Art News: Monthly Round-Up
We take a look at some of the art world's biggest stories over the past month...
By
Adam Wells
November 29, 2021
Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Benin Bronzes
Continuing current efforts to repatriate stolen artworks and artefacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned two brass plaques dating back to the 16th Century, along with a 14th Century brass head from the Ife region. The pieces form part of a collection known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of Nigeria) in 1897. As part of the return, the museum has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to collaborate on scholarship and art loans in the future. Meanwhile, US customs officials from Houston have returned over 900 artefacts, some dating back to the Neolithic Era, to their rightful home of Mali. With the collection being discovered in 2009, and some objects being returned in 2011 and 2012, the process was temporarily halted due to civil war in the country.
With the increased scrutiny on the repatriation of looted artworks and artefacts, the conversation surrounding the Parthenon Marbles has risen once again. Originally part of the Parthenon in Athens until they were stolen in the 19th Century, the frieze has been on display in the British Museum ever since. Writing in the Mail on Sunday this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return the frieze to “the city and the world monument to which it rightfully belongs”. Despite the resurfacing of a letter written by Johnson in 2012 stating that the marbles should have never been taken, he ruled out talks discussing the monument, falsely claiming that the matter was in the hands of the British Museum, despite UNESCO stating that the resolution should be reached via intergovernmental talks.
The Courtauld Gallery reopens
In exciting news for London-based art lovers, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening after a three-year long refurbishment. The historic space will resume its display of works by Degas, Monet, Cézanne and Manet, along with the iconic Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh, and Botticelli’s The Trinity With Saints. Having been closed since 3rd September 2018 for the major redevelopment Courtauld Connects, the gallery’s collection includes 530 paintings, as well as over 26,000 drawings and prints. Located at Somerset House, the gallery boasts rooms dedicated to medieval and early Renaissance art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the Bloomsbury Group.
Tickets for the Courtauld Gallery can be booked here. The full gowithYamo review of the Gallery’s opening can be found here.
Christopher Walken paints over Banksy
Christopher Walken, in character as criminal Frank in BBC comedy The Outlaws, painted over an original Banksy depicting a rat with a spray can. The piece was created by the graffiti artist for the Bristol-set show, with the express intention of having it painted over in the final episode. The move follows Banksy’s partial destruction of a copy of Girl with Balloon at auction in 2018, with the half-shredded piece, now retitled Love is in the Bin selling for £18.5 million.
Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Benin Bronzes
Continuing current efforts to repatriate stolen artworks and artefacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned two brass plaques dating back to the 16th Century, along with a 14th Century brass head from the Ife region. The pieces form part of a collection known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of Nigeria) in 1897. As part of the return, the museum has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to collaborate on scholarship and art loans in the future. Meanwhile, US customs officials from Houston have returned over 900 artefacts, some dating back to the Neolithic Era, to their rightful home of Mali. With the collection being discovered in 2009, and some objects being returned in 2011 and 2012, the process was temporarily halted due to civil war in the country.
With the increased scrutiny on the repatriation of looted artworks and artefacts, the conversation surrounding the Parthenon Marbles has risen once again. Originally part of the Parthenon in Athens until they were stolen in the 19th Century, the frieze has been on display in the British Museum ever since. Writing in the Mail on Sunday this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return the frieze to “the city and the world monument to which it rightfully belongs”. Despite the resurfacing of a letter written by Johnson in 2012 stating that the marbles should have never been taken, he ruled out talks discussing the monument, falsely claiming that the matter was in the hands of the British Museum, despite UNESCO stating that the resolution should be reached via intergovernmental talks.
The Courtauld Gallery reopens
In exciting news for London-based art lovers, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening after a three-year long refurbishment. The historic space will resume its display of works by Degas, Monet, Cézanne and Manet, along with the iconic Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh, and Botticelli’s The Trinity With Saints. Having been closed since 3rd September 2018 for the major redevelopment Courtauld Connects, the gallery’s collection includes 530 paintings, as well as over 26,000 drawings and prints. Located at Somerset House, the gallery boasts rooms dedicated to medieval and early Renaissance art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the Bloomsbury Group.
Tickets for the Courtauld Gallery can be booked here. The full gowithYamo review of the Gallery’s opening can be found here.
