Antiques of the northern capital of Stepan Petrovich Tyunin.

Stepan Petrovich Tyunin, the owner of an antique shop on Moss in the house 8, a person, not the last in the environment of the capital anktikvariev. True or False, but There is a legend about the impoverished boy, a unread walk to St. Petersburg from Luga food's sake. Come and challenge their completed successfully. He fell in what is called the "bread place - tavern on Apraksin market, and quickly identify where the smartest minds, glibness of language and the ability to subtly pleasing, and where necessary - and podsobit client business. The client at "Aprashke, as we know, been well versed in the art trade. So our hero began to acquire a taste for this difficult case, and further preklyuchilsya in it completely, as they say plunged head. Serious knowledge of the painting he received from the communication with the well-known artists. Advisor and mentor him in this case was the famous Nicholas cricket. Grown expert Tyunin in china - domestic, Western, Eastern, and that was a lot like not just in ancient ceramics. And then take it and tuck everything in the company of Baron K. H. Rausch Traubenberg trip to England, where he was something to see, but at the same time to demonstrate their knowledge in practice. Nous natural eye and made him a clever and successful competitor to many experienced antique dealers. Featured Tyunina and prudence and calmness; he was able, when necessary, for - big risk, but at the same time does not skimp on haggling obvious fakes - and it all usually held him quite smoothly. Sometimes it is difficult to understand where he was bluffing, and where to play fair. It is appropriate to recall one amusing episode, as set out in the metropolitan press in seredine1915 year. This is a picture supposedly of Rubens, the remainder after the death of a cashier OPH, collector and restorer Igor Vasiliev: "his widow, this picture has been submitted for examination and evaluation in several museums. Society for the Encouragement of Arts, through its committee of experts recognized the picture of a school-owned Rubens and praised her no more than 200 - 300 rubles. However, this view obviously did not agree to even a simple trader - a buyer-art Tyunin, who bought the other day, this canvas for 950 rubles. " After the revolution, this "Plain Dealer" moved to Moscow, where for many years without success, implemented the bulky cargo artistic curiosities, brought from Petrograd. That - some of this wealth in 1920 - years. Hit in Moscow museums - the Pushkin Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery.