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• The National Palace Museum Shows the Art Nouveau Works of Alphonse Mucha
• Art Basel Opens Today Featuring 300 Leading Galleries
• The Lumiere Brothers Photogallery Shows Photographs of Moscow From 1900 to 1960
• Mike Weiss Gallery To Show Canadian Artist Kim Dorland
• Jorge Palacios ~ Sculptures in Dialogue with Cities in Spain
• The Kunsthaus Zürich Presents Franz Gertsch ~ Hyper-realistic Paintings
• Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum on View at Nevada Museum of Art
• Sotheby's Sale of The Hascoe Family Collection of Czech Art Realizes $18,032,738
• High Museum of Art Acquires Major New Works By Alex Katz and Anish Kapoor
• The Danioth Pavillion at the House of Art Shows "Much Ado About Everything"
• Whisper Gallery Opens in London With a Group Show
• The Surreal Universe of Salvador Dali at the William Bennett Gallery
• Who Was Felix Nussbaum ?
• ESTORICK COLLECTION OF MODERN ITALIAN ART CELEBRATES 10th ANNIVERSARY
• Solo Exhibition of Works by Romare Bearden at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
• Famous Fashion, Celebrity Photographer Irving Penn Dies at 92
• William McTaggart Shown in Centenary Celebration at Kirkcaldy Museum & Art Gallery
• New Records Reached in the American Art Market at Christie's NYC
• The National Gallery and Tate Receive 18 Masterpieces from the Hon.Simon Sainsbury
• Art Knowledge News Presents "This Week In Review"

The National Palace Museum Shows the Art Nouveau Works of Alphonse Mucha Posted: 14 Jun 2011 10:48 PM PDT Taipei, Taiwan - The National Palace Museum is proud to present "Alphonse Mucha: Art Nouveau & Utopia" on view until September 12th. "Alphonse Mucha: Art Nouveau & Utopia" presents an exhibition of works made a century ago, incorporating a wide range of disciplines. It is a superlative example of how art can be brought into ordinary life, and how life can be brought into art. The exhibition is divided into six sections, including A Bohemian in Paris, The Creator of 'Le Style Mucha', A Cosmopolitan, The Mystic, The Patriot and The Philosophical Artist. Mucha believed that art is everywhere and should be appreciated by people of all ages and from all walks of life. Reflecting this belief, this special exhibition offers a rare chance for immersion in Mucha's artistic legacy. The Art Nouveau movement reached the height of its development during the 1900 World Expo in Paris. Manifest in a wide range of fields such as painting, posters, architecture, furniture, crafts and design, this movement sparked a global trend, cementing Alphonse Mucha's (1860-1939) iconic position in European decorative art. The Art Nouveau era did not merely set high standards of architectural design, its new aesthetic underpinned all areas of life by elevating the artistic standards of everyday objects. When appreciating Mucha's works his combination of traditional realism is obvious, as is the influence of his burgeoning photographic skills. Now deemed the forerunner of the contemporary creative industry, Mucha interwove commercial design with everyday life. Mucha's emphasis on his subjects, through a unique combination of photographic and historical elements, has also influenced the character design of contemporary animation and comic books. Though born in Czechoslovakia, Alphonse Mucha developed his unique style in Paris where he achieved world-wide recognition for his work. Returning to his hometown in his later years, Mucha's patriotism is manifest in his masterpieces from this period, which recount the history of Czechoslovakia and its people. His works, immersed in the aura of Art Nouveau, are renowned for their coquettish feminine figures, ornamental flowers, cascading hair and vividly harmonious hues. Densely composed, Mucha's creations are permeated with floral and plants motifs amid symbolically complex patterns in multiple styles, incorporating Byzantine, Japanese woodblock, Rococo, Gothic, Jewish and Czech folk elements. Set against backgrounds imitating stained glass mosaic, the characters are embellished with gorgeous attire, jewelry, Arabic, Byzantine and other oriental decorative patterns, all topped off with Mucha's signature silhouettes that further enhance his decorative Art Nouveau style. After Mucha's death, abstract presentation of art became mainstream. Reflecting the isolation of Czechoslovakia on the international stage, Mucha's name gradually fell into oblivion. However his style admired now, and cpied by modern artists. The National Palace Museum in Taipei is the national museum of the Republic of China, and has a permanent collection of over 677,687 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest in the world. The collection encompasses over 8,000 years of Chinese history from the Neolithic age to the late Qing Dynasty. Most of the collection are high quality pieces collected by China's ancient emperors. The National Palace Museum and Palace Museum, located inside the Forbidden City in China, share the same original roots, which was split in two as a result of the Chinese Civil War. The new museum in Wai-shuang-hsi was completed in 1965. Today the museum houses some 93,000 items of Chinese calligraphy, porcelain, bronzes, landscape paintings, portraiture and figurines from Beijing's Forbidden City and 562,000 traditional books and documents. There are 6,044 bronzes, 5,200 paintings, 3,000 works of calligraphy, 12,104 pieces of jade, 3,200 examples of lacquer and enamel ware, as well as assorted carvings, fans, rubbings, coins and textiles. With a collection of this size, only 1% of the collection is exhibited at a given time. The rest of the collection is stored in temperature controlled basement vaults. Visit the museum's website at ... http://www.npm.gov.tw

