Vincent Noce

Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac Museum in Paris is ready to return African art

Head of the ethnographic institution applauds President Macron’s pledge to hand back African cultural heritage

World's largest collection of manuscripts from bankrupt firm Aristophil to be sold in Paris

Auctioneer Claude Aguttes will sell the collection of historic books and manuscripts across 300 sales over at least six years as part of liquidation

Podcastsfeature

Podcast episode seven: the tale of an Old Master forgery scandal

The 'masterpieces' that fooled the art world. Plus: a review of London's latest shows, from Cezanne to Soutine.

Victory for Matisse family in $4.5m cut-out battle with dealer

Paris art dealer Jérôme Le Blay ordered to hand over works to artist’s descendants

Islamic State's looting of antiquities is rising but hard facts remain scarce

Experts question the reported size of illicit trade, particularly as the number of fake artefacts increases

Audrey Azoulay, former French culture minister, to be Unesco’s next director-general

In a surprise election, the dark-horse candidate won the vote of the culture agency’s executive board

Matisse’s heirs claim two cut-outs worth $4.5m

French appeal court to decide case brought by company based in Hong Kong against artist’s family

La Biennale Paris aims to put controversy behind it

The revamped fair opened this week to mixed reviews from press and participants

Pierre Bergé, French entrepreneur and art collector, dies aged 86

His death comes shortly before the opening of two museums dedicated to his long-term partner, the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent

Exclusive: the first interview with Louvre Abu Dhabi’s French director

High-flying civil servant Manuel Rabaté describes how the museum will work

interview by Vincent Noce

Louvre Abu Dhabi to open on 11 November

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit the Emirate for the inauguration of the international museum

Art marketfeature

Can new leadership and a change of name save the Biennale Paris?

For its 55th birthday, the fair formerly known as the Biennale des Antiquaires is hoping for a “renewal” after a difficult 2016 edition

Pinault’s (circular) designs on Paris

Billionaire seals deal to create museum in historic former stockmarket building

Louvre Abu Dhabi to open in November, sources say

The exact date has yet to be fixed, but the building is in the final phases of testing before art collection and loans are installed

Featuresfeature

Symbiotic siblings: Alberto and Diego Giacometti

As a major survey opening this month at Tate Modern confirms, Alberto Giacometti’s reputation as a 20th-century great is assured. But his younger brother Diego’s role cannot be overlooked

Laure de Beauvau-Craon, princess and former chair of Sotheby’s France, has died, aged 74

She fought a centuries-old monopoly of the country’s auction market—and won

Lawnews

Yves Bouvier clears legal hurdle in Singapore

Court of appeal rules that Switzerland is a "more appropriate forum" for civil lawsuit against the Swiss businessman by collector Dmitry Rybolovlev

Artist's resale rights must be paid by sellers, French court rules

Decision is latest twist in long-running legal battle involving Christie's

PAD Paris loses its vetting committee after opening of 20th anniversary edition this week

The organisation commissioned to examine the works offered at the fair dropped out citing a lack of professionalism and “disrespect” of the experts’ mission

Global fund to protect cultural heritage launches with $75m and board led by US billionaire Thomas Kaplan

On Friday, France will propose a new resolution to UN Security Council to safeguard sites in conflict zones around the world

Bankrupt French company's huge stock of precious manuscripts to go on sale

Thousands of items, including Einstein's calculations and de Sade's writings, will return to market

Chaos at the Louvre as blockbuster Vermeer show draws thousands of visitors

A faulty reservation system, long queues of frustrated ticket holders and threats to strike by security staff mar the opening weeks

Lawnews

Sotheby’s takes Mark Weiss to court over contested Frans Hals

The auction house has started proceedings in English High Court to recover its losses in the sale of a work that was deemed a forgery after technical testing

Lawnews

Prosecution seeks jail time and heavy fines for Paris museum thieves

The three men involved in the heist face seven to ten years for the disappearance of five masterpieces

Jean-Paul Barbier-Mueller, museum founder and collector who opposed the return of artefacts to their countries of origin

When he saw an object he liked, he would never let it go. Sometimes he waited years to acquire some of them

Lawnews

Trial testimony reveals how one man walked off with five masterpieces worth €108m from a Paris museum

But professional burglar advises making sure you “have the resources” to pull off a similar heist “or drop the idea because it’s just too much of a headache”

Sotheby's declares 'Parmigianino' a forgery

Auction house sues seller while Frenchman at centre of saga denies painting is a modern copy

Jean Paul Barbier-Mueller, ‘gentleman collector’ of ethnographic art, has died aged 86

Together with his wife Monique Mueller, the Swiss collector built one of the largest private holdings of Pre-Columbian, African and Oceanic objects in Europe

Lawnews

Appeals court upholds two-year suspended sentence for Picasso’s electrician

Stash of 271 stolen works will be returned to the artist's family