➡️ Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3Zg15Gp The public believes that the Pink Panthers gang stole diamonds from the TEFAF. Diamonds were taken last year from the European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), a prestigious art event held in the Netherlands. The Limburg police department announced on Friday that they suspect a Balkan gang was responsible. According to the police, an international team of investigators believes a notorious Balkan gang responsible for other crimes was responsible for this one as well. The Dutch daily De Telegraaf cites "investigative sources" as saying the gang is indeed the infamous Pink Panthers. The Pink Panthers are notorious thieves who have targeted cities as diverse as Dubai, Tokyo, and Greece since 2001. The gang is notorious for their cinematic-looking antics. One of the earliest Pink Panther films, for instance, had a gag using a jar of face cream. We don't know much about the gang's structure, but experts put the number of members ranging from 30 to 800. Arthur Brand, a Dutch national who frequently consults with law enforcement on art theft cases, claimed he had long suspected the Pink Panthers of criminal activity. You have to wonder who would be so bold as to steal during the middle of the day at TEFAF. And Brand put it this way. The Pink Panthers, after all, have a reputation for high-risk robberies. TEFAF theft may have been one of the Pink Panthers' less complicated heists. They wore newsboy caps as they entered the fairgrounds. The thieves used a hefty instrument to smash the cases at the British jewelry store Symbolic & Chase before making their getaway on electric scooters. In other cases, robbers have rammed costly automobiles into structures before making their getaway on speedboats. The robbers were probably able to make off with diamonds worth around $25 million. The catch is that one of the gems has already been discovered. Investigators have stated in a news release that "it was not the famed huge yellow diamond." The discovery of the jewels, however, has opened up new avenues of inquiry. Brand speculated that the diamond might have been abandoned by an unscrupulous diamond jeweler or misplaced during the escape attempt. Yet, the Pink Panthers care more about taking gems than art because they are easier to divide and conquer. "It's simpler to sell a few diamonds than a Van Gogh," Brand stated. They have an entire organization devoted to reducing the size of rough diamonds so that nobody will notice the difference. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCKJjCliwTo

Read the full article here: http://tinyurl.com/4wwsx8p5 As is customary at the end of each year, we find ourselves reflecting on the past twelve months, a practice not unfamiliar in our personal lives. This year-end introspection has also enveloped Artmajeur, leading to the decision to showcase the most celebrated artists of the year. In doing so, I've seamlessly blended utility with pleasure. Each artist will share a slice of art history through one of their pieces. My approach begins with an exploration of a particular artwork, be it a painting, photograph, etc., linking it, where possible, to a specific art movement, before unveiling its creator. Wishing everyone a joyful 2024 again! Picture a scene where a winged young man, in his nudity, tenderly kisses a young woman's forehead while gently touching her breast. This classical scene is further enriched with a bow, a butterfly, and a loggia overlooking a verdant landscape. These figures are none other than Cupid and Psyche, placing Oscar's photograph within the venerable tradition of history painting. It's crucial to distinguish history painting from historical painting, the former extending beyond mere historical events to encompass mythological, religious, and allegorical stories. Cupid and Psyche, central figures from Greek mythology, are best known from Apuleius' "Metamorphoses," representing a narrative of triumphant love, a theme extensively reimagined in historical and artistic discourse, epitomized by Canova's renowned sculpture. Turning our attention to Oscar, a Paris-born artist in 1980, she is known for her multifaceted artistic expression. Originally impassioned by painting, influenced by her Art History background, Oscar's journey led her from painting to graphic design, and ultimately to photography in 2013. In her photographic works, Mathilde masterfully merges her affinity for the grandeur of Romanticism and Neoclassicism, often incorporating intricate sets, costumes, and props. Additionally, she explores digital mediums, infusing modern elements into her classically inspired creations. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbiJyOrJe48