Christopher Walken paints over Banksy
Christopher Walken, in character as criminal Frank in BBC comedy The Outlaws, painted over an original Banksy depicting a rat with a spray can. The piece was created by the graffiti artist for the Bristol-set show, with the express intention of having it painted over in the final episode. The move follows Banksy’s partial destruction of a copy of Girl with Balloon at auction in 2018, with the half-shredded piece, now retitled Love is in the Bin selling for £18.5 million.
Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Benin Bronzes
Continuing current efforts to repatriate stolen artworks and artefacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned two brass plaques dating back to the 16th Century, along with a 14th Century brass head from the Ife region. The pieces form part of a collection known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of Nigeria) in 1897. As part of the return, the museum has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to collaborate on scholarship and art loans in the future. Meanwhile, US customs officials from Houston have returned over 900 artefacts, some dating back to the Neolithic Era, to their rightful home of Mali. With the collection being discovered in 2009, and some objects being returned in 2011 and 2012, the process was temporarily halted due to civil war in the country.
With the increased scrutiny on the repatriation of looted artworks and artefacts, the conversation surrounding the Parthenon Marbles has risen once again. Originally part of the Parthenon in Athens until they were stolen in the 19th Century, the frieze has been on display in the British Museum ever since. Writing in the Mail on Sunday this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return the frieze to “the city and the world monument to which it rightfully belongs”. Despite the resurfacing of a letter written by Johnson in 2012 stating that the marbles should have never been taken, he ruled out talks discussing the monument, falsely claiming that the matter was in the hands of the British Museum, despite UNESCO stating that the resolution should be reached via intergovernmental talks.
The Courtauld Gallery reopens
In exciting news for London-based art lovers, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening after a three-year long refurbishment. The historic space will resume its display of works by Degas, Monet, Cézanne and Manet, along with the iconic Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh, and Botticelli’s The Trinity With Saints. Having been closed since 3rd September 2018 for the major redevelopment Courtauld Connects, the gallery’s collection includes 530 paintings, as well as over 26,000 drawings and prints. Located at Somerset House, the gallery boasts rooms dedicated to medieval and early Renaissance art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the Bloomsbury Group.
Tickets for the Courtauld Gallery can be booked here. The full gowithYamo review of the Gallery’s opening can be found here.
Christopher Walken paints over Banksy
Christopher Walken, in character as criminal Frank in BBC comedy The Outlaws, painted over an original Banksy depicting a rat with a spray can. The piece was created by the graffiti artist for the Bristol-set show, with the express intention of having it painted over in the final episode. The move follows Banksy’s partial destruction of a copy of Girl with Balloon at auction in 2018, with the half-shredded piece, now retitled Love is in the Bin selling for £18.5 million.
Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Benin Bronzes
Continuing current efforts to repatriate stolen artworks and artefacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned two brass plaques dating back to the 16th Century, along with a 14th Century brass head from the Ife region. The pieces form part of a collection known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of Nigeria) in 1897. As part of the return, the museum has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to collaborate on scholarship and art loans in the future. Meanwhile, US customs officials from Houston have returned over 900 artefacts, some dating back to the Neolithic Era, to their rightful home of Mali. With the collection being discovered in 2009, and some objects being returned in 2011 and 2012, the process was temporarily halted due to civil war in the country.
With the increased scrutiny on the repatriation of looted artworks and artefacts, the conversation surrounding the Parthenon Marbles has risen once again. Originally part of the Parthenon in Athens until they were stolen in the 19th Century, the frieze has been on display in the British Museum ever since. Writing in the Mail on Sunday this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return the frieze to “the city and the world monument to which it rightfully belongs”. Despite the resurfacing of a letter written by Johnson in 2012 stating that the marbles should have never been taken, he ruled out talks discussing the monument, falsely claiming that the matter was in the hands of the British Museum, despite UNESCO stating that the resolution should be reached via intergovernmental talks.
