Events

28 May – After 22 years of restoration work, Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper is placed back on display in Milan, Italy.^[1]
July – After 158 years of an empty plinth, Mark Wallinger's Ecce Homo becomes the first work displayed on the Fourth plinth, Trafalgar Square, London.^[2]
11 December – After 19 years of work, restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescoes is completed in the Vatican City.^[3]
The Stuckism movement is founded by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson.
Discovery of Venus of Tan-Tan (300,000–500,000 BP) in Morocco, the earliest known artefact to show evidence of human artistic input.^[4]

Exhibitions

The Lion d'or (Golden Lion) for Lifetime Achievement: Louise Bourgeois (USA), Bruce Nauman (USA)
The Lion d'or for Best Pavilion: Monica Bonvicini, Bruna Esposito, Luisa Lambri, Paola Pivi, Grazia Toderi (Italy)

28 January – Markey Robinson, Irish painter (born 1918)
5 February – Nicholas Krushenick, American pop art painter (born 1929)
9 February – Richard Allen, American Minimalist, Abstract, Systems, Fundamental and Geometric painter (born 1933)
18 February – Andreas Feininger, French-born American photographer (born 1906)
10 March – Oswaldo Guayasamín, Ecuadorian painter and sculptor (born 1919)
15 March – Harry Callahan, American photographer (born 1912)
20 March – Patrick Heron, English painter, writer and designer (born 1920)
24 March – Ladjane Bandeira, Brazilian artist and journalist (born 1927)^[7]
29 March – Lucien Aigner, Hungarian photographer (born 1901)
24 April – Arthur Boyd, Australian painter and sculptor (born 1920)
2 May – Tibor Kalman, Hungarian-American graphic designer (born 1949)
12 May – Saul Steinberg, Romanian-born American cartoonist and illustrator (born 1914)
15 June – John Glashan, Scottish cartoonist, illustrator and playwright (born 1927)
19 June – Oton Gliha, Croatian painter (born 1914)
30 June – Edouard Boubat, French photographer (born 1923)

5 July – Thea Tewi, German-born American sculptor and lingerie designer (born 1902)
14 July – Władysław Hasior, Polish sculptor, painter and set designer (born 1928)
15 August – Hugh Casson, British architect, interior designer, artist, writer and broadcaster (born 1910)
21 August – Leo Castelli, Italian-American art dealer and gallerist (born 1907)
22 August – Yann Goulet, French sculptor, Breton nationalist and war-time collaborationist with Nazi Germany (born 1914)
30 August – Raymond Poïvet, French cartoonist (born 1910)
13 September – Miriam Davenport, American painter and sculptor (born 1915)
4 October – Bernard Buffet, French painter (born 1928)
23 October - Albert Tucker, Australian Expressionist painter (born 1914)
27 October – Charlotte Perriand, French architect and designer (born 1903)
4 November – Richard Clements, Australian painter (born 1951)
18 November
- Stephen Greene American painter (born 1917)
- Horst P. Horst, German American photographer (born 1906)
12 December – Paul Cadmus, American painter (born 1904)
28 December – Louis Féraud, French fashion designer and artist (born 1921)