Lost 133 years ago, a portrait of Dickens was bought for $ 225 thousand

26.07.2019

The London Museum of Charles Dickens managed to redeem a portrait of the writer who mysteriously disappeared more than 130 years ago. About this writes The Guardian.

This is a miniature of the work of artist Margaret Gillis, who captured Dickens when he was 31 years old. In 1886, Gillis announced that the portrait had mysteriously disappeared. The public was able to see it only once – at the exhibition of the Royal Academy in 1844.

It is known that the portrait was found at a flea market in South Africa among the trinkets. After that, the writer’s museum decided to buy the painting from its new owners.

The amount of the transaction was about 225 thousand dollars (180 thousand British pounds). The sponsors helped to raise the money. They thanked for the generosity in the museum. “We are pleased that the portrait will” return home “,” said museum director Cindy Sagru.

Source: https://ukraineartnews.com/news/auction/propavshij-133-goda-nazad-portret-dikkensa-vykupili-za-225-tysjach

The court in the Netherlands could not decide the fate of Scythian gold

24.07.2019

The Amsterdam Court of Appeal requests additional information on the dispute between Ukraine and the Crimean museums through the so-called Scythian gold. It is planned that the final decision can be made by the court in 6-9 months.

In a press release, the court reported that the parties presented their views with explanations and thoughts of experts, but the Court of Appeal, additional information is needed.

“The parties have two months to provide the requested information. Then the court will review the case. The final decision can be expected in 6-9 months,” the court decided.

By the time the final decision is made, gold continues to remain in the Allard Pearson Museum.

What is “Scythian gold” and why are they arguing over it? This is a collection of exhibits of one Kyiv and four Crimean museums. She was taken to an exhibition in Europe in February 2014, before the Crimean annexation of Russia.
The exhibition was held in German Bonne and then moved to Amsterdam. After the exhibition, 19 exhibits from the Kyiv Museum of Historical Treasures were returned. The rest – has become the subject of a dispute between Ukraine and Russia.

Among the exhibits are artifacts from Scythian gold, precious stones and swords of ancient Greeks and Scythians. The total insurance cost of 565 exhibits (2111 museum items) – more than 1.4 million euros.

The Crimean museums, which are currently subject to the Russian authorities, demanded that the Netherlands return the exhibits to them. Against this was the Ukrainian side. Taking into account that the treasures belong not to specific museums, but to the museum fund of Ukraine, the Netherlands party refused to return them at all and handed the case to court.

The first drawing of Gauguin sold at auction in France

16.07.2019

The first drawing of Gauguin sold at auction in France

The first drawing of the artist Paul Gauguin was sold at an auction Rouillac in France for 80 thousand euros.

It is reported by the newspaper Le Matin.

The drawing of 1865, which was signed by the artist, shows the Swiss chalet Erlenbach im Simmental in the Bernese Oberland region.

Drawing acquired a French entrepreneur.

Source: https://ukraineartnews.com/news/auction/pervyj-risunok-gogena-prodali-na-auktsione-vo-frantsii

Media mogul Patrick Drahi acquired Sotheby’s for $ 3.7 billion

20.06.2019

Thus, Sotheby’s, whose shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange for 31 years, will once again become a private company

BidFair USA, owned by French-Israeli media mogul and collector Patrick Drahi, will acquire Sotheby’s from the shareholder group for about $ 3.7 billion.

According to Drahi, he fully trusts Sotheby’s current leadership and “does not plan to make any changes to the company’s strategy.” He adds: “This is a very long-term investment that I make for my family through my personal holding company. Financially, it has nothing to do with Altice Europe or Altice USA. ”

Drahi notes that the purchase will use the funding recommended and provided by BNP Paribas, as well as its own funds. “I do not intend to sell shares of Altice Europe NV; I intend to monetize a small part of Altice USA shares in the amount of up to $ 400 million by the end of the year, ”he said.

 Patrick Drahi Photo: Ecole Polytechnique Université Paris-Saclay – Fondation de l’École Polytechnique (FX)

After the announcement of the transaction, the value of Sotheby’s shares increased by 57% and at the time of writing this article was approximately $ 55.70.