Art Basel Opens Today Featuring 300 Leading Galleries Posted: 14 Jun 2011 10:10 PM PDT Basel, Switzerland - The world's premier international art show for Modern and contemporary works, Art Basel features nearly 300 leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. More than 2,500 artists, ranging from the great masters of Modern art to the latest generation of emerging stars, are represented in the show's multiple sections. The exhibition includes the highest-quality paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs, video and limited edition works. On view June 15 - 19.

The Lumiere Brothers Photogallery Shows Photographs of Moscow From 1900 to 1960 Posted: 14 Jun 2011 09:58 PM PDT Moscow.- The Lumiere Brothers Photogallery in Moscow is proud to present a major exhibition of photographs of the Russian capital taken in the first half of the twentieth century. "Moscow's history. Twentieth century. Part I" is a unique opportunity to travel to Moscow on the first half of the twentieth century and contains over 300 archival photographs of Moscow, covering the period 1900 1960, telling about the past of the capital, the lifestyles of its inhabitants, the changes in the architectural appearance of Moscow and iconic historical events. "Moscow's history. Twentieth century. Part I" is on view at the gallery through September 4th.

Mike Weiss Gallery To Show Canadian Artist Kim Dorland Posted: 14 Jun 2011 09:42 PM PDT New York City.- The Mike Weiss Gallery is excited to present "For Lori" by Canadian artist, Kim Dorland. Over the past decade, Kim Dorland's wife, Lori, has been the subject and inspiration of countless paintings. Consisting of eight paintings and three works on paper dating from 2008 to present, this show is a mere snapshot of a much larger oeuvre. "For Lori" is on view at the gallery from June 23rd through August 27th.

Jorge Palacios ~ Sculptures in Dialogue with Cities in Spain Posted: 14 Jun 2011 09:42 PM PDT TOLEDO.- Toledo hosts the exhibition project of Jorge Palacios (born Madrid, 1979) "The dialogues of the curve: urban sculptures in the streets of Toledo" conceived as a itinerary through different places representative of the city, including the environment of the Bisagra Gate, the Sun Gate, the Santa Cruz Museum or the Fuensalida Palace. The traveling exhibition of Jorge Palacios "The dialogues of the curve" will stay in Toledo until August.

The Kunsthaus Zürich Presents Franz Gertsch ~ Hyper-realistic Paintings Posted: 14 Jun 2011 08:44 PM PDT Zurich.- The Kunsthaus Zürich is pleased to present "Franz Gertsch. Seasons. Works 1983 to 2011". The exhibition is currently on view and runs through to September 18th. The Kunsthaus Zürich exhibition is a major retrospective featuring round 30 large-format paintings and woodcuts by Franz Gertsch – one of Switzerland's leading contemporary artists. The exhibition brings together in the large exhibition gallery his realistic works from the period between 1983 and 2011, culminating in his recently completed 'Four Seasons Cycle'.

Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum on View at Nevada Museum of Art Posted: 14 Jun 2011 08:43 PM PDT RENO, NV.- Explore ancient Egyptian beliefs about life, death, and the afterlife in To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum, while celebrating the birthday of the Nevada Museum of Art – commemorating the 80th anniversary. The exhibition is on view from June 11 through September 4, at the Nevada Museum of Art. Drawn from the legendary antiquities collection of the Brooklyn Museum, the exhibition explores the funerary beliefs and customs practiced for nearly four-thousand years by ancient Egyptians from various social classes.

Sotheby's Sale of The Hascoe Family Collection of Czech Art Realizes $18,032,738 Posted: 14 Jun 2011 07:28 PM PDT London - Sotheby's Sale of The Hascoe Family Collection of Important Czech Art brought £11,103,903 / $18,032,738 / 303,326,131 CZK, far exceeding the pre‐sale estimate (£4.17‐6.25 million / $6.7‐10 million / 114‐170.8 CZK million). The auction achieved sell through rates of 92% by lot and 99.4% by value and set 13 new artist records. 74.9% of works sold achieved prices above the high estimate.

