New Madrid museum set to unveil five centuries of Spain’s royal collections

Columnas Churrieguera y Herrero, baroque Solomonic faux marble wooden columns with gilded vines that once belonged to a Madrid church, on view at The Royal Collections Gallery (Museo de Colecciones Reales) in Madrid, Spain. Image courtesy of the Museum

MADRID (AP) – It’s not as if Madrid were short on world-ranking galleries with the likes of the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofia, among others. But in June, Spain is set to unveil what is touted as one of Europe’s cultural highlights of the year with the opening in the Spanish capital of the Royal Collections Gallery (Museo de Colecciones Reales). The swanky new museum will feature paintings, tapestries, sculptures, decorative art pieces, armory and sumptuous royal furniture collected by Spanish monarchs during five centuries, spanning the empire’s Hapsburg and Bourbon dynasties. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will inaugurate the gallery on June 28, after which it will be open to the public, free of charge for the first few days.

Continue reading

Rarities in Doyle’s Oct. 13 auction aim for top shelves of your library

Georges Rouault, ‘Cirque de l’etoile filante,’ estimated at $15,000-$25,000. Image courtesy of Doyle and LiveAuctioneers
 Georges Rouault, ‘Cirque de l’etoile filante,’ estimated at $15,000-$25,000. Image courtesy of Doyle and LiveAuctioneers

Georges Rouault, ‘Cirque de l’etoile filante,’ estimated at $15,000-$25,000. Image courtesy of Doyle and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – Doyle will hold an auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on Thursday, October 13 at 10 am Eastern time. The sale will showcase a wide variety of Americana, antiquarian books, first editions, maps and signed items in all fields. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Continue reading