All shareholders, including the company’s employees, will receive $ 57 per share, which is 61% higher than the quotes at the close of trading on June 14. This is “a significant increase in market value for our shareholders,” says a press release from Sotheby’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, Domenico De Sole.

Thus, Sotheby’s, whose shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange for 31 years, will once again become a private company, like its competitor Christie’s, owned by another French billionaire since 1999, Francois Pinot.

Sotheby’s has been a public company since 1977 until it was acquired by Alfred Taubman in 1983. However, soon, already in 1988, he again brought the company’s shares to the exchange. In 2006, the company changed its name from Sotheby’s Holdings, Inc. at Sotheby’s.

Defiant, frank – and very expensive Egon Schiele

14.06.2019

Sky-high prices limit the market of Egon Schiele, whose recent exhibition at Art Basel in Hong Kong was insured for as much as $ 100 million

 Egon Schiele. “Eva Freund in a blue hat.” 1910. Photo: Art Basel

In March, the London dealer Richard Neiji took a bold step by dedicating his entire booth at the Art Basel fair in Hong Kong to Egon Schiele (1890–1918), exposing 40 of his works insured for an impressive total amount of $ 100 million. New York, which carries on Art Basel in Basel, a selection of brilliant graphics of the artist. If the Western audience has the name Schiele at the hearing, then in Asia they are not so familiar with the works of one of the leading representatives of Austrian expressionism.

In the frank and defiant works of Egon Schiele, there is a lot of undisguised sexuality (the artist was even sentenced to a short prison term for displaying erotic drawings). “Schiele explores human nature at the most basic level,” says Neiji. “In most cases, there is even no background in his drawings … all attention is focused on the figure.”

Schiele’s work market is very limited, primarily due to high prices. At the Neiji stand, they started at $ 100,000 and reached $ 12 million — not the most comfortable entry point for young collectors. In addition, to fully appreciate Schiele, requires deep knowledge: the refinement and tenderness of a number of drawings are easily overlooked by anxiety and physical tension.

 Egon Schiele. Results of the auctions 1976–2018 Red: the average price in million pounds sterling and the dynamics of prices in the upper segment of the market (painting prevails).
Blue: the average price in thousands of pounds sterling and the dynamics of prices in the lower segment of the market (mainly graphics). According to Art Market Research. In the background: a drawing by Schiele “Adel” (1917)

As shown by data on auction results Schiele, collected Art Market Research, in 2000 there was a sharp jump in prices for his works. In the period from 2000 to 2017, they increased by 1122.9%.

“In the 1940s, Schiele could be bought for only $ 20, in the 1950s – for $ 100,” says expert Jane Callier, author of the artist’s catalog, and director of the New York Galerie St. Etienne, founded by her grandfather Otto in 1939.

Schiele’s paintings in oil are valued above all else, much rarer (2% of all auction sales) than works on paper. The auction record for his painting was set in June 2011 at Sotheby’s London auction, when the painting “Houses with colorful linen” (“Suburb II”) (1914) went under the hammer for £ 24.7 million ($ 39.8 million), having packed in the estimate of £ 22-30 million (unlike the results of the auction, the presale estimate does not include commission). But in 2017, two other canvases at auctions failed. Danae (1909) was removed from Sotheby’s New York trading, its estimate of $ 30–40 million was considered too high for the work, where the influence of teacher Schiele Gustav Klimt is too obvious. Another well-known oil painting, “House in the Mountains” (1915) remained unsold, again, most likely, overvalued by the auction organizers (estimate of £ 20–30 million).

As for the works of Schiele on paper (25% of all auction sales), in this category the price record set at London Sotheby’s in 2013, the picture “Lovers” (“Self-portrait with the Valley”) (1914 or 1915), sold for £ 7 , 9 million ($ 12.3 million).

Neiji and Callier agree that the deficit is the main problem of this market and that the situation is getting worse over the years. “Today, no one will be able to collect a collection of the level that belongs to the Leopold Museum in Vienna,” says Callier.

