Axel Rüger appointed head of Royal Academy

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Axel Rüger appointed head of Royal Academy | Axel Rüger will head the Royal Academy of Arts in London, replacing Charles Saumarez Smith as secretary and chief executive. Rüger, who was born in Germany, joins the institution from Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, where he has been director for over 10 years. Before that he was curator of Dutch paintings at the National Gallery in London. Rüger begins the new role in June.

Richard Green sued by US client over ‘high price’ of Old Masters | The dealer Richard Green is being sued by US investment tycoon Gary Klesch, who bought two Old Master paintings from the London gallery at TEFAF Maastricht in 2018. Klesch claims he would not have paid €3m for a Jan Brueghel the Elder and €2m for a Salomon van Ruysdael had he known the works had sold for €1.45m and $882,500 respectively the previous year. Klesch has filed a claim in the High Court, alleging this provenance information was undisclosed at the time of sale. In a statement the gallery said: ‘there are very good comparables for both artists that have appeared at auction before and since Mr Klesch’s purchase which justify the value placed upon them’.

Cindy Sherman awarded 2019 Max Beckmann Prize | The American photographer Cindy Sherman has won the 2019 Max Beckmann Prize. The €50,000 prize is awarded every three years by the city of Frankfurt, and honours outstanding achievements in painting, graphic art, sculpture or architecture. Sherman received the prize at a ceremony at Frankfurt’s city hall yesterday.

Blanton Museum of Art receives $20m gift from the Moody Foundation | Austin’s Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas has received a $20m gift from the Moody Foundation of Galveston, Texas. The donation, which was announced by museum director Simone Wicha and the university president Gregory L. Fenves, is intended for the renovation of the museum’s outdoor spaces.