The Courtauld Gallery reopens
In exciting news for London-based art lovers, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening after a three-year long refurbishment. The historic space will resume its display of works by Degas, Monet, Cézanne and Manet, along with the iconic Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh, and Botticelli’s The Trinity With Saints. Having been closed since 3rd September 2018 for the major redevelopment Courtauld Connects, the gallery’s collection includes 530 paintings, as well as over 26,000 drawings and prints. Located at Somerset House, the gallery boasts rooms dedicated to medieval and early Renaissance art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the Bloomsbury Group.
Tickets for the Courtauld Gallery can be booked here. The full gowithYamo review of the Gallery’s opening can be found here.
Christopher Walken paints over Banksy
Christopher Walken, in character as criminal Frank in BBC comedy The Outlaws, painted over an original Banksy depicting a rat with a spray can. The piece was created by the graffiti artist for the Bristol-set show, with the express intention of having it painted over in the final episode. The move follows Banksy’s partial destruction of a copy of Girl with Balloon at auction in 2018, with the half-shredded piece, now retitled Love is in the Bin selling for £18.5 million.
Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Benin Bronzes
Continuing current efforts to repatriate stolen artworks and artefacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned two brass plaques dating back to the 16th Century, along with a 14th Century brass head from the Ife region. The pieces form part of a collection known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of Nigeria) in 1897. As part of the return, the museum has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to collaborate on scholarship and art loans in the future. Meanwhile, US customs officials from Houston have returned over 900 artefacts, some dating back to the Neolithic Era, to their rightful home of Mali. With the collection being discovered in 2009, and some objects being returned in 2011 and 2012, the process was temporarily halted due to civil war in the country.
With the increased scrutiny on the repatriation of looted artworks and artefacts, the conversation surrounding the Parthenon Marbles has risen once again. Originally part of the Parthenon in Athens until they were stolen in the 19th Century, the frieze has been on display in the British Museum ever since. Writing in the Mail on Sunday this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return the frieze to “the city and the world monument to which it rightfully belongs”. Despite the resurfacing of a letter written by Johnson in 2012 stating that the marbles should have never been taken, he ruled out talks discussing the monument, falsely claiming that the matter was in the hands of the British Museum, despite UNESCO stating that the resolution should be reached via intergovernmental talks.
The Courtauld Gallery reopens
In exciting news for London-based art lovers, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening after a three-year long refurbishment. The historic space will resume its display of works by Degas, Monet, Cézanne and Manet, along with the iconic Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh, and Botticelli’s The Trinity With Saints. Having been closed since 3rd September 2018 for the major redevelopment Courtauld Connects, the gallery’s collection includes 530 paintings, as well as over 26,000 drawings and prints. Located at Somerset House, the gallery boasts rooms dedicated to medieval and early Renaissance art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the Bloomsbury Group.
Tickets for the Courtauld Gallery can be booked here. The full gowithYamo review of the Gallery’s opening can be found here.
Christopher Walken paints over Banksy
Christopher Walken, in character as criminal Frank in BBC comedy The Outlaws, painted over an original Banksy depicting a rat with a spray can. The piece was created by the graffiti artist for the Bristol-set show, with the express intention of having it painted over in the final episode. The move follows Banksy’s partial destruction of a copy of Girl with Balloon at auction in 2018, with the half-shredded piece, now retitled Love is in the Bin selling for £18.5 million.
Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Benin Bronzes
Continuing current efforts to repatriate stolen artworks and artefacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned two brass plaques dating back to the 16th Century, along with a 14th Century brass head from the Ife region. The pieces form part of a collection known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of Nigeria) in 1897. As part of the return, the museum has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to collaborate on scholarship and art loans in the future. Meanwhile, US customs officials from Houston have returned over 900 artefacts, some dating back to the Neolithic Era, to their rightful home of Mali. With the collection being discovered in 2009, and some objects being returned in 2011 and 2012, the process was temporarily halted due to civil war in the country.
With the increased scrutiny on the repatriation of looted artworks and artefacts, the conversation surrounding the Parthenon Marbles has risen once again. Originally part of the Parthenon in Athens until they were stolen in the 19th Century, the frieze has been on display in the British Museum ever since. Writing in the Mail on Sunday this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return the frieze to “the city and the world monument to which it rightfully belongs”. Despite the resurfacing of a letter written by Johnson in 2012 stating that the marbles should have never been taken, he ruled out talks discussing the monument, falsely claiming that the matter was in the hands of the British Museum, despite UNESCO stating that the resolution should be reached via intergovernmental talks.
