palais de Tokyo Lawyers for the art center believe local extremists have been influenced by ideologies “blown in from across the Atlantic." By Devorah Lauter, Mar 28, 2023
Market France’s Art Market Is Booming—But a New E.U. Sales Tax Hike Threatens to Undo Its Progress Overnight The new law will wipe out the country’s favorable art market-friendly tax rates. By Devorah Lauter, Feb 23, 2023
Law A French Court Has Refused to Drop Antiquities Smuggling Charges Against Ex-Louvre Director Jean-Luc Martinez Both Martinez and curator Jean-Francois Charnier, who is also ensnared in the allegations, will appeal the decision. By Devorah Lauter, Feb 3, 2023
Politics France’s Ministry of Culture Is Pushing Forward a Trio of Groundbreaking Laws That May Have Sweeping Effects on Restitution The proposed laws respectively address items looted during World War 2, human remains, and other looted objects, including those from the colonial era. By Devorah Lauter, Jan 18, 2023
Politics French Weekly ‘Charlie Hebdo’ Has Again Angered the Iranian Regime for Publishing Caricatures of Its Supreme Leader In response, Iran’s foreign ministry has allegedly closed a French-Iranian cultural institution in Tehran. By Devorah Lauter, Jan 9, 2023
Art World A Paris Museum Became an Unlikely Gathering Place for Artists and Sports Fans to Enjoy the Historic World Cup Match Between Morocco and France The sports match was seen as a highly symbolic cultural moment for Africa and Arab nations. By Devorah Lauter, Dec 15, 2022
Auctions Marie Antoinette’s ‘Trianon Guitar,’ Which She Gifted to a Musical Member of Her Entourage, Is Up for Auction The guitar is estimated to fetch between €60,000 and €80,000 at Aguttes auction house in France. By Devorah Lauter, Dec 6, 2022
People Spending Her Life Outside the World’s Art Capitals, Venezuelan Artist Gego’s Meticulous Wire Sculptures Are Now in Global Demand The artist is the subject of a traveling museum retrospective, currently on view at the Museo Jumex. By Devorah Lauter, Dec 5, 2022
Crime A New Art Trafficking Report Commissioned by France’s Culture Ministry Says Its Museums Must Tighten Up Their Acquisitions Policies The study calls for a concerted state effort to tackle the issue and advocates for a more unified, “collegial” approach to acquisitions. By Devorah Lauter, Nov 23, 2022