text:
(1) The Skills Development Act, 1998 (Act 97 of 1998) makes provision for the establishment or re-establishment of SETAs for each national economic sector. The Minister determined the discrete Sector of the Services Sector Education and Training Authority SSETA in terms of section 9 of the Act.
(2) This constitution was drawn up in accordance with the requirements of Section 13, as further provided for in terms of section 9 (1) of the Act, and provides an institutional framework for the SETA to develop and implement national, sectoral and work-place strategies, in order to develop and improve the skills of the South African workforce.
(3) The SETA pursues the development of a skilled workforce, in order to provide an improved service to the people of South Africa. The SETA is inspired by the vision of an appropriately skilled workforce, who is empowered to render quality services, which are comparable with world-class standardsCopy of the constitution
Members of the Services SETA (Schedule 4 Organisations)
Communication Workers Union
Federated mining and allied industries workers union
Federation of Unions of South Africa
Federation of Professional Management Organisations
Hotel, Liquor, Catering, Commercial and Allied Workers Union
South African Auditor & Training Certification Association
South African Transport and Allied Workers Union
The Estate Managers Association
The Institute of Estate agents of SA
United Association of South Africa
Association for Office Professionals of South Africa
Allied Nursing Association of South Africa
Association of Personal Services Organisations
Association of BEE Verification Agencies
Beauty Health and Skincare Employers Association
Constructional Engineering Association of South Africa
Direct Marketing Association of SA
Employers Association of Afro Hairdressing and Cosmetology of South Africa
Employers Organisation for Hairdressing, Cosmetology and Beauty
Exhibition and Event Association of South Africa
Independent Funeral Directors Association of SA
International Festivals & Events Association
Ishishini Business Association Secondary Co-operative Limited
Marketing Association of South Africa
National Association of Managing Agents
National Association of Bargaining Councils
National Contract Cleaners Association
National Funeral Directors Association
Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa
Real Estate Business Owners of South Africa
SA Institute of Auctioneers
South African Association for the Conference Industry
South African Funeral Practitioners Association
South African Property Owners Association
Southern African Marketing Research Association
The Franchise Association of South Africa
Membership/Schedule 4 Organisation Application Process:
Application to the Accounting Authority by a new Organisation
(a) Any organisation that meets the criteria stated in Clause 8 (5) (a) of this Constitution, but is not listed in Schedule 4 to the Constitution, may apply to the Accounting Authority to be so listed.
(b) The Accounting Authority must forward the application to the Minister for the determination that such an organisation belongs in the Sector and grant approval or not approve.Schedule 4 Application form


text:
They Might Be Giants recently released another children's album, Here Comes Science. My kids like their previous albums No!, Here Come the ABCs, and Here Come the 123s as well as their Friday Night Family Podcasts. I've only heard a couple of the songs from this new one but have it on hold at the library. You can see an animated video of Meet the Elements at Boing Boing.
Tammy from Just Enough and Nothing More shares why she doesn't consider herself an unschooler in "I'm Radical, but Definitely NOT a Radical Unschooler; I'm Not Even an Unschooler." I can identify with several of the points made in her post and in the resulting comments.
Mrs. G. from The Women's Colony has an amusing, no-holds-barred post about the homeschooling S word in a post at Pioneer Woman Homeschooling—The Oldest One in the Book.
"Mrs. G. isn't sure when 'socialization' became such an urgent and determining concern in shaping a child's future, but she's got to tell you, loud and clear, that she thinks the idea that a public school setting fosters a higher caliber, gold standard set of cultural skills, habits and norms is a used and tired bill of goods. It's a crock."
Bethe at The Grass Stain Guru shares 10 Wishes for Today's Kids. My favorite, bibliophile that I am:
"6. That you learn to LOVE to read. Even if they do make a movie about it, you can bet the book is better. Learn to get lost in a story and try your hand at writing your own"

subset: commoncrawl


text:
WM > Alabama > Greenville Walmart Supercenter
501 Willow Lane, Greenville AL 36037
Store #1462, Garden Center, Gas Station, Grocery, Open 24 hrs, Pharmacy, 1-Hour Photo Center, Subway, Tire and Lube, Vision Center
Fuel: GD May 2016: Cars drive very fast along the area where RV parking is allowed. I was hit by a car as I walked along side a truck toward the store. Sun was in the drivers eyes, she was speeding and talking on the phone. Walmart employees took good care of me. Mar 2016: Stayed fine on garden side most of day and all night. Took up 2 spots with our 36ft. Oct 2015: Very confusing off I-65 South. Low clearance bars that say No Trucks blocking this entrance: go to next driveway where delivery trucks enter. Small lot; 2 tractor trailers parked at far end, Market side. June 2015: Very little extra space for big RV. Our 5th wheel and 2 rigs too up the right side parking lanes. Maybe 2 more would fit. Nov 2014: called and got permission. We parked on far right side of parking lot along wit abt 4 other RVs and several trucks. No problems. May 2014: Called and asked, received permission, parked furthest from front of store. Only Motorhome but 6 or 8 trucks. Jan 2014: We are parked here tonight with no issue but heads up - there is a Coming Soon sign for new stores to be built in the exact area rvs currently park. Unless we are allowed elsewhere in the lot, there will be no space remaining. Dec 2013: We did ask. No problem. Feb 2013: Parked up by the Murphy gas pumps ask permission they said you are welcome I had a great time no problems. July 2012: We regularly stop here on way to beach and never had a problem. Mar 2012: Ok to park. Park on N edge of lot, by Murphy Gas station Signage applys to trucks Watch out for low hanging bars in some places
Please add your parking report with button below
334-382-2655WebsiteView MapReview SearchNavigationAdd Parking ReportStreetView
*Depending on the place, some of these buttons may not work properly.
Map All Alabama Walmarts
From there you can filter by type and amenity. Or find campgrounds, truck stops, RV dumps, services and even low clearances.
For those that can't do apps, this is by request and is a indexed PDF file. Look up a city and find all of the WM stores with map links, including which ones have been reported as no parking stores. Download it and take it with you. $4.97 WalMart PDF.
Pure information, faster, no ads, privacy, full screen maps, more filters, layers for traffic, biking, transit, over half a million search combinations. Join now
They do not support us and we do not endorse or support this store in any way. We always encourage people to support campgrounds and rv parks. Many people traveling on the road these days use stores for parking and supplies. Many locations do NOT allow over night stays in parking lots due to store managers or local laws. Please call ahead to be sure if you want to do this.


text:
Hamsters Become Talented Self-Portrait Artists While Running on This Wheel
Running on this wheel turns hamsters into talented self-portrait artists. Read More >>
Running on this wheel turns hamsters into talented self-portrait artists. Read More >>
You know you want to.
Boston Dynamics, better known for the hulking robot brute known as ATLAS, has just revealed a considerably smaller creation that looks like a cross between a golden retriever and a baby giraffe. See more >>
Not that there's anything wrong with walking around pretending to be an anthropomorphic version of a house cat.
If it keeps it distracted from annihilating your sofa for a week, it's totally worth the cost.
They're pricey, but not as pricey as letting your cat ruin real priceless artwork.
But the government's plotted £500 fines.
Government says it could save councils millions in dealing with stray pets.
When being apart from your pets gets especially tough, and the thousands of photos you have on your phone aren't enough of a solace, you can now have them turned into a pettable 3D photo relief.Read More >>
This is not an excuse to stop visiting the grandparents.
The goal is to create test subjects that mimic degenerative human diseases, but the breakthrough also raises the prospect of customized pets.
With a new Star Wars movie on the horizon, do you really think that Disney and Lucasfilm would limit their marketing efforts to just humans? Of course not.
According to a recent survey of cat owners in the UK, most people are pretty clueless about their cats' lives.
A team of geneticists is ready to unlock the secrets behind Internet celebrity cat Lil Bub's unique appearance.
Australian researcher Jean-Loup Rault suggests says robotic and virtual-reality pets might spell the end for Fido and Felix.
Recognises 21 different emotions from 'furniture-destroyingly tired' to 'poo-on-bed bored'.


text:
just because your shares went down. I though you were a BIG SHOT, as you claimed be be buying MORE on dips. Just curious, how many shares did you by today?
Lying BAG HOLDERS like you, who bash SHORTS like me, deserve me to laugh in your face lol.
He's gone!!! Where did he go? I am waiting for my libel suit...... What tailor does he use?
No, I'm not gone. My investment in CLNT is not dependent upon me hanging out on these message boards all day like you. However, your short position IS dependent upon you being here and bashing the stock. If a stock is not good, it will go down by itself. So apparently you know this stock is going up, and that's why you are here to try to bash it down. When I win a lawsuit against you, I will be awarded your wife as my property, and she will serve me on my new yacht. A large percentage of your salary will be going to me too. I'm certain you your wife is old and fat, so not too thrilled about that. Do you have a daughter you will give up instead? It's either that or I take your trailer home.
Sentiment: Strong Buy


text:
On Human Rights Day, Dec. 10, bring attention to ways we can work toward the standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which, like the American Friends Service Committee's (AFSC) core values, recognizes the inherent dignity of all people in the world.
Spark conversation and action in your community groups, congregations, and networks on social media using these five resources on human rights issues:
An immigration system that protects human rights
"Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law." –Article 6, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
While President Obama's executive order gives us much to celebrate, there are still too many people left behind and continued human rights violations. What will it take to make it work?
AFSC offers seven principles for fair and humane immigration reform in this downloadable infographic, available in both English and Spanish.
Ending torture in prisons
"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." –Article 5, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The solitary confinement of incarcerated people is an inhumane practice of isolating people for 23 hours a day with inadequate medical and mental health treatment. Prison isolation fits the definition of torture as stated in several international human rights treaties, and thus constitutes a violation of human rights law.
In The prison inside the prison, AFSC offers a history and overview of solitary confinement practices. Inalienable Rights is a resource for those working in the criminal justice system on how to weave the language of international human rights standards into arguments for policy changes. You can also check out Survivor's Speak: Prisoner testimonies of torture in United States prisons and jails, a report presented to the UN Committee Against Torture in November 2014.
Food security
"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control." –Article 25, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
An essential condition for peace is having the resources and security to feed and employ your community. Food, land, and water are fundamental human rights.
In New Mexico, AFSC offers farmer-to-farmer training programs, advocates for policies that support sustainable farms, and helps connect low-income people to resources to support their work. Lessons from those experiences are shared in Farming for a sustainable community: A training manual, in which you'll find models for land selection, soil preparation, crop planning, cultivation, handling, marketing and season extension with point-by-point instruction, case studies, illustrations, and descriptions.
Stopping the demolition of homes
"Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property." –Article 17, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The displacement and dispossession of Palestinians from their land and homes is at the core of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. The Israeli Committee against Home Demolitions estimates that more than 26,000 Palestinian-owned structures have been demolished in the occupied Palestinian territory since the beginning of Israel's occupation in 1967.
Forced displacement in Palestine and Israel provides history and context for the tensions around the displacement of Palestinians from their homes.
Eliminating militarism
"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person."
–Article 3, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The use of unmanned, armed drones is changing the way that security and warfare are approached, both domestically along the U.S.-Mexico border and internationally in conflict zones. Thousands have been killed, many of them children, many of them peacemakers, creating resentment, hatred and violence. It is a unilateral, institutionalized war that by-passes the rule of law, prolonging conflict and creating long term insecurity.
In Drones: A briefing paper for staff, field organizers and allies, you can learn more about the history of drone development, current military and domestic use of drones, and the legal ramifications of drone warfare.


