Vincent Noce

Obituariescomment

When Karl Lagerfeld sold his art collection

The fashion designer, who died this week at the age of 85, spent lavishly on decorating his houses in the style of the Ancien Régime

Serial art thief Stéphane Breitwieser arrested—again

Having served a six-year jail sentence, he came under suspicion again after offering a 19th-century paperweight on eBay

Beirutnews

Beirut Museum of Art vows to carry on as honorary chairman Carlos Ghosn remains in jail

Museum board says fundraising campaign to build delayed private museum is not dependent on the scandal-hit auto executive

Aliph, the global fund to protect cultural heritage, announces its first projects in Iraq and Mali

Launched in 2016, Aliph will finance restoration work with technical support from the Louvre and Smithsonian Institution

Restitutionanalysis

The repatriation debate intensifies as calls for post-colonial restitution grow—but is it legal?

Recommendations from Savoy-Sarr report into restitution by French museums may contravene the country’s laws

Forensic examination of all Modigliani works in French museums gets under way

Comprehensive analysis of 29 pieces from ten institutions could be “the best weapon against forgery”

Senegal and Ivory Coast will ask for return of objects in French museums

Statements come just days after the release of a controversial French report on the restitution of African artefacts

Hala Wardé dismissed as architect of planned Beirut Museum of Art

Difficulties began when the museum asked HW Architecture to work pro bono

French President Emmanuel Macron calls for international conference on the return of African artefacts

Announcement comes after controversial report urged the president to return works taken “without consent” in the colonial period

'Give Africa its art back', Macron's report says

A new report on the status of African objects in French museums will urge the president to return works taken “without consent” in the colonial period

Louvre Abu Dhabi tops one million visitors in its first year

Leonardo da Vinci’s La Belle Ferronière will remain on loan to the museum for another year

Lawnews

US court orders collector to repay Sotheby’s $1.2m for Parmigianino fake

The judgement comes after two experts found the painting was made with modern synthetic pigments

Isenheim Altarpiece restoration finally back on track after public outcry

More than 30 conservators will treat paintings and sculptures, seven years after French culture ministry halted reckless cleaning of two panels

Collectingpreview

Giampietro Campana assembled the greatest private collection of his age—then lost the lot

A new show at the Musée du Louvre reunites 500 of the collector's artefacts, showing his admiration for Italian art across the ages

Riyadhnews

Huge French-Saudi cultural collaboration cemented despite Khashoggi murder

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed plans to develop Al-Ula Province one day after Turkish officials announced killing of Saudi journalist

Lawnews

Paris court orders US collector to turn over Pissarro painting

The work, seized by the pro-Nazi Vichy government, had been lent to an exhibition at the Musée Marmottan

Sotheby's cancels Viel Castel sale after entire collection is bought by a US buyer

The auction of art, antiques and works of art was cancelled an hour after its supposed start time following private deal

Brigitte Macron cheers up dealers at a smaller La Biennale Paris

One stand is closed down in a vetting crackdown at the French art fair, which organisers say can return to its former glory if "dealers would stop bickering"

Art fairsanalysis

The disputes that blight the French antiques market

Do falling exhibitor and visitor numbers at La Biennale Paris signal the beginning of the end for this once world-class art fair?

Old Master saga: expert hired by vendor to prove Saint Jerome's authenticity says it is a fake

Maurizio Seracini concurs that the painting sold by Sotheby’s in 2012 is a modern forgery

Guy Wildenstein cleared of tax evasion for a second time in Paris

Franco-American scion of art dealing dynasty was accused of hiding art and other property worth hundreds of millions of euros from French authorities

French dealer awarded rights to Chinese artist T'ang Haywen's work

Paris court decision ends legal saga that began in 1991, when the artist died without an heir

Collector appeals for return of Pissarro painting restituted through a 1945 order made by the Allies in France

"This may raise many important Holocaust issues for the French market," Christie’s says

Russian tycoon accuses Yves Bouvier of 'campaign of disinformation' as US calls off investigation into Swiss entrepreneur

Dmitry Rybolovlev's $450m windfall from Salvator Mundi sale undermined fraud allegation, report says, but criminal cases against Bouvier in Europe are ongoing

Emperor Constantine's giant finger found in the Louvre

Ancient object—initially believed to be a toe—perfectly fits the hand of ancient bronze statue in Rome's Musei Capitolini

Second tranche of Aristophil's manuscripts collection to be sold in Paris, but will it flood the market?

After a difficult first series of auctions last December, Drouot holds more sales in June to disperse holdings of bankrupt French firm

Kraemer brothers among six charged over allegedly fake Louis XIV furniture

Laurent and Olivier Kraemer charged with organised fraud and money laundering in ongoing investigation over so-called "fake Boulles"

Anonymous donor steps in to pay hefty penalty for the National Gallery of Canada’s botched Chagall sale

The rushed deaccessioning—to fund the acquisition of another work from neighbouring Quebec—raised a storm of criticism

The blueprint for Saudi Arabia's multi-billion-euro project with France

We exclusively reveal the details of the plans for a “historic” collaboration

Damning report says France must catch up, fast, in return of Nazi-era loot

Heritage expert calls for new government taskforce to guide provenance research and even rule on restitution cases