 Egon Schiele. Reclining naked man (“Self-portrait”). 1910. Richard Nagy Gallery. Photo: Art Basel

Collectors should pay attention to two things. The first – provenance. During the Second World War, part of the work of Schiele was illegally confiscated by the Nazis. Accordingly, it is necessary to check with the catalog-reason and carefully check who owned the work in the 1930s – 1940s.

Sometimes, if it turns out that the work was illegally seized during the war, the new owners manage to reach an agreement with the descendants of those to whom it once belonged. For example, in November 2018, the City at Dusk (Small City II) (1913), once confiscated and eventually returned to family law, was sold at Sotheby’s in New York for $ 24.6 million. owners.

The second problem is authenticity. The market is full of fakes, Callier says he sees them about one per week. “Fortunately, most of the fakes are eliminated at the initial stage, before they have made much progress in the food chain, and the reason directory serves as reliable protection,” she notes. In addition, there are works that, after the death of Schiele, were painted by the husband of his sister, Anton Peschka; they are valued far less than works created entirely by Schiele.

The content of individual items of Schiele with their frank nudity may seem inappropriate to the bearers of the Asian mentality, but Neiji recalls: “In Japan, there is a bright tradition of syungi (erotic drawing. – TANR), she gets on well with the restrained behavior of the Japanese in society, and I do not think with other private buyers, the situation is different … the attractiveness of eroticism is universal. ” At the same time, according to him, the naturalistic and recognizable works of 1917-1918 are recently sold for big money to “trophy hunters”, while true connoisseurs of Schiele prefer more complex expressionist works of 1910-1912.

 Egon Schiele. “Portrait of Carl Raininghouse.” 1910. Richard Nagy Gallery. Photo: Art Basel

“There are so-called trophy collectors, they need only the“ very-most ”, as a result, the prices of such works soar to the skies, dividing the market into two parts. And in its lower segment there are very good deals that are made by experts who understand Schiele’s work more deeply, ”says Callier.

With regard to the demand for Schiele in Asia, Neiji says that he already has several Chinese collectors, “though quite a bit.” Be that as it may, when at Sotheby’s auction in London on February 26 “Fishing Boat in Trieste” (1912) was sold for exceeding the estimate of £ 10.7 million ($ 14 million), the main competitors of the participant who bought the lot were, according to the auction house from Asia. Neiji says he decided to bring Schiele to Hong Kong in the hope of finding new collectors as well as “popularize the artist.”

Following the year of Leonardo will come the year of Raphael

12.06.2019

For 2020, the year of the 500th anniversary of the death of Raphael, several exhibitions are planned, the largest of which will be held in Rome

 Raphael. “Athens School”. 1509-1511. Fragment of fresco. The Vatican. Photo: Vatican Museums

Immediately after a series of exhibitions dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, the largest of which opens this autumn in the Louvre in Paris (October 24, 2019 – February 24, 2020), we are waiting for the 500th anniversary of the death of another great Renaissance master – Raphael Santi.

Raphael died in Rome, where he spent the last decade of life. During this period, he received the bulk of orders from the papal court, including the painting of the pontiff’s chambers in the Vatican – the famous Raphael stations. The master of portraiture and images of the Madonnas, Raphael, together with Leonardo and Michelangelo, are among the three titans of the High Renaissance.

Unlike both of his fellow competitors who survived to old age, Rafael died at the age of 37 years on April 6, 1520. The general public is familiar with his face from his early self-portraits, full of youthful energy. In the artist’s hometown, Urbino, the anniversary exhibition “Raphael and his friends from Urbino” will open in October this year. In the National Gallery of Marche, Raphael’s early work will be presented in the context of the works of other painters who worked at the brilliant court of the Duke of Urbinsky.

And as always, on the eve of anniversaries of famous artists, there is a struggle between world museums for the right to exhibit their landmark works.