High Museum of Art Acquires Major New Works By Alex Katz and Anish Kapoor Posted: 14 Jun 2011 07:27 PM PDT ATLANTA, GA.- "The High's collection of contemporary art is growing in exciting and diverse ways, and signals our commitment to creating an anthology of important 21st-century works," commented Michael Shapiro, the High's Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr. Director. "We are grateful to Alex for his generous gift of 'Twilight' and look forward to adding to our holdings of his work; his extraordinary paintings bridge the Museum's fine collection of post-painterly abstraction with its expanding collection of Pop art."

The Danioth Pavillion at the House of Art Shows "Much Ado About Everything" Posted: 14 Jun 2011 07:09 PM PDT Altdorf, Switzerland.- The House of Art is pleased to present "Much Ado About Everything" showing the influence of the baroque in contemporary art. "Much Ado About Everything" is on view in the Danioth Pavillion from June 18th through August 28th. Baroque meets the spirit of today in more spectacular ways than we would expect. For a historical period (c. 1590-1750), that ended more than two centuries ago, this is all the more surprising. Paraphrasing William Shakespeare, "Much Ado About Everything" shows these links and how both the baroque and the contemporary are exciting and 'noisy' times in art. Amongst the artists featured in the exhibition are, Jean Tinguely, Peter Roesch, Caro Suerkemper, Pipilotti Rist, Stephan Melzl, Una Szeemann, Terry Rogers and Eloyan Poor.

Whisper Gallery Opens in London With a Group Show Posted: 14 Jun 2011 06:53 PM PDT London.- Jamie Wood's Whisper Gallery opened on June 9th with with a group show of limited edition prints and original works by artists including, Bruce French, Pakpoom Silaphan, Marco Bettoni, Patrick Hughes, Lyle Owerko, Russell Young, D*Face, Sarah Woodfine, Mark Hayward, Stuart Semple, Nick Gentry and George Morton-Clark.

The Surreal Universe of Salvador Dali at the William Bennett Gallery Posted: 14 Jun 2011 06:52 PM PDT New York City.- The William Bennett Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of its newest show, "The Surreal Universe of Salvador Dalí". Featuring exceptional unique works, rare prints and the unveiling of Dalí's never before seen Twelve Signs of the Zodiac bas-relief sculptures. The bas reliefs are vivid expressions of the 12 signs of the zodiac --- Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Each offers Dalí's impressive interpretations of these popular signs. For Dalí, the zodiac was a gateway to the mysteries of human nature. Each iconic image reflects its place in the zodiac, and Dalí's search beyond the gate. Each is a unique work of art, a collector's item for Dalí connoisseurs. "The Surreal universe of Salvador Dali" is on view at the gallery from June 23rd through July 31st, with an opening reception on Thursday June 23rd from 6 to 9 pm. A modern master of the surreal arts, Dalí created a universe all his own covering an expansive œuvre of imagery. He depicted a highly provocative pictorial language, in which commonplace objects are juxtaposed, distorted and metamorphosed in a bizarre and irrational fashion, yet portrayed in meticulous realistic detail. Inspired by the psychoanalytical writings of Sigmund Freud, Dalí believed that his detailed illusionism was instrumental in the exploration of the dream imagery and the subconscious that he painted, creating a world all his own. "The Surreal Universe of Salvador Dalí" offers a glimpse into the boundless universe created by Dalí's mind. Also included in this exhibition are the portfolios "The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen", "After 50 Years of Surrealism", "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", "Carmen", "Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy", "Papillons Anciennes" and "Milton's Paradise Lost", along with an impressive collection of rare individual prints and originals. The opening reception will feature special guest Julian von Heisermann, noted Dali expert, lecturer and friend. Located on Greene Street in New York's SoHo district, The William Bennett Gallery exhibits works from the masters: Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall and Joan Miro. The gallery is open every day to the public and also showcases an impressive collection of contemporary up-and-coming artists. This must-see, multi-level gallery is a haven for collectors and appreciators alike and acts as a hot-spot for celebrity art collectors and scholars from the world of art history. Visit the gallery's website at ... www.williambennettgallery.com

Who Was Felix Nussbaum ? Posted: 14 Jun 2011 06:41 PM PDT PARIS.- Who was Felix Nussbaum? His work has only recently been rediscovered and in France, where he is not well known, his paintings have never been shown before. Through 23 January 2011, the Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme is presenting the first major retrospective of his work organised in France. Felix Nussbaum was a modern German painter, whose work was shaped by the "New Objectivity" and by contact with the European avant-garde of the first decades of the 20th century, in particular the Italian pittura metafisica and international surrealism, references that link him to some of his contemporaries: Max Beckmann, Otto Dix or John Heartfield. Felix Nussbaum's most important and spectacular works will be presented for the first time in France; most of them are housed in a museum specially dedicated to him in his city of birth, Osnabrück in Lower Saxony. This was what he wrote in his will: "If I die, do not let my paintings follow me, but show them to men!"

