art
Mummy Pigment Secrets
Ever wonder about ancient paints? Mummy pigment hides a wild story. It comes from mummies. Yes, real ones. Let’s dive in. This pigment shaped art history. Artists loved its rich color. But where did it start? We’ll explore that next. What Is Mummy Pigment? Mummy pigment means a brown paint. It derives from ground-up mummies. Mostly Egyptian ones. But not always. Artists ground the remains into powder. Then they mixed it with oil. This created a deep, warm brown. For example, think of old masterpieces. That earthy tone? Often mummy pigment. It lasted for centuries. However, sources varied. Some used animal mummies. Others picked human ones. Quality differed a lot.…
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The Great Contemporary Art Bubble Changes the Game for Collectors
Are you collecting contemporary art, or thinking about it? The documentary “The Great Contemporary Art Bubble” offers a wake-up call. It’s not just a movie about prices shooting up and then crashing. It shows how hype, speculation, and little regulation transformed the art market into a risky playground—especially for collectors looking for more than a pretty picture. What Happened? A Quick Recap From 2003 to 2008, contemporary art prices skyrocketed—some artists’ works saw values jump over 800%. Auctions made headlines as paintings by Warhol, Rothko, and new stars like Damien Hirst sold for tens of millions. But the boom was not built on art’s aesthetic value alone. Easy money, a…
The Art Hustle: Why Success is Tough for New Painters
Becoming a successful painter these days? It’s a cool dream, but let’s be real, it’s also a pretty bumpy road. Lots of super talented visual artists find themselves scratching their heads, wondering why they’re not hitting it big. And nope, it’s not just about how well you can paint; it’s about navigating this wild, ever-changing world. Drowning in the Art Sea Imagine trying to swim in an ocean that’s already packed with a zillion other swimmers, all doing their thing. That’s pretty much what the art market looks like today. It’s totally saturated, with millions of artists all over the globe. So, it’s super hard for new artists to actually…
How Art Dealers Shape the Art World
When we admire a painting in a museum or collection, we focus on the artist. But who helped them get there? Who believed in their work before the rest of the world did? That question sits at the heart of The Art Dealers: The Powers Behind the Scene Tell How the Art World Really Works by Laura de Coppet and Alan Jones. First published in 1984 and revised in 2002, this book lifts the curtain on the influential figures who shaped modern art. Told through first-person interviews with top New York dealers, it gives us an inside look into how art careers are built, how galleries work, and how the…
Roberto Fabelo’s Auction Triumphs: Rising Demand Amidst Scarcity
Cuban artist Roberto Fabelo continues to captivate the art world, with his recent auction results underscoring both escalating demand and the increasing rarity of his works. In March 2024, Fabelo’s monumental triptych Arte culinario achieved a record-breaking sale of $630,000 at Christie’s New York, marking the highest price ever fetched for his work at auction .MutualArt+2Beyond Artist+2Beyond Artist+2 This sale is part of a broader trend highlighting Fabelo’s growing prominence. His 2018 triptych Perrerío sold for $579,600 at Christie’s Latin American Art sale in March 2022, setting a new auction record for the artist at that time . These significant sales reflect a robust market interest in Fabelo’s unique blend…
Two Peasant Women- Malevich’s second peasant cycle of the late 1920s
The first owner of this painting was avant-garde artist Alexei Gan, a co-founder of the First Working Group of Constructivists with Alexander Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova. Gan edited Kino-fot (1922–23) and co-edited Contemporary Architecture (1928), where Malevich also published articles. His partner, Esfir Shub, was a noted documentary filmmaker. Two Peasant Women belongs to Malevich’s second peasant cycle of the late 1920s. This intense painting synthesizes Malevich’s avant-garde activities, drawing from his first peasant cycle of the early 1910s. The imagery aligns with Russian icon painting, with the two women’s postures echoing saints in Orthodox Deësis. Their golden-hued background resembles traditional icon backdrops, with a two-toned pozem effect. The scarves…
The Unsung Muse: How Gabriele Münter Paved Kandinsky’s Path to Abstraction
When we think of Wassily Kandinsky, the pioneer of abstract art, we often picture his vibrant compositions of swirling colors and geometric forms. But behind every great artistic revolution, there are often lesser-known figures whose influence is profound. For Kandinsky, one such pivotal force was Gabriele Münter, a brilliant artist in her own right, whose unique vision significantly shaped his journey toward abstraction. Münter and Kandinsky shared a passionate personal and artistic relationship, particularly during their time in Murnau, Bavaria, from 1908 to 1914. It was here, amidst the rustic charm and rich folk traditions, that Münter’s artistic inclinations truly began to leave their mark on Kandinsky. One of Münter’s…
Understanding Suprematism: Malevich’s Radical Vision
Why a Black Square Changed the Course of Art History In 1915, Kazimir Malevich exhibited a black square on a white canvas and declared: “I have transformed myself in the zero of form.” It was more than provocation — it was the birth of Suprematism, a movement that shattered centuries of representational art and set the stage for abstraction as we know it. What Is Suprematism? Suprematism is not just an aesthetic; it’s a philosophy. Malevich sought to liberate art from the burden of objects, representation, and narrative. His compositions — often made of geometric forms in pure color — were visual meditations on feeling, not function. Why It Mattered…
Refuge in the Art Market 2025
Graph by The Business Research Company The Art Market: A Safe Haven Investment in 2025 The art market is increasingly regarded as a “safe haven” investment, particularly during times of economic uncertainty. This perception is reinforced by the historical resilience of art values against inflation and market volatility. Recent reports highlight that fine art is viewed as a strategic asset for wealth preservation, with 32% of billionaires planning to increase their exposure to fine art and antiques in 2024-2025. The Role of Technology in Art Investments Technology has significantly transformed the art market. Blockchain technology is now widely used for provenance verification and fractional ownership, making high-value art accessible to…
