Cy Twombly, Known for His Large-Scale, Freely Scribbled, Calligraphic Style, Dies at 83

ROME (AP).- Celebrated American painter Cy Twombly, whose large-scale paintings featuring scribbles, graffiti and unusual materials fetched millions at auction, died Tuesday. He was 83. Twombly, who had cancer, died in Rome, said Eric Mezil, director of the Lambert Collection in Avignon, France, where the artist opened a show in June. Twombly had mostly lived in Italy since 1959. “A great American painter who deeply loved old Europe has just left us,” French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand said in a statement. [...]

Bulgarian Mogul Vasil Bozhkov Exhibits His Thracian Collection at the National History Museum in Bulgaria

SOFIA (REUTERS).- Bulgarian mogul Vasil Bozhkov is opening up his private collection of rare Thracian artefacts, offering a glimpse of a little-known ancient civilization which has left no written records. “Thrace and the Ancient World” runs until June 21 and shows over 200 artefacts including objects of Greek classical art, some of which are being displayed in public for the first time. The oldest article in the exhibition dates back to the 15th century B.C. A 5th century B.C. gold-plated [...]

The Three Graces by Lucas Cranach Join the Collections of the Louvre Museum

PARIS.- A month after the launch of the campaign to acquire Lucas Cranach’s Three Graces, the Louvre has raised 1 million euros from over 5000 donors. This enabled Lucas Cranach’s Three Graces to enter into the Louvre’s collections. The Louvre would like to thank all those who have taken part in this extraordinary successful campaign! On November 13, the Louvre museum launched a fundraising campaign to acquire The Three Graces by Lucas Cranach. This small oil on wood painting shows [...]

Abu Dhabi Launches Tender Competition for Louvre Museum

ABU DHABI.- Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) said on Tuesday it has launched the main tender competition for building a branch of the Louvre museum on its flagship development Saadiyat Island. “The main contract works, the dome, mechanical, electrical, is tendered today,” Felix Reinberg, director of projects delivery at TDIC’s museum division, told reporters on the sidelines of a tour of the island. Reinberg said the tendering process would close in June. Located off the coast of [...]

Nicolas Sarkozy and Dmitry Medvedev Visit the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral

PARIS.- The presidents of Russia and France are turning their attention away from modern warships and toward 1,000-year-old icons Tuesday as the Louvre Museum pulls out the stops for Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Paris. Medvedev and French President Nicolas Sarkozy moved closer to a major military deal and oversaw accords giving France more access to Russian gas during the first day of the Russian president’s state visit Monday. On Tuesday, Medvedev looked on as top executives from some of Russia’s [...]

Louvre Acquires 17th Century Painting “Saint Peter’s Denial” with Help from Private Sponsors

PARIS.- The French Ministry of Culture and the Louvre have acquired the painting “Saint Peter’s Denial,” by French painter Antoine or Louis Le Nain, attributed to the 17th century Lorraine School. The painting is the museum’s latest acquisition and was purchased by a private patronage for 11,500,000 euros.(16,560,000 dollars). The painting “was found in an attic in Luneville” and sold at auction in Nancy on 19 March 2000. Estimated at 200,000 francs, it was acquired by the Parisian dealer Charles [...]

Now the Louvre and Versailles Closed by French Museum Strike

PARIS.- The Louvre Museum and the royal palace at Versailles were closed Thursday because of a French museum workers’ strike that appears to be gathering steam. Frustrated tourists gathered outside the landmark pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre, blocked off by workers. They are protesting government plans not to replace half of retiring public servants, which will affect the country’s national museums. The strike began at the Pompidou Center for modern art last month and workers at other national [...]