The Sydney Morning Herald has the news:
Australian art critic Robert Hughes has passed away in New York after a battle with illness. He was 74.
A statement from his wife, Doris Downes Hughes, released today from New York City said she was with her husband when he passed away peacefully at the Calvary Hospital about 3.40pm local time in the Bronx, New York.
Art Critic Robert Hughes Dies in New York at 74 (Sydney Morning Herald)