French painter and founder of Impressionism
Thieves have taken three panels from Antonello da Messina's San Gregorio polyptych and a small double-sided devotional panel from the Regional Museum in Messina late on Aug. 15 during the city's Vara procession. Two panels were later abandoned near the museum. Authorities are investigating a likely commissioned theft and probing how alarms were circumvented.
Two Renoir paintings were stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, with two others abandoned during a quick smash-and-grab. Police are searching for the culprits amid wider concerns about security in smaller European museums following a spate of high-profile art thefts.
Jeffrey Archer has died suddenly and peacefully at his home at age 86, HarperCollins has announced. The bestselling novelist and former Conservative politician has sold about 300 million books and has faced a public fall after a 2001 conviction for perjury and perverting the course of justice. His final novel, Adam and Eve, was due for release this week.
Multiple artworks from notable artists have reached high sale prices across Europe, with records set at Christie’s and private sales ongoing. A 1907 Kandinsky painting sold for $42.0m after a six-minute bidding war; a 1946 Hepworth sculpture is slated for a major sale; a 1902 Munch woodcut discovered in Kent is estimated at £50k-£80k, with renewed interest from private collectors.