text:
Victoria Jambon
Published: Thursday, May 8, 2003 at 11:43 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, May 7, 2003 at 11:00 p.m.
Victoria Marie Pitre Jambon, 97, a native and resident of Galliano, died at 9:38 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, 2003.
Visitation will be from 1 p.m. to funeral time Friday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Galliano. Mass will be at 3 p.m. Friday at the church, with burial in Cheramie Cemetery.
She is survived by two sons, Larry Jambon of Youngsville and Ernest Jambon of Galliano; seven grandchildren, Judy Baudoin, Alan Jambon, Teena Jambon, Michael Jambon, Keiron Jambon, John Jambon and Yvette Ledet; 11 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; one step-great-grandchild; and four step-great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Reno Jambon; her parents, Leopold Pitre and Julie Autin Pitre; three brothers, Alces, Nocess and John Pitre; and two sisters, Violet Hebert and Alice Plaisance.
She was a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Ladies Altar Society.
She enjoyed cooking and working with her flowers.
Falgout Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
Comments are currently unavailable on this article


text:
- Report: #904405
Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate
Complaint Review: Walmart Money Card - Debit Card Visa
Walmart Money Card - Debit Card Visa151 East 5th Street,Long beach California Long Beach, California United States of America
Walmart Money Card/Debit Card?Visa Walmart Money Card/ Very Sneaky way of doing business...Walmart money Card Rip off all the way!! Long Beach, California
Ripoff Report
About you?
Ripoff Report
A business' first
line of defense
on the Internet.
If your business is
willing to make a
commitment to
customer satisfaction
Click here now..
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
I bought two cards for $1,000 dollars. five minutes later trying to activate it. I found out all kinds of fees and extra fees and I decide that is not worth it at all. I called customer service at 877-965-7848 and requested to get my money back right away and they declined to so. I was transferred to someone in management from the agency that handles this kind of request and I spoke with someone by the name of Patrick T. He informed that I will have to pay $29.00 for them to process any returns, plus other charges and more charges.
I am expert of different medias and I promised myself that this kind of ripped off deals must be represented by someone and I would like to have an actual videos of each person explaining their claim to create a website and expose their tricky business 100% and also through other medias. Let me know.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 06/28/2012 08:07 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Walmart-Money-Card-Debit-Card-Visa/Long-Beach-California-90815/Walmart-Money-CardDebit-CardVisa-Walmart-Money-Card-Very-Sneaky-way-of-doing-business-904405. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report.
Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on Walmart Money Card - Debit Card Visa
If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:Search Tips
In order to assure the best results in your search:
- Keep the name short & simple, and try different variations of the name.
- Do not include ".com", "S", "Inc.", "Corp", or "LLC" at the end of the Company name.
- Use only the first/main part of a name to get best results.
- Only search one name at a time if Company has many AKA's.
Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.


text:
Hi guys.
Been using the plugin for a while and it worked fine for two backups.
Tried to do a backup today and it got stuck at "Waiting for backup to start" and then after a while I got impatient and deactivated the plugin. I've since tried re-activating and deleting it but both times it gives me an error saying the directive cannot be processed.
Thanks! :-)


text:
FO: Mirbeau Slip Stitch Blanket
3 Attachment(s)
Pattern: Mirbeau Slip Stitch Blanket
Needle: Size 6 Circulars (for length)
Yarn: Loops and Thread Baby Sport - yellow, green, pink, blue, white
This is my first baby blanket (that I completed). I love it. I made it for my next door neighbor. They just had a baby girl, but at the time I was knitting the blanket they didn't know the sex of the baby. Little Mari will be by muse for all baby things. I have yet to make booties....
Very pretty. I like the colors.
That's beautiful! :yay:
The colorway is really pretty. And who says little girls have to have everything in pink? My grand daughters do, but that's because their Argentinean mother is a traditionalist.
Those colors are beautiful! I think its a wonderful color for a baby - it doesn't always need to be pink or blue anyway. It looks soft and snuggly for sure :)
That is so pretty, sure to become a favorite blankie!
Oh my my my - that is absolutely gorgeous!!! Nice presentation too! You're so brave - a blank on size 6?? The last time I did that, it took me like a year to make the dang thing. haha :chair:
It seemed like a year. Only because half way through I wanted to work on other items.
Yeah....size 6 was a um, eye opening experience. Must plan earlier.
Your baby blanket is beautiful!!! The colors are so pretty together. :inlove: :inlove: :inlove:
When I try this pattern I'm going to use less stitches and a larger needle, like a size 8 or 9. I make the blankets for charity so I try to keep the time involved as minimal as possible.
Thanks for sharing!
Ohhhhhh this is just toooo wonderful for words! Great work!
Thanks for sharing the link! I saved it, and saved the PDF, and am printing the PDF pattern as I'm typing these words. I will also save and print a photo of YOUR BLANKET, because it is the BEST ONE I've seen! Truly artistic in every way!
|All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:05 PM.
copyright knittinghelp.com


text:
rio tinto plc
(RIO:London Stock Exchange)
BOARD MEMBERS AFFILIATED WITH Sam Maurice Cossart Walsh AO, BCom*
Chairman of Western Australia Branch
*Data is at least as current as the most recent Definitive Proxy.
The information and data displayed in this profile are created and managed by Capital IQ, a Standard & Poor's company. Bloomberg.com does not create or control the content. For inquiries, please contact Capital IQ directly by clicking here.
MOST CONNECTED PEOPLE TO Sam Maurice Cossart Walsh AO, BCom
|Wayne Geoffrey Osborn
|21 Relationships
|Saul Eslake
|13 Relationships
|Kathy Keele
|5 Relationships
|Patria Jafferies
|5 Relationships
|Stephen Found
|5 Relationships
Sponsored Financial Commentaries
Sponsored Links
Request Profile Update
Only a company representative may request an update for the company profile. Documentation will be required.
To contact RIO TINTO PLC, please visit . Company data is provided by Capital IQ. Please use this form to report any data issues.
Please enter your information in the following field(s):
Your requested update has been submitted
Our data partners will research the update request and update the information on this page if necessary. Research and follow-up could take several weeks. If you have questions, you can contact them at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
I am obsessed with crafting! I have tried it all, knitting,crochet,sewing,ribbon embroidery,and even watercolor! Check out some of my designs and happy crafting!View all patterns by designer (6) »
This pixie/gnome has endless possibilities! Just change the yarn and you have a fun party hat, witches hat, and clown hat. Add some fun fur and pom-pom and you have a festive Santa hat! This pattern is great for knitters who want to use circular needles or double pointed needles for the first time, since the hat knits up quickly. Advanced knitters will have fun using their favorite novelty yarn stash. Great for all those baby showers coming up this year. The pattern includes instruction for a rolled brim, ribbed brim, and a fur trimmed brim. Happy knitting!
5 stitches per inch in stockinette stich. 7 rows=1 inch
200 yards of Worsted weight


text:
Make the battlefield yours.
Get all 73 vehicle upgrades, thermal optics, armor piercing shells and stealth capabilities.
Platforms: PC Download
To use this add-on you must own the base game: Battlefield 3™
Origin Access Discount AppliedAdd to Cart
Important terms & conditions apply.
become a member for just $4.99/month
- Save 10% on this purchase and more


text:
Definition of stupefactive in English:
(Of a drug) inducing unconsciousness or insensibility.
Example sentences
- Opium and laudanum are both stimulating and stupefactive.
- This stupefactive power of coriander seed is a newly discovered property.
- The whiskey being exhausted, the Indians retired to rest, under its stupefactive influence.
A drug which induces unconsciousness or insensibility.
Example sentences
- Such a sleep-producing stupefactive is worthy of the highest praise.
- While under the influence of a stupefactive or anaesthetic, the sorcerer or the person subjected to his artifices, beheld spirits or daemons.
- Many accidents have arisen from its too general use as a stupefactive for infants.
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: stup¦e|fac¦tive
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


text:
- Report: #434371
Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate
Complaint Review: Star Communications - united Protection Services
Star Communications - united Protection Serviceswww.unitedprotectionservices.com Nationwide U.S.A.
Star Communications - united Protection Services are at it again!!!! Nationwide
Ripoff Report
About you?
Ripoff Report
A business' first
line of defense
on the Internet.
If your business is
willing to make a
commitment to
customer satisfaction
Click here now..
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
December 18th 2008 have an unauthorised electronic check taken out of my bank old address and incorrect spelling of the name amount $279.00
from UNITED PROTECTION SERVICES. I contact my bank turns out it was star communications again!!!!
Anyone who was scammed by star communications beware they are back!!! My bank is refunding my money and advised me to file a police report.
Savannah, Georgia
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 03/15/2009 12:41 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Star-Communications-united-Protection-Services/nationwide/Star-Communications-united-Protection-Services-are-at-it-again-Nationwide-434371. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report.
Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on Star Communications - united Protection Services
If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:Search Tips
In order to assure the best results in your search:
- Keep the name short & simple, and try different variations of the name.
- Do not include ".com", "S", "Inc.", "Corp", or "LLC" at the end of the Company name.
- Use only the first/main part of a name to get best results.
- Only search one name at a time if Company has many AKA's.
Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.


