Art Peritus

05/26/2026

Curious Companions- Klimt & Schiele
When the two artists met in 1907, Gustav Klimt was already the celebrated leader of the Viennese Secession, while Egon Schiele was a young and fiercely ambitious painter searching for recognition. Klimt quickly recognized Schiele’s extraordinary talent and became both mentor and advocate, introducing him to collectors, patrons, models, and the influential artistic circles of Vienna.

Their relationship was more than professional. Despite the difference in age and reputation, the two shared a deep artistic understanding that transcended style. Klimt’s ornamental elegance and Schiele’s raw psychological intensity could not have been more different, yet each seemed to recognize something essential in the other.

Egon Schiele (Austrian, 1890-1918)
The Hermits, 1912
Leopold Museum, Austria

05/21/2026

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05/20/2026

Love his artwork or hate his artwork, the current retrospective of Marcel Duchamp at the Museum of Modern Art brings together more than 300 works that underscore his radical rethinking of what art is and why it matters. Duchamp continuously challenged convention throughout his life, reshaping the trajectory of modern and contemporary art in ways few artists have matched.

Currently on view at MoMA until 22 August.

Julian Wasser
Marcel Duchamp Retrospective, 1963
Pasadena Museum of Art

N**e Descending a Staircase, No 2, 1912
Fountain, 1917
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Bottle Rack, 1914-1964
Pompidou, Paris

05/14/2026

Curious Companions: Raphael & Dürer
Though separated by more than 600 miles and never meeting face to face, Renaissance masters, Raphael and Albrecht Dürer formed an artistic dialogue across borders as penpals.

As recorded by Giorgio Vasari, Dürer once sent Raphael “a portrait of himself…executed in gouache on fine linen.” Raphael was struck by the work, finding it “marvelous,” and responded in kind by sending numerous drawings of his own to Dürer, including a drawing “Three Standing Men.” These were, in turn, “received very gladly” by Dürer, marking a rare and meaningful exchange between two of Europe’s greatest artists.

Though Dürer’s portrait was sadly lost by the mid-17th century, their creative correspondence endures as a testament to artistic admiration that transcended distance and proof that true kinship can be drawn, even from afar.

Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471-1528)
Self Portrait, 1500
Alte Pinakothek, Munich

Raphael (Italian, 1483-1520)
Self Portrait, 1506
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Three Standing Men, Circa 1514-1516
Albertina Museum, Vienna

05/12/2026

05/12/2026

Curious Companions- When they met in 1964, the pairing seemed unlikely: Joseph Cornell, the quiet, reclusive assemblage artist in his 60s, and Yayoi Kusama, the young avant-garde visionary reshaping New York’s art scene with her immersive installations and infinity nets.

Their friendship became a source of deep mutual support. Cornell encouraged Kusama emotionally and financially during difficult years, while Kusama brought warmth and energy into Cornell’s secluded world in Queens, New York, where he lived with his mother. Their affection was expressed through conversation, portraits, letters, and art rather than romance.

Even after Kusama returned to Japan, Cornell continued sending her delicate collages until his death in 1972. Decades later, she still treasures them—a lasting testament to one of the art world’s most tender and unconventional friendships.

Joseph Cornell (American, 1903-1972)
Parrot for Juan Gris, 1953-1954
National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, b. 1929)
Self Portrait, 1972
Copyright the artist

05/11/2026

The art world converges in New York City this week with multiple blockbuster auctions, gallery shows and art fairs. Which will you attend—one or all?

Sotheby's, 14 May
Collection of Robert Mnuchin

Christie's, 18 May
Collection of S.I. Newhouse

Frieze NY, 13-17 May
Photo courtesy of Miguel Abreu Gallery, NY

TEFAF, 15-19 May
Photo courtesy of White Cube

The American Art Fair, 16-19 May
Photo courtesy of Godel & Co

05/11/2026

05/07/2026

Curious Companions
While Salvador Dalí and Marcel Duchamp are often remembered as two of the most provocative minds of 20th century art, their friendship was built on something quieter, more strategic, and deeply intellectual: chess.

Duchamp famously stepped away from the art world for periods of his life to devote himself almost entirely to the game, believing chess possessed a purity and complexity beyond commerce or criticism. Dalí, captivated by Duchamp’s brilliance and mystique, shared both admiration and obsession with the game’s symbolism, psychology, and ritual.

Their friendship became a fascinating exchange between Surrealism and conceptual thought. One of the most memorable results was Dalí’s extraordinary chess set dedicated to Duchamp, where the pieces are fingers and thumbs, transforming the game itself into a surreal work of art.

05/06/2026

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