Archaeologists Crusade for Ancient Murals in Syria

DAMASCUS, SYRIA -- "Crusaders did not stay in one place for a long time, and so it very rare to find such paintings left behind by them," said Michel Makdisi, head of excavations at Syria's Directorate General of Antiquities. Very rare, but experts believe that two murals found during an excavation inside the medieval church at al-Marqab Citadel, in fact date back to the 12th century Crusades.

Al-Marqab, a fortress in Syria's eastern city of Tartous, is perched atop a hill overlooking the Mediterranean coast. In an ancient chapel inside the fortress, archaeologists spotted two 8 x 11.5" dirt-covered murals hanging on either side of an altar.

One of the murals depicts scenes of heaven, showing saints surrounded by light colors, while the other illustrates hell, with people being tortured and burned. Once restored, these ancient paintings could provide insight into the Christian knights who battled Muslims for control of the Holy Land so long ago. These are the first murals found in the Middle East to portray heaven and hell.

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[Read More - Experts Find Rare Crusader-Era Murals in Syria | AP]

Archaeologists Crusade for Ancient Murals in Syria

Bailout Forces Royal Bank of Scotland to Share Art Stash with Public

A previously hidden trove of British artwork, one of the largest corporate collections in Britain, will soon be shared with the public. The Royal Bank of Scotland has been criticized for keeping its 2,200 piece art stash out of public view - until now. The bank has reexamined their position, considering the artwork is now 70% taxpayer-owned after a treasury bailout saved RBS from collapse. RBS has yet to disclose a comprehensive list of the artwork or reveal its value, however the collection is said to include paintings and prints by artists like LS Lowry, David Hockney, Patrick Caulfield, Sir William McTaggart, Johann Zoffany and Joshua Reynolds.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND /The Guardian/ -- RBS has told the Guardian it broadly agrees with its critics that it now has a public duty to share its collection and is in discussions with museums and arts experts, including the National Galleries of Scotland, which runs five galleries in Edinburgh, about possible loans and exhibitions.

Colin Tweedy, the chairman of Arts & Business, an influential charity which promotes culture and the arts in business, said the bank's silence about the collection and its failure to show it publicly had been frustrating and worrying. "I can understand their embarrassment, but the difficulty is that the collection seemed to have disappeared," he said. "I was worried it had been thrown away and damaged. My view is that this is something they should be proud of, instead of being embarrassed." He added: "It is not only a public duty but also a business opportunity, because people will see some wonderful British work and realize it is owned by RBS."

The department of culture urged RBS to put its works on show: "We want the British public to have access to great works of art, whether they are in public or privately owned collections. We would encourage any business which owns a corporate art collection to enable it to be seen by the public where practicable."

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[Read More - Royal Bank of Scotland Agrees to Put Hidden Art Collection On Public Display | The Guardian]

Bailout Forces Royal Bank of Scotland to Share Art Stash with Public

Will the Frieze Heat Up London's Art Market?

LONDON -- This Thursday, the art world heads to London for the seventh annual Frieze Art Fair. Frieze will showcase new and established artists to an international audience of curators, artists, collectors, gallerists and critics, as well as the general public. The event will take place under a large temporary structure of approximately 21,000 square meters in beautiful Regent's Park.

Frieze is one of the only exhibits of its kind to focus solely on contemporary art and living artists. This year, 164 of the world’s most exciting contemporary art galleries, representing 30 countries, will present new work by over 1,000 of the world’s most innovative artists. 2009 will also introduce Frame, a new section within the fair dedicated to solo artist presentations.

The equivalent of Switzerland's Art Basel, Frieze is a barometer for how London's art market will fair in the coming months. Frieze welcomed 68,000 visitors in 2008. This week, all eyes will be on the UK to determine whether the numbers predict success for next year.

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Frieze Art Fair (Oct. 15-18, 2009) | Website
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Will the Frieze Heat Up London's Art Market?

Irving Penn, Celebrity Fashion Photographer (1917-2009)

This week, the fashion world mourned the loss of one of the 20th century’s most prolific and influential photographers; Irving Penn passed away on October 7th. His "signature blend of classical elegance and cool minimalism was recognizable to magazine readers and museum-goers worldwide," (New York Times, Oct. 8). Penn's famously striking photo of Pablo Picasso captured the artist peering apprehensively from beneath a wide-brimmed hat [above].

NEW YORK /EarthTimes/ -- US photographer Irving Penn, whose pioneering work blurred the line between fashion and art photography, has died at his Manhattan home at the age of 92, the New York Times reported Wednesday. Penn was a known for his blend of elegance and minimalism and his photographs included sensuous portraits of fashion icons like Marlene Dietrich, close-ups of cigarette butts and other street debris.

He was also known for his meticulous photographs of indigenous people around the world, and his work was shown at major galleries including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.

His series of more than 250 photos of butchers, bakers and others in The Small Trades was acquired by Los Angeles' J. Paul Getty Museum in 2008 and is on display until January 2010.

Called a "grand master of American fashion" by the Los Angeles Times, Penn was born in 1917 and started contributing to Vogue magazine in 1943. He was married to his favorite model Lisa Fonssagrives from 1950 to her death in 1992 and is the brother of film director Arthur Penn.

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Read More -
US Photographer Irving Penn Dies | EarthTimes
Parting Glance: Irving Penn (photo slideshow) | Lens Blog - NYTimes.com

Irving Penn, Celebrity Fashion Photographer (1917-2009)

The Louvre Will Offer Mona Lisa...and McDonald's? Sacre Bleu!

A McDonald's at the prestigious Louvre Museum? Oh Mon Dieu! The impending construction is leaving a bad taste in the mouths of refined Parisian palates. But since fast food restaurants are practically all over the place, it was likely only a matter of time before Mona Lisa met Ronald McDonald.

PARIS /NPR/ -- French culture and American convenience will come together in Paris soon: McDonald's plans to open a restaurant in the forecourt of the Louvre art museum in December. But the idea is meeting with sharp criticism from the French art community.

With its vaulted ceilings and polished, granite walls, the upscale shopping mall beneath the museum — known as Le Carrousel du Louvre — has the same I.M. Pei architecture as the museum. The mall almost feels like an extension of the Louvre itself, and that's partially why the idea of a McDonald's there is ruffling feathers.

Officials from the Louvre are assuring critics that a quality McCafe will be positioned in the underground approach to its entrance. The restaurant will represent the American segment of a new food court featuring world cuisines and coffee shops.

France is McDonald's biggest market after the United States, but many in France see the fast-food chain as the Trojan horse of globalization and the scourge of the traditional French meal.

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[Read More - Big Macs to Join Mona Lisa at the Louvre | NPR]

The Louvre Will Offer Mona Lisa...and McDonald's? Sacre Bleu!