Tag: European History

The Modigliani Affaire

By on • ( 2 Comments )

The death of Amedeo Modigliani and of his devoted partner Jeanne Hebuterne starts one of the most emblematic stories of the Art Market, which will lead the works of the unfortunate Tuscan artist to be subject of an โ€œexceptional enterprise of economic revaluationโ€.

The acme of the speculative operation has been reached with the auction award for 170,405,000 US dollars of the “Red Nude”, which previously belonged to Gualino Collection and to Feroldi Collection and then in 1950 was acquired by the art collector Gianni Mattioli thanks to the interest of his cousin, Fernanda Wittgens, the then Director of the Pinacoteca di Brera.

The valorization of Modigliani’s Work thus began in the โ€˜50s on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean: in Europe activities revolved around โ€œIl Milione Galleryโ€ in Milan and in Americaย around Museum of Modern Art in New York.

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.

The Bones of the Earth

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Stone is demanding in its application to art and architecture, requiring great effort and discipline to procure, move, and fashion. It is a subtractive process, where any mistake can prove fatal to the intended product, requiring meticulous care and attention to detail. The inherent properties of stone are that it is insulative, with generally low heat conductivity, and durable, with high compressive strength. As with all things in life, while it retains varying degrees of vulnerability to weathering and deterioration, stone is generally considered to be one of the most resistant materials in existence. These properties lend themselves to a compelling philosophical argument, that those who wish to live a life or build a world of enduring strength and beauty, should not only employ the use of stone in their craft, but model themselves after it as well.

Why Soviet Firearms are a Great Investment โ€“ Part 1: The SKS

By on • ( 1 Comment )

Despite its relatively short term as the Soviet Unionโ€™s main battle rifle, this has not diminished the SKS rifleโ€™s presence on the global market as an increasingly sought-after firearm that is both highly collectible and investible. There are in fact numerous reasons for this. The most readily apparent is the historical aspect. There is of course the SKS rifleโ€™s iconic status as a classic WWII and Cold War era firearm of the Soviet Union. There is also its extensive use by other countries across numerous conflicts throughout history, including the Chinese Civil War and the Vietnam War. To this day, the SKS remains in active, secondary, and ceremonial use across the world.

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.