Roman Torso Makes $34.3 Million as Art Basel Paris Faces Protest Threat

An early Roman-era marble torso sold for $34.3 million at Sotheby's on Wednesday, breaking the auction record for classical sculpture. The sale at Sotheby's Magnum Opus Evening Auction followed heated bidding, ArtDependence reports.

The torso wears an ornate tunic carved in exceptional detail. Scholars believe it represents one of the Julio-Claudian emperors, who ruled Rome from 27 BC to AD 68. The figure was likely made in two parts to stand, with most of its weight placed unevenly on the right leg.

Could Art Basel Paris close early this weekend?

Art Basel Paris, held at the Grand Palais through Sunday, would not confirm whether it will close over the weekend amid planned protests in the French capital.

The Instagram account Documentations Art has called on readers to "take the Grand Palais" on Saturday in a protest against what it calls "Art Basel, the fair of plunder," Le Monde reports. French media described the post as "riddled with approximations and falsehoods" about how wealthy individuals allegedly enrich themselves by buying art for investment and tax-reduction purposes. Many online comments echoed those views.

The call has spread rumors of a potential protest at the fair during the days the general public typically visits. New anti-government protests over social and economic inequalities are also expected elsewhere in Paris and other European cities at the same time.

The fair responded through a statement posted on Instagram by reporter Julie Brener Davich: "at this stage we have nothing to share. We remain in close contact with the Paris Police Prefecture and all relevant authorities and will communicate any decision as soon as practicable." ARTnews has contacted Art Basel for comment.

The Digest

• The New York Public Library received a gift of roughly 250 prints by Kiki Smith from her sister, artist Seton Smith. [ARTnews]
• Convicted Miami art dealer Leslie Roberts, sentenced to prison for selling fake Andy Warhols, has been assisting federal agents with investigations into other art fraud cases. [The Art Newspaper]
• Florentina Holzinger's concluding Venice Biennale performance, CLOSING ÉTUDE, is "a final dinner" that will include a procession from the Austrian pavilion to the historic Scuola Grande della Misericordia. [ARTnews]
• Months of delays in grant payments from the San Francisco Art Commission are worrying awardees, some of whom remain unpaid and are struggling to make ends meet. [San Francisco Examiner]
• The Swedish "museum" network Fotografiska opened its fifth site in China, at the Shenzhen Bay MIXC commercial center, extending its global expansion. [Le Journal des Arts]

The Kicker: Eisenhower's globe broken at the Pentagon

A 1930s globe used by General Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II was damaged after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dispatched his own team to relocate the artifact from the Pentagon to his office, the Washington Post reports.

"Ordinarily, moving historical items within the building is a deliberate process overseen by trained curators," the Post explains. Hegseth's staff wanted to bypass protocol. The movers dropped the 30-inch globe and broke it.

The Army confirmed the damage occurred during an "attempted move" on February 3, which left a hole in the sphere. The broken globe stayed in its original place.

"Hegseth wants an Eisenhower totem to be like Ike, brilliant in war and peace," said Ty Seidule, a retired brigadier general. "Hegseth is no Ike. The globe won't give him Ike's attributes of humility, intellect, and judgment."

Whether Art Basel confirms or denies a weekend closure, the fair's final public days now hinge on decisions from the Paris Police Prefecture.