NEWS

A painting of a basket of flowers from the early 17th-century is about to be sold at an auction in December, according to The National Digest. The untitled work is by Clara Peeters, a Flemish painter who was written out of art history for centuries.

The flower still life itself has not been seen in public for over 100 years, and has never appeared in any art or art history books. Overall, very little is known about Peeters life.

The painting is a beautiful realistic work showing roses, carnations, tulips, and many other flowers in a wicker basket sitting on a ledge. It also features a little butterfly and cricket within the foreground.

According to Chloe Stead, of Sotheby’s which is selling the painting, Peeters painting is done on copper, giving the piece an “enamel-like luster.”

Stead believes the painting could be sold at around £500,000 to £700,000 (more than $700,000 USD).

“Peeters was forgotten for such a long time. There is a remarkable lack of detail known about her life, which is tantalizing given the extraordinary quality of her paintings,” Stead said.

According to Stead, Peeters’ paintings were previously recorded as being from outside of Antwerp, with other indications suggesting that she was a successful artist. In her lifetime, she painted around 40 works, and the still like of flowers about to be auctioned has been in a private collection in Belgium since 1928.

Her paintings were quite prized objects and were being passed around. Which makes it so remarkable that she – like so many of her female contemporaries – were, over the centuries thereafter, written out of art history. And only rediscovered and reassessed in the mid-late 20th century,” Stead said

The painting will be sold alongside another natural-themed still life of apricots, peaches, and plums in a porcelain bowl by artist Louise Moillon in 1634.

Stead said: “Moillon’s paintings are sublime. She’s an expert in texture, and it’s the contrast in this painting between the cool white of the porcelain bowl and the lovely fuzzy surface of the apricots and peaches that is such a treat.

“She’s got a larger oeuvre [than Peeters] but a lot of her paintings are in private collections in France. And so she’s a name that we see less often. It’s a beautiful picture.” It has an estimate of £600,000 to £800,000.

Azerbaijan`s Minister of Culture Adil Karimli has met with the Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alin Bayel.

Karimli hailed the friendly relations between Azerbaijani and Kazakh peoples, stressing developing cultural relations between the two countries in a number of fields. They also emphasized the importance of implementing joint projects for further strengthening of cooperation in various fields of culture and art.

Alin Bayel hailed the high level relations between the two countries, stressing ample opportunities that will contribute to the deepening of cooperation in the field of culture.

The exchange also centered around the days of Kazakh culture, which will be held in Azerbaijan on December 2-5, and other issues of mutual interest.

Andrew Koji (Warrior), Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones) and T’Nia Miller (Fall of the House of Usher) have boarded the upcoming season of Gangs of London, according to Deadline.

The pair join the likes of Phil Daniels and Ruth Sheen in the anticipated third season of the Sky and AMC+ series, which is produced by Pulse Films.

Koji will play an unnamed assassin at the heart of the unfolding mystery across the series. Cornelius Quinn, played by Dormer, is a face from the past whose arrival awakens old rivalries for Marian Wallace and Ed Dumani. Miller takes on the role of the formidable new Mayor of London set to wreak havoc for the gangs.

Season kicks off with ex-undercover cop Elliot Carter, played by Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísu, now operating as a top-level criminal alongside the Dumanis, but their business is thrown into chaos when their shipment of cocaine is spiked, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians all over London.

Created by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery, Gangs of London follows the struggles between rival gangs and other criminal organizations in present-day London. It has been a big hit for Sky, and AMC has been co-producing since Season 2.

Previously announced cast reprizing their roles this season include Dìrísù as Carter, Joe Cole as gangster Sean Wallace, Michelle Fairley in the role of Marian Wallace, Lucian Msamati as Ed Dumani and Brian Vernel as Billy Wallace. Also returning to the action thriller are Pippa Bennett-Warner as Shannon Dumani, Narges Rashidi as Lale, Asif Raza Mir as Asif Afidi, Orli and Eri Shuka as Luan and Mirlinda Dushaj, Jahz Armando as Saba, and Fady Elsayed as Faz.

“Gangs of London remains a highly valued and critically acclaimed Sky original franchise and we are pleased it continues to attract such incredible actor talent in addition to our fantastic established cast,” said Meghan Lyvers, Director of Original Series for Sky Studios.

Creative credits for Gangs of London season 3 include Peter McKenna as lead writer and EP, Kim Hong Sun as lead director and EP, Thomas Benski as EP, Hugh Warren as EP for Pulse, Michael Eagle-Hodgson as series EP and Vikki Tennant and Dìrísù as EPs. Adrian Sturges is EP for Sky Studios, while Noel Manzano EPs for AMC+. Farren Blackburn and Tessa Hoffe also join the series as directors. NBCUniversal Global Distribution handles international sales of the series on behalf of Sky Studios.