Anyway, the most important exhibition of the anniversary year will be held in Rome in Scuderie del Quirinale – the former papal stables at the Quirinal Palace – the gallery run by the Italian Ministry of Culture (tentatively from March 5 to June 14, 2020). This exhibition space is entirely dependent on the rental of exhibits from third-party collections. The exhibition of Raphael is organized in conjunction with the Uffizi Gallery of Florence, where the main paintings will come from. It is not yet known exactly which works will leave Florence for Rome. The Uffizi collection contains such things as Raphael’s “Self-portrait” (1504–1506), started when the artist was barely 20, paired portraits of Agnolo Doni and his spouse Maddalena Strozzi (1504–1507), “Madonna and Goldfinch” (about 1506).

 Raphael. “Self-portrait”. 1504–1506. Photo: Gallerie Degli Uffizi

Another important venue of the anniversary year will be the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana Milan, which recently completed the restoration of large cardboard to the Vatican fresco “The School of Athens” (1509). The work was returned to the exhibition in March of this year.

As for other countries, it is expected that the master’s exhibition will be held next year by the London National Gallery, which houses 11 works by Raphael, but official announcements on this subject have not yet appeared. Another important London institution, the Victoria and Albert Museum, will focus on seven huge cartons to the trellis with scenes from the acts of the apostles Peter and Paul, which are in the permanent exhibition.

The Louvre does not plan to do a special exhibition dedicated to Raphael, but it is preparing an exhibition of works by the Italian Renaissance called “Body and Soul. Sculpture in Italy from Donatello to Michelangelo. 1460-1520, scheduled for spring 2020. Details will be announced later, but the museum expects to receive important exhibits from Italian collections.

Earlier this year, a diplomatic scandal broke out between France and Italy, when, contrary to the agreements reached, the Uffizi Gallery refused to confirm its consent to send a number of works of art to the Louvre at the exhibition about Leonardo. Apparently, the conflict was settled, and last month, Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Sergio Mattarella met in French Amboise, where Leonardo died in 1519 to honor the memorable date together. However, it is still unknown whether the legendary “Vitruvian Man” from the Venetian Academy Gallery will be brought to Paris and a self-portrait sketch from the Turin Royal Library.

Due to the problems that the Louvre and Leonardo have encountered, the negotiations on supporting the anniversary year of Raphael in Italy by the French side, without any doubt, are very complicated.

Anatoliy Krivolap’s and Igor Stupachenko’s “Ukrainian Identity” exhibition opened in Kiev

10.06.2019

 Anatoliy Krivolap and Igor Stupachenko

June 5 at 7:00 pm in the Kyiv City Art Gallery “Lavra” has opened of an art exhibition “Ukrainian Identity. Anatoliy Krivolap, Igor Stupachenko. Paintings of the Church of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin “. The exhibition will feature paintings on biblical themes for the Church of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Lipivka. The compositions are created by the famous Ukrainian painter Anatoly Krivolap, who heads the rating of the most successful Ukrainian artists, along with his colleague, monumental Igor Stupachenko.

The uniqueness of this exhibition is that visitors will be able to see the originals of the paintings that will be mounted in the church building after the exhibition. The exhibition will also feature paintings featuring the origins of an unconventional colored solution of traditional compositions by Anatoly Krivolap. The curators of the exhibition are Olesya Avramenko and Oleksiy Krivolap.

 Anatoly Krivolap

“A rational sense of the world to me is generally unpleasant. I “turn on” it only when I finish the picture. At first, it is a strong sensory release and only in the final, it must be organized mathematically “, – says Anatoly Krivolap.

In the ancient village of Lipivka, Makariv district of the Kyiv region, on the site of the Church of the Intercession, destroyed under Soviet rule, patronage of Bohdan Batruk was built a new temple with the same consecration – Pokrov the Blessed Virgin. The phenomenon of the paintings of the Church of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lipov is in a special co-ordinated co-creation of artists. Igor Stupachenko devised new technologies, created traditional compositions, preparing a stage series for visual filling of the temple. Anatoliy Krivolap assumed responsibility for the emotional filling of color and the height of the sound of color solutions, for the modern look and reaction to the old wills in the church built in the XXI century.

