The highest estimate in this week’s contemporary art sales in New York is the $6 million to $8 million (£4 million to £5.3 million) asked for Jeff Koons’s 7ft, stainless-steel wrapped Easter egg. Sotheby’s insists that the estimate is less than half what it would have been a year ago and is a bargain. Jonathan [...]

The Impressionist and Modern Art Works on Paper and Day sales took place today at Christie’s NY (May 7 2009) and realized a combined total of $20,659,000/ £13,772,800 / €15,417,314, with a sell-through rate of 90% by value. The top price of the day was achieved for Fernand Léger’s Le cinq de trèfle, 1947 which [...]

JMW Turner was an obsessively competitive painter who laboured to prove how much better he was than his predecessors, a major exhibition at Tate Britain will attempt to prove this autumn. A self portrait painted by JMW Turner, that will be exhibited as part of the new Tate Britain exhibition Turner and the Masters The [...]

This latest theory about Paul Gauguin slicing off Vincent van Gogh’s ear with a fencing foil is highly implausible Misunderstood and undervalued … Self-portrait with Palette c 1894 by Paul Gauguin. Poor Vincent; he gets no rest. If it isn’t a new film or TV drama about the tragic genius who ended his extraordinary life [...]

Andy Warhol, Mickey Mouse Uncle Sam. Superman. Mickey Mouse. These pop culture icons share more in common than fame—they became muses and their images become subjects to another American icon: Andy Warhol.

A group of volunteers clearing graffiti from the walls and bus stops in their home town have inadvertently painted over a modern masterpiece – and cost its owner £5,000. The work, attributed to street artist Banksy, depicted Paddington Bear with the caption “Migration is not a crime” and was painted on to a wall owned [...]