As part of the Culture and Creative Industries Forum, the Heydar Aliyev Center has hosted a round table on "Building the Turkish world animation network" with the support of the Azerbaijan Animation Association.

Chairman of Azerbaijan Animation Association Rashid Agamaliyev provided information about the goals of the round table.

The participants of the event discussed the creation of "Turkish Animation Network" and cooperation in this field.

Three works by Van Gogh, Gauguin and Picasso were stolen from Manchester’s Whitworth gallery in the very early hours of 27 April 2003, according to The Art Newspaper. A day later, following a telephone tip-off, they were recovered at a public lavatory, 200 metres away on the edge of a small park. Twenty years on, no one has been charged over the theft.

The thief (or thieves) had seized the works from the gallery walls at night and removed the fragile watercolours from their frames. They were then rolled up in a cardboard tube, with the Van Gogh protruding out of one end. The tube was later abandoned, by being lent against the closed lavatory building, beside sodden leaves and litter. It had been a rainy day and a police statement described the weather as “extremely bad”.

Along with Van Gogh’s The Fortifications of Paris with Houses (summer 1887) were Paul Gauguin’s Tahitian Landscape (1891-93) and Pablo Picasso’s Poverty (1903).

The police reported the thief had bypassed the gallery’s security system, suggesting that the incident might have been an “inside job”. Along with the recovered paintings was a note stating that “the intention was not to steal only to highlight the woeful security”.

Hardly surprisingly, The Fortifications of Paris with Houses suffered during its ordeal. There was a 12-cm tear on the right side, creasing and some minor paint losses. Fortunately the damage had not been much more serious. The watercolour was restored a few months after the theft and the damage is now hardly visible to the naked eye.

Although only rarely on display, to minimise fading, the Van Gogh watercolour is now going on show at London’s Royal Academy of Arts, in their exhibition Impressionists on Paper: Degas to Toulouse-Lautrec (until 10 March 2024).

It remains a mystery whether the theft was done by someone who really wanted to draw attention to security weaknesses or if they quickly realised it would be difficult to dispose of the works. It is even possible that they had a twinge of conscience. Whatever it was, security was immediately upgraded at the Whitworth. With its important art collection, the gallery’s security is now on par with that of national museums.

The Fortifications of Paris with Houses depicts a scene on the northern outskirts of the capital, just over a kilometre north of the apartment which Vincent shared with his brother Theo. The site is probably near the Porte de Saint-Ouen. These 1840s fortifications were demolished after the First World War, to be replaced by a boulevard.

The watercolour and gouache painting shows the ramparts with the upper floors of a large barracks visible above. A woman with a parasol strolls by on the left. In the centre there is a ghost-like image of a couple. Van Gogh probably changed his mind and painted over them, but the overpaint has faded.

Although it appears to depict a peaceful scene, at night the fortifications became more sinister. In 1889 the writer Rodolphe Darzens described the area as the haunt of “murderers, thieves and rapists”.

Van Gogh’s sky, with blues ranging from deep to light, is reminiscent of some of the powerful landscapes which he would paint in oils a year or two later in Provence.

In 1926 the watercolour was bought for £157 by the Manchester cotton company owner Thomas Barlow (1883-1964), who immediately donated it to the Whitworth. When in 1962 the Van Gogh was lent for an earlier exhibition at the Royal Academy it was insured for £7,500. Its current valuation is confidential, but it is certainly worth several millions.

Excavation work revealed 400 skeletons, with traces of brain surgery detected on the skulls of 30, in the necropolis area in the Catak district of Van, eastern Türkiye, according to Anadolu Agency.

Excavations continue in the necropolis area, estimated to be 3,200 years old. It was discovered during surface surveys two years ago in Kaniya Bekan at Uzuntekne Neighborhood, 34 kilometers from the district.

Under the leadership of the Van Museum Directorate and with the scientific guidance of Gulan Ayaz from Yuzuncu Yil University's Archaeology Department, academic experts are involved in the excavations with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

With the support of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Museums, and the Van Metropolitan Municipality, academics excavating the site named 'Kaniya Bekan Necropolis' identified three stone-walled rooms and four built graves.

Out of around 400 human skeletons in these tombs, 30 showed evidence of brain surgery (trepanation).

Ayaz told Anadolu that they have been conducting surface surveys in the city center and Gevas, Bahcesaray, and Catak districts since 2021.

Ayaz mentioned opening 7 tombs reflecting Iron Age burial traditions, including 3 dromos chambers and 4 built graves.

He added the team identified numerous burials where food and decorative items were left and observed dog burials mixed with human skeletons. Small animal skeletons at tomb entrances suggest a tradition of offering sacrifices. Their work in the area will continue.

'We found anthropologically significant evidence'

Associate Professor Hakan Yilmaz from the Van Yuzuncu Yil University Archaeology Department told Anadolu that they have obtained anthropologically significant findings in the ongoing research for the past 3 years.