Bogdan Batruk: “In the colors of Anatoly Krivolap there is a mystery, that is, a mystery. The secret will be when time stops and you find yourself in the original cosmos of being-non-existence. ”

The exhibition will be accompanied by the book of the candidate of art critic Olesya Avramenko “Anatoly Krivolap, Igor Stupachenko. Covert Step I, which tracks, analyzes and accentuates the complex process of the actual solution of the paintings of the newly built church, as well as tells about their creators – from the priest, patron and the artists. The study, as well as in the exhibition itself, deals with the new approaches of artists to the creation of religious compositions and the concept of the functioning of sacred art in the modern world and the artistic creative field. The book outlines the idea of ​​Anatoly Krivolap and Igor Stupachenko and its implementation of the use of the latest materials for the decoration of the temple, as well as the laconicism and synthesis of images created by the artists, and the use of local open colors as the main component of the creation.

Olesya Avramenko, Ph.D., curator of the exhibition: “Anatoliy Krivolap in the paintings of this church concentrated and concentrated on the creative work of his life, in which he tame and tame the passionate acuity of his own attitude. Having an explosive temperament, he embodies it in colored ejections, clusters, and spots that glow and glow, and sometimes blinded by the eyes. He is interested in color for the ability to recreate deep and strong feelings. In the temple of paintings, Krivolap puts an abstract color so that it sounds like pure music deprived of the plot, becoming a driving force in the emotionally elevated reading of sacred compositions. ”

Tatyana Mironova, director of the art gallery “Lavra”: “The exhibition of works by Anatoly Krivolap is always an event for Kyiv. But this exhibition is special. In her, the artist appeals to the origins of Ukrainian spirituality and national identity. It combines historical and cultural heritage and contemporary art. I am sure that the project will become an event not only for Kyiv but also for the whole country. As the director of the municipal gallery Laura, I am proud that it is our space Anatoly Krivolap who chose to present such a large-scale and iconic project. ”

The exhibition will last from June 5 to July 14 from 12.00 to 19.00
Free entrance Lavra Art Gallery
street Lavrskaya, 1. Telephone for information on the work of the exhibition: +380 (44) 280 02 90

Ukrainian artist who has turned the standards into the art

06.06.2019

Andy Warhol was born in a poor family of emigrants from the Lemko village of Mikov and became one of the richest artists of his time. If in the childhood my mother Julia Zavadskaya for each finished drawing promised a bar of small chocolate, then it was difficult to find an artist who would work more.

In the list of artists whose paintings most often set records at auctions – his name stands next to Van Gogh and Picasso. The Eight Elvis Picture was sold for $ 116 million, Silver Vehicle Accident – $ 105 million, Turquoise Marilyn $ 96 million, Triple Elvis, and Green Vehicle Accident – $ 86 million.

But they say that Worl’s best creation is Andy Warhol himself. After all, his career is the unique case when successful marketing has enhanced talent. Want to be popular – here are some tips from the artist.

Break all templates.
Everyone around us thinks that art is ancient sculptures, pastel painting and realistic portraits? Then he puts the gallery pictures of cans with soup, packaging of rags for washing dishes or ordinary banana.

Everyday things he turns into artistic objects. This causes resonance and eventually attracts attention to the author.

At the beginning of his career, the artist thought that nobody would buy paintings with his appearance, so one day, abruptly changed the style.

 Andy Warhol at the beginning of the career

Started with a name: Andrew Wargol changed to Andy Warhol. Then plastic surgery on the nose and finally shopping. From now on, black turtlenecks and striped T-shirts, leather jackets or classic costumes. The artist quickly began to bark, so the white and silver wigs become the unchanging attribute. Plus a huge collection of glasses. And it does not matter that in New York from tens of thousands of artists, because Vorgola recognized immediately.

Warhol understood that he wanted to be an expensive author, and accordingly, his clients should be wealthy. The chances of getting orders grew rapidly if you personally meet those people. Therefore, the artist was a regular visitor to the cult club “Studio 54”, where the rich and famous were resting.

