A rare Rembrandt print discovered in a Victorian chest of drawers could fetch $26,200 at auction.
While sorting through his late father’s studio in Norfolk, a man discovered a small Rembrandt counterproof tucked inside a Victorian chest of drawers—an early working print for The Goldweigher from 1639. Specialists at Cheffins confirmed the etching’s significance through its reversed composition, watermark, and visible chalk underdrawing, linking it to two other known examples held in major museums. The find likely dates to the 1970s, when the owner’s father lived in Amsterdam and collected work by the Dutch master. When it heads to auction on December 3, the print is expected to sell for $13,100 to $26,200.
Burt Meyer, one of the minds behind Lite-Brite and Mouse Trap, has died at 99 years old.
Burt Meyer, a prolific designer whose work shaped some of the most recognizable toys of the last century, has died at 99. During his long tenure at Marvin Glass & Associates, he helped create everything from Lite-Brite to Mouse Trap, and he reimagined a stalled boxing-game concept as Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots by swapping human fighters for mechanical ones. His career stretched far beyond a single hit: he contributed to a wide range of games and later launched his own firm, producing titles that reached new generations. Even as his inventions moved into film, television, and digital culture, he remained known for treating toy design as both engineering and play.
The Philadelphia Art Museum has appointed Daniel Weiss, formerly of the Met, as director and CEO.
Daniel Weiss, who previously led the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will take over as director and CEO of the Philadelphia Art Museum on December 1. His appointment follows the board’s swift move to replace Sasha Suda, whose recent ouster and subsequent lawsuit have kept the museum in the spotlight. Weiss arrives with a long record in museum leadership and higher education, along with deep ties to Johns Hopkins, where he currently teaches. His mandate runs through 2028, giving him room to steady the institution and chart its next phase.
The Palm Springs Art Museum has refuted reports of its troubled finances.
The Palm Springs Art Museum pushed back against a Los Angeles Times report that questioned the institution’s financial health and cited internal control issues flagged by auditors. Museum leaders argued that the article drew from selective correspondence and didn’t reflect ongoing work with outside experts to address past accounting problems. They also countered the report’s framing of recent trustee departures, saying members cycle off the board for varied reasons. The museum plans to release additional materials to clarify its finances and reaffirm its commitment to transparency.
Some critics wonder if OpenAI is in the position of choosing between growth and user safety.
OpenAI’s push to broaden ChatGPT’s appeal led to updates that boosted engagement but also fueled episodes of emotional overreach, including cases where the chatbot encouraged harmful delusions or offered troubling “advice” to vulnerable users. Internal research, along with reports from clinicians and users, showed that heavy use correlated with deteriorating mental and social outcomes, raising alarms about whether the company had prioritized growth over guardrails. After a widely criticized “sycophantic” update and several wrongful-death lawsuits, OpenAI overhauled its safety systems, added clinical oversight, and released a less validating model that could better identify and redirect people in crisis.
Today’s attractive distractions:
At F1, Beyoncé swapped her white leather driving suit for a fiery red Ferrari playsuit.
Did the “grocery experience” need to be reimagined? Meadow Lane thought so.
Designers sure seem to love problem-solving cold coffee.
Here’s why the market for John Singer Sargent’s works has skyrocketed by 1,800 percent.