The Courtauld Gallery reopens
In exciting news for London-based art lovers, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening after a three-year long refurbishment. The historic space will resume its display of works by Degas, Monet, Cézanne and Manet, along with the iconic Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh, and Botticelli’s The Trinity With Saints. Having been closed since 3rd September 2018 for the major redevelopment Courtauld Connects, the gallery’s collection includes 530 paintings, as well as over 26,000 drawings and prints. Located at Somerset House, the gallery boasts rooms dedicated to medieval and early Renaissance art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the Bloomsbury Group.
Tickets for the Courtauld Gallery can be booked here. The full gowithYamo review of the Gallery’s opening can be found here.
Christopher Walken paints over Banksy
Christopher Walken, in character as criminal Frank in BBC comedy The Outlaws, painted over an original Banksy depicting a rat with a spray can. The piece was created by the graffiti artist for the Bristol-set show, with the express intention of having it painted over in the final episode. The move follows Banksy’s partial destruction of a copy of Girl with Balloon at auction in 2018, with the half-shredded piece, now retitled Love is in the Bin selling for £18.5 million.
Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Benin Bronzes
Continuing current efforts to repatriate stolen artworks and artefacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned two brass plaques dating back to the 16th Century, along with a 14th Century brass head from the Ife region. The pieces form part of a collection known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of Nigeria) in 1897. As part of the return, the museum has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to collaborate on scholarship and art loans in the future. Meanwhile, US customs officials from Houston have returned over 900 artefacts, some dating back to the Neolithic Era, to their rightful home of Mali. With the collection being discovered in 2009, and some objects being returned in 2011 and 2012, the process was temporarily halted due to civil war in the country.
With the increased scrutiny on the repatriation of looted artworks and artefacts, the conversation surrounding the Parthenon Marbles has risen once again. Originally part of the Parthenon in Athens until they were stolen in the 19th Century, the frieze has been on display in the British Museum ever since. Writing in the Mail on Sunday this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return the frieze to “the city and the world monument to which it rightfully belongs”. Despite the resurfacing of a letter written by Johnson in 2012 stating that the marbles should have never been taken, he ruled out talks discussing the monument, falsely claiming that the matter was in the hands of the British Museum, despite UNESCO stating that the resolution should be reached via intergovernmental talks.
The Courtauld Gallery reopens
In exciting news for London-based art lovers, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening after a three-year long refurbishment. The historic space will resume its display of works by Degas, Monet, Cézanne and Manet, along with the iconic Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh, and Botticelli’s The Trinity With Saints. Having been closed since 3rd September 2018 for the major redevelopment Courtauld Connects, the gallery’s collection includes 530 paintings, as well as over 26,000 drawings and prints. Located at Somerset House, the gallery boasts rooms dedicated to medieval and early Renaissance art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the Bloomsbury Group.
Tickets for the Courtauld Gallery can be booked here. The full gowithYamo review of the Gallery’s opening can be found here.
Christopher Walken paints over Banksy
Christopher Walken, in character as criminal Frank in BBC comedy The Outlaws, painted over an original Banksy depicting a rat with a spray can. The piece was created by the graffiti artist for the Bristol-set show, with the express intention of having it painted over in the final episode. The move follows Banksy’s partial destruction of a copy of Girl with Balloon at auction in 2018, with the half-shredded piece, now retitled Love is in the Bin selling for £18.5 million.
Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Benin Bronzes
Continuing current efforts to repatriate stolen artworks and artefacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned two brass plaques dating back to the 16th Century, along with a 14th Century brass head from the Ife region. The pieces form part of a collection known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of Nigeria) in 1897. As part of the return, the museum has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to collaborate on scholarship and art loans in the future. Meanwhile, US customs officials from Houston have returned over 900 artefacts, some dating back to the Neolithic Era, to their rightful home of Mali. With the collection being discovered in 2009, and some objects being returned in 2011 and 2012, the process was temporarily halted due to civil war in the country.
