Vincent Noce

Beninnews

Benin pushes for 'full restitution' as 26 looted objects destined to return to the country go on show at the Quai Branly in Paris

A farewell exhibition, due to be visited by French President Emmanuel Macron this week, is being hosted at the French museum. But the West African nation is "not satisfied" with the partial restitution

France launches Islamic art shows across 18 cities to combat rising Islamophobia

The Louvre-led government initiative aims to shatter clichés and encourage a deeper understanding

Genevan court dismisses Dimitry Rybolovev's case against art dealer Yves Bouvier—but feud between the two billionaires is not over yet

Russian art collector had sued for double dealing and will now appeal decision, while Bouvier plans to launch $1bn countersuit for damages—and write a tell-all book

Emma Lavigne named chief executive officer of the Pinault Collection

Former head of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris replaces Jean-Jacques Aillagon

'Unafraid of upsetting the applecart': leading Rembrandt scholar Ernst van de Wetering has died, aged 83

The Dutch art historian, who worked on the Rembrandt Research Project for 47 years, made radical changes to the study of the Old Master painter

Director of slavery memorial in Guadeloupe sacked after reporting €420,000 missing from museum’s budget

Laurella Yssap-Rincon had promised to “correct the mismanagement” of the culture centre when she took the position in 2019

French museums face fresh legal action over refusal to restitute works to Jewish families

Collection of the lawyer and collector Armand Isaac Dorville was sold after his death in an estate sale that the state argues was not forced

Laurence des Cars will be the first woman to lead the Louvre in its history

A seasoned director with an emphasis on the social role of museums, she replaces Jean-Luc Martinez as the Louvre's president-director on 1 September

Openingsreview

After 21 years and $194m: Pinault opens Bourse museum in Paris

The French billionaire's long awaited contemporary art space contains works that champion his values of diversity—though many of these have been shown in Venice before

AlUlanews

'A global destination for heritage, culture and nature': Saudi Arabia unveils $15bn AlUla masterplan

Kingdoms Institute, a new "world class" study centre, is among 15 cultural facilities that will form part of the heritage-rich region's transformation

Nathalie Bondil, ousted head of Montreal museum, joins Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris

Her first task at the French institution will be to expand its international programming and partnerships

'Cranach' painting of Venus at centre of Old Masters fakes scandal must be returned to Prince of Liechtenstein, court rules

Seized as part of a forgery investigation, the work has been fully studied and must no longer be kept as evidence

Not a Leonardo! Clue to wax bust’s attribution lies inside a sperm whale

New scientific report confirms that wax bust of the goddess Flora—bought by the eminent museum director Wilhelm Bode—dates to after the Renaissance

'It could have been much worse': the current state of play of Notre Dame's restoration, two years after the fire

Philippe Villeneuve, the lead architect of the cathedral, is confident the Parisian landmark will reopen for the Olympic Games in 2024

French galleries sue state over Covid-19 closure

The gallery association CPGA is going to court, claiming its members are “victims of a distortion of competition” as auction houses are allowed to stay open

Selling, selling, sold...and sold again. The truth about the bungled sale of a Van Gogh at Sotheby's

Rare painting of a Montmartre street scene sold three times in the same auction

Succession: critics take aim at Louvre chief Jean-Luc Martinez as he seeks reappointment

French president Emmanuel Macron will decide whether to renew or replace the museum's director in the coming weeks

Louvre probes its collection for Nazi and colonial loot in massive provenance research project

Museum launches an online catalogue of 485,000 objects while curators comb through wartime acquisitions and works from former colonies

Cambodia’s Khmer heritage is finally returning home

Collector Douglas Latchford’s daughter has turned over his entire collection—as well as records that could lead to further recoveries from US institutions

After a stormy few years, Paris Biennale is laid to rest

The long-running French event will be replaced by a new art, antiques and luxury crafts fair at the end of November

Podcastspodcast

Old Masters meet Brutalism: inside Frick Madison in New York

Plus, the story of a notorious forger and artist Collier Schorr on August Sander

Hosted by Ben Luke. with guest speaker Vincent Noce. Produced by Julia Michalska, David Clack, Aimee Dawson and Henrietta Bentall

Surrealist collection of Man Ray's assistant sells out at Christie's despite 'serious concerns about ownership' of most of the works

Ahead of yesterday's sale in Paris, the Man Ray Trust called for a delay claiming that Lucien Treillard “stole a substantial number of Man Ray’s works and possessions"

Cy Twombly foundation ‘absolutely prepared to take legal action’ after Louvre ‘destroys’ artist’s ceiling painting in renovation works

The US artist's foundation says that it was not consulted over the French museum's changes to the Salle des Bronzes—the Louvre argues it does not have to

Kamel Mennour gallery's representation of Claude Lévêque suspended after allegations of abuse of minors

According to French media reports, a police investigation has been launched into violations dating back to the 1970s

French High Court orders retrial of Wildenstein art dynasty tax fraud case

Guy Wildenstein and his nephew were accused of hiding assets worth hundreds of millions but were acquitted in 2017 and 2018—now they are wanted back in court for a third trial

Revealed: the secrets behind Antonia, Modigliani’s ‘most complex work’

Researchers at C2RMF give an exclusive preview of their forensic study of all the artist's works in French museum collections

A date with Mona Lisa? A painting by Soulages? Louvre's fundraising auction offers all to the highest bidder

Online sale seeks to support a new space for art education and outreach that will open in the autumn of 2021

'The law has to fall on someone': Seller of allegedly fake Frans Hals must pay Sotheby's $5.4m for cancelled sale, judge insists

London Court of Appeal upholds the auction house's defence in forgery case, rejecting appeal by investment company Fairlight Art Ventures

New York authorities return ancient stele to Egypt

The object was seized on its way to an art fair last year and came from the same network that sold other looted antiquities to museums

Seller contests having to repay Sotheby’s for allegedly forged Frans Hals

In latest hearing of ongoing legal saga, Fairlight Art Ventures, co-vendor of painting sold in 2011 for $10.75m, is refusing to pay auction house more than $5.3m