There’s Much More to Caravaggio’s ‘The Cardsharps’ Than Vice. Here Are Three Facts That Offer a New Perspective on His Early Masterpiece

In his brilliant, passionate, and all-too-brief life, Caravaggio defined a revelatory Baroque style marked by suspense and realism—not to mention high drama lighting. His daring and direct style shook 16th-century Europe, capturing the attention of popes and patrons, and its influence reverberates to this day.

His works are precious few, however: under 100 paintings are known today, and of those, only 10 works reside within the United States. The new exhibition “Among Friends and Rivals: Caravaggio in Rome” at the Art Institute of Chicago offers the rare occasion to see two of his canvases, The Cardsharps (ca. 1594) and Martha and Mary Magdalene (ca. 1598), together.

Via Artnet

• Read CGN's fall 2023 preview of the Caravaggio exhibit here  

An Yvette Mayorga Work Is Unmistakable. A New Survey Explores Her Unique Inspirations, From German Lithographs to ‘Mexican Pink’

This summer, as Barbie fever took over popular culture, so did the film’s signature brand of pink. Seemingly overnight, the color was everywhere—on runways, red carpets, car insurance commercials, even Burger King buns. The furor ultimately led to a global paint shortage. 

The Barbie “moment” came up in a recent conversation with Yvette Mayorga, a Mexican-American painter and sculptor whose work is almost always awash in a similar pink hue. This was not the first time she had been asked about it. 

Via Arnet

• Read CGN's 2020 interview with Mayorga here 

26 Famed Artworks That Have Been Vandalized

What makes a person want to vandalize a cherished artwork? The factors often vary greatly.

Politics often play a role, as has been the case with the many recent protests led at museums by climate activists around the world. Personal interests often can become paramount as well, as they have with a variety of young provocateurs who have targeted others’ artworks, sometimes even as part of their own art practices.

In each case, however, the base motive remains the same: to raise a ruckus by disturbing the look or reputation of art people know all too well.

Via Artnews

Long-unseen Basquiat self-portrait could reach $60m at Sotheby’s New York

A Jean-Michel Basquiat self-portrait with an eight-figure estimate is poised to be one of the biggest lots of the New York autumn auction season, nearly a quarter century after the painting was last seen publicly.

The 8ft-tall Self Portrait as a Heel (Part Two) (1982) will be the leading lot during Sotheby’s evening auction of contemporary art on 15 November in New York, where it’s expected to fetch between $40m and $60m.

Via The Art Newspaper