text:
FAIRHAVEN — A 36-year-old Fairhaven man has been charged with vandalizing five properties in the area of Sconticut Neck Road, police said.
John Spangler Jr. of 31 Day St. has been charged with five counts of tagging, following an investigation by Officer Philip Lacerda, according to Sgt. Kevin Kobza, public information officer of the Fairhaven Police Department.
The suspect is charged with spray painting graffiti on five separate properties — Hungry Heroes, 99 Restaurant, the Friendly Farm Convenience Store, Barn Antique Store and Bayside Apartments, he said.
A criminal complaint was issued by the court and Spangler will be arraigned Sept. 4 in New Bedford District Court, he said.
Among the penalties, if convicted, is the loss of a driver's license for a year, he said.
Follow Curt Brown on Twitter @CurtBrown_SCT
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Category: Discoveries
Stolen Tiepolo returned
March 2 2015
Picture: New York Times
An important picture by Giabattista Tiepolo (or, 'Mr. Tiepolo' as the New York Times calls him) has been returned to its owners in Italy, having been stolen in 1982. The picture, The Holy Trinity Appearing to Saint Clement, had been consigned to Christie's last year, and was due to be sold with an estimate of $500,000-$700,000 before it was spotted.
According to the FBI website:
After being provided with evidence that the painting was the same piece previously reported stolen in 1982, the Tiepolo's consignor agreed to its seizure by the FBI and its return to Italy. The United States Attorney's Office submitted a proposed stipulation and order providing for the Tiepolo's seizure and return, and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered that order on January 23, 2015. Italian authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the theft of the painting, including the circumstances of its importation into the United States.
Nothing here, pace the curious case of the two stolen Wolsey angels (below), about anyone buying the picture 'in good faith', and therefore being due a cut.
The Battle of the Goya Self-Portraits
February 23 2015
Pictures: Musée Goya and Musée Bonnat-Helleu.
On Hyperallergic, Benjamin Sutton has a neat summary in English of the story of a newly authenticated Goya self-portrait in France, above. The picture belongs to the Musée Bonnat-Helleu in Bayonne, and was authenticated by the central French government service for museum art restoration 'using scientific imaging and analysis'. Yikes.
The trouble is, those who authenticated the above picture have decided that another version (below) which belongs to another French museum in Castres, the Musée Goya, must be a copy. Nonsense, says the rather splendid chief curator of the Musée Goya, Jean-Louis Augé; the Bayonne painting is a study for the Castres picture, which is also genuine. You can see Augé's response in the video here.
It's hard to judge on the images of course, but I'm with Augé. It's perfectly possible for both pictures to be 'right'. The Castres picture is more worked up than the Bayonne one, so the Bayonne picture could be a preparatory study, and the Castres picture a more finished second version.
Beware restorers making attributions.
On a wider point, it's been the case for some time now that Goya connoisseurship is in some disarray.
Lost Gauguin sculpture found
February 9 2015
Picture: TAN
The Art Newspaper reports that a lost sculpture by Gauguin (above) has been discovered. It will feature in a Gauguin retrospective at the Fondation Beyeler. More here.
New Veronese drawing discovered? (ctd.)
February 3 2015
Picture: The Saleroom
A quick update on a 'sleeper' story I featured last year. The above drawing came up for sale in the shires here in the UK catalogued as 'attributed to Veronese', and made £15,500.
At the time, a sharp-eyed reader (who underbid it) wrote in to say he thought it was by Jan van der Straet, and related to an engraving in the British Museum. Well, he was right, for now the picture has been acquired by the Metropolitan Museum in New York, as by van der Straet. The provenance on the Met site reveals that it was acquired through the Old Master drawings dealer Katrin Bellinger.
Export block for newly discovered Claude
February 2 2015
Picture: Guardian/DCMS
The UK government has placed a temporary export block on Claude's Embarkation of St Paula, which was recently discovered by Christie's, and sold by them in 2013 for £5m. A UK museum has until May 1st to express any interest.
The picture was scheduled to be sold in a minor Christie's South Kensington sale as 'After Claude', but was pulled out at the last minute.
More here.
It's always worth looking at the back...
January 28 2015
Picture: BBC/Scottish Gallery
Here's nice discovery story from my neck of the woods; the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh has discovered a lost work (above) by the Scottish colourist Francis Cadell, which had been painted over by the son of another colourist, Samuel Peploe. Says the BBC:
The lost Cadell work was painted around 1909 from his studio at 112 George Street, Edinburgh, and looks across the street to Charlotte Square. When the artist died in 1937, his sister Jean Percival Clark, well-known as the actress Jean Cadell, came up to Edinburgh to sort out his affairs.
She was helped by Denis Peploe, son of Samuel, who was a student at Edinburgh College of Art. She gifted him some of her brother's art material and included among the canvases, probably including "George Street and Charlotte Square", taken off its stretcher, turned and re-stretched ready to be used again.
It is not known why Cadell abandoned the painting, which is finished and bears a strong signature.
Years later, Denis Peploe painted his own picture, Begonias, a still life on a trestle table and whitewashed over the Cadell exposed on the other side.
The Scottish Gallery acquired the Denis Peploe and in the process of conservation discovered the Cadell on the reverse.
And in a final twist, the director of the Scottish Gallery is Guy Peploe, Denis Peploe's son.
A lost Wright of Derby?
January 14 2015
Picture: Your Paintings/Derby museum
The excellent Derby Museum and Art Gallery has secured a £15,000 grant to help them decide whether the above painting is by Joseph Wright of Derby. The subject is The Colosseum by Night, and the picture belongs to the museum. However, its authorship has, reports the Derby Telegraph, been doubted. Presumably on account of what appears to be the curious drawing of the arches on the right. Wright painted The Colosseum by Day, which also belongs to the Derby museum.
£15,000 is a lot of money to find out an attribution, and I presume this sum allows for the picture to be cleaned, and analysed. I can only find this not especially good photo online. Though at first sight the painting looks too wobbly (that's the technical term) to be by Wright, the sky and foliage top left looks convincing enough. Probably there are some condition issues going on, which are affecting how the picture appears. I'm trying to get a better photo, and will put it up if I can.
Update - Lucy Bamford, the curator at Derby, has kindly sent a high-res image, and below are some close ups. I'm sure that the picture is indeed by Wright - we can tell that alone from the little figure in the window, and also the foliage and sky at the top left.
But the rest of the picture has been savagely 'restored' by someone in the 1960s or 70s, with huge areas entirely over-painted (as seen in the last image below). The question is, why was it done - to cover up old damage? Or just ineptness. Often it's simply a case of the latter.
Lucy Bamford tells me, however:
Worryingly, I had a tip-off from someone who had some dealing with a painting that was also over painted by the same restorer as the Colosseum back in the 60s or 70s. Their approach seems to have been to sand down the original to make a smooth surface on which to lay new paint, 'improvement' being the chief concern I presume.
Yikes. The tale such woeful restoration may be a bizarre one to modern ears, but in my experience it's not unusual. No single group of people has done more damage to paintings in history than those who at some point have fancied themselves as 'art conservators'. Ironic but true. Those pictures that are in the best condition are those that have never been 'cleaned'.
The problome is, every generation of restorers (or, in days of old, simply domestic cleaners, who would scrub pictures with a potato if you were ucky, or a scourer if you weren't) thinks it has come up with the latest answer to 'improve' paintings: once it was 'transferring' (with disastrous results) panel paintings onto canvas; then it was wax re-lining (until people realised how the wax damaged the paint surface). Sometimes it seems art restoration is a giant, intra-generational job creation scheme by restorers.
But anyway, I have no doubts that this time around the work will be done well and carefully. And I look forward to seeing a Wright emerge from beneath the work of that sinful earlier restorer.
New Nevinson discovered on Your Paintings
January 12 2015
Picture: BBC
Here's another nice discovery story from Your Paintings: a job applicant for the post of Director of the Atkinson Arts Centre in Southport, UK, discovered a lost work by CRW Nevinson in the Atkinson's collection when he did some pre-interview swotting up about the Centre on Your Paintings. And he got the job. Says the BBC:
An art expert who identified a mystery painting at a job interview has been made manager of the gallery storing it.
Stephen Whittle revealed his "strong hunch" about a painting that has been stored at the Atkinson arts centre in Southport since the 1920s.
He told the panel he thought it was Limehouse, a work by CRW Nevinson, a futurist painter.
"When I saw this unattributed image on the BBC Your Paintings website, it was very reminiscent of Nevinson," he said.
Mr Whittle, who came across the painting as part of his interview research, added: "I mentioned my supposition at interview, but I don't know if it led to me finally getting the job."
See the new picture and other Nevinsons here on Your Paintings.
New Constable discovery at Sotheby's
January 9 2015
Picture: Sotheby's
One of the star pictures at Sotheby's forthcoming Old Master sale in New York is, reports Martin Bailey of The Art Newspaper, a sleeper from a minor Christie's sale in London. Constable's study for Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows is for sale at Sotheby's with an estimate of $2m-$3m, but was sold by Christie's at South Kensington for just £3500 in 2013. There, it was catalogued as by a 'follower' of Constable, in a sale of the contents of Hambleden Hall, the home of the Viscounts Hambleden. It had been in their collection since the late 19th Century. Says The Art Newspaper:
When the oil sketch came up for sale at South Kensington in July 2013, Christie's catalogued it as by a "follower of John Constable" and estimated it at £500-£800. The unnamed buyer later confirmed that the work had been heavily retouched in the late 19th or early 20th century, depriving it of its lively, sketchy quality, but it has now been cleaned.
The painting was examined by Anne Lyles, a specialist on Constable, who dated it to 1829-30. She determined that the oil sketch is by the artist's hand and was among the preparatory works for the final painting, which Tate bought in 2013 for £23m. Lyles describes the study as "one of the most exciting and important additions to the master's oeuvre to have emerged in recent decades".
I saw the picture at Sotheby's preview last year in London, and had no doubt whatsoever that it's 'right'. And that was before I read Anne Lyles' persuasive essay in Sotheby's catalogue, which places the picture in its context, and analyses all the key evidence. One of her conclusions is that Constable - who was in the habit of making numerous preparatory sketches and studies for his large scale landscapes - relied on the Hambleden picture most when making the final painting, which (having been recently bought) is now in Tate Britain.
One of the clinchers in the Hambleden picture's favour is that the dramatic, horn-shaped cloud formation it shows looming over the cathedral was copied by Constable for a larger sketch in the Guildhall art collection in London. But, crucially, Constable then painted over that horn-shaped cloud, to make the sky slightly less stormy in that area. Over time, that original cloud structure has become visible through the paint layers; if you look at the image of the Guildhall picture above you can just make out the 'horn shape' to the right of the spire, underneath Constable's later cloud formation. The point is - and apologies for my rather unscientific cloud descriptions - the Hambleden painting cannot be the work of a copyist, because only Constable himself developed that structure of the sky. As Anne Lyles says in her note:
[...] all the other preparatory sketches show the cathedral building more or less in shadow [...]. Moreover, the dramatic stormy sky in the full-scale sketch in the Guildhall (fig. 4) also derives more closely from the Hambleden study than the other sketches. Indeed the cluster of black storm clouds in the full-scale sketch to the right of the cathedral spire was once closer in appearance to the formation seen in the Hambleden picture until Constable decided to knock them back in the former by overpainting parts of them in white.
Anyway, the other clincher for me was the sheer quality of the painting. It's too good to be a copy. Yes, some elements, such as the structure of the cathedral are a little simplistic, but that's to be expected in a study like this, for the emphasis, the compositional development, is all about areas like the sky and stream, and they're pure Constable. For what it's worth, I also know that Anne Lyles - who used to be the Constable scholar at Tate Britain* - is no pushover when it comes to endorsing Constable attributions. So if it's good enough for her, that means it's really good.
Now, here's the humbling bit - I missed the picture entirely when it came up at Christie's South Kensington, in July 2013. Indeed, I also missed the other 'sleeper' in that sale, The Embarkation of St Paula, which (regular readers will remember) was catalogued as a copy after Claude, but which was withdrawn at the very last moment and sold for £5m at Christie's main salerooms in London in December 2013. In my defence, the South Kensington sale was in the week immediately after all the main Old Master sales, and after South Kensington's own Old Master sale, when you'd normally expect things like the Constable to be sold. Also, the sale was branded as 'Colefax and Fowler [famous English interior decorators], Then and Now', so it sounded like the sort of sale you'd only find chintzy sofas in. Anyway, the fact is, I had my eye off the ball, and can only congratulate the sharp-eyed buyer.
But, AHNers, we must also sympathise with the buyer as well as congratulate them. For when the main press picked up The Art Newspaper's story today (e.g. here in The Mail), Christie's gave this rather unhelpful comment:
'We took the view at the time of our sale in 2013 that it was by a 'follower of'. We understand that there is no clear consensus of expertise on the new attribution.'
Which I think is a little mean, to be honest. Who are the dissenters? Christie's should say so, rather than just casting unspecified doubts like that. I suspect the truth is that no serious Constable scholars doubt it. The Mail's coverage also looks into whether Christie's might be vulnerable to legal action from the Hambleden vendors, and the paper quotes the editor of the Antiques Trade Gazzette, Ivan Macquisten:
'There was a legal case in 1990 that set a precedent for this when provincial auctioneers Messenger May Baverstock of Surrey failed to recognise something that ended up selling for a lot more and was sued by the vendor.
