Art Around the World
By Tom Gross
Besides commenting on political and strategic matters, Tom Gross has also written on music, film, art and books. Here are some examples from a light-hearted column he previously wrote for an art publication, Paintings Direct.










“Art is what you can get away with” -- Andy Warhol
July 31, 2001
Here’s your chance to learn about Communist panties, bras, and corsets in intimate detail.
July 3, 2001
After 800 years the Leaning Tower of Pisa straightens up (at least a bit).
May 29, 2001
Exhibiting nothing is the brainchild of several British artists.
April 24, 2001
Small is beautiful. Miniature masterpieces are becoming more and more valuable, as a portrait of the pope is painted on a pip.
March 20, 2001
The Monna Vanna, a nude version of the Mona Lisa, goes on display in Milan.
February 6, 2001
How many of us know about the “other” van Gogh, Vincent’s younger brother, Theo?
December 26, 2000
New research suggests the world’s first art was produced much earlier than previously thought.
December 5, 2000
An unknown British artist has been paid over $25 million by a Saudi prince for a series of paintings commemorating the first Gulf War.
November 7, 2000
An artists’ colony is being established in Terezin, the site of a Nazi concentration camp.
September 12, 2000
Michael Douglas is to star as a charismatic English conman who fooled the global art establishment for nearly a decade.
September 12, 2000
Stalin banned, persecuted and even killed artists. Now his descendents embrace the arts.
August 15, 2000
London art dealers are openly selling stolen African art.
August 15, 2000
Deceived by a didgeridoo? Bilked by a boomerang? Tourists to Australia during the Sydney Olympics should be wary of fakes.
August 1, 2000
Sexually explicit art from Pompeii and Herculaneum is finally on public display after more than 200 years.
July 18, 2000
Greece makes a fresh attempt to recover its 2,500-year-old Parthenon (Elgin) marbles from Britain.
June 13, 2000
Damien Hirst turns a plastic supermarket toy into a colossal $1.5m rip-off.
June 13, 2000
Art Nouveau is back. The biggest exhibition since its heyday opens at London’s V & A.
May 16, 2000
Austria’s National Gallery of Art finally admits it mysteriously “lost” paintings worth millions of dollars.
May 5, 2000
A controversial artist in his day, Toulouse-Lautrec is still creating waves, this time on the London stage.
April 25, 2000
Worms and flies and maggots. A new sculpture by Jan Fabre raises a big stink in Belgium.
April 4, 2000
The Tate Modern is the biggest art opening in Europe this year. Soaring seven stories, it will rival New York’s MOMA as the world’s leading museum of 20th and 21st century art.
March 21, 2000
As Lenin statues come tumbling down in eastern Europe, the Bolshevik leader finds a new home – in Finland.
March 6, 2000
John Lennon’s widow holds two exhibitions in Israel, one in Jerusalem, another in the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm, in a bid to promote peace.
February 29, 2000
While Jorg Haider’s Right-wing Austrian Freedom Party remains in government, artists throughout the world are calling for an art boycott.
February 22, 2000
An inside look at the controversial new exhibition at London’s Royal Academy that recreates the infamous 1900 Paris World’s Fair.
January 18, 2000
Still looking for that perfect present to bring in the New Year? How does a Cèzanne, valued at over $5 million, sound?
January 1, 2000
Museums around the world are joining in the millennium fever, with several devoting special exhibitions to the theme of Time.
December 12, 1999
The financially-strapped Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg has come up with a novel way of earning hard currency to supplement its meager supply of roubles.
All articles copyright © Tom Gross. All rights reserved.









