The biggest art news of 2022 can be found, in our humble opinion, through our weekly newsletter. It’s been an interesting year filled with all kinds of curiosities, What The Heck Is It’s, and more. 

If you have no idea what we’re talking about, then clearly you’re not getting our weekly roundup of Curated Curiosities. We cover all kinds of topics from artists you’ve never heard of but should, strange artifacts that will make your jaw drop, and peculiar bits of art history. All of this is guaranteed to make you chuckle, and quite possibly make you a mildly more interesting!

Take a look at our subscriber’s favorite pieces of content this year to get a sneak peek, and be sure to sign up to get this content delivered to your inbox every Tuesday. 

1. Mira, Miro!

As Catalan as they come, Miro’s works were shaped by his upbringing in Barcelona and featured themes of Catalan independence. 

2. Out of The Trenches

Who is Arnold Rönnebeck, and more importantly, why should you care?

This German-American artist crossed oceans and continents during his colorful life. During his Parisian period, he regularly rubbed shoulders with Picasso and other famous contemporaries. Charming and affable, salons across Paris opened their doors to him.

3. WTH Is It: Ancient Enemies’ Tool

4. Can You Say Drrrrama

Anyone who says they don't like (other people's) drama is a saint, a liar, or both. Regardless, we’re bringing you the dirt.

For 500 years, we've believed de Vinci to be the undisputed author of one of the most recognizable paintings in history, but Madrid's Prado museum thinks differently. Some even claim the painting was done by his assistant (gasp!)

The allegation around Mundi's provenance comes as a heavy blow given that it was sold at auction for a jaw-dropping $450 MILLION.

To be fair, A) if you’re Da Vinci’s assistant, you’re probably not too shabby of an artist yourself, and B) if you have half a billion bucks floating around to drop on a piece of art, then this controversy probably didn’t break the bank (unless you spent all your hard-earned cash on a single investment, which would make us question your judgment.)

5. One Is the Loneliest Number

In this week’s What the Heck Is It?…

6. Is Too Psychedelic Even a Thing?

If any analogy could sum up Peter Max, it is perhaps the following. Once commissioned by the US government to create new border signs.

They were put on ice for being 'too psychedelic.' 

7. I’m Radioactive, Radioactive

Have you ever heard of Vaseline glass? It gets its name from its similarity in color to petroleum jelly. The glowing yellows and greens that make this glass unique comes from a radioactive element that has been used in glassware as far back as 79 A.D.

Uranium! 

8. WTH is it? Rock Me Like a …

Did you know that the oldest wagon wheel (5,000 years+) was discovered in what is now Slovenia? 

Another wheely interesting bit about it is that it is considered one of mankind’s most important inventions. Wheels allowed us to carry goods for long distances, broaden trade networks, and access wider markets. This allowed craftspeople, farmers, and overall communities to thrive and grow.

9. Nobility Only, Please

Do you ever wonder how to tell if your silver is real silver? Impress your friends with these shiny new facts we’ll drop on you.

Silver and gold are all called noble metals. Surprisingly not because only nobility could afford them, but rather because noble elements, or noble metals, are those that resist oxidation and corrosion and are also found in a free state on the earth’s crust. Other noble metals include platinum and copper.

So how can you tell that you have true nobility on your hands? When it comes to silver, it can be tricky. There are culprits like silver-plated metals that could easily pass for real silver but, unfortunately, don’t have much resale value. Silver plated items are made by taking a base metal like nickel, copper, or pewter, then coating it with silver.

What other tricks do we have up our sleeve?

• Magnet trick - if your precious piece is silver, it will resist the magnet’s powerful forces

• Look for wear & tear - silver coating tends to wear off over time

• Drop a little bleach on it - a bit risky because if it’s not real silver, it will show its true colors

Now you’re an expert in metal-spotting!

10. Keeping Up with the Kashans

Have you ever heard of the silk road? Not the one on the dark web, you dilettante! We mean the trade paths that breathed life across East and West, pumping goods and services like oxygen from one country to the next for over 1,400 years.

11. Grab You By The Gondolas

12. You’re Goblin It Up

We were told to write about something monstrous, turns out we’re not good listeners and it was actually monstrance. Monstrance means ‘to show’ in Latin. So what are we going to do with all of these horrendous puns? Show them off, of course. 🤷‍♀️ (We have a pun first, apologies later policy around here.)

13. Checkmate aka Shah Mat

The lot featured in this video appears in our May auction; a dreamy example of one of the oldest games in existence. The oldest archeological remains that resemble chess were found in South Asia, dating back to 2000-3000 B.C.

The earliest true evidence of the origins of chess date back to 600 AD in Persia, where the game called chaturanga made a name for itself. This Sanskrit word meant four-limbed, representing infantry, elephantry, cavalry, and chariot. Chatarunga spread slowly, like ink on paper, throughout the known world before maturing into the game we are familiar with approximately around the 16th century. 

14. Death and Taxidermy 🐀

2022 Curiosities Wrapped

That’s our top picks for 2022s curated curiosities. We hope you’ve had a great year, wishing you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! If you haven’t signed up to the newsletter yet, you can do so by following the button below. 2023 is sure to be full of even more Curated Curiosities!