Article date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Michelangelo's 'The Last Judgment' Fresco undergoes apx. 3-Month cleaning at Sistine Chapel Rome

On 1 February, with the erection of scaffolding in the Sistine Chapel, the extraordinary maintenance of the Last Judgement began: for approximately three months, Michelangelo’s supreme masterpiece will undergo a cleaning procedure.

Article date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026
New Auction Record for a Saudi Artist set at Sotheby's in Diriyah

Sotheby’s staged its second auction in Saudi Arabia — almost one year to the day after history was made with the first-ever auction in the Kingdom.

Article date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Giant Response to appeal helps National Trust secure Cherished Dorset Landscape

The National Trust has been able to secure land surrounding the iconic Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset, protecting this cherished landscape for nature, heritage and future generations.

Article date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Trump to close the John F. Kennedy Center Washington for the Performing Arts for Two Years

President Trump abruptly announced on TruthSocial plans to close the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years to create what he said "can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World."

Article date: Monday, February 2, 2026
Zippora Elders appointed General & Artistic Director of Nederlands Fotomuseum

The Nederlands Fotomuseum appointed Zippora Elders Tahalele as its new General & Artistic Director, effective 13 April 2026. 

Article date: Monday, February 2, 2026
Louvre Abu Dhabi's Manuel Rabaté to lead India's Kiran Nadar Museum

The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) announced the appointment of Manuel Rabaté as its Chief Executive Officer and Director.

Article date: Monday, February 2, 2026
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam welcomes Greco-Roman Masterpiece from the Louvre

The world-famous sculpture Sleeping Hermaphroditus, from the collection of the Musée du Louvre in Paris, will go on display at the Rijksmuseum from 6 February, as part of the Metamorphoses exhibition.

Article date: Sunday, February 1, 2026
The "Meloni Miracle": Restoration Controversy Rock's Rome

A restoration project in Rome’s San Lorenzo in Lucina basilica has sparked a political firestorm after a newly revealed fresco was found to bear a resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Article date: Saturday, January 31, 2026
Yale Library announces the Return of Nazi-Looted 12th-Century Manuscript to Poland

Yale University Library has announced the transfer of a liturgical manuscript known as the Cistercian Collectar (Beinecke MS 883), from the collection of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library to the Republic of Poland. 

Article date: Saturday, January 31, 2026
18th Century Dog Sculpture at Risk of leaving the UK

An export bar has been placed on Anne Damer’s 18th-century ‘Shock Dog’ sculpture in an effort to protect this rare surviving terracotta model. 

Article date: Friday, January 30, 2026
Spanish Galleries close in Protest against the 21% Tax on Art

Galleries in Spain will close their doors from February 2nd to 7th, a pressure tactic to demand a reduction in the VAT, currently at 21%, a percentage that puts them at a clear disadvantage compared to their European counterparts.

Article date: Friday, January 30, 2026
Faiza Butt to represent Pakistan at 61st Venice Biennale

Pakistan’s Ministry of National Heritage and Culture has announced that Faiza Butt will represent the country at the 61st Venice Biennale, marking its second participation following the inaugural pavilion in 2019.