Barnes Foundation to show Marie Cuttoli tapestries: Miro to Man Ray

Joan Miró (1893-1983). Personages with Star (Personnages avec étoile), 1933. Oil on canvas, 78 × 97 in. (198.1 × 246.4 cm). Art Institute of Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Maurice E. Culberg Collection. © Successió Miró / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris 2019

PHILADELPHIA – In February 2020, the Barnes Foundation will present Marie Cuttoli: The Modern Thread from Miró to Man Ray, an exhibition that traces Marie Cuttoli’s pioneering career, from her early work in fashion and interiors to her revival of the French tapestry industry in collaboration with Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and other modern artists. On view in the Roberts Gallery from February 23 through May 10, 2020, this is the first major exhibition to celebrate Cuttoli’s visionary approach to art and business.

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National WWI Museum & Memorial recalls Prohibition

‘Vote ‘Dry’ For Us.’ American poster, c. 1918. Image courtesy of the National World War I Museum and Memorial

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Programs examining the effects of prohibition nationally and in Kansas City, a presentation on how World War I initiated the fossil fuel era and a conversation on the relationship between America’s first Stanley Cup-winning team and the Great War are among the January offerings at the National WWI Museum and Memorial.

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Tokyo Olympics embraces avant-garde design, including manga

‘The Sky Above the Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa’ by manga artist Hirohiko Araki. Image courtesy of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics Organizing Committee

TOKYO (AP) – The official posters are out for this year’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

The 20 posters have been created by 19 artists in fields ranging from painting, graphic design and photography. Calligraphy and Japanese manga are also represented. Manga is the Japanese art of comics and cartooning, which is famous in the host country.

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Expert says ‘earlier Mona Lisa’ not Leonardo’s work

The Isleworth Mona Lisa. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

SAN JOSE, Calif. (PRNewswire) – NBC’s Today Show reported as to the possibility of an earlier version by the hand of Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci of Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the world. The consortium who purchased the so-called Isleworth Mona Lisa and changed the painting’s name to Earlier Version Mona Lisa claims it is by the maestro. While some experts suggest the painting is a mere copy, a handful of art historians believe it to be an earlier, unfinished version by Leonardo da Vinci himself.

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Freeman’s to sell private collections of Art Nouveau Jan. 22

Gabriel Argy-Rousseau (French, 1885-1953) ‘La Coupe Fleurie’ night light, France, circa 1923, pâte de verre, wrought iron, 5 5/8in high. Estimate: $3,000-$5,000. Freeman’s image

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – On Jan. 22, Freeman’s will hold its inaugural sale at its new location at 1600 West Girard, showcasing a unique auction of Decorative Arts & Design @1600. With over 150 lots, the sale will primarily feature French furniture and glass from two prominent, private United States collections, including numerous pieces by Louis Majorelle and Emile Galle. Featured as well will be works by Tiffany, including pottery, glass and lighting. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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Riding the wave of ocean liner memorabilia

Rare maple paneling from the second-class library on the HMHS Brittanic achieved $169,071 in May 2019 at Victor Mee Auctions. Photo courtesy of Victor Mee Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – Starting in the early 1900s, an ocean liner voyage was the epitome of luxury travel and the standard mode for international travel until airplanes became commonplace. Well-designed and decorated opulently, ocean liners were the playground of the rich and famous. Author Jules Verne described the experience as being aboard a “floating city.”

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