LONDON – A previously unknown sketchbook of watercolors and pencil drawings relating to the California Gold Rush and the famous Forty Niners sold at auction on August 4 for $25,000. The 76-page document records the places and characters seen by the amateur artist and adventurer Joseph Goldsborough Bruff (American, 1804-1889) as part of an expedition to California from 1849-1851.
WASHINGTON, DC — Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) is one of the most significant artists of the 17th century, yet much of the Dutch painter’s life and practice remains a mystery. On view at the National Gallery of Art from October 8 through January 8, 2023, Vermeer’s Secrets will unveil new findings about him and his process. The exhibition offers a behind-the-scenes look at how National Gallery curators, conservators, and scientists investigated the museum’s four treasured paintings by and attributed to Vermeer — as well as two 20th-century forgeries — to understand “what makes a Vermeer a Vermeer.”
NEW YORK – On August 13, La Belle Epoque Auction Gallery held its first auction after temporarily shutting down since suffering extreme water damage in the spring of 2022. A David Hockney (British, b. 1937-) lithograph, signed by the artist, took the lead in the sale. The live online-only Multi-Estates Summer auction featured more than 300 lots with a varied selection of fine art, decorative items, furniture, Mid-century Modern pieces and silver.