ESTORICK COLLECTION OF MODERN ITALIAN ART CELEBRATES 10th ANNIVERSARY Posted: 14 Jun 2011 06:40 PM PDT LONDON - The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art – described by Sir Nicholas Serota, Director of Tate, as "one of the finest collections of early 20th century Italian art anywhere in the world" – will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2008 with a diverse programme of exhibitions, the first of which will be A Decade of Discovery: Ten Years of the Estorick Collection, on view from 16 January to 6 April 2008.

Solo Exhibition of Works by Romare Bearden at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery Posted: 14 Jun 2011 06:39 PM PDT NEW YORK, NY.- Michael Rosenfeld Gallery presents a solo exhibition of works by Romare Bearden (American, 1911-1988). Romare Bearden: Collage, A Centennial Exhibition will be on view from March 26 to May 21, 2011. This is the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery's second solo show of Bearden's work and the first to focus exclusively on collage, the medium through which Bearden arrived at his mature style. Created between 1964 and 1983, the twenty-one works in the exhibition exemplify Bearden's exceptional talent for storytelling as well as his mastery of the medium's fragmentation of form and space. Together, they reveal an innovative artist whose style is distinguished by partial images, unexpected juxtapositions, harmonious collisions, and a dynamic modernist aesthetic that continues to inspire and challenge viewers today.

Famous Fashion, Celebrity Photographer Irving Penn Dies at 92 Posted: 14 Jun 2011 06:38 PM PDT NEW YORK, NY (AP).- Irving Penn, whose photographs revealed a taste for stark simplicity whether he was shooting celebrity portraits, fashion, still life or remote places of the world, died Wednesday at his Manhattan home. He was 92. The death was announced by his photo assistant, Roger Krueger. Penn, who constantly explored the photographic medium and its boundaries, typically preferred to isolate his subjects — from fashion models to Aborigine tribesmen — from their natural settings to photograph them in a studio against a stark background. He believed the studio could most closely capture their true natures.

William McTaggart Shown in Centenary Celebration at Kirkcaldy Museum & Art Gallery Posted: 14 Jun 2011 06:37 PM PDT KIRKCALDY, SCOTLAND - Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery is this month marking the centenary of Scottish artist William McTaggart's death with an exhibition celebrating his work. McTaggart's Children will showcase his beautiful paintings of children in sunny cornfields and next to stormy seas. The exhibition contains 12 paintings which were bought with assistance from membership charity the Art Fund in 1964. They were acquired when over 100 paintings amassed by a local collector were put up for sale by his family. It is open from now until 13 October.

New Records Reached in the American Art Market at Christie's NYC Posted: 14 Jun 2011 06:36 PM PDT NEW YORK CITY - Christie's Spring 2008 Important American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture sale totaled $72.6 million, set new records and established major new benchmarks across the category. The highest total for an American Art sale at Christie's, the auction also saw new records set for 19th Century American art, American Modernism – and included the highest combined total for American Western art. 111 lots were sold during the proceedings for an average sold lot value of $654,043.

The National Gallery and Tate Receive 18 Masterpieces from the Hon.Simon Sainsbury Posted: 14 Jun 2011 06:35 PM PDT LONDON - The National Gallery and Tate jointly announced one of the most significant bequests of paintings ever to the nation. The collector, Simon Sainsbury (1930-2006), has generously bequeathed 18 paintings from his outstanding international and British art collection to the National Gallery and Tate. Five paintings by artists Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet and Henri Rousseau will go to the National Gallery, and Tate will receive 13 works by artists Francis Bacon, Balthus, Pierre Bonnard, Lucian Freud, Thomas Gainsborough, Victor Pasmore, John Wootton and Johan Zoffany.

Art Knowledge News Presents "This Week In Review" Posted: 14 Jun 2011 06:35 PM PDT This is a new feature for the subscribers and visitors to Art Knowledge News (AKN), that will enable you to see "thumbnail descriptions" of the last ninety (90) articles and art images that we published. This will allow you to visit any article that you may have missed ; or re-visit any article or image of particular interest. Every day the article "thumbnail images" will change. For you to see the entire last ninety images just click : here . When opened that also will allow you to change the language from English to anyone of 54 other languages, by clicking your language choice on the upper left corner of our Home Page.  You can share any article we publish with the eleven (11) social websites we offer like Twitter, Flicker, Linkedin, Facebook, etc. by one click on the image shown at the end of each opened article.  Last, but not least, you can email or print any entire article by using an icon visible to the right side of an article's headline.

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