Zach Bodish finds an original Picasso print in Ohio for $14

Would you expect to find an original limited edition Picasso print in a thrift store?
Neither would Zachary Bodish when he entered the Volunteers of America thrift store on Indianola Avenue, Ohio.

The Columbus, Ohio resident had been to the store a couple of times, but wasn't having success in finding anything of interest to him. It was then in one of his visits that something aroused his attention... "I saw the Picasso part, part here that says Picasso, sticking out from behind some other artwork," Bodish told WCMH.

Zach noticed the paint thickness, and paying a closer look he discovered that the linocut print, made for a ceramic exhibition in France in the year of 1958, was numbered 6/100, had "original print, signed proof" written in French and Picasso's signature in faint strokes of red pencil.

After confronting the signature with other Picasso prints, Zach's expectancy became more realistic. A fact that would later be confirmed by the words of Swann Auction Gallery vice president Todd Weyman, "It looks right as rain to me," he said.
According to Weyman, the print could fetch up to $6,000 at auction.

Lucky Zach Bodish, who bought the original Picasso print for $14.14, will probably sell it, since he lost his job two years ago and money is tight.

Major Rembrandt retrospective at The Cleveland Museum of Art

From February 19 through May 28, 2012, The Cleveland Museum of Art is showing two parallel exhibitions about the work of Rembrandt yan Rijn: "Rembrandt in America" and "Rembrandt Prints from The Morgan Library & Museum."

The close relation between both, offers the chance for the visitor to better apprehend the facets of Rembrandt, not only as an excellent painter but also as a skilled draughstman and printmaker.

The Rembrandt in America exhibition takes place at the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Exhibition Hall and shows 30 works by Rembrandt, some of them autograph and others thought to be by the artist when they entered American collections but whose attributions can no longer be maintained, and over 20 works by other artists.

In 2006, several exhibitions worldwide celebrated the 400 years of Rembrandt's birth, nonetheless Rembrandt in America brings an indepth perspective about his career as a painter, as well as information about his studio, a broader network of adapters, followers, and copyists.

The public is invited to examine the gradual opinions and methods of scholars and collectors regarding what constituted an autograph Rembrandt painting over a period of more than a century, while at the same time earning skills in connoisseurship and opinions on authenticity thanks to the display of works in small groupings.

Rembrandt in America occurs at a time when scrutiny of “Rembrandt” versus “not Rembrandt” continues to trouble the discipline and affect the art market significantly. As the first major exhibition to take a broader look at the history of Rembrandt collecting and connoisseurship in America and namely in Cleveland, the show also addresses growing interest in the country’s collecting history.



The Cleveland Museum of Art owns four paintings associated with Rembrandt, two acquired in the early 20th century by the Cleveland collectors John L. Severance and Elisabeth Severance Prentiss and two others purchased by the museum in 1950 and 1967.
Each came to the museum attributed to Rembrandt, and all have subsequently been questioned to various degrees, with consensus yet to be reached.

The exhibition, well complemented by its accompanying catalogue, explores the often-controversial issues of collecting and connoisseurship, with a focus on individual paintings where these two related topics intersect.


Rembrandt in America is organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art, the North Carolina Museum of Art, where was on view between October 30, 2011 and January 22, 2012; Raleigh; and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, to where will travel from June 24 through September 16, 2012.



Showing a significant set of works from the Morgan Libray & Museum, considered the largest and finest collection of Rembrandt prints in USA holding nearly 500 impressions by the artist from circa 1626 to about 1661, during which time he executed some 290 plates, the Rembrandt Prints from The Morgan Library & Museum exhibition offers a broad overview about the artist's skills and creativity as printmaker.

Contrary to most of his predecessors, who sought to achieve a standardized representation of the printed image with little variation from impression to impression, Rembrandt was inclined to experiment. He would achieve an array of effects by varying the support and how the plate was inked, so that impressions from the same plate could differ noticeably.

The artist improvised as he worked on the plate, sometimes even changing the concept of the image, adding and subtracting lines, leaving traces of the previous work on the plate, while printing proofs at various stages of the work’s completion. He used different types of paper, and he also printed on vellum, as it is a non-absorbent support.
Rembrandt created tone not only by controlling the amount of ink left on the surface of the plate before printing, but by using drypoint as well, which produces broad, velvety lines. He also successfully integrated drypoint with etched and engraved work in one composition.

Rembrandt’s prints cover a wide range of subjects, including Old and New Testament narratives, landscapes, portraits and self-portraits, nudes, and scenes from daily life as it was common in his time. He sometimes returned to the same theme, allowing for a comparison of a subject executed decades apart, illustrating his artistic development and experimental advances.

The Rembrandt Prints from The Morgan Library & Museum exhibition is a collaboration between the Morgan Library & Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Los Angeles Art Show 2012

The 17th annual edition of the Los Angeles Art Show will take place during this month and will present exciting modifications from its previous editions.

Now under the management of Art Miami, the art fair will debut two separate shows, the LA Art Show: Modern & Contemporary and the Los Angeles Fine Art Show: Traditional and Contemporary. Both shows will take place January 18 - 22, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in West Halls A and B.

The LA Art Show: Modern & Contemporary, aims to showcase not only the works of famous artists such as Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, David Hockney, Fernando Botero and Roy Lichtenstein, but also to give the opportunity to emerging artists to show their art to the public.
Contemporary art galleries, dealers and collectors will have the chance to trade information and ideas that may lead to future partnerships.
Video installations, performance pieces and mixed media installations will be some of the art projects present at the show, as well as curated special exhibitions, tours and lectures.

As for the Los Angeles Fine Art Show: Historic and Traditional, it will be focused in offering high quality works of representational art, including pre-20th century Impressionism, plein air paintings and drawings. A selection of contemporay realism will also be included.
This show does not pretend to exhibit a particular art period, but to provide contact with traditional art for those who appreciate it, independently of when it was completed.

Following last year's program, also the annual IFPDA Print Fair will take place in conjuction with the Los Angeles Art Show.
The 27th edition will offer a comprehensive look at Prints in all techniques, including drypoint, etching, engraving, lithography, mezzotint and woodcut.
Dürer, Whistler, Diebenkorn and Ruscha are some of the artists whose works can be found.

With prices ranging from under $500 to more than $50,000, visitors will have the chance to observe and purchase works from different periods and movements, featuring a broad spectrum that will include Old Masters, German Expressionist, antique and modern Japanese, 18th and 19th-century European, 19th-century American, American Regionalist, and Latin American.

Another special ingredient will be the International Vintage Poster Fair, joining the Los Angeles Fine Art Show this year and showing an outstanding selection of 100 years of vintage posters. Poster styles include: Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Mid-century Modern dating from the 1890's Belle Époque to the stylized 1930s, and on through the Atomic Age.
All posters on display will be the original lithographic advertising pieces that were created through the ages to be posted on the street.

All three shows will launch with an Opening Night Premiere Party on January 18, supporting Art of Elysium and its project Bringing Art to Kids and Kids to Art. This project makes possible for special children to participate in school visits to the Getty Museum and enjoy other artistic activities, which are important for their personal development.

The 17th edition of LA Art Show will take place on January 19‐22, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Halls A and B.
General admission is $20 and will provide entrance for the three shows.
Ticket information and purchase is available on this page.