'In the High Court, a judge established a degree of responsibility that auctioneers have.
'If you are a small auction house holding your sales in a village hall it is reasonable that you may not identify such a painting.
'But if you are a Sotheby's or a Christie's with specialists departments with some of the leading specialists in the world, then you probably are. The burden on these bigger auction houses to get it right is far higher.
'That is not to say they are negligent or liable, that depends on how easily the work would be to identify and what due diligence was carried out to identify it.
'Have they been negligent by not carrying out checks on things like the composition of the painting and, in the case of Constable who was known for his cloudscapes, the quality of the clouds?
'I would be surprised if the previous vendor was not considering taking the matter further.'
Factors in Christie's defence include: the fact that the general subject matter - Constable's 'Salisbury Cathedral' - is one of the more copied compositions in British art, and Christie's were thus not negligent in assuming the Hambleden picture was another; the fact that the picture was quite heavily overpainted, thus making certain elements hard to read; the fact that the sale price of £3,500 meant that only one other person thought it worth taking a closer look at.
In favour of the Hambledens, should they wish to pursue the matter: the fact that Christie's evidently did not show it to Anne Lyles, the leading Constable authority, before the sale; the fact that Christie's only recognised at the last minute that there was a £5m Claude in the same sale, which suggests that, when preparing the sale, not as great care was taken with the pictures as one might expect; the fact that Christie's did not put in the catalogue entry the fact that the painting might have had a 19th Century Christie's provenance.
But it's a very difficult area, and I wouldn't want to place too much blame on Christie's specialists. They work to extremely tight deadlines, and, especially in house sale situations, they only get a short period of time to look at each picture. Inevitably, things will slip through the net. Probably the culprit here, if there is one, is the system in which auction house specialists have to operate - if the bean counters further up the food chain gave them more time and staff, fewer mistakes might be made. But then what would we all do without the occasional discovery story?
* It's a matter of great regret that they don't have one any more, of course.
Kelvingrove acquires sleeping fair-scape
January 7 2015
Picture: Glasgow Herald
Here's a nice story from my new locale, up here in Scotland; the Kelvingrove art gallery has acquired, for £220,000, a lost landscape by the Scottish artist John Knox (1778-1845), which shows the 'Glasgow Fair' around 1820. The picture had been discovered in 2013 by Edinburgh-based dealer Patrick Bourne, who spotted it at Sotheby's described as showing a scene in Aberdeen, and attributed to William Turner De Lond. It was bought for £76,900.
I heartily approve of the Scottish version of the 'White Glove Photo-op'.
More here.
Duke's Titian declared genuine
December 4 2014
Pictures: Museo Prado
The Times alerts me to the conservation and re-attribution of a picture by Titian, which belongs to the Duke of Wellington. The picture, a Danaë, was cleaned by the Prado, and proved to be the original painting that once belonged to Philip II of Spain. Painted in about 1551-3, it entered the Wellington collection when it was given to the 1st Duke, following his victories over the French in Spain. It was recently thought to be a copy, but it is in fact an autograph repetition of Titian's first Danaë, which was painted in 1544/5, but with the addition of the old woman on the right. The photo below shows the picture in its stripped down state.
More here on the Prado's website, including videos.
Sleeper Alert!
November 28 2014
Picture: The Saleroom
Just a tiddler this one, and one that, annoyingly, I missed by a mere half an hour (that is, the lot had passed by the time I'd seen it and logged in to bid), but nonetheless a sensitively rendered portrait of an unknown old woman by Joseph Wright of Derby, and a bargain at £750. Now, I know you're all thinking the sitter isn't exactly a beaut - but I think it's a great picture nonetheless. Sometimes, the older and craggier the sitter, the better.
Ouch! The 'sleeper' bites back (ctd.)
November 28 2014
Picture: Lyon & Turnbull
I mentioned earlier this month the curious story of the quarter of a million pound 'sleeper' being consigned back into auction at just £2,000-£3,000. The painting, an oil on copper depiction of Hercules, was being offered at Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh as 'Manner of Francesco Albani' (above), despite having beeing bought at Bonhams last year for £254,000 where it was suspected by some of being by one of the Carraccis. Yesterday, the picture sold for £25,000 inc. premium, so that's pretty much a £225,000 hit. Ouch indeed...
I've never seen anyone cut their losses and run like that before. Normally, even if you couldn't get the experts to endorse with your 'sleeper' attribution, you'd hang on in there, in the hope that somebody somewhere might agree with you. The only possible explanation, I thought, was that the picture was an out and out fake, and had been consigned to Bonhams in a 'dirty' state, and cunningly devised to relate to a known drawing attributed to Annibale Carracci in which the hand is in a different position. In other words, the buyer at Bonhams felt there was no chance of the picture being worth anything, and wanted out.
But I went to see the picture, which has since been cleaned, and (although I couldn't spend too long looking at it - you try viewing an auction with an 11 week old) I thought that it probably was period. Admittedly, it wasn't a great painting, but I wouldn't rule out that it was painted by the same hand, or at least in the studio of the same hand, as made the drawing. From what I could gather, at least one prominent specialist on the Carraccis had not been shown the painting at all.
So it's all most curious. It seems thatsomeone bought it, but was unhappy with the cleaned picture, and simply decided not to bother pursuing the attribution any more. As a paid up member of Sleeper Hunters Anonymous, I can understand the attraction of taking a punt on things like this. But I can only dream of having such deep pockets.
By the way, if the pockets were yours, and you need a little guidance in the auction field, you know who to call...
Van Dyck discovery at Christie's
November 12 2014
Picture: Christie's
Christie's have unearthed the above, previously unknown head study by Van Dyck, and will offer it for sale in December with an estimate of £200,000-£300,000. It relates to the series of head studies for Van Dyck's now lost portraits of the magistrates of Brussels, which were probably painted in the early 1630s. The study is similar in handling to the two studies in the Ashmolean (here and here), one in a private collection (and formerly with the London dealer Fergus Hall, who discovered it in New York), and the study found recently through the BBC television programme, the Antiques Roadshow, with which I was involved. This last study was offered at Christie's in the summer, but failed to sell with an estimate of £300,000 - £500,000.
Christie's sent me an image of the picture some time ago, and I had little hesitation in agreeing with the attribution. But like the four studies listed above, I suspect we can be fairly sure that the Christie's picture is somewhat unfinished, as there seems to be later overpaint in the drapery and background. The concept of the unfinished picture wasn't nearly as appealing in centuries gone by as it is today, and almost all Van Dyck's head studies (as with many other artists) were finished up by later artists to make them more saleable.
The Christie's catalogue speculates that the newly found study relates to Van Dyck's grisaille in the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris (above), which is all that survives of the artist's commission to paint the Brussels magistracy. In the grisaille, 7 sitters are seen. But we are fast running out of candidates for the head studies to relate to, for the new Christie's study and the Ashmolean heads could be said to candidates for the figures with their heads turned to the right.
However, most people forget that there was another, far larger Brussels magistrates group portrait painted by Van Dyck, for which we have not even a grisaille or drawing to give us an idea what it looked like. Both the large magistrates group and the smaller group related to the grisaille were destroyed in 1695 when French forces bombarded Brussels. The larger portrait had about two dozen sitters. So in fact the surviving studies could relate to either picture.
I'm fairly sure we can add to the five studies above heads such as this example in the Royal Collection. A series of similarly composed heads were worked up into more finished pictures with the addition of painted ovals, probably some time after Van Dyck's death. Some of them feature known magistrates such as Antonio de Tassis, but the majority are of unknown sitters.
New Moroni discovery at the RA
November 4 2014
Picture: Camilla McCulloch
The new Moroni exhibition at the Royal Academy in London is winning praise from the critics: here's Richard Dorment in The Telegraph giving it 4 stars out of 5; and here's Jonathan Jones in The Guardian doing likewise.
Meanwhile, sleuthing art dealer Rohan McCulloch alerts me to the fact that the above exhibit is a new Moroni discovery, having surfaced in a regional English auction last year as 'Italian School'. Rohan underbid it. I missed it completely. So congratulations to the buyer; going from sleeper to major museum exhibition in one year is an impressive feat.
Update - another sleuthing reader also spotted the picture, and sends this photo of it at the sale:
I seem to be the only person who didn't see it!
Caravaggio 'Card Sharps' - opening arguments
October 28 2014
Picture: TAN
Today's Telegraph reports some of the opening arguments from the Caravaggio/Not Caravaggio 'Card Sharps' case I mentioned yesterday. It reveals two things: first that the vendor's case is that Sotheby's didn't do all the tests he says he asked them to; and secondly, that Sotheby's PR people have come up with the daftest line of defence.
First, here's the outline of the vendor's (Lancelot Thwaytes) case:
In documents now submitted to the High Court hearing, Mr Thwaytes' lawyers criticised the auction house for negligence and claimed they failed to carry out proper tests and consult experts. [...]
Henry Legge QC, representing Mr Thwaytes, told the court the case was a "very simple story", alleging Sotheby's did not do the tests the owner had requested.
"They came back to him and said they had done the X-rays on the painting and said it wasn't Caravaggio, but they didn't do infrared imaging," he said.
"When it was sold the new owner had it cleaned and submitted it to the tests, including infrared and it was subsequently attributed to Caravaggio.
"At the core this is a negligence case, it is about Sotheby's actions and not attribution."
Mr Legge said: "Believing that the painting had been thoroughly and exhaustively researched and was definitely not by Caravaggio, Mr Thwaytes decided to sell it through Sotheby's." [...]
In the written argument Mr Thwaytes' lawyers said: "Mr Thwaytes maintains that Sotheby's failed in its duty to research and advise upon the painting.
"Proper research would have resulted in Sotheby's consulting with experienced conservators and soliciting the opinions of Caravaggio scholars... which would thereby have established... the painting as being by the hand of Caravaggio."
Here we see one of the main weaknesses in Mr. Thwaytes' case. It is not enough for him to prove that Sotheby's were wrong on the attribution, and that the picture is indeed by Caravaggio. The standard auctioneer's terms and conditions agreed to by Mr Thwaytes when he consigned the picture for sale gives Sotheby's considerable scope to get things like attribution wrong, and not be liable for any damages. Instead, he has to show that Sotheby's were negligent - that they screwed up in a spectacular way by not doing even the basics properly. This negligence test has been well established through previous case law, and the bar is quite high.
I have to say it seems to me, at this stage, that Sotheby's were not negligent, especially if they did an X-ray, which is not at all standard procedure when cataloguing Old Master paintings for auction. An x-ray suggests to me that they in fact took the picture more seriously than other comparable cases. Frankly, it's pretty irrelevant whether an infra-red was done too. For many people outside the art world, things like 'Infra-Red' seem far more important and useful than they really are. But it very often doesn't tell you much at all, and I strongly doubt (though we'll have to see) that in this case IR alone proves that the picture is by Caravaggio. I think it almost certain that Sir Denis Mahon made his attribution on the basis of his connoisseurial view; after all, he didn't do IR before the sale.
We also see mention of Sir Denis having the picture cleaned. Well, most people will know that cleaning a picture can reveal a great deal about a work. But it is far from standard practice that a picture is cleaned before being put into a sale. It's a task that can cost many thousands of pounds, and costs pretty much the same whether the picture is a masterpiece or a dud. So it's often a waste of money. One might ask why Mr Thwaytes, if he was so keen to find out whether the picture was by Caravaggio or not, didn't get the picture cleaned himself. Or perhaps at least conduct some cleaning tests.
All this would be much more straightforward if we could be certain that the picture was by Caravaggio. But that is far from the case, given the experts Sotheby's can produce to say it is not by him. I can't see, at this stage, how Sotheby's can reasonably lose the case.
And now for Sotheby's daft defence. From The Telegraph again:
Sotheby's denies any accusation of "negligence, causation and loss", insisting its experts assessed the painting correctly and that "all due skill and diligence" had been applied.
It will argue the painting is "clearly" a replica, citing a range of Caravaggio scholars who support its view.
A spokesman for Sotheby's said: "The catalogue in which the painting was included was distributed among the world's leading curators, art historians, collectors and dealers – had they deemed the attribution different to that given in the catalogue, the price realised would doubtless have reflected that."
Phooey. There's a number of points to make here. The picture was in a minor, Sotheby's 'Olympia' sale. These were mid-season sales, so not held during the main Old Master sales in July and December, when many people in the trade and museum world come to London to see what's being sold. The Olympia catalogues were also cursory affairs, with sometimes thumbnail sized images, and hardly any explanatory text. Also, in those days, the online images weren't always that good. Sotheby's don't have their Olympia saleroom any more, mainly because it was a pain in the arse to get to, and few bothered to make the trek out to Hammersmith. In other words, while it's possible that some of the world's 'leading dealers' may have gone there to sniff out a bargain, it's not true to say that 'the world's leading curators, art historians, collectors and dealers' were all poised to spot the mis-attribution in the catalogue.
