Tag: Art History

Rare Porcelain from Imperial Russia by Philip Batenin

By on • ( 4 Comments )

This small bell shaped tea cup, manufactured in 1830s by the famous Batenin Porcelain Factory that belonged to a wealthy merchant Philip Batenin, is a perfect example of valuable antique porcelain from the Imperial Russia. The cup features one of the rarest views ever depicted on Batenin’s creations, the Smolny Cathedral on the Neva River, which is painted completely by hand.

A similar cylindrical cup with a view of the Smolny Cathedral was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in June 2007 for ยฃ2400. Another is located in the world-famous Hermitage Museum. Nowadays, Batenin’s porcelain is quite rare and highly prized among collectors.

How Russian Czar’s Library Ended Up In America

By on • ( 2 Comments )

Most people in the United States, Russia, and the World donโ€™t know that more than 2,500 volumes from the personal library of the Russia’s Royal Family are in the possession of the Library of Congress of the United States.

This priceless collection was formed in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburgโ€™s, Imperial Russia. It survived WWI, the 1917 Revolution as well as the Civil War that followed, eventually ending up in America.

This is the fascinating story of how it happened, told exclusively to the World Art News by a researcher who worked with these rare books.

Central and Eastern European Art: A Veiled Treasure

By on • ( 1 Comment )

The global Art market is undergoing change as the world continues its progression towards globalization. That specific change is the diversification of a predominantly Western Art market. This is phenomenal, but itโ€™s also about time because it means that the Art market is finally beginning to include and value Art of all the different cultures that make up humanity. Now, not every culture or type of Art is valued or held to the same caliber yet, but we are getting there.ย 

One of the regions that still appears to be struggling to break into the Art Market is Central and Eastern Europe. Which is problematic because it leaves a massive gap in our understanding of Art movements, and how we are where we are in contemporary Art today. So, in order to understand what Central and Eastern European Art is, you will first need to understand what distinguishes the region from the rest of Europe.ย 

Czeslaw Znamierowski: Multicultural Artist from the Soviet Union

By on • ( 2 Comments )

โ€œFor him there were no boundaries between nationalities. He readily made friends with the natives of any countryโ€ฆ. He was no stranger to Latvians, Lithuanians, Jews, Tatars, Karaites, Russians. He was ready to help everyone if possible.โ€

At a time of great division in the Eastern European community a lesson in multiculturalism, unity and brotherhood can be learned from an unusual person, a Soviet Lithuanian artist Czeslaw Znamierowski (23 May 1890 โ€“ 9 August 1977). He was born in Imperial Russia on Latvian territory into a Polish family. At the age of 32 he became a citizen of the Soviet Union and soon after moved permanently to Lithuania, where he lived until his last day.

Ilya Glazunov’s Russian Nationalism | Hokkaido University

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Although lately Western scholars have begun to pay attention to various manifestations of the rise of ethnic Russian nationalism as distinct from official “Soviet patriotism” they have virtually ignored the phenomenon of Il’ia Glazunov, a Soviet painter who is also a foremost protagonist of that nationalism. The chief reason for this lack of scholarly interest lies in the fact that not only has Glazunov been a controversial figure but he was also accused of Russian chauvinism, anti-Semitism, and of being a KGB agent.