Dissed in New York, Painting Thrives in LA

Showcases darker tones of earlier work

(NEWSER) - For the first time in five years, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has added a new piece to its collection—and it looks a little different from your standard Vincent van Gogh. This one is an 1882 watercolor whose tones are much darker than those the artist later adopted. The painting shows what van Gogh called a "lonely and melancholy" dead willow leaning over a pond near the Hague. The young artist immediately wanted to paint it: "I'm going to attack it tomorrow morning," he wrote to his brother. More»

Pablo Picasso makes 2 appearances

(NEWSER) - Following the record-breaking sale of Edvard Munch's The Scream , the Guardian takes a look at the other biggest sales of art at auction. The top five:

1. Edvard Munch, The Scream, $119.9 million.
2. Pablo Picasso, Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust, $106.5 million.
3. Alberto Giacometti, L'homme qui Marche I, $105.2 million.
4. Pablo Picasso, Boy With a Pipe, $104.2 million.
5. Gustav Klimt, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II, $87.9 million.

Dining-hall paintings show lighter side of Scream painter

(NEWSER) - The painter of The Scream was also an interior decorator of sorts: Edvard Munch painted a set of murals long displayed in the dining hall of an Oslo factory. Now, that canteen—currently owned by Kraft Foods—could be on its way to a sale, paintings included. Officials plan to keep an eye on the potential sale since the canteen is regarded as a national treasure; Kraft says it will make sure the paintings enter safe hands, the BBC reports. More»

One gallerist sold more in a day than he sells in 2 weeks

(AP) - Galleries that sell the work of Thomas Kinkade are reporting a surge in sales following the popular painter's death at age 54 —a surge so big that outlets across the country say they're calling in extra help to handle unprecedented demand from customers placing orders in person, on the phone, and online. More»

It's the most ever paid for an artwork

(NEWSER) - Qatar's royal family has dropped $250 million on The Card Players, part of a series of classic paintings by Paul Cézanne—more than doubling the previous record sum for an artwork purchase. The sale actually occurred last year in secret, adding a key work to Qatar's collection. "You take any art-history course, and a Card Players is likely in it," says an expert. "It’s a major, major image." But the move isn't just about great art: It's part of the country's attempt to develop into an intellectual center, Vanity Fair reports. More»