As 2022 draws to a close here is a round up of the biggest events and auction results in the art and natural history world…

French climate protester throws cake at the Mona Lisa

In May, a 36 year-old-man disguised as an old lady smeared the glass screen encasing the Mona Lisa with cake in a protest against artists not focusing enough on “the planet”. The work by Leonardo Da Vinci has been the target of vandalism attempts in the past but was unharmed thanks to its bulletproof glass case.

Dippy returns to the Natural History Museum

Also in May, National Treasure ‘Dippy’ the Diplodocus returned to the Natural History Museum in London. The 85 ft replica was at the entrance to the museum for 112 years, until its restoration in 2017. Dippy however did not return to the entrance, instead being placed in its own room, open free to the public. After its restoration Dippy went on a tour of the UK and a report found the "Dippy effect" saw visitors increase everywhere it toured.

Andy Warhol’s Marilyn sale

The highlight of Christie’s 20th and 21st Century Art sale in April was Andy Warhol’s ‘Shot Sage Blue Marilyn’ 1964 portrait of Marilyn Monroe. The piece sold for $195 million becoming the most expensive work of American art ever sold. This is one of five versions in different colour schemes that Warhol painted in 1964, two years after Marilyn Monroe’s death. Its bright colours and captivating expression became one of Warhol’s most iconic and famous images

Gorgosaurus sells for $6 million

In July, a skeleton of a Gorgosaurus, relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex that roamed the Earth 77 million years ago, sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $6.1 million. The specimen became the first of its kind available for private ownership. The ancient skeleton, was discovered in the US state of Montana in 2018 and is only one of 20 known Gorgosaurus specimens. Most of the other specimens were found in Canada, which has strict export rules prohibiting private sales.

Hockney sells for £21 million

During Frieze in October, a painting by David Hockney of the sun rising over the Mediterranean sold at Christie’s for almost £21m, nearly three times its estimate. Estimated to fetch £7m-10m, it sold in six minutes of bidding between private buyers. It has some way to go to beat the record for a Hockney painting, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) sold for $90m in 2018, making Hockney the most highly-valued living artist.

Defaced! Money, Conflict, Protest opens at the Fitzwilliam Museum

Featuring the works of Banksy, Stik and kennardphillips, this exhibition consists of objects of rebellion made by the radicals of the nineteenth and early twentieth century alongside works by contemporary artists and activists. 'Defaced!' is the first major exhibition to explore a 250-year history of protest, using currency as a canvas and a vehicle for rebellion. Extraordinary Objects were delighted to loan our 2019 Banksy ‘Thrower’ to the museum to be viewed.

The Damien Hirst burn

In October, Damien Hirst began burning hundreds of his own artworks after selling a series of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Buyers who bought pieces from his latest ‘The Currency’ series had to choose either the physical artwork or the NFT representing it, those who chose the NFTs were told their corresponding physical piece would be destroyed. It has been estimated the works being burned were collectively worth almost £10 million. Newport Street Gallery said 5,149 buyers opted for the original artworks while 4,851 chose the NFTs.

Just Stop Oil

Also in October, two Just Stop Oil protesters threw soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers then proceeded to glue themselves to the wall, making headlines across Europe with mixed responses to their actions. National Gallery staff quickly cleared the room and the gallery has since confirmed that the painting was not harmed, saying in a statement “there is some minor damage to the frame but the painting is unharmed.”

Like a Cloud of Blood (2022) sells for £2.3 million

One of the first paintings Tracey Emin created after her gruelling cancer treatment, Like A Cloud of Blood, reached four times over its estimate at Christie’s yesterday, selling for £1.9m (£2.3m with fees). Proceeds from the sale were to go towards TKE Studios in Margate, an art school and artists’ centre Emin launched. The former Edwardian bathhouse now holds 12 studios, which will be subsidised by the sale of this piece. The painting overtook the artist’s record for a painting but fell just shy of her auction record of £2.5m, made with My Bed (1998) in 2014.

Banksy Returns

Amongst the rubble of war-torn Ukraine, seven new works by world famous street artist Banksy appeared. The pieces subsequently went viral on social media with people speculating whether these works belonged to the artist before it was confirmed via Instagram.

To learn more about the individual pieces read our blog post about the return

The Connor Brothers release their second collaborative print with Noel Gallagher

In November, The Connor Brothers released their second collaborative print with Oasis signer Noel Gallagher in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. The release coincided with the announcement of them as official ambassadors for the charity. Since the artists started working with Teenage Cancer Trust in 2020 they have raised more than £250,000. The print, titled You Can Have It All, a line from the 1994 song Supersonic, is a pigment print with silkscreen with all proceeds being donated to Teenage Cancer Trust. The print is available for purchase here.

Maximus Rex Skull sale at Sotheby’s

Finally, in December one of the most complete and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex skulls ever found was sold by Sotheby’s. ‘Maximus’, who weighs more than 200 pounds, hammered for $6.1 million making it one of the most expensive dinosaur skulls ever sold at auction. The fossil hails from the Hell Creek Formation in Harding County, South Dakota—the site of more T. rex finds than anywhere else in the world.

Thank you to all who visited Extraordinary Objects this year and we wish you all the best as we enter 2023.

A Year in Art & Natural History