The Hepworth buys Odundo work
Asymmetric Vessel, 2021, by Dame Magdalene Odundo – bought by The Hepworth Wakefield.
The Hepworth Wakefield has bought a recent work by studio potter Dame Magdalene Odundo (b.1950).
The Yorkshire museum purchased the Asymmetric Vessel for an undisclosed price but grants totalling £75,000 were received (£35,000 each from Art Fund and Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and £5000 from Henry Moore Foundation), with extra funds coming from the Hepworth Wakef ield Collection Circle.
The artwork was part of a collection created in 2021 – the first new pieces for three years.
In 2019 The Hepworth Wakef ield worked with Odundo to curate her first major retrospective exhibition in the UK called The Journey of Things.
Simon Wallis, director of The Hepworth Wakefield, said: “This new vessel will complement the first one by Odundo ever acquired for a British public collection. We are delighted to be able to exhibit Odundo’s early and mature style, developed over the last four decades.”
The auction record for Odundo is £200,000 (plus 20% buyer’s premium) which was set at Maak in November 2020 (ATG No 2470).
Madrid gets first go at a ‘Caravaggio’
A small oil painting depicting Jesus just before his crucifixion that was due to be auctioned for just €1500 in Spain last year has now been granted protected status as an item of cultural interest.
It was originally attributed to the circle of the 17th-century Spanish artist José de Ribera and had been due to be auctioned at Ansorena auction house in Madrid in April 2021.
But it is now believed to be by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) and valued in the multi-millions. The protected status gives the Madrid government first refusal if its owners decide to proceed with a sale.
Appeal after Grand Tour lamp theft
The 2½in (6.5cm) high Grand Tour Roman lamp that was stolen from a Pimlico Road gallery.
A dealership on London’s Pimlico Road is appealing for help to recover a stolen lamp.
On the morning of December 21 a Giallo Antico marble Roman lamp in the form of a satyr, with a Rosso Antico marble handle, was stolen from the gallery, which prefers to stay anonymous.
Anyone with information should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or the Met police on 101 quoting Crime Reference Number 6555384/21.
London Art Fair pushed to April
The London Art Fair has been postponed until the spring. Set to run from January 19-23, it will now take place from April 20-24.
The decision was made in light of rising cases of the Omicron variant.
Organiser Immediate Media said: “While we could have continued with the event as planned within government guidelines, we are keen to deliver the best possible fair for our galleries, sponsors, partners and visitors.
“We have worked with our exhibiting galleries from the UK and internationally to make this decision, prioritising the well-being of all of our attendees.”
Designer goods auction launched
Sophie Higgs has joined Kinghams.
Sophie Higgs has joined Moreton-in- Marsh auction house Kinghams as head of designer goods.
She was previously at Fellows. Her inaugural sale of designer goods will take place on February 18, as part of the amalgamated Jewellery, Watches and Designer Goods auction.
Incredible Hulk in grey not green rage
Incredible Hulk #1, which was published in 1962 – $490,000 (£360,000) at Comic Connect.
A rare copy of Incredible Hulk #1, which was published in 1962, has been bought by a private collector for $490,000 (£360,000) at Comic Connect in the US. The comic specialist said it was the most expensive copy of the issue ever sold.
Vincent Zurzolo, COO of ComicConnect.com, said: “This particular book is graded 9.0 Very Fine/Near Mint on the CGC scale. There are only seven higher-graded copies in existence, and it’s quite rare to see one come up for sale.”
The Incredible Hulk was created by Stan Lee. In this first issue Hulk is not portrayed with his signature green skin, but is instead grey.
However, because the fourcolour printing process rendered the grey differently from page to page, Marvel switched to green in the next issue.
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In Numbers
$1.4bn
The total sales achieved at Heritage Auctions in Dallas in 2021, the first time the firm has exceeded the billion-dollar mark. The figure represents a 60% year-on-year increase on its 2020 total of $873m.