And in any case, what sort of a defence is that? Are Sotheby's really saying, well, it's all right if we mess up; your picture will always fetch its true value, because 'the world's leading curators, art historians, collectors and dealers' all pore over every painting they sell? Clearly not. And regular readers will know that sometimes even the most spectacular discoveries can be found hiding in plain sight, and bought for comparatively little. Even at Sotheby's.
Update - a reader rightly notes:
One would think that Sotheby's defense would include the fact that they didn't benefit from the attribution as a copy, and would have benefited from an attribution as an original, but that they have a greater duty to avoid false positives which would mislead a potential buyer than a false negative. Their investment in the painting shouldn't exceed their anticipated revenue from its sale.
If they catalogued the painting as a Caravaggio they are certifying it to some extent which even the current attribution debate won't support according to the news reports.
Update II - another reader writes:
I fail to see the logic of the plaintiff's argument that the case is not about attribution. The plaintiff can only succeed in a negligence action if he proves he has suffered loss. Mere negligence without loss would not give rise to damages. The loss in this case would presumably be the difference in price between the actual sale price and the price if it were a genuine Caravaggio. Proof that the painting is on a balance of probabilities by Caravaggio would therefore be essential.
Caravaggio's lost 'Card Sharps'?
October 27 2014
Picture: The Art Newspaper
As the old saying goes, Caravaggio attribution stories are like London buses...
Hot on the heels of last week's news that Caravaggio scholar Mina Gregori has, she claims, found Caravaggio's lost 'Penitent Magdalene', we have today another Caravaggio attribution case, this time in the High Court in London.
Regular readers will probably be familiar with the tale of a disputed version of Caravaggio's 'Card Sharps', (above) which sold at Sotheby's in London for £42,000 in 2006 as 'Follower of Caravaggio'. It was bought by the renowned collector and Caravaggio scholar, the late Sir Denis Mahon, who promptly declared that it was in fact by Caravaggio himself, being an autograph replica of a picture in the Kimbell Art Museum in Texas. As such, it would be worth in the region of £10m. Mahon's opinion was endorsed by Mina Gregori.
Sotheby's, however, stuck to their guns, and said that the picture absolutely wasn't by Caravaggio, and cited their own experts. Vested interests all round, I hear you say...
Today, a long-threatened court case about the picture begins in the High Court. The vendor in 2006, Lancelot Thwaytes, is suing Sotheby's, claiming that they should have spotted the fact that it was by Caravaggio. He wants compensation to reflect the fact that he did in fact own a Caravaggio.
The case promises to be a battle of the experts, reports the Independent:
Sotheby's has robustly countered the claims and said that the version it sold was "clearly inferior" in quality to the original painting in the Texas gallery. In the 2006 sale catalogue, Sotheby's listed it as being by a "follower of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio".
"The Kimbell Cardsharps was painted by Caravaggio with the striking virtuosity and realism for which his early works are famous," according to papers filed by the auction house. "The quality of execution on display in the painting falls far short of the Kimbell original."
It said that it would not have consulted any of the experts cited by Mr Thwaytes as leading Caravaggio scholars and said that its own team was competent to judge that it was a copy.
The experts cited by Mr Thwaytes included Mina Gregori, an author of several books on Caravaggio, who claimed last week to have solved a centuries-old mystery by identifying a previously unknown work in a private collection as a Caravaggio. Other experts Mr Thwaytes claims have backed the painting as a genuine Caravaggio include the director of the Vatican Museums, Antonio Paolucci.
So who is right? If the court decides against the attribution, should we view this as context for Mina Gregori's recent Magdalene discovery? If Sotheby's loses, what does it mean for their reputation?
Either way, I feel rather sorry for the judges. Attribution is a notoriously difficult thing to prove in a court of law, for judges and juries are of often wholly unfamiliar with the rubric of art history, to say nothing of connoisseurship.* Other factors can come to the fore. For example, some readers may be familiar with the story of Joseph Duveen losing a libel case in the United States, when he said that a copy of Leonardo's 'La Belle Ferroniere' was not by Leonardo, despite the fact that he was absolutely right. It seems the jury's decision was influenced by a stuffy English art dealer criticising the plucky US owner.
Anyway, this particular case throws up all sorts of related questions. For example, when Sir Denis Mahon died, his Card Sharps must have posed all difficulties for his heir, since for inheritance tax purposes it was 'worth' millions. And yet, having potentially paid millions in tax, it is likely that the heir might have found the picture impossible to sell, for it may be that 'the market's' view would be that the picture is not by Caravaggio. Indeed, is it possible that fellow scholars endorsed Mahon's attribution largely out of feelings of friendship? Mahon was a giant of the art world, but also at that time an aged collector who, it turns out, was asset rich (in terms of the pictures he had very generously promised to bequeath to the National Gallery and other institutions) but cash poor. And so on and so forth.
By the way, if readers detect an unusual reticence in any of the above, it's mainly because I don't want to be called as a witness...
*At this point, of course, critics of connoisseurship say - 'Aha! Attribution by connoisseurship is always impossible to prove'. To which the answer is... well, I haven't got time.
Caravaggio's lost 'Penitent Magdalene'
October 24 2014
Picture: Caffeinamagazine.it
In Italy, La Repubblica reports that noted Caravaggio scholar Mina Gregori has identified the above picture as Caravaggio's lost Penitent Magdalene, previously only known through copies. He is thought to have painted it shortly before he died. It's now in an Italian private collection. More details here (in Italian).
Update - the story has now made it into the English language press. Here's the Guardian.
A new Van Dyck attribution at the Scottish National Gallery
October 23 2014
Picture: Scottish National Gallery
I'm pleased to be able to tell you that the above picture has recently gone on display at the Scottish National Gallery here in Edinburgh as a work by Sir Anthony Van Dyck. It had previously been regarded as a studio work. The portrait shows Ambrogio Spinola (1569-1630), the great Italian-born general who commanded the Spanish Habsburg armies in the Netherlands during the Dutch Revolt.
There has long been a 'Spinola' gap in Van Dyck's iconography. We know from an engraving by Lucas Vorsterman (above, example from Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco) that Van Dyck did once paint Spinola at some point, and there is also a quick drawing by Van Dyck (below, Musée Atger, Montpellier). However, the 2004 Van Dyck catalogue raisonné of Van Dyck's works only lists portraits of Spinola in the 'A' section of catalogue, denoting that the original picture was presumed lost.
The 2004 catalogue mentions many Van Dyck-like portraits of Spinola (as we might expect for such a famous sitter, Van Dyck's original portrait was much copied). The most important of these include; a full-length studio variant in the Hebsacker Collection in Germany (above, apologies for the image quality) and a three-quarter length version formerly at Cornbury Park in Oxfordshire (below). The latter was sold at Christie's in 2001 as 'Van Dyck and Studio'. But personally, I suspect it is more 'studio' than 'Van Dyck' - it looks a little hard in the handling.*
I would also place in the same 'studio' category another full-length variant in a private collection in Madrid (below, and discussed here by Matias Diaz Padron of the Prado in 2008, who labels it 'Van Dyck' in full.)
But I think we can be sure that the Edinburgh picture is in fact the missing original by Van Dyck. In the 2004 catalogue raisonné (see entry no.III.A.25), the picture was described as what 'would seem to be a studio variant' of the full-length in the Hebsacker Collection. The wording might suggest that the author of that section of the catalogue, Horst Vey, didn't actually see the Edinburgh painting in the flesh. But crucially, as Vey notes, the Edinburgh picture is the only version which accords with the drawing by Van Dyck; the sitter's left hand rests on a helmet placed on a table beside him. In the Hebsacker picture, the ex-Cornbury picture and the Madrid picture, Spinola rests his arm on his sword (and, one might say, a little awkwardly too).
I went to see the picture in the Scottish National Gallery stores earlier this year, after I was kindly invited to do so by Dr Tico Seifert, the Gallery's Senior Curator of Northern European Art. We'd been discussing the picture after I saw an image of it on the ever-valuable Your Paintings website (the picture is not listed on the Scottish National Gallery's own site), and wondered if this was a picture that had been unjustly downgraded at some point. A number of areas in the picture struck me as having great quality, in particular the head, the sitter's left hand, and much of the armour. The head conveys all the human authority one would expect from a great portraitist - perhaps you can see from the images here how much more impressive the head is than the apparently studio versions. The armour is painted with great dextrousness, conveying an impression of finely wrought, hand-beaten metal. The hand is finely weighted, and painted with assured, wet-in-wet strokes. The technique is free and spirited, betraying all the confidence of an artist painting something for the first time, rather than a studio assistant making a copy or a variant. Under bright lights, we noticed a number of small changes, or pentimenti, which also argued for the picture being the first of its type (though these are not in themselves always evidence of autograph status – sometimes it's just copyists making a bish). After further analysis, Dr Seifert (who has a track record of making discoveries in the Scottish National Gallery, see here) and the Scottish National Gallery became more and more confident that the picture is indeed by Van Dyck.
I suspect the reason the picture became doubted is because of its condition. It is a little abraded in places, especially the main body of the armour (which would have been painted with darker, softer pigments more vulnerable to 'cleaning'). And the picture is also rendered slightly unreadable by a rather opaque old varnish. I can't be sure at this stage, but it seems to me, even viewing the picture inside its frame, that it might well have been cut down from a full-length. Three things make me think this; the first is the abrupt ending of the sitter's right hand; the second is evidence of significant disruption to the canvas along the bottom edge, as if that area was once either damaged and repaired, or resting on the cross-beam of an old, larger stretcher; the third reason is what appears at first to be the awkward rendering of the sitter's armour at the bottom of the picture, over his thighs – the gap in the armour between the legs is facing too far around towards the left-hand side of the picture to properly match up with the torso. But this mis-alignment (which we wouldn't expect to see in portrait Van Dyck began as a half-length) is understandable if we know that the picture would have originally been a full-length, according to the drawing, in which the sitter's legs and feet are pointing more towards the viewer, while his body, head and arm are turned more towards the table. Any future conservation work carried out by the SNG would help determine this further.
The picture must have been executed very soon after Van Dyck returned to the Netherlands from Italy, in late 1627, for on 3rd January 1628 Spinola left the Netherlands. As we might expect, the picture betrays elements of Van Dyck's Italian-period style (with quite high-pitch, almost pastel-like colouring in the face) with the slightly glazier aspect of what we call his 'second Antwerp' period (the years 1627-1632, or thereabouts, being his second professional period in Antwerp before he left for London). The picture's provenance is from the Palazzo Gentile in Genoa (which I think has Spinola connections), where Spinola headed to when he left the Netherlands. Previously, Van Dyck had painted both his son and daughter in Genoa.
* Probably Christie's were influenced by the then most recent catalogue raisonneé of Van Dyck's works, by Erik Larsen (pub.1988), but which was, er, somewhat inaccurate.
Rembrandt: 3 re-attributions in Berlin
October 16 2014
Pictures: Berlin Gemaldegalerie
I'm not finding it easy to track down a comprehensive list of the 70 pictures that Dr Ernst van de Wetering of the Rembrandt Research Project has re-attributed to Rembrandt - but here's an article in the Berliner Zeitung about three pictures Ernst has endorsed in the Gemaldegalerie.
First, and most excitingly, the 'Man with a Red Hat', above, is now back in the oeuvre. I'm surprised it was ever out. What a picture.
Secondly, a Self-portrait (above, no details available on the Gemaldegalerie website), previously thought to perhaps be by Govaert Flinck, is also now recognised as being by Rembrandt.
Thirdly, we have the above Portrait of a Woman, Probably Saskia van Ullenburg, back in the fold.
However, it seems that 'Man with a Golden Helmet' (above, again, not on the Gemaldegalerie website), which was once thought to be one of Rembrandt's finest works, is still not seen as a work by him. Personally, I like it. I prefer it to the Self-portrait and Portrait of a Woman here.
More Rembrandt re-attributions as I get them.
Update - the more I think about this, the more curious I think it is that the National Gallery, for their new exhibition, didn't choose to work more closely with Ernst van de Wetering. What an opportunity it was to really shake up what we know about Rembrandt's later works, and to look afresh at some of his unjustly ignored pictures. I can't help thinking (but I may be totally wrong) that this is why the great Ernst has chosen this moment to unveil his own work on Rembrandt's later career; to remind us of his own dedication to Rembrandt.
I thought (but again may be totally wrong) that it was similarly curious that the National Gallery, when it had its Leonardo show in 2012, didn't make more use of the renowned Leonardo scholar Martin Kemp. Are such cases evidence of the sometimes strained relationship between those working within museums, and the wider academic community? And is this because it tends to be the latter, the dedicated specialists, who more frequently put their heads above the parapet when it comes to making attributions?
Update II - Walter Straten writes from Berlin to correct my reading of the Zeitung's article (my German's a bit flimsy these days); the Portrait of a Woman was apparently flagged as a likely Rembrandt some years ago, and the news from Berlin is that the Gemaldegalerie's Portrait of an Old Man (also not on the museum's website) is now attributed to Rembrandt by Ernst van de Wetering. Walter kindly sends the below photo. Walter is, incidentally, the sports editor of Bild, and also has a keen interest in the Old Masters. So he writes on both sport and art history for Bild. Are there many better jobs in journalism?


