Discoveries
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
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
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
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
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
Relic of first-century pope found in a rubbish tip is donated to Westminster Cathedral
Rubbish collectors found the bone fragment of Clement I in London
Newly discovered Michaelina Wautier painting added to first major show on Baroque’s forgotten female master
And experts are convinced that “many more works will pop up”
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”
Man decapitated while fleeing volcano’s destruction of Pompeii
Excavation tells a poignant story of an unfortunate Roman
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
Discovery of a prehistoric sculpture in Saudi Arabia could mean horses tamed in 7000BC
It’s a Late Stone Age horse, of course?
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
Doubts cast on authorship of Goya’s “Black paintings”
University of Madrid discovery
Solid gold, fake Celtic cauldron found in lake
If deemed a Nazi object, it belongs to the Bavarian State
Unesco adopts a new Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage to protect shipwrecks lying in international waters
However, the US and UK say the it conflicts with existing maritime legislation and Russia, Norway, Turkey, and Venezuela vote no
From the archive | A 36th Vermeer?
Paint analysis suggests that "Woman at a virginal", which is in private hands and has been dismissed for 50 years, may be by the master
Commercial landowners in Britain almost always hand over to public museums archaeological discoveries made on their land, despite no legal obligation for them to do so. Their munificence has led to a chronic shortage of storage space.
This virtuous circle
Deliberation over ownership of submerged vessels and their booty at the bottom of the ocean leads to Unesco intervention
An estimated three million shipwrecks lay undiscovered. UNESCO is calling for a global treaty to protect them. Salvors say it is unrealistic and unworkable, despite developments in deep-sea exploration technology
Radar imaging reveals ancient Cambodian ruins
Evidence of an earlier culture is found in the jungle surrounding Angkor