BOWDOIN COLLEGE TO PRESENT EDWARD HOPPER EXHIBITION

IN JULY THE BOWDOIN COLLEGE MUSEUM OF FINE ART IN BRUNSWICK, MAINE WILL BE PRESENTING A STUNNING EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS AND WATERCOLOURS CREATED BY FAMED AMERICAN REALIST EDWARD HOPPER DURING HIS MANY SOJOURNS IN MAINE. HOPPER SPENT SEVERAL SUMMERS IN MAINE BEGINNING IN 1914 AND PAINTED NUMEROUS ICONIC SCENES OF THE COASTAL STATE, INCLUDING THE LIGHTHOUSE AT TWO LIGHTS, IN CAPE ELIZABETH, FROM 1929. FOR HOPPER SUCH WEATHER BEATEN LANDMARKS 'SYMBOLIZED THE SOLITARY INDIVIDUAL STOICALLY FACING THE ONSLAUGHT OF CHANGE IN AN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY.' ORGANIZED WITH THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART IN NEW YORK, WHICH HAS HOPPER EXHIBITION RUNNING THROUGH APRIL, THE BOWDOIN EXHIBITION WILL INCLUDE OVER 80 WORKS BY HOPPER FROM PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, SOME NEVER BEFORE SHOWN IN EXHIBITION.

MOET & CHANDON VALENTINE GRAFFITI KIT

MOET & CHANDON'S MESSAGE ON A BOTTLE GIFT SET IS PERFECT FOR VALENTINE'S DAY OR TO CELEBRATE A SPECIAL OCCASION. THE PREMIUM CHAMPAGNE SET COMES WITH TWO CRISTAL FLUTES, A ROSE IMPERIAL BOTTLE WITH SPECIAL EDITION ROSE PINK SLEEVE AND A GOLD MARKER TO PERSONALIZE THE PRESENT WITH A MESSAGE, ALL BEAUTIFULLY DISPLAYED IN AN ELEGANT, ROSE TINTED GIFT BOX. THE SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE FOR THE MOET & CHANDON VALENTINE DAY GRAFFITI KIT IS $120. IT WILL BE AVAILABLE UNTIL 14.FEBRUARY.

REMBRANDT PORTRAIT BE OFFERED AT TEFAF MASSTRICHT ART FAIR

A REMBRANDT PORTRAIT, ONE OF THE LAST WORKS FROM THE DUTCH MASTER'S LATE CAREER STILL IN PRIVATE HANDS, WILL BE OFFERED FOR SALE AT THE TEFAF MASSTRICHT ART FAIR LATER THIS YEAR FOR $47 MILLION. 'PORTRAIT OF A MAN WITH ARMS AKIMBO' WAS UNDER THE AUCTIONEER'S HAMMER AS RECENTLY AS 2009, WHEN IT FETCHED AN ARTIST RECORD PRICE OF $33 MILLION, AT CHRISTIE'S LONDON. THE BUYER AT THE TIME WAS REPORTED TO BE CASINO OWNER STEVE WYNN, ALTHOUGH OTHERS, INCLUDING MANHATTAN DEALER OTTO NAUMANN, WERE INTERESTED, ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES. IT IS NAUMANN WHO IS NOW EXHIBITING THE WORK AT THE FAIR, ACCORDING TO PR COMPANY CAWDELL DOUGLAS, WHICH REPRESENTS TEFAF. THE EVENT RUNS FROM 18-27.MARCH. SINCE 2009, IT HAS BEEN 'TRANSFORMED BY CLEANING AND CAN NOW BE SEEN IN ITS FULL GLORY', A CAWDELL DOUGLAS STATEMENT SAID. ART EXPERTS SAID THE SHARPLY HIGHER ASKING PRICE COULD REFLECT BOTH THE CLEANING PROCESS AND THE FACT THAT THE ART MARKET VALUES HAVE SOARED IN 2010 DURING WHICH SEVERAL RECORDS WERE SET. THE PAINTING, EXECUTED IN 1658, DATES TO ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT PERIODS OF THE ARTIST'S CAREER. HE HAD ENJOYED SUCCESS AFTER ARRIVING IN AMSTERDAM IN THE EARLY 1630s, BUT HIS EXPENSIVE LIFESTYLE AND FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT LED TO BANKRUPTCY IN 1656. HIS ART COLLECTION, OTHER POSSESSIONS AND HOUSE WERE SOLD AND THERE APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN FEW COMMISSIONS FOR PAINTINGS TO PROVIDE INCOME. APART FROM PORTRAIT OF A MAN WITH ARMS AKIMBO, ONLY ONE OTHER FULL-SCALE WORK IS KNOWN FROM 1658. TEFAF 2011 WILL SHOWCASE MORE THAN 30,000 WORKS OF ART FROM AROUND THE WORLD FROM OVER 260 EXHIBITORS.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD VALENTINE'S JEWELRY COLLECTION

ICONIC BRITISH FASHION DESIGNER VIVIENNE WESTWOOD IS PUTTING HER UNIQUE EDGY SPIN ON THE TRADITIONAL HEART EMBLAZONED VALENTINE'S DAY HOLIDAY WITH HER TWO-PIECE JEWELRY SET. HER VALENTINE'S DAY SET IS A TWO-PIECE JEWELRY COLLECTION MADE FROM GUNMETAL WITH AN ENAMEL EYE WHICH SYMBOLIZES KNOWLEDGE AND INNER VISION. IT IS ALSO REMINISCENT OF THE VICTORIAN LOVER'S JEWELRY WHICH WAS OFTEN FEATURED THE EYE OF THE BELOVED WORN AS A BROOCH OR RING. THE EYE IS FRAMED WITHIN AN ABSTRACT HEART PIERCED BY AN ARROW WITH ELABORATE FEATHERS. THE PENDANT IS ALSO ENCRUSTED WITH TINY CABOCHON PEARLS, RICH PURPLE ENAMEL AND SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS. THE PENDANT SELLS FOR £135 AND THE EARRINGS ARE £95. THE COLLECTION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO BUY ONLINE www.viviennewestwood.com AND AT VIVIENNE WESTWOOD BOUTIQUES WORLDWIDE.

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS FORT LAUDERDALE PRESENTS 'VATICAN SPLENDORS'

