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- The artist Lucien Smith died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl and oxycodone, stated the New York City medical examiner’s office.
- A French court has opened a criminal investigation after Paloma Ruiz-Picasso filed a complaint claiming “a large number” of reproductions of silver plates and gold medallions were made using Picasso’s molds without authorization.
- President Trump signed a proclamation Thursday to preserve the Oval Office as a national monument after he covered the room in gold décor.
The Headlines
CAUSE OF DEATH. The artist Lucien Smith died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl and oxycodone, stated the New York City medical examiner’s office Thursday, according to the New York Times. The 37-year-old artist was found dead in his Manhattan home on September 7. Smith became a market darling at a young age and had more recently focused on supporting emerging artists. His new series of Rain Paintings, made by spray painting with an air compressor, is now on display at Tripoli Gallery in Wainscott, NY, titled Delay of Game. “Lucien lives in a wordless place inside us now,” dealer Bill Powers, who showed Smith early on, told ARTnews in September.