1997 in art

List of years in art (Table)
	… 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • ; 1994 • 1995 • 1996 – 1997 – 1998 • 1999 • 2000 •; 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 …
Related time period or subjects
	… 1994 • 1995 • 1996 – 1997 – 1998 • 1999 • 2000 …; … 1960s • 1970s • 1980s – 1990s – 2000s • 2010s • 2020s …; … 19th century – 20th century – 21st century …
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[edit] Events

27 January – It is revealed that French museums had nearly 2,000 pieces of art that had been stolen by Nazis.
6 March – Pablo Picasso's Tête de Femme is stolen from a London gallery (recovered a week later).
27 April – Andrew Cunanan murders Jeffrey Trail, beginning a murder spree that will last until July and end with the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.

Puppy by Jeff Koons is moved from Sydney Harbour to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
Robert Colescott becomes the first African-American to represent the United States in a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennial.

2 February - Theodoros Stamos, Greek American abstract expressionist painter (b.1922).
7 March - Martin Kippenberger, German artist (b.1953).
11 March - Sam Golden, paint maker (b.1915).
19 March - Willem de Kooning, Dutch born American abstract expressionist painter (b.1904).
16 April - Roland Topor, French illustrator, painter, writer and filmmaker (b.1938).
20 April - Jean Louis, French costume designer (b.1907).
23 May - James Lee Byars, American artist (b.1932).

15 July - Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer, murdered (b.1946).
16 July - Dora Maar, French photographer, poet and painter, lover of Pablo Picasso (b.1907).
29 September - Roy Lichtenstein, American pop artist (b.1923).
22 October - Leonid Amalrik, Russian animator and animation director (b.1905).
16 December - Lillian Disney, American artist and wife of Walt Disney (b.1899).