A SMALL MARBLE RELIEF OF JESUS CHRIST FLANKED BY TWO ANGELS AND BEING HELD UP BY MARY WAS ONE OF THE LAST PIECES THAT ITALIAN RENAISSANCE MASTER MICHELANGELO EVER CREATED. THE STUNNING MARBLE WORK IS BEING DISPLAYED NEXT TO A CAST OF ONE OF HIS OTHER GREAT WORKS, THE PIETA, DEPICTING CHRIST IN HIS MOTHER'S ARMS AFTER HIS CRUCIFIXION. THEY ARE PART OF ABOUT 170 WORKS ON DISPLAY AS PART OF THE EXHIBIT 'VATICAN SPLENDORS: A JOURNEY THROUGH FAITH AND ART', WHICH OPENED SATURDAY AT THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA. IT IS THE EXHIBIT'S LAST STOP ON A THREE CITY TOUR IN THE UNITED STATES. AFTER IT ENDS 24.APRIL, THE PIECES GO BACK TO THE VATICAN AND WILL NOT BE ON DISPLAY. MANY OF THE PIECES WILL NEVER BE SHOWN IN THE US AGAIN. 'NO WORK IS MORE IMPORTANT OR LESS IMPORTANT. THEY ARE SORT OF LIKE THE TILES OF A MOSAICS, EACH ONE CONTRIBUTES TO THE LARGER IMAGE', MONSIGNOR ROBERTO ZAGNOLI, THE CURATOR OF THE SHOW, SAID THROUGH A TRANSLATOR. THE EXHIBIT BEGINS WITH THE TOMB OF ST PETER, A FITTING STARTING POINT, ZAGNOLI SAID. IT FINISHES WITH THE MOST RECENT POPES, PETER'S SUCCESSORS, HE SAID. PETER IS CONSIDERED THE FIRST POPE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. TWO PAPAL SWISS GUARD UNIFORMS FLANK THE ENTRANCE AS VISITORS TRAVEL THROUGH THE CHRONOLOGICAL ERAS OF THE VATICAN'S HISTORY. FIRST, A VIDEO PRESENTATION DESCRIBES ST PETER'S ROLE IN THE CHURCH. THE FINAL SECTION INCLUDES A CAST OF POPE JOHN PAUL II's HANDS AND ENDS WITH A PORTRAIT OF CURRENT POPE BENEDICT XVI, MADE IN 2008. MUSEUM DIRECTOR IRVIN LIPPMAN SAID THE OBJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH JOHN PAUL II WILL TAKE ON A DEEPER MEANING 1.MAY WHEN HE IS BEATIFIED, A KEY STEP TO BEING DECLARED A SAINT. THE TOUR HAS ALSO BEEN TO ST LOUIS AND PITTSBURGH SINCE IT BEGAN IN MAY, THOUGH THE OBJECTS WILL SOON BE RETURNED TO THE VATICAN. BY LAW, THEY CANNOT BE OUTSIDE THE VATICAN'S WALLS MORE THAN A YEAR. AS THE SHOW BEGINS, A BRICK FROM ST PAUL'S TOMB IS ENCASED IN A WOODEN BOX WRAPPED WITH A GOLD-COLOURED ROPE. THERE ARE ALSO CLAY IL LAMPS FOUND DURING THE EXCAVATIONS THAT REVEALED PETER'S TOMB IN A CEMETERY BELOW ST PETER'S BASILICA. A GOLD AND SILVER RELIQUARY, A DECORATIVE CONTAINER USED TO HOLD RELIGIOUS RELICS, THAT HAS NEVER BEEN OUTSIDE THE VATICAN IS SAID TO ENCASE THE BONES OF ST PETER, ST PAUL AND OTHER SAINTS, THOUGH IT IS NOT CERTAIN WHO THE BONES BELONG TO. ANOTHER RELIEF, A REPLICA OF THE 15th CENTURY ORIGINAL, SHOWS ST PETER SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHILE HE IS BEING CRUCIFIED UPSIDE DOWN. OTHER DISPLAYS FOCUS ON TOOLS USED TO CREATE ART AND ARCHITECTURE. FOR INSTANCE, A CALIPER BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN MICHELANGELO'S IS ON DISPLAY. THERE ARE ALSO TWO GILDED WOOD ANGELS FROM THE WORKSHOP OF GIAN LORENZO BERNINI. THE ORNATE ARTIFACTS DON'T END THERE. IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE ROOM IS A GILDED CROSS USED IN MASS PROCESSIONS, DATING TO THE 15th CENTURY. VISITORS CAN EXAMINE POPE PIUS XI's PAPAL THRONE, A CREATION OF WOOD, VELVET AND GOLD-PLATED METAL. ZAGNOLI, THE VATICAN OFFICIAL, SAID THE CONNECTION BETWEEN RELIGION AND ART IS STRONG, A POINT HE MAKES BY CITING A PASSAGE BY RUSSIAN AUTHOR FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKY THAT HE SAID WAS OFTEN QUOTED BY POPE JOHN PAUL II. 'BEAUTY WILL SAVE THE WORLD', ZAGNOLI SAID. 'THE POPE WAS SAYING THAT SEEING SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL CAN CALM THE HEARTS OF MAN AND WITH THAT TRANQUILITY HE IS ABLE TO PUT HIMSELF IN DIALOGUE WITH OTHER PEOPLE.'