➡️ Read the full article here: https://tinyurl.com/2s4khzpn Egypt's Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), after two decades of development and a billion-dollar investment, is about to open its doors. Located strategically near the Great Pyramid of Giza, the GEM will house an extensive collection of artifacts, including Tutankhamun's sarcophagus and a 30-foot-tall statue of Ramses the Great. The museum's construction faced challenges, but it's nearly complete, with an expected late 2023 inauguration, coinciding with Egypt's tourism goal of doubling visitors by 2028, despite some concerns and travel advisories due to safety issues in the region. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSJHY9Ulbe0

Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3Mte6c2 By Francisco Goya, Saturn eats his son. "Saturn Eating His Son" is a painting by Francisco Goya that is part of his series of murals called the Black Paintings. The painting shows the myth about Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture, who ate his own children so they wouldn't try to take over. In the painting, Saturn looks like a wild, crazy monster as he bites into the flesh of his son, who is in a contorted and twisted position. The background is dark and scary, which adds to the overall feeling of violence and horror. The painting is done in a loose, gestural style with rough brushstrokes and a focus on texture and movement. This gives the painting a sense of immediacy and emotional intensity and emphasizes how brutal and gruesome the subject is. "Saturn Eating His Son" is thought to be one of Goya's most powerful and disturbing works. Over the years, it has been seen as a comment on political violence or as a reflection of the artist's own fears about death and the darker parts of human nature. Space, lines, shapes, forms, and texture The painting has a rough, thick texture, and you can see the brushstrokes. Goya made the painting using a method called fresco-secco, which involves putting paint on a dry plaster surface. Using this method, he was able to build up layers of paint and create a surface with a lot of texture. This added to the painting's overall sense of horror and brutality. The painting has a strange feeling because it only has a few colors and uses dramatic chiaroscuro lighting. The painting Saturn Eating His Son by Francisco Goya is known for its strong, bold lines, which give the painting a sense of chaos and movement. Goya's use of sharp, jagged lines and angular shapes adds to the scene's overall sense of horror and violence. The thick lines and strong emphasis on them give the painting a sense of depth. The use of strong diagonals also makes the composition feel tense and uneasy. In Saturn Eating His Son by Francisco Goya, the main shape of the painting is a rectangle, and Saturn's figure in the middle takes up most of the space. The shape of Saturn's body is twisted and warped, giving the surrounding shapes a sense of movement and violence. The shapes of the other people in the painting, like the small, helpless form of Saturn's son, are also twisted and warped, adding to the scene's sense of horror and chaos. Saturn Eating His Son by Francisco Goya has a strong sense of solidity and three-dimensionality in its shapes. Goya used a style called "chiaroscuro" to give the painting a sense of depth and volume. The main figure of Saturn seems to come out of the background in a dramatic and forceful way. The thick, heavily impastoed paint also gives the painting a sense of weight and substance. In Saturn Eating His Son by Francisco Goya, the space has a strong feeling of being crowded and confined. In the painting, all of the people are crammed into a small space. Saturn's huge body is in the foreground and seems to press down on the other people. The space feels small and dark because of the strong contrasts between light and dark and the dramatic lighting that is used. Goya's use of foreshortening and distorted perspective adds to the overall feeling of unease and disorientation in the piece, giving it a feeling of both physical and mental distortion. Saturn Eating His Son is a disturbing and powerful painting by Francisco Goya. It shows the mythological story of Saturn, who was told that one of his children would overthrow him. To stop this from happening, Saturn started to eat his children. Many people see the painting as a symbol of the destructive power of tyranny, violence, and madness. During a time of political unrest and violence in Spain, Goya painted this picture. Many people think it shows the horrors of war and the abuse of power. Some people also see the painting as a comment on how harmful patriarchy and the abuse of family relationships are. Saturn, who is both a father and a killer, shows how destructive patriarchal power can be and how it can be used against the people it is supposed to protect. This way of looking at the painting sees it as a powerful critique of the misuse of power and the need for people to fight back against structures and systems that hurt them. Saturn Devouring His Son is a very disturbing and powerful piece of art that still speaks to people today. It sends a message about the destructive power of tyranny and oppression that hasn't changed over time. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfKsSz9bIA8