Frequently traveled by searching for potential customers abroad. In the 70-80 years among the rich people, it was a sign of a good tone to have a portrait of Vorgola.

The journalists haunted the artist, while in public he could not wait for the epithets. On the contrary, he behaved discreetly, like a shy boy. And the next day, Vorgal could have published a series of photos in female images or surprised by a new project. He then launched the Interview Magazine, produced musical bands, played the MTV program and filmed himself. Journalists have always had something to write about.

Vorgol loved the gadgets. Most of all, it’s a polaroid, which makes most of its photos. They were the basis for future paintings. Vorgol did not part with the camera – he said that he was in a visual diary. In fact, it was a kind of Instagram 40 years before its appearance.

Andy Warhol liked to be photographed.

When the computer appeared with the drawing program, the artist immediately realized that he could use it in the work.

Revolutionary in art, Vorhold was also very enterprising. By the way, he said: “Business is the most interesting form of art.”

Sotheby’s sells for £ 1 million a 12th century chess piece

04.06.2019

A 12th-century walrus tusk object, part of Lewis Island Chess, was discovered in Edinburgh by the heirs of an antiquary

 The chess piece put up for auction depicts a guard (the equivalent of a modern rook). Photo: Sotheby’s

The chess piece, which the Sotheby’s auction house valued at £ 1 million, was found when parsing property in a private apartment in Edinburgh, reports the BBC. It is part of the legendary set of chess, discovered on the island of Lewis in 1831, which are divided between the British Museum and the National Museum of Scotland. Scientists knew that five pieces were missing: one knight (the equivalent of a modern knight) and four guards (rooks). The figure found represents the guardian.

As it turned out, the grandfather of the current owners of the figure, an antique dealer, bought it for £ 5 in 1964 (as recorded in his account book) and had no idea about the true value and antiquity of the thing. For many years she was kept in the family, in a drawer, and was considered a kind of family amulet. Finally, however, one of the heirs decided to evaluate it. Sotheby’s expert Alexander Kader, who was brought this walrus-tusk product, says that he has “dropped his jaw” when he realized what he was holding.

 “Chess from Lewis Island”. British museum. Photo: Trustees of the British Museum

The item will be shown in Edinburgh and London at pre-auction shows. Bidding, where it can be purchased, is scheduled for July 2.

“Lewis Island Chess” is one of the most famous and ancient surviving sets, they are an important symbol of European civilization and play a big role in British culture, inspiring Joanne Rowling to one of the plot lines of the novel “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”.

Revelations of Lee Krasner, icons of abstract expressionism

30.05.2019

 Lee Krasner. New York, 1940. Photo: Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

A romantic project about an artist who, at the age of 14, chose her path to go through to the end, becoming an icon of abstract expressionism. Lee Krasner (1908–1984) ignored economic crises, the neglect of male colleagues, and the unspoken name “Pollock’s widow”. More than 100 works from museums and private collections show various Krasner: early self-portraits, the famous “Miniatures” of the 1940s, collages from broken early works, late abstractions. Lee (Lena) Krasner was born in Brooklyn in a family of Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire.

 Lee Krasner. “Imperative”. 1976. Photo: The Pollock-Krasner Foundation. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

Later she recalled that in her teens she didn’t like the words of the prayer about the fact that God created a man in his own image and a woman as he considered necessary. But Lee was lucky with his parents. They let her go to study at Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design. In November 1929, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) opened in New York, where Krasner first saw the works of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. But the Great Depression struck, galleries were closed. But according to the Roosevelt program of assistance to the population, artists were attracted to the design of public spaces. Krasner earned both professional and public reputation. Participating in union protest actions, she became acquainted with the prisons of New York. Then a novel and marriage with Jackson Pollock, his death, the continuation of active work in the general workshop in the vicinity of the Big Apple (160 paintings in 7 years). And global recognition in the end.

Barbican Arts Center
Lee Krasner. Vibrant color
May 30 – September 1