“Sister Wendy Beckett has transformed public appreciation of art through her astonishing knowledge, insight and passion for painting and painters.” This set includes Sister Wendy's Story of Painting, Sister Wendy's Odyssey, and Sister Wendy's Grand Tour. Simultaneously delightful and scholarly--this is a must have for anyone interested in art history.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 11:02AM 
Pablo Picasso's first word was the Spanish word for pencil. Or...so he says! There was no better storyteller or image maker than Picasso. So...take this for what it’s worth!
Monday, April 15, 2013 at 11:07AM 
"Woman in an Armchair (Eva)" by Pablo Picasso, 1913 - One of the pieces in the Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection (click photo for larger image)
“In one of the most significant gifts in the history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the philanthropist and cosmetics tycoon Leonard A. Lauder has promised the institution his collection of 78 Cubist paintings, drawings and sculptures.”
READ MORE...
This is an amazing gift that includes works by the most renowned cubists. Can’t wait to see it!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 11:07AM 
Pablo Picasso - Le Reve (The Dream) - 1932 - oil on canvas - 130 × 97 cm (click photo for larger image)You may recall that, back in 2006, Steve Wynn put his elbow right through a Picasso painting in his collection, right at the moment when he had made a deal to sell it. The same billionaire hedge fund manager has now “bought Picasso's Le Rêve for $155 million - $16 million more than he first agreed to pay....”
READ MORE...
Steven A. Cohen (of SAC Capital) bought himself the belated gift after first agreeing to buy it for $139 milllion in 2006 from Vegas mogul Steve Wynn. In addition to getting $16 million more dollars for the painting than he’d anticipated, Wynn also received a $45 million insurance payout from Lloyd's of London for the damage done to the painting. It’s now been completely restored.
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) painted this work of his then lover, Marie-Thérèse Walter when she was the tender age of 22. The modern master was age 50 at the time. Picasso’s style was always evolving, and this work belongs to a body of brightly colored distorted depictions, which he developed in bright colors. Critics have often discuss the erotic content of this work--suggesting that the face of the woman contains and erect penis.
Picasso was--by far--the most prolific painter in the history of art. Over 23,000 works of his have already been catalogued, and that process continues. It’s said that he painted Le Rêve in a single afternoon.
Monday, March 4, 2013 at 12:07PM 
Picasso’s The Fisherman survived the terrorist attack unscathed, but other government buildings bearing the artist’s murals were severely damaged
“The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage fears that Picasso’s first monumental concrete murals, which were made between the late 1950s and the early 1970s for two government buildings in Oslo, may be destroyed.”
READ MORE...
In the event of such a demolition, the murals would most likely be moved or reintegrated into the rebuilt site. However, this always raises the question of how that, in fact, affects and artist’s works. Many of the great masterworks of earlier days--both sculptures and paintings--have been relocated, for a variety of reasons. But, their current placements are not what the artists intended. They took original locations and settings into account when they designed their masterpieces. On the other hand, many great works would have been lost had they not been moved. So...the questions and concerns remain.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 12:16PM 
Pablo Picasso - Self Portrait, 1899-1900, charcoal on paper, Museo Picasso, Barcelona
“Forty years after Picasso’s death, while his paintings are among the most expensive ever sold, the problem of how to authenticate his work remains a challenge. To avoid mistakes, four of his five surviving heirs have clarified the process but have not included his elder daughter.”
READ MORE...