Art News

This week Sotheby's auctioned off the collection of Marsha Garces Williams and Robin Williams, achieving $6.1 million. Amassed over more than two decades, the collection is an impressive, eclectic mix of contemporary and outsider artwork, including movie memorabilia, antiques, fine watches, paintings, prints and sculptures.

This shimmering metallic woven cloth, imbued with innate Africanness, is the work of one of the most influential contemporary artists of today.

Christie’s is marking Frieze Week in London with a series of auctions showcasing 20th- and 21st- century works. The first of these, Un/Breakable, which took place on Tuesday, is a new curated auction that traces 140 years of ceramic art.

International Head of Antiquities G. Max Bernheimer marvels at this powerful stone relief retrieved from Nimrud in modern-day Iraq in the mid-19th century. Standing more than 7 ft. high, this proud figure was once part of an elaborate decorative scheme that covered the walls of the Northwest Palace at Nimrud, which was constructed some 3,000 years ago.

Phillips New Now auction proved itself to be a staple of the auction calendar this week, mixing work by emerging and established artists in a successful sale. With over 250 lots offered, the auction expected to realize over $5 million, and made $6.4 million.

Who was Su Shi, and why is he so revered within Chinese culture? Art critic Alastair Sooke and Christie’s specialist Sophia Zhou look at the life and times of this giant of Chinese culture, and reflect on his revolutionary ideas about what painting could be.

Sotheby’s Yellow Ball Auction, presenting the extraordinary art collection of Frank and Lorna Dunphy, realized $13.3 million today, with 92% of lots sold, and participants from 43 countries. Known for managing Damien Hirst, Frank and his wife, Lorna, collected an impressive array of art.

On October 4, Sotheby’s will offer works from the collection of Robin Williams and his wife of over 20 years, film producer and philanthropist Marsha Garces Williams. Join Marsha and their daughter Zelda Williams as they lovingly recount a lifetime of collecting and living with the iconic entertainer.

In the early 17th century, Galileo Galilei enjoyed a celebrity status at the University of Padua, where he published his first work in 1606. But, when an eager rival accused him of plagiarism shortly theafter, Galileo’s integrity was called into question.

Sotheby’s announced today the special sale of XUZHEN SUPERMARKET at their Contemporary Art Evening Sale in Hong Kong September 30. Though it may sound straightforward, the auction house isn’t selling a family grocery store—they’re selling the idea behind and future execution of an art installation.