Discoveries

Uncovered: Van Gogh's first art teacher

First photo discovered of Anna Birnie, of Scottish descent, who served as a young governess for eight-year-old Vincent

a blog by Martin Bailey

'True Rembrandt relic' discovered in cesspit below artist's house

Clay pot used by Old Master to paint is now on show in Amsterdam's Rembrandt House Museum

New discoveries: Paul Signac painted watercolours of Van Gogh’s asylum

Signac, who offered to fight a duel over the Sunflowers, pays homage to his Dutch friend

a blog by Martin Bailey

Possible unmapped chambers discovered near Tutankhamun’s tomb

Researchers have found two anomalies in Egypt's Valley of the Kings

Hidden Cupid resurfaces in one of Vermeer’s best-known works after two and a half centuries

Laboratory tests revealed "sensational" discovery that the figure in Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window was overpainted decades after the artist’s death

Portrait sketch of Leonardo da Vinci discovered in Britain’s Royal Collection

The drawing, believed to be one of only two contemporary images of the artist, will go on show for the first time at the Queen’s Gallery in London

Brazilnews

Archaeological trove discovered beneath zoo heads to Rio de Janeiro’s National Museum

More than 30,000 imperial artefacts were found in the nearby RioZoo last week

Anthony Caro's drawings corrected by Henry Moore to go on show for first time

Exhibition at East Gallery of Norwich University of the Arts aims to demonstrate the relationship between the two artists

Fake no more: poppy painting in US museum is by Van Gogh—and has a surprise under the surface

Still life at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut, is authenticated after decades hidden in storage

a blog by Martin Bailey

Leonardo da Vinci's thumbprint discovered on drawing in Royal Collection

The mark is “the most convincing candidate for an authentic Leonardo fingerprint” among the Queen’s 550 works by the great artist

Who painted the mystery nude in the Van Gogh brothers' collection?

Museum specialist believes he has uncovered the identity of the artist—and his voluptuous muse

a blog by Martin Bailey

Revealed: marquess of Northampton tried to buy Sekhemka statue before it was controversially sold off by UK museum

Ancient Egyptian sculpture was almost bought by the 7th marquess, whose predecessor donated it to the local museum in the 19th century

Did Pieter Bruegel the Elder create the earliest Scottish landscape?

Coastal rock formation in 16th-century engraving resembles the famous Bass Rock at the mouth of the Firth of Forth, art historian argues

Mistaken identity: new discovery means there is only one known photograph of Vincent van Gogh

The childhood image that was assumed to be of Vincent is now believed to depict his brother Theo

a blog by Martin Bailey

Courbet's model for the Origin of the World discovered

It is now “99% certain” that dancer Constance Quéniaux is depicted in the infamous nude

Painting of courtesan by Kitagawa Utamaro—who influenced the Impressionists—goes on show for first time

Hanging scroll by the shunga master will be displayed in the British Museum’s revamped Japanese galleries

Tom Thomson sketch hidden in Canadian basement sells for C$480,000 at auction, more than double its high estimate

The work’s owner, a retired nurse, chose not to attend the sale in person due to nerves “in case it was worth something”

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

Stored in a basement, Canadian woman’s painting turns out to be Tom Thomson sketch

The work is due to be auctioned in Toronto with a high estimate of $135,000—and will fund a Mediterranean cruise for the owner and her friend

Art marketarchive

Paintings dumped at charity shop make six figures

The paintings were appraised after a Goodwill employee spotted the pair

From the archive | Gauguin’s teeth found in well

Bovril jar, perfume and morphine also discovered

Bacon “rubbish” including sketches and diaries makes £1m at auction

An alternative end for the rubbish that was to be thrown out from Bacon’s famously chaotic studio at 7 Reese Mews in London

Stolen art discovered in reclusive collector’s estate

Christie’s and the Stair Galleries both cancelled sales as a result

Malevich painting finally authenticated

Traces of Malevich's signature found on 1913 painting

Solid gold, fake Celtic cauldron found in lake

If deemed a Nazi object, it belongs to the Bavarian State