“Art is what you can get away with” -- Andy Warhol
July 31, 2001
Here’s your chance to learn about Communist panties, bras, and corsets in intimate detail.
July 3, 2001
After 800 years the Leaning Tower of Pisa straightens up (at least a bit).
May 29, 2001
Exhibiting nothing is the brainchild of several British artists.
April 24, 2001
Small is beautiful. Miniature masterpieces are becoming more and more valuable, as a portrait of the pope is painted on a pip.
March 20, 2001
The Monna Vanna, a nude version of the Mona Lisa, goes on display in Milan.
February 6, 2001
How many of us know about the “other” van Gogh, Vincent’s younger brother, Theo?
December 26, 2000
New research suggests the world’s first art was produced much earlier than previously thought.
December 5, 2000
An unknown British artist has been paid over $25 million by a Saudi prince for a series of paintings commemorating the first Gulf War.
November 7, 2000
An artists’ colony is being established in Terezin, the site of a Nazi concentration camp.
September 12, 2000
Michael Douglas is to star as a charismatic English conman who fooled the global art establishment for nearly a decade.
September 12, 2000
Stalin banned, persecuted and even killed artists. Now his descendents embrace the arts.
August 15, 2000
London art dealers are openly selling stolen African art.
August 15, 2000
Deceived by a didgeridoo? Bilked by a boomerang? Tourists to Australia during the Sydney Olympics should be wary of fakes.
August 1, 2000
Sexually explicit art from Pompeii and Herculaneum is finally on public display after more than 200 years.
July 18, 2000
Greece makes a fresh attempt to recover its 2,500-year-old Parthenon (Elgin) marbles from Britain.
June 13, 2000
Damien Hirst turns a plastic supermarket toy into a colossal $1.5m rip-off.
June 13, 2000
Art Nouveau is back. The biggest exhibition since its heyday opens at London’s V & A.
May 16, 2000
Austria’s National Gallery of Art finally admits it mysteriously “lost” paintings worth millions of dollars.
May 5, 2000
A controversial artist in his day, Toulouse-Lautrec is still creating waves, this time on the London stage.
April 25, 2000
Worms and flies and maggots. A new sculpture by Jan Fabre raises a big stink in Belgium.
April 4, 2000
The Tate Modern is the biggest art opening in Europe this year. Soaring seven stories, it will rival New York’s MOMA as the world’s leading museum of 20th and 21st century art.
March 21, 2000
As Lenin statues come tumbling down in eastern Europe, the Bolshevik leader finds a new home – in Finland.
March 6, 2000
John Lennon’s widow holds two exhibitions in Israel, one in Jerusalem, another in the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm, in a bid to promote peace.
February 29, 2000
While Jorg Haider’s Right-wing Austrian Freedom Party remains in government, artists throughout the world are calling for an art boycott.
February 22, 2000
An inside look at the controversial new exhibition at London’s Royal Academy that recreates the infamous 1900 Paris World’s Fair.
January 18, 2000
Still looking for that perfect present to bring in the New Year? How does a Cèzanne, valued at over $5 million, sound?
January 1, 2000
Museums around the world are joining in the millennium fever, with several devoting special exhibitions to the theme of Time.
December 12, 1999
The financially-strapped Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg has come up with a novel way of earning hard currency to supplement its meager supply of roubles.
All articles copyright © Tom Gross. All rights reserved.
Art Around the World
By Tom Gross
Besides commenting on political and strategic matters, Tom Gross has also written on music, film, art and books. Here are some examples from a light-hearted column he previously wrote for an art publication, Paintings Direct.


“Art is what you can get away with” -- Andy Warhol
July 31, 2001
Here’s your chance to learn about Communist panties, bras, and corsets in intimate detail.
July 3, 2001
After 800 years the Leaning Tower of Pisa straightens up (at least a bit).
May 29, 2001
Exhibiting nothing is the brainchild of several British artists.
April 24, 2001
Small is beautiful. Miniature masterpieces are becoming more and more valuable, as a portrait of the pope is painted on a pip.
March 20, 2001
The Monna Vanna, a nude version of the Mona Lisa, goes on display in Milan.
February 6, 2001
How many of us know about the “other” van Gogh, Vincent’s younger brother, Theo?
December 26, 2000
New research suggests the world’s first art was produced much earlier than previously thought.
December 5, 2000
An unknown British artist has been paid over $25 million by a Saudi prince for a series of paintings commemorating the first Gulf War.
November 7, 2000
An artists’ colony is being established in Terezin, the site of a Nazi concentration camp.
September 12, 2000
Michael Douglas is to star as a charismatic English conman who fooled the global art establishment for nearly a decade.
September 12, 2000
Stalin banned, persecuted and even killed artists. Now his descendents embrace the arts.
August 15, 2000
London art dealers are openly selling stolen African art.
August 15, 2000
Deceived by a didgeridoo? Bilked by a boomerang? Tourists to Australia during the Sydney Olympics should be wary of fakes.
August 1, 2000
Sexually explicit art from Pompeii and Herculaneum is finally on public display after more than 200 years.
July 18, 2000
Greece makes a fresh attempt to recover its 2,500-year-old Parthenon (Elgin) marbles from Britain.
June 13, 2000
Damien Hirst turns a plastic supermarket toy into a colossal $1.5m rip-off.
June 13, 2000
Art Nouveau is back. The biggest exhibition since its heyday opens at London’s V & A.
May 16, 2000
Austria’s National Gallery of Art finally admits it mysteriously “lost” paintings worth millions of dollars.
May 5, 2000
A controversial artist in his day, Toulouse-Lautrec is still creating waves, this time on the London stage.
April 25, 2000
Worms and flies and maggots. A new sculpture by Jan Fabre raises a big stink in Belgium.
April 4, 2000
The Tate Modern is the biggest art opening in Europe this year. Soaring seven stories, it will rival New York’s MOMA as the world’s leading museum of 20th and 21st century art.
March 21, 2000
As Lenin statues come tumbling down in eastern Europe, the Bolshevik leader finds a new home – in Finland.
March 6, 2000
John Lennon’s widow holds two exhibitions in Israel, one in Jerusalem, another in the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm, in a bid to promote peace.
February 29, 2000
While Jorg Haider’s Right-wing Austrian Freedom Party remains in government, artists throughout the world are calling for an art boycott.
February 22, 2000
An inside look at the controversial new exhibition at London’s Royal Academy that recreates the infamous 1900 Paris World’s Fair.
January 18, 2000
Still looking for that perfect present to bring in the New Year? How does a Cèzanne, valued at over $5 million, sound?
January 1, 2000
Museums around the world are joining in the millennium fever, with several devoting special exhibitions to the theme of Time.
December 12, 1999
The financially-strapped Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg has come up with a novel way of earning hard currency to supplement its meager supply of roubles.
All articles copyright © Tom Gross. All rights reserved.