Artwork conservation and restoration is a scientific field that necessitates a clear understanding of the term “conservation and restoration” and its purpose. This understanding helps us recognize its necessity and the significant contributions it makes to cultural, social, artistic, and historical spheres. It underscores the imperative need for the conservation and restoration of each work of art.
Imagine for a moment, that you are a miner in Siberia at the end of the nineteenth century, slogging with your colleagues through the moss-laden, muck-infused waters of the mire in search of gold, only to stumble upon something far more rare. This is precisely what occurred in 1890, within the Sverdlovsk region of Russiaโs Ural Mountains, when a team of laborers who were busy excavating a peat bog inadvertently discovered a strange and ornate wooden figure featuring an eerie human face. Resting at an approximate depth of four meters beneath the surface of the acidic, oxygen-low, and therefore anti-bacterial conditions of the bog that had preserved it, the mysterious object that would come to be known as the โShigir Idolโ (named after the Shigir bog it was found within) was discovered in a series of 10 fragments.
In a remarkable event at Bonhams 19th century and British Impressionist Art Sale today, an exquisite oil on canvas by Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844-1927) stole the spotlight, fetching an astonishing ยฃ1,379,000 ($1,760,000). The painting, titled ‘And she went and told them that she had been with Him as they mourned and wept’, is a part of Polenov’s renowned series, ‘The Life of Christ’. Initially estimated to sell for ยฃ400,000-600,000, the final price far exceeded expectations, marking a significant moment in the art world.
A rare oil painting by the Russian artist Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844-1927), part of a series titled ‘The Life of Christ,’ will take center stage at Bonhams’ upcoming 19th-century and British Impressionist Art Sale on March 20 at New Bond Street in London. Entitled ‘And she went and told them that she had been with Him as they mourned and wept,’ the artwork is expected to fetch between ยฃ400,000 and ยฃ600,000. Another painting from the same series, ‘There were also women looking from afar off,’ achieved a price of over ยฃ1.5 million at Bonhams last year.
While the popular knowledge about the Fabergรฉ is focused on the Imperial Easter Eggs, commissioned by the Russia Royal family and other famous patrons, the Igor Carl Fabergรฉ Foundation decided to offer a different approach by presenting “New Finds” and little known items as a point of departure for this exhibition. By presenting more than 100 pieces from private collections, the Igor Carl Fabergรฉ Foundation is offering a glimpse into the richness and versatility of the Fabergรฉ workshops.
Many collected rarities have not been previously shown in Switzerland or Europe at large and some are being presented for the first time!
The Foundation of Igor Carl Fabergรฉ, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, aims to raise awareness of the work and life of Carl Fabergรฉ during his time as a jeweler at the Imperial Court in St. Petersburg, Russia.
It brings together many books, publications, memorabilia, and other historic objects relating to his professional artistic activity.
The same aim also extends to his grandson, Igor Carl Fabergรฉ and his personal works of jewellery art.
The committee has decided to celebrate Foundationโs 40th anniversary as well as the date of passing of Igor Carl Fabergรฉ by bringing together collectors and enthusiasts from all over the world to their headquarters, where a unique exhibition will be held.
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.
Most people in the United States, Russia, and the World donโt 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. Petersburgโs, 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.