SINGER LAREN HAS RODIN'S THINKER RESTORED

SINGER LAREN HAS RESTORED THE THINKER BY AUGUSTE RODIN. THE WORK WAS CARRIED OUT BY THE UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM'S DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION IN THE ALELIERGEBOUW (THE RIJKSMUSEUM'S NEW CONSERVATION STUDIO) IN THE DUTCH CAPITAL. THE RESTORATION AIMED TO RECOVER THE EXTERNAL APPEARANCE OF THE SERIOUSLY DAMAGED SCULPTURE. RODIN'S THE THINKER, ALONG WITH SIX OTHER BRONZE STATUES, WAS STOLEN FROM THE SCULPTURE GARDEN OF SINGER LAREN ON 17.JANUARY.2007. IT WAS RECOVERED TWO DAYS LATER MUCH WORSE FOR THE WEAR. A COMMITTEE OF EXTERNAL EXPERTS DELIBERATED ON THE FUTURE OF THE THINKER AND CONCLUDED THAT THE STATUE WAS WELL WORTH RESTORING SO THAT IT COULD REGAIN ITS SYMBOLIC VALUE FOR THE COLLECTION OF SINGER LAREN. THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT THE THINKER BE SUBJECT TO A RESPONSIBLE AND SUPERVISED REVERSIBLE RESTORATION WITH AS FEW INTERVENTIONS AS POSSIBLE. IN THE RESTORATION PROCESS, QUESTIONS INTO THE SCULPTURE'S ORIGINAL HISTORY AND SHAPE, THE ETHICS OF RESTORATION AND THE MATERIALS USED WERE CRUCIAL AND WEIGHED CONSTANTLY IN THE DECISION-MAKING. A COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS SUPERVISED THE RESTORATION PROCESS. NOW, THE RESTORED STATUE WILL OCCUPY A PLACE IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF THE MUSEUM, AND ITS HISTORY WILL BE PROFILED IN ITS PRESENTATION.

NGA AQUIRES PTARMIGAN VASE

THANKS TO A GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CANADIAN HERITAGE'S MOVABLE CULTURAL PROPERTY PROGRAM, THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA (NGA), OTTAWA, HAS ACQUIRED A UNIQUE AND HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT VASE FOR ITS INTERNATIONAL ART COLLECTION. THE PTARMIGAN VASE, MADE OF COPPER, SILVER AND GOLD WAS DESIGNED BY THE EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED AMERICAN TIFFANY & CO. DESIGNER GEORGE PAULDING FARNHAM. 'WE WERE ATTRACTED TO THIS EXTRAORDINARY VASE BECAUSE IT TELLS THE STORY OF HOW CANADIAN AND AMERICAN CULTURES ARE CLOSELY CONNECTED', SAID MARC MAYER, DIRECTOR AND CEO OF THE NGC. 'ACCORDING TO EVERY EXPERT WE HAVE CONSULTED, THE VASE IS ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIONS DECORATIVE OBJECTS OF ITS KIND IN EXISTENCE. CANADA IS THE BEST HOME FOR THE PTARMIGAN VASE. PURCHASING IT WAS AN EXTREMELY TIME SENSITIVE EXERCISE AND WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL TO THE MINISTER OF CANADIAN HERITAGE AND OFFICIAL LANGUAGES, WHO RESPOND QUICKLY AND DECISIVELY TO OUR REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.' THE MONUMENTAL PTARMIGAN VASE, CIRCA 1900-05, FUSES TOGETHER LAYERS OF COPPER AND SILVER USING THE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MOKUME ('WOODGRAIN METAL') TECHNIQUE. CRAFTED IN SILVER, A ROCK PTARMIGAN, A TYPE OF GROUSE NATIVE TO THE KOOTENAY REGION, PERCHES ATOP A RIM RINGED WITH ELABORATE SILVER AND COPPER DESIGNS INSPIRED BY FIRST NATIONS SCULPTURE AND BASKETRY. THE FRONT OF THE VASE IS ADORNED IN GOLD WITH THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COAT OF ARMS. BELOW THIS IS A STYLIZED COPPER CROSS, TRIMMED WITH A SILVER INSCRIPTION DESIGNATING THE LONGITUDE AND LATITUDE OF THE MOUNTAIN STREAM STILL KNOWN AS PAULDING CREEK. THE BASE OF THE VASE FEATURES DESIGNS REMINISCENT OF APACHE BASKETRY, AND THE UNDERSIDE IS INSCRIBED WITH THE NAMES OF THE FIVE PRINCIPLE NEW YORK BASED MASTER CRAFTSMEN (HANNWEBER, SWAMBY, THOMA, BARKER AND SPENGLER) WHO WORKED WITH FARNHAM AT TIFFANY'S