text:
- Library Card Application
- Homebound Service Program
- Book a Librarian
- Do Research
- Guide to the Library
- Events & Photos
- Best Reads / Reader's Advisory
- Employment & Volunteering
- I Love NJ Libraries
- MTPL Blog
- Contact Us
- Site Map
Friday August 5th is the last day to sign up for Summer Reading and Friday August 12th is the last day to log minutes and pick up your prizes. Don't miss out! Come to the Children's Desk or the Reference Desk to get your prizes. And remember, this year we have a raffle to give away a free ereader, so make sure you're entered!
Start: 08/11/2011 7:00 pm
End: 08/11/2011 8:00 pm
READING BUDDIES-Drop In
No Sign Up required Thursdays 7-8pm
Aug 4th & Aug 11th One-on-one mentoring to improve reading skills. Teens partnering with beginning readers Grades 1-3.


text:
By U.S. Army, Sgt. Jonathan W. Thomas, 16th Mobile Public Affairs DetachmentJune 27, 2012
EL PASO, Texas -- Each generation has its great war, and each servicemember gathers a collection of memories that will be forever etched in their mind.
One place in particular contains a vast wealth of historical knowledge. The Ambrosio Guillen Veterans Home, El Paso, Texas, cares for some of the military's oldest Sailors, Soldiers, Marines and Airmen.
"When [World War II] broke-out; they took us directly from Camp Davis (N.C.) to Boston, where we got on the Queen Mary. Forty days later we got off in Sydney, Australia, and then it was in to New Guinea --- I was 27, on September 26, I'll be 98," said Emory Osborn, a retired master sergeant.
On April 12, 1942, Osborn, then an anti-aircraft gun commander, watched the skies blacken as an estimated 96 Japanese planes barreled down on his position.
"We had to load those 90 mm (rounds) by hand, we had to manhandle them in," said Osborn. "We got a few of them, and that made me feel good, after it was over with."
One of the experiences many servicemembers share is adapting to the changes that occurred while they were fighting overseas.
"Well, when I came back to the states in March of 1945, back at Fort Bliss, things had changed quite a bit," said Osborn.
Osborn said when he left to go overseas the cavalry was still at Fort Bliss and they still had their horses, when he got home the horses were gone.
Most people are familiar with iconic images of servicemembers returning home after war, but these images do not show the harrowing tales carried by that individual.
Gary Crupper, a retired U.S. Marine said he considered just about every moment in Vietnam a scary one.
In the summer of 1969, Sgt. Crupper, two Navy aviators and another Marine crash-landed their helicopter into the Mekong River.
"An RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) went through the belly of the helicopter and crashed it --- both Navy pilots were killed by rifle-fire before the helicopter ever hit the ground, it was pretty scary," said Crupper, a two-time stroke survivor. "I remember the bullets were coming through the hull like it was made of paper walls --- me and another Marine got out."
Most would agree, that Crupper's ability to endure a number of life threatening encounters makes him uniquely qualified to offer advice on achieving a safe deployment.
"Remember the training, and remember those buddy packs," said Crupper.
Crupper also has advice for servicemembers with difficult memories they do not wish to vividly relive.
"It was very difficult getting back to normal, it's a lot of work, but the military has good therapists, and if you work with them, they'll work with you, and you'll get back to feeling normal," said Crupper.
Osborn is a permanent resident at the veteran's home, but Crupper's stay is only temporary, as he recovers from a stroke.
Crupper said jokingly, his stay would last only as long as it takes him to escape.
Osborn and Crupper are only two examples of the vast wealth of knowledge that resides at places like the Ambrosio Guillen Veterans Home, knowledge not only on military history, but life itself.