Yilmaz reported finding approximately 30 skulls with evidence of surgery in their research on the 7 tombs identified in the necropolis.

He said that in ancient times, various skull surgery methods, including grooving, cutting, drilling, and scraping, were identified in our research at this necropolis. All four techniques are highly significant, suggesting a past neurological disease or epidemic in the region.

Individuals underwent successful surgeries using these methods, with a 60% recovery rate.

Yilmaz said Kaniya Bekan Necropolis is "unique" in Türkiye for the prevalence of skull surgeries, indicating proper attention to patients, with procedures commonly performed on the right, left, and back of the skull.

Yilmaz stated, "The bones extracted from the tombs will undergo detailed laboratory examination. Anthropological analyses will determine age and gender, followed by studies on diseases affecting the bones. Examination of the mouth and teeth will reveal dietary habits, and research will explore diseases during infancy and childhood. The goal is to obtain a wealth of information."

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is currently looking to make less than $45 million during its opening weekend in the United States, according to SuperHeroHype.

According to Box Office Pro, DC Studios’ Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is currently tracking to make $32-42 million during its opening weekend. In total, the final DCEU movie currently is tracking for a domestic total range of $105-168 million.

In comparison, Aquaman made $67.9 million when it opened in the United States and Canada in December 2018. It went on to make $335.1 million at the domestic box office, giving it a total worldwide gross of $1.152 billion.

Lost Kingdom’s tracking numbers also put it behind The Flash, which had a $55 million domestic opening in June 2023 with a worldwide gross of $270.6 million, and The Marvels, which made $46.1 million domestically during its opening weekend and has so far made approximately $188.9 million at the global box office.

Directed by James Wan, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Amber Heard as Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens in United States theaters on December 22, 2023.

Aktoty Raimkulova has been elected as the President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation at the 10th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Raimkulova expressed gratitude to Gunay Afandiyeva for her contributions to the development of the culture and heritage of the Turkic world.

Gunay Afandiyeva wished Aktoty Raimkulova success in continuing the activities of the organization, and thanked the employees for the joint activities.

Aktoty Raimkulova emphasized that the organization would actively continue its projects and activities towards deepening the relations among the Turkic countries based on common ethnicity, culture and history.

The Kyrgyz National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Abdylas Maldybaev has hosted a solemn "Friendship" concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev, the founder of the modern Azerbaijan, prominent statesman of the Turkic world.

Representatives of state institutions, local community and Azerbaijani diaspora attended the concert, organized with the joint support of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora and the the National Commission for State Language and Language Policy under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Akif Alaferdov, chairman of Kyrgyzstan-Azerbaijan Friendship and Cooperation Society, well-known Kyrgyz TV presenter Assol Moldokmatova and director of the Monitoring Center under the State Language Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan, doctor of philological sciences, professor Sevinj Aliyeva conveyed speeches at the event held in accordance with activity plan of events to be held in the Kyrgyz Republic within the framework of the "Year of Heydar Aliyev". They talked about unparalleled and invaluable services of Heydar Aliyev for the protection of the national interests of the motherland, Azerbaijani people and the entire Turkic world. It was brought to attention that President Ilham Aliyev continued the political course of a genius personality with great success. It was emphasized that recommendations of the President of Azerbaijan regarding the diaspora and national-cultural heritage were implemented at a high level by the State Committee on Work with Diaspora.

The "Oino Orchestra" led by the People's Artist of Kyrgyzstan Ernis Asanaliyev performed the musical works of prominent Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz composers Gara Garayev, Fikret Amirov, Tofig Guliyev, Muslim Magomayev, Kali Moldobasanov and Aksubay Atabayev, as well as "Shattik" and "Iveria" ensembles performed folk dances of the two countries. The songs were performed by People's Artist of Azerbaijan Gulyaz Mammadova, Kyrgyz artists Elgiz Beysembayev, Tair Beysheyev, Polina Popikova and Janybek Joomartbekov.

The concert aroused a great interest of audience and was welcomed by a storm of applause. After the concert program, Fuad Muradov, Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora and Kanybek Osmonaliyev, Chairman of the National Commission for State Language and Language Policy under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, delivered speeches and emphasized the great role of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev in establishing and strengthening the friendly and brotherly relations between the two countries. They specially mentioned the projects implemented in Kyrgyzstan to perpetuate Heydar Aliyev’s dear memory. It was brought to attention that the presidents of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan are realizing the dreams of the National Leader regarding the Turkic world at a high level by strengthening the unity between the peoples.

Azerbaijan is represented at the IX international scientific-expert forum Primakov Readings, which started today in Moscow, Russia.

According to Report, a two-day forum on 'Postglobalization Horizons' is being held at the International Trade Center.

More than 1,300 people are expected to participate in the forum, including representatives of the Russian and foreign scientific expert communities, officials, politicians, diplomats, and representatives of business circles.