issue 029: marquee auction deep dive & artist stories as always

Highlights and a play-by-play from last week’s record-breaking NYC auctions, plus our regularly scheduled programming

Hi artsies,

A musing: One of the articles I read after last week’s record-breaking auctions proclaimed “the art market breathes a sigh of relief,” and it struck a false note with me. Yes, fairs have struggled, galleries have shuttered, and many museums are seeing declining visitors. But I wonder how much of that is a narrative we’ve absorbed from the media. And who does that even affect? Most collectors and art enthusiasts (you and me included) aren’t exactly losing sleep. Maybe the operative word here is “market” versus the art “world.”

Regardless, the auctions showed that the art market is rebounding — spectacularly. Last week’s marquee sales posted almost $2 billion, with records breaking left and right. What started as a high-level recap turned into a full-blown play-by-play of top sales, totals, and odd little moments. You can read it all in this special edition:

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And then we’re back to what we actually care about: the artists and artworks that make the art “market” go ’round.

Artists Behind the Art

No descriptions or themes this week, thanks to the auction deep dive. Instead, these are simply ranked in the order I enjoyed reading them.

A Few More Fun Art News Reads:

• NYT: The Art World Chooses Its Favorite Films About Artists

• ARTnews: Peter Hujar Biopic Captures Every Artist’s “Anxious, Hopeful, Neurotic, Insecure, Arrogant” Inner Monologue

• Artnet: Miami Art Week Is Fast Approaching. Here’s What to Look Forward to at NADA’s 23rd Edition

• Artsy: The 2026 Met Gala theme is “Costume Art,” highlighting fashion’s relationship to the body.

• Artnet: What Those Jeffrey Epstein Emails About Leonardo’s ‘Salvator Mundi’ Really Mean

• The Guardian: The Frida Kahlo scandal: Fridamania could reach new heights today – but where are her ‘missing’ masterpieces?

• Artnet: SFMOMA to Reinstall Fisher Collection Galleries in April 2026

• Whitewall: What to Know About NADA Miami 2025: Showcasing Bold New Voices in Art

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Wishing you a very artful Thanksgiving!

‘til next week,

tld-art