text:
The 29-year-old Poland international has signed his second two-year deal with United after being an ever-present this season.
Manager Jackie McNamara told the club's official website: "This extension is merited because Rado has shown that he is an excellent SPL goalkeeper.
"It can sometimes be difficult for a foreign player to come into a club and settle but he has done so superbly.
"He is a very good shot stopper and in my time here has shown some excellent aerial handling skills.
"It is a bonus for him to know his future is secure until at least May 2015 and it is great for us to know he wants to remain a United player until then also."
Cierzniak added: "I enjoy playing for Dundee United very much and, having settled in the area, it is an easy decision for me to sign on for a further year.
"I came here to improve as a player and I feel I am doing so.
"The club, players and supporters have all helped with this and I look forward to exciting times over the next few years at Dundee United."
- Sports & Recreation
- Soccer


text: If you need a complete Subaru car repair manual, you've come to the right place. Learn how to make DIY car repairs, carry out maintenance and service your Subaru with easy-to-follow guides from Haynes. You can view every Subaru owners manual available below – select your car model or year to view the handbook for your vehicle.


text:
Kelvinator KWH15CMA air conditioner
Father's Day Gift Guide
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 2016 Ford Mustang EcoBoost review
- 2 Review: TCL C1 series 4K TV
- 3 Tech21 Evo Xplorer iPhone case review
- 5 Microsoft Lumia 640 review: Honouring Nokia's legacy
Join the Good Gear Guide newsletter!
Latest News Articles
- Linksys AC600 MU-MIMO WiFi review
- Hardcore Hardware: The CyberPower Pro Streaming I300 is made for Twitch stardom
- Only Apple Music subscribers will get to watch Apple's live music fest this year
- Here's how the Xbox One S stacks up to the original
- WiFi review: Does MU-MIMO currently make a difference?
Business Centre
The latest business news, reviews, features and whitepapers
Online Shop
Visit our shop for the best deals on hot products
Watch our video news and reviews from around the world
Comprehensive buying guides, features, and step-by-step articles
GGG Evaluation Team
Kathy Cassidy
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
Anthony Grifoni
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
Steph Mundell
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
Andrew Mitsi
The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
Simon Harriott
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.
Latest Jobs
- CCSenior Business Analyst/Designer, Funds ManagementNSW
- CCProject Resource SpecialistVIC
- CCWindows EngineerVIC
- CCData Centre Solutions Architect - Red Hat, Wintel & VMwareACT
- CCSenior Project Manager, Cyber Security TransformationNSW
- CCSenior Project Specialist - Network IPVIC
- CCAutomation ManagerNSW
- CCBusiness Intelligence Business AnalystSA
- CCCA Gen Model Management-Oracle RDBMS, Oracle Solaris, TTNNSW
- CCSales Development Executive - Flexible Working HoursNSW
- CCAsset Transfer Specialist | TelecommunicationVIC
- FTImplementation ConsultantNSW
- CCFull stack Java Developer- NoSQL database, Amazon AWS productsNSW
- CCWeb Content SpecialistNSW
- CCJava / J2ee ProgrammersACT
- CCProgram CoordinatorVIC
- CCChange AnalystNSW
- CCChange LeadsNSW
- FTSAP Ariba Consultant/ManagerVIC
- CCComms project specialistVIC
- CCChange Manager/ Advisor- operational environmentNSW
- FTIT Manager - Infrastructure Strategy and OperationsNSW
- FTDefence Network EngineerACT
- CCWebmaster content managementACT
- CCSenior IT Project SpecialistVIC


text:
- Pressure Safety and Relief Valves, Certified Valve Parts
- Ball Valves, Actuators, Valve Parts, Positioners, and Control Units
- Boiler Blow Down Valves,
Valve Parts
- Thermometers, Gauges,
Temperature Regulators
- Air Driven Pump and Pump Parts,
Gas Boosters, and Test Stands
- Gate Valves, Globe Valves, and
Check Valves
Worcester Valves and Other Brands
A One-Stop-Shop for All Your Pressure Safety Valves and Boiler Blow Down Valves
Finding the specialist valve parts, controls, and actuators you need without spending hours surfing the 'net, trying to track them down, can be a real challenge. To meet the needs of customers that want to be easily able to source Worcester ball valves, controls, actuators, or need to track down Sprague pumps and gas booster products or a hydraulic air driven pump, we stock a comprehensive range of relevant merchandise, including stock from top brands and products such as Flowserve valves, Farris pressure safety valves and Everlasting valve parts
Swift Dispatch, Competitive Pricing
As an established provider of Watson McDaniel pressure relief valves and pressure regulating valves, as well as a host of related products, we know that engineers and other professionals nearly always need parts yesterday, preferably for free! Although we're not quite there with time travel and cost free product sourcing, we do aim to rapidly dispatch your order and ensure that our prices are always competitive.
Expert Knowledge of Our Products
As a specialist provider, we have an in-depth understanding of our merchandise and are always happy to do our best to assist our clients when it comes to identifying the best part for the job. If you're not sure which product is going to be most effective, or have a challenging project that you need parts for, we will always do our best to provide a helpful solution. We spend a considerable amount of time in product research and procurement, reviewing new innovations and developments to ensure that our stock represents the very best merchandise on the market.
Farris Pressure Relief Valves and Valve Parts
We stock premium goods, manufactured by some of the leading names in the sector. We know that many of our parts are vital for safety reasons and always source with care to ensure what we offer is of an exceptionally high standard. If you would like to know more about any of our product ranges or would like to place an order, call us at (800) 486-8699.