With the increased scrutiny on the repatriation of looted artworks and artefacts, the conversation surrounding the Parthenon Marbles has risen once again. Originally part of the Parthenon in Athens until they were stolen in the 19th Century, the frieze has been on display in the British Museum ever since. Writing in the Mail on Sunday this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return the frieze to “the city and the world monument to which it rightfully belongs”. Despite the resurfacing of a letter written by Johnson in 2012 stating that the marbles should have never been taken, he ruled out talks discussing the monument, falsely claiming that the matter was in the hands of the British Museum, despite UNESCO stating that the resolution should be reached via intergovernmental talks.
The Courtauld Gallery reopens
In exciting news for London-based art lovers, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening after a three-year long refurbishment. The historic space will resume its display of works by Degas, Monet, Cézanne and Manet, along with the iconic Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh, and Botticelli’s The Trinity With Saints. Having been closed since 3rd September 2018 for the major redevelopment Courtauld Connects, the gallery’s collection includes 530 paintings, as well as over 26,000 drawings and prints. Located at Somerset House, the gallery boasts rooms dedicated to medieval and early Renaissance art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the Bloomsbury Group.
Tickets for the Courtauld Gallery can be booked here. The full gowithYamo review of the Gallery’s opening can be found here.
Christopher Walken paints over Banksy
Christopher Walken, in character as criminal Frank in BBC comedy The Outlaws, painted over an original Banksy depicting a rat with a spray can. The piece was created by the graffiti artist for the Bristol-set show, with the express intention of having it painted over in the final episode. The move follows Banksy’s partial destruction of a copy of Girl with Balloon at auction in 2018, with the half-shredded piece, now retitled Love is in the Bin selling for £18.5 million.
Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Benin Bronzes
Continuing current efforts to repatriate stolen artworks and artefacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned two brass plaques dating back to the 16th Century, along with a 14th Century brass head from the Ife region. The pieces form part of a collection known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of Nigeria) in 1897. As part of the return, the museum has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to collaborate on scholarship and art loans in the future. Meanwhile, US customs officials from Houston have returned over 900 artefacts, some dating back to the Neolithic Era, to their rightful home of Mali. With the collection being discovered in 2009, and some objects being returned in 2011 and 2012, the process was temporarily halted due to civil war in the country.
With the increased scrutiny on the repatriation of looted artworks and artefacts, the conversation surrounding the Parthenon Marbles has risen once again. Originally part of the Parthenon in Athens until they were stolen in the 19th Century, the frieze has been on display in the British Museum ever since. Writing in the Mail on Sunday this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return the frieze to “the city and the world monument to which it rightfully belongs”. Despite the resurfacing of a letter written by Johnson in 2012 stating that the marbles should have never been taken, he ruled out talks discussing the monument, falsely claiming that the matter was in the hands of the British Museum, despite UNESCO stating that the resolution should be reached via intergovernmental talks.
The Courtauld Gallery reopens
In exciting news for London-based art lovers, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening after a three-year long refurbishment. The historic space will resume its display of works by Degas, Monet, Cézanne and Manet, along with the iconic Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh, and Botticelli’s The Trinity With Saints. Having been closed since 3rd September 2018 for the major redevelopment Courtauld Connects, the gallery’s collection includes 530 paintings, as well as over 26,000 drawings and prints. Located at Somerset House, the gallery boasts rooms dedicated to medieval and early Renaissance art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the Bloomsbury Group.
Tickets for the Courtauld Gallery can be booked here. The full gowithYamo review of the Gallery’s opening can be found here.
Christopher Walken paints over Banksy
Christopher Walken, in character as criminal Frank in BBC comedy The Outlaws, painted over an original Banksy depicting a rat with a spray can. The piece was created by the graffiti artist for the Bristol-set show, with the express intention of having it painted over in the final episode. The move follows Banksy’s partial destruction of a copy of Girl with Balloon at auction in 2018, with the half-shredded piece, now retitled Love is in the Bin selling for £18.5 million.
Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Benin Bronzes
Continuing current efforts to repatriate stolen artworks and artefacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned two brass plaques dating back to the 16th Century, along with a 14th Century brass head from the Ife region. The pieces form part of a collection known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of Nigeria) in 1897. As part of the return, the museum has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to collaborate on scholarship and art loans in the future. Meanwhile, US customs officials from Houston have returned over 900 artefacts, some dating back to the Neolithic Era, to their rightful home of Mali. With the collection being discovered in 2009, and some objects being returned in 2011 and 2012, the process was temporarily halted due to civil war in the country.
