Artists Fight Market Downturn 💰, Landscapes from an Airstream Studio 🚐, Noses 👃
And other stories from this week in the realism art movement
🌟 Mainstream
Those Artists Who Got Blindsided in the Market Downturn? They’re Fighting Back
Amani Lewis and Allison Zuckerman founded the Artists First Collective to support artists affected by the recent downturn in the ultra-contemporary art market. Following a New York Times article highlighting the significant drop in auction prices for artists under 50, they launched an exhibition titled "Primary Voices in a Secondary World" to promote transparency and empower artists in the sales process. The collective aims to create a new model for artist engagement with the market, offering bespoke agreements and resources to help artists retain agency and navigate the art business.
Jack Vettriano, the renowned Neo-Realist artist known for his nostalgic and romantic paintings, passed away at the age of 73 at his home in Nice, France, on March 1. A self-taught artist, Vettriano gained fame for his escapist works, particularly "The Singing Butler," which set a record for Scottish art at auction in 2004. Despite his commercial success and popularity with collectors, he faced criticism from the high-art establishment, often regarded as "unchic."
👩🎨 Artist Features
Featured Artwork: Richard Boyer - Fine Art Connoisseur
Richard Boyer will exhibit new oil paintings at Cole Gallery in Edmonds, Washington, from March 20 to April 29, 2025. His works depict intimate moments in familiar social settings, like hotel bars and sidewalk cafes, highlighting the nuances of human interaction.
Studio Snapshots: Desert Idyll | Artists Network
Artist Whitney Gardner creates stunning hyperrealist landscapes from her vintage Airstream trailer in the Mojave Desert. The piece highlights her unique artistic process and reflects her ongoing inspiration in a distinctive setting. The article is part of a broader initiative by Artists Network to support artists with resources and special offers.
🖼 Shows
Ben Ashton and MATTEL take over Corey Helford Gallery
Corey Helford Gallery will host a joint opening reception on March 15 for British artist Ben Ashton’s largest solo show, "Or You Could Panic," and a group exhibition celebrating Mattel’s 80th anniversary. Ashton's work reinterprets traditional portraiture through a contemporary lens, incorporating unique wooden panels and addressing themes of modern anxieties and technology's impact on art.
🎨 Learn
All you need to know about NOSES 👃
Stephen Bauman breaks down the essentials of drawing the nose, covering anatomy, angles, and shading techniques to enhance realism. He explains structural principles and practical methods to help artists refine their portrait work. Bauman studied at the Florence Academy of Art, where he later spent six years teaching and leading the Anatomy & Écorché department.
Looking For an Arty New Book? Here Are 7 We’re Loving
Artnet News highlights a selection of new art books worth exploring, including Kim Hastreiter's "Stuff," a visual memoir reflecting her vibrant life in New York's cultural scene, and James Cahill's satirical novel "The Violet Hour," which delves into London's contemporary art market through a murder mystery. Other notable mentions include "We Were There" by Lanre Bakare, examining the Black British Arts Movement, and "Les portes du rêve," a scholarly collection analyzing the influence of Surrealist journals.
📚 History
Is This Rubens Real? Inside the ‘Samson and Delilah’ Debate
The authenticity of Peter Paul Rubens' painting "Samson and Delilah," housed at London's National Gallery, is under renewed scrutiny due to a new book by Euphrosyne Doxiadis, which claims the artwork is a 20th-century copy. The painting, acquired in 1980 for a record £2.5 million, has long been a point of contention, especially following revelations about the questionable credentials of previous experts. While Doxiadis and a group of skeptics argue for its inauthenticity, the National Gallery and leading scholars maintain that it is an original Rubens, citing extensive analysis that supports this view.
An American Artist’s Vignettes of Rural Italian Life
Historian Jacqueline Marie Musacchio’s biography, *The Art and Life of Francesca Alexander 1837–1917*, revives the story of the largely forgotten artist celebrated in the late 1800s for her empathy and charity towards the Italian peasantry. Born in Boston and raised in Florence, Alexander formed deep connections with locals and created artworks that reflected their lives, despite facing challenges from influential figures like John Ruskin, who exploited her talent for his gain.
💰 Auction House
Collection of Old Masters Poised to Break Auction Records
The Saunders' collection of Old Master paintings, valued between $80 million and $120 million, is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s, marking it as the most valuable single-owner collection of its kind. Acquired over decades by American philanthropists Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III, the collection features works from renowned artists like Jan Davidz. de Heem and Frans Hals, and is expected to break auction records when 56 paintings are sold on May 21. Prior to the auction, the collection will tour major cities, including London and Hong Kong.
Sotheby’s will auction Van Gogh’s drawing of the Public Garden in Arles on March 4, with an estimated value of £2m-£3m. The work features a fingerprint believed to have belonged to Van Gogh and a pencil inscription indicating it was lent for reproduction in 1894. The original painting it represents is lost, but the drawing provides a historical record of Van Gogh's artistic process during his prolific time in Arles.
I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Classical Realist.
Best regards,
Fletcher Graham