John Richardson (1924–2019)

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

John Richardson (1924–2019) | John Richardson, the art historian best known for his multi-volume biography of Pablo Picasso, has died aged 95. Born in London, he attended the Slade School of Fine Art with the hope of becoming an artist before moving into writing and curating; in 1962, he organised an exhibition of Picasso’s work spanning nine galleries in New York. He was also active in the art market at points in his career, notably when setting up Christie’s in New York in 1964. The news of his death was first reported in the Art Newspaper, alongside a recent interview with Richardson.

Hiroshi Sugimoto to redesign Hirshhorn sculpture garden | Yesterday, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. announced that its board of trustees has approved plans to redesign the museum’s sculpture garden. First opened in 1974, the sculpture garden was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft, before undergoing renovations in the 1980s. The new concept for the design will be led by Hiroshi Sugimoto, who plans to reopen an underground passage and expand the sunken garden’s entrance so that it opens directly on to Washington’s National Mall.