Art History

November 15, 2023

Family Discovers Their Living Room Painting Is a Lost Masterpiece Worth Millions

Some things become so ordinary that we easily miss their extraordinary nature. For some people, the decor they spend their lives around is merely sentimental or aesthetically pleasing. However, it can turn out to be extraordinary and of great interest to the world. We’ve recently seen a TV room painting turn out to be by Pieter Brueghel the Younger and even garage sale purchases turn out to be Ming Dynasty relics.

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November 3, 2023

Restored Rembrandt Is on Sale for $30 Million

Works by Rembrandt van Rijn are rarely seen at auction. The precious Old Master's works are worth many millions, coveted by private collectors and museums alike. In 2009, Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo (1658) set the Rembrandt record with a €23.2 million sale (over $24.6 million). Other sales, such as Abraham and Angels (c. 1646), have been private for amounts ranging upwards of $20 million. Now, another masterpiece is up for sale.

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October 9, 2023

Artemisia Gentileschi Lost Painting Found in King Charles’ “Attic” and Is Restored

Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi was one of the most celebrated painters of the Baroque period. So much so that she even painted for royalty, including a stint in London at the court of King Charles I. So how did one of her canvases end up in storage at Hampton Court for over 100 years, only to be recently rediscovered? It all goes back to the whims of history.

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September 2, 2023

Explore the Diamond Sūtra: The World’s Earliest Dated and Printed Book in Existence

Like its namesake stone, the Diamond Sūtra was found underground. In 1900, a Buddhist monk in the Gansu province of China stumbled upon a sealed entrance leading to a series of 492 connected caves. The site had been closed off to the world since the start of the 11th century. Once a major Buddhist center, the area is known as Mogao (“Peerless”) Caves or the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.