text:
The court case against pop star and former X Factor judge Tulisa is expected to begin today, after two days' legal wrangling delayed the start of her trial for suspected drugs offending.
The singer is charged with helping the Sun on Sunday's undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood obtain 0.5oz (13.9g) of a Class A drug for £860.
It's claimed that the 26-year-old, told Mr Mahmood, dubbed the "fake sheikh", that she could arrange for him to buy cocaine from her good pal Michael Coombs, known as rapper Mike GLC.
Tulisa, who is on bail, denies being concerned with the supply of cocaine to Mr Mahmood between May 20 and May 24 last year.
For all of today's developments as they happen, follow our live blog right here.
The former X Factor judge has now arrived at Southwark Crown Court.
Looking more relaxed than previous days, the tanned star is wearing a billowing black skirt and black scoop neck top underneath a black and white blazer.
She's teamed the chic look with black kitten heels, a choker necklace and a scraped back ponytail.
Her PA Gareth Varey was snapped close behind.
Yesterday a jury of nine men and three women were sworn in to hear the case, which is expected to last just more than two weeks.
Wearing a colourful, floral, long sleeved dress with a black collar, black ballet pumps and with her long dark hair pulled into a side ponytail, Tulisa stared straight ahead as she stood in the glass-enclosed dock at London's Southwark Crown Court.
At one point she interrupted the jury's swearing in to speak briefly with one of her lawyers.
Before they were selected, jurors were asked if they had any connections to The Sun newspaper, The Sun on Sunday or the Sunday Times, or any other News UK enterprise "that would make it difficult for you to be objective and fair" in the case.
The court clerk read the charge and Contostavlos' not guilty plea out to the jurors.
Judge Alistair McCreath warned the jury not to discuss the case with anyone outside the jury room.
He said: "As you may have worked out by now, the defendant is somebody in the public eye.
"She was a professional singer and she had been a judge on the X Factor. She is somebody who is famous.
"The upshot of that is that if you do mention this case to anybody they are bound to say something about what they think."
Yesterday the judge also told the jury not to look up the pop star on the internet.
They were given strict orders not to Google the former X Factor judge.
After swearing them in and before sending them home for the night, Judge Alistair McCreath told the nine men and three women: "She is someone who is famous... of really critical importance is that you mustn't do any research. You just mustn't do it.
"The reason is obvious. If you do that you will not be judging the case on the evidence. The internet is full of useful information and also full of nonsense and there is no way of knowing whether it's truthful or nonsense.
"If your minds are poisoned by things you read on the internet you will not discharge your function properly."
On Monday Tulisa's close pal Mike GLC admitted supplying cocaine to an undercover reporter.
He pleaded guilty to supplying the Class A drug when he appeared alongside the former N-Dubz star Tulisa.
Wearing a white short sleeved shirt and black trousers, Mike GLC or Michael Coombs, 36, of Enfield, north London, pleaded guilty to a charge of supplying the drug on May 23 last year at the five star Dorchester Hotel in London's exclusive Mayfair district.
Mike gave Contostavlos a quick kiss on the cheek and hug and stroked her face as he left the dock.
Bailing him, Judge Alistair McCreath told the rapper he would be sentenced at the end of Contostavlos' trial.
Former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos brokered an £800 cocaine deal for a reporter posing as a film producer because she wanted to be a movie star, a court heard.
Contostavlos, 26, allegedly helped supply Mazher Mahmood half an ounce of the drug and codenamed it as 'white sweets' in texts and phone calls.
The pop star boasted of having an ex-boyfriend who was a major cocaine dealer and claimed she was once a member of a gang which sold crack cocaine jurors were told.
Tulisa denies the charges.
Southwark Crown Court heard Contostavlos met Mr Mahmood in top hotels in Las Vegas and Mayfair when he posed as a wealthy movie maker named Samir Khan.
He had told the singer's agent he could get her to Hollywood and that she could star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in a 'big production'.
'It is clear the defendant was very keen to break into films and she and her manager swallowed the story completely,' said prosecutor Timothy Cray.
'She was told that she would be more suitable for the film than Keira Knightley or Kate Winslet.'
Contostavlos allegedly promised the reporter 'white sweets' once he returned from the Cannes film festival, texting him: 'Let me know wen u land so I can sort u out! Love Tulisa xxx'.
Jurors heard the ex N-Dubz singer then arranged for her rapper friend Michael Coombs, 36, to hand Mr Mahmood half an ounce of cocaine at the Dorchester Hotel.
'We say that the defendant was instrumental in arranging the supply of cocaine carried out in the Dorchester,' said Mr Cray.
'She had said that she could arrange cocaine for Samir Khan, "sorting him out".
'She then put him in touch with one of her friends - Michael Coombs - who did the deal, who was expecting the call'.
Coombs, also known as Mike GLC, told Mr Mahmood the minimum amount of cocaine he could supply was half an ounce, equivalent to 14 grams, at a cost of £800.
He then handed a bag containing white powder to the reporter at his Dorchester suite, at around 1am on May 23 last year.
When examined by a forensic scientist the powder was found to be half an ounce of cocaine at just 37 percent purity.
Mr Cray said: 'Following the obtaining of the drugs Mazher Mahmood reported the events to the police. As a result the defendant, Tula Contostavlos, was arrested on June 4, 2013'.
Tulisa occasionally shook her head in the dock during Mr Cray's opening.
She was officially dropped as an X Factor judge just two weeks before her arrest, with Sharon Osbourne replacing her on the popular music talent show.
Coombs has admitted supplying cocaine to Mr Mahmood but Contostavlos denies her involvement in the transaction.
Mr Cray added: 'Although the defendant had not negotiated the price or the amount, she had done all she could to make a supply of cocaine happen and the charge reflects her involvement in the supply of the drug.'
'Mr Coombs said that he was a very close friend of the first defendant's and that he wouldn't have gone to all this trouble if Samir Khan hadn't also been one of the defendant's friends'.
Contostavlos allegedly boasted that she could "sort out" drugs for a boys' night out at a London strip club she was arranging for him.
The pair first met in Las Vegas in March last year when Mr Mahmood, using the pseudonym Samir Khan, told Contostavlos and her manager Gareth Varey that he could land her a role in an upcoming big film.
'She thought he could get her a part in a big movie that was coming up and it seems that she was keen to be in his good books and be friendly with him.
'Mazher Mahmood had gone to considerable time and expense to establish his cover as Samir Khan.
'He presented himself as a wealthy producer and everything about the trappings of the hotels, the travel and his chat made him look and sound the part'.
Contostavlos and Mr Mahmood continued meeting in hotels in Mayfair months later, all secretly taped by the undercover reporter as part of a sting for the Sun on Sunday.
Hidden cameras were also used to film anything that went on in the hotel rooms, including the Dorchester.
Tulisa, of north London, denies being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.
The singer also allegedly bragged that she used to be part of a gang who sold crack cocaine and that her ex-boyfriend was a cocaine dealer.
Her close pal Mike GLC, whose real name is Michael Coombs, 36, pleaded guilty on Monday to supplying half an ounce (13.9g) of cocaine - which tests later showed was at 37% purity.
Tulisa continues to vehemently deny helping to broker the deal.
The court has been played a recording of a meeting at the Metropolitan Hotel near Park Lane on May 10 last year, in which the pop star said she used cannabis to help get to sleep.
She told Mr Mahmood: 'I use cannabis to get to sleep, it helps me switch off'.
When Mr Mahmood asked if she had access to any other drugs, the singer said her ex-boyfriend, Adam Bailey, was a cocaine dealer.
She then immediately texted Mr Bailey, at 00.55am on May 11: 'Call me asap. Need help'.
The former X Factor judge then explained to Mr Mahmood her code for drugs.
'I call them green sweets and I call them white sweets.
'They will ask: "What kind of sweets do you want?" And I will go "green sweets please, not white sweets for me but for my mates and that".
Dramatic scenes in court as jurors were played a recording of a phone call between Tulisa and Mr Mahmood in which the singer said she would 'get him sorted' for white sweets, her code for cocaine.
The former N-Dubz star believed reporter Mr Mahmood to be at the glizty Cannes film festival when she made the five-minute call to the undercover journalist on May 21 last year.
The court heard Gareth Varey gave Tulisa the undercover reporter's mobile number.
Mr Mahmood told Contostavlos: "Tulisa, you should come, you will certainly be here next year at Cannes. We're on the red carpet.
"Maybe we'll get you to turn up here anyway, the whole of Hollywood is here, certainly next year we'll get you here. I'm coming back to London tomorrow for a couple of days'.
Contostavlos then replied 'mazeballs!' before promising to arrange for Mr Mahmood a 'lads night out'.
When asked about white sweets, Contostavlos said: 'Definitely yeah, on the day. I will get it sorted'.
Mr Cray said that the reference to white sweets was Contostavlos' agreed codeword for cocaine and that she codenamed cannabis as 'green sweets'.
Contostavlos then texted Mr Varey: 'Need 2 hook up 2 nits out in a row 4 these dudes.
'And some white sweets'.
As they break for lunch, here's a round-up of what we know so far:
* Former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos brokered an £800 cocaine deal for a reporter posing as a film producer because she wanted to be a movie star, a court heard.
* The reporter told the singer's agent he could get her to Hollywood and that she could star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in a 'big production'.
* Jurors heard the ex N-Dubz singer then arranged for her rapper friend Michael Coombs, 36, to hand Mr Mahmood cocaine at the Dorchester Hotel.
* On Monday Coombs pleaded guilty to supplying half an ounce (13.9g) of cocaine - which tests later showed was at 37% purity.
* Tulisa allegedly boasted that she could "sort out" drugs for a boys' night out at a London strip club she was arranging for him.
* Jurors were then played a recording of a phone call between Tulisa and Mr Mahmood in which the singer said she would 'get him sorted' for white sweets, her code for cocaine.
Earlier this morning Mr Cray warned the jury to keep their "feet firmly on the ground" when considering the case, and not be swayed by the glitz and glamour of "showbusiness, journalism and the world of celebrity".
He said: "Trips to Las Vegas, expensive hotel bars and restaurants in the West End of London are not the sort of life that most people routinely come across.
"But a moment's thought will make you realise the defendant deserves to be judged by the same fair standards that anyone coming before these courts is entitled to.
"Therefore, we suggest that you should put all the glitz and publicity to one side."
Tulisa denies helping an undercover reporter to obtain 0.5oz (13.9g) of the Class A drug.
Tulisa was arrested last June and in a written statement said she had spoken to Mr Mahmood in an "exaggerated manner" and was "playing a role", the court heard.
"The impression given in the Sun newspaper is misleading," she told police.
"My words have been taken out of context.
"I'm not a drug dealer. I didn't initiate the supply of drugs to the Sun journalist."
Before breaking for lunch the court heard that there was an exchange of text messages and calls between Tulisa, Coombs, and Mr Bailey on May 22.
She then texted Mr Mahmood: 'I have a number for u to call my good friend that will sort u out. Give me a ring in a bit'.
After a few failed calls to Mr Mahmood, the undercover reporter phoned Tulisa and told her he had just been praying in a Hindu temple with an actor who had been 'chanting and praying' on the flight back from Cannes.
The former N-Dubz singer then confided in Mr Mahmood that she had just broken up with her then boyfriend, a footballer, believed to be former Newcastle United star Danny Simpson.
Mr Cray said the exchanges showed that Mr Mahmood had 'completely convinced' Tulisa he was a major film producer.
Jurors heard the wannabe actor texted Mr Mahmood's Coombs number and instructed him on what he should say when asking for cocaine.
She said: 'You say "hi, it's me, it's Tulisa's friend and I'm calling about white sweets"'.


text:
With Instructables you can share what you make with the world, and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.
Quick and easy, this low calorie dish can be an appetizer or snack. Ingredients: - Half a pound of button mushrooms - 2 teaspoons on olive oil - ...
None (All Rights Reserved)
Portobello Mushroom with Grilled Feta Burgerby ChrysN
Baked Brie Topped with Caramelized Mushrooms (makes 4 servings)by cryslynn
Feta Cheese Cups with Herbs - Cook n' Bake by Cook-n-Bake
Zataar Tomato and Balsamic Reduction with Mushroomsby HabibasBeloved
Caprese Salad Skewersby Jewella DeVille
Join 2 million + to receive instant DIY inspiration in your inbox.
Download our apps!
© 2016 Autodesk, Inc.