With the increased scrutiny on the repatriation of looted artworks and artefacts, the conversation surrounding the Parthenon Marbles has risen once again. Originally part of the Parthenon in Athens until they were stolen in the 19th Century, the frieze has been on display in the British Museum ever since. Writing in the Mail on Sunday this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return the frieze to “the city and the world monument to which it rightfully belongs”. Despite the resurfacing of a letter written by Johnson in 2012 stating that the marbles should have never been taken, he ruled out talks discussing the monument, falsely claiming that the matter was in the hands of the British Museum, despite UNESCO stating that the resolution should be reached via intergovernmental talks.
The Courtauld Gallery reopens
In exciting news for London-based art lovers, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening after a three-year long refurbishment. The historic space will resume its display of works by Degas, Monet, Cézanne and Manet, along with the iconic Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh, and Botticelli’s The Trinity With Saints. Having been closed since 3rd September 2018 for the major redevelopment Courtauld Connects, the gallery’s collection includes 530 paintings, as well as over 26,000 drawings and prints. Located at Somerset House, the gallery boasts rooms dedicated to medieval and early Renaissance art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the Bloomsbury Group.
Tickets for the Courtauld Gallery can be booked here. The full gowithYamo review of the Gallery’s opening can be found here.
Christopher Walken paints over Banksy
Christopher Walken, in character as criminal Frank in BBC comedy The Outlaws, painted over an original Banksy depicting a rat with a spray can. The piece was created by the graffiti artist for the Bristol-set show, with the express intention of having it painted over in the final episode. The move follows Banksy’s partial destruction of a copy of Girl with Balloon at auction in 2018, with the half-shredded piece, now retitled Love is in the Bin selling for £18.5 million.
Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Benin Bronzes
Continuing current efforts to repatriate stolen artworks and artefacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned two brass plaques dating back to the 16th Century, along with a 14th Century brass head from the Ife region. The pieces form part of a collection known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’, artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of Nigeria) in 1897. As part of the return, the museum has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to collaborate on scholarship and art loans in the future. Meanwhile, US customs officials from Houston have returned over 900 artefacts, some dating back to the Neolithic Era, to their rightful home of Mali. With the collection being discovered in 2009, and some objects being returned in 2011 and 2012, the process was temporarily halted due to civil war in the country.
With the increased scrutiny on the repatriation of looted artworks and artefacts, the conversation surrounding the Parthenon Marbles has risen once again. Originally part of the Parthenon in Athens until they were stolen in the 19th Century, the frieze has been on display in the British Museum ever since. Writing in the Mail on Sunday this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return the frieze to “the city and the world monument to which it rightfully belongs”. Despite the resurfacing of a letter written by Johnson in 2012 stating that the marbles should have never been taken, he ruled out talks discussing the monument, falsely claiming that the matter was in the hands of the British Museum, despite UNESCO stating that the resolution should be reached via intergovernmental talks.
The Courtauld Gallery reopens
In exciting news for London-based art lovers, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening after a three-year long refurbishment. The historic space will resume its display of works by Degas, Monet, Cézanne and Manet, along with the iconic Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh, and Botticelli’s The Trinity With Saints. Having been closed since 3rd September 2018 for the major redevelopment Courtauld Connects, the gallery’s collection includes 530 paintings, as well as over 26,000 drawings and prints. Located at Somerset House, the gallery boasts rooms dedicated to medieval and early Renaissance art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the Bloomsbury Group.
Tickets for the Courtauld Gallery can be booked here. The full gowithYamo review of the Gallery’s opening can be found here.
Christopher Walken paints over Banksy
Christopher Walken, in character as criminal Frank in BBC comedy The Outlaws, painted over an original Banksy depicting a rat with a spray can. The piece was created by the graffiti artist for the Bristol-set show, with the express intention of having it painted over in the final episode. The move follows Banksy’s partial destruction of a copy of Girl with Balloon at auction in 2018, with the half-shredded piece, now retitled Love is in the Bin selling for £18.5 million.
