[Евгений]

One of the best collectors of Russia, Mikhail Efremovich Perchenko talks about collecting. (From interview)
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Michael Efremovich, what principles you adhere to collecting?

- My personal collection is a very simple principle: I collect things all West European countries XV, XVI and XVII of the first half-century paintings and decorative arts: furniture, lighting fixtures, small items - ivory, silver, tin ... buy only things in the original performance : never buy a painting, where more than five percent of the restoration. Maximum - seven to ten percent, if the author - the greatest master.

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- Is it true that the interior of your home completely decorated in the style of the Renaissance?

- Yes, my house - the only one in Moscow, where every detail according to the rules of the Renaissance interior. Is that the kitchen - modern.

- Whether to live comfortably in such an interior?

- It is because we take all these things. Stored in cabinets ordinary household items - clothes, dishes, linens. For outerwear, there dressing room. I think the use of antiques has on them only a positive influence. I have a Florentine table, since XVI century. Because we are taking guests spilled on him wine and brandy, he only becomes more noble. You can cover the wooden surface of the wax - this is very well keep them safe from minor injuries.

- The main quality of this collector?

- "Relentless", ie the ability to reject "weak" things, no matter how attractive it may seem, in favor of more "severe". I never understood people who are sorry to part with things. Although I know the feeling, and especially - my wife: she gets used to things. I have twenty to twenty-five paintings, which I know for sure: they "hang" with me forever, because they can not be "better" - to find something else for the same price or the same quality. From the furniture I possess fifteen items of a similar level.

- Is this enough to create the interior?

- Look at what these objects. Is it possible to put in a room more than four of these cabinets? And yet - two Casson. Table, chairs. Even the big room "stand up" a maximum of eight to ten subjects.

- You said that you do not buy things in Russia ...

- Today, many began to be collected as soon as the "extra" one million dollars: go to the most expensive shop, becoming the most expensive umbrella Pares ... But it is not interesting: the professional (and collecting - a serious profession) will never pay for something as much as for her request . For example, I do not buy restorative items. And if buying - assemble such a collection of masterpieces!

In the world there are about a hundred experts who understand the Western European art, and I get things from them. So, I'm already familiar with three generations of a Western family, selling works of art from 1724. Their specialty - the old works of art in three countries: Flanders, Holland, Germany. These people do not do so, what is dealt with worse, although they can be found, for example, and Italian art. Or Moretti Italian family, where I knew my grandfather, father and son. Their profile - Italian Renaissance and medieval art.

- In your opinion, Western auctions - for collectors, amateurs?

- The world's biggest auctions are for professional dealers. Imagine: in the hall Sotheby's sitting three hundred professional art dealers. You will buy the thing, if known: either the author - not one or restoration - more than 10%. After all, for items up to 1887 Sotheby's «liable to the extent of their competence, that is, in fact - in contrast to the owner of private galleries - no responsibility. Last time, visiting Maastricht, I was very disappointed: there are many people selling substandard goods. The year before, for example, brought in $ 11 billion of works of art, and among them was not less than 30 questionable. This year, I see - trying to sell Russian: two Shishkin was - both from my point of view, false. There was also a fake Peruzhdini - "Portrait of a boy. And the prices there ... for example, the Venetian cabinet beginning of XVIII century - 600 thousand euros. A beautiful piece of furniture - but not enough to pay him that kind of money. Or the same Casson: I buy them for 20 thousand euros, and the Maastricht simplest Casson was worth 200 thousand.

- When purchasing works of art do you trust ...

- Myself and two other people. Besides me, of Western European art seriously in the country is not engaged in none.

A professional experts only two: SADC in Moscow and another man in St. Petersburg. I would not ask any attribution, if it does not require non-professional buyers gallery. People want guarantees, in fact - many of them insure things, and for the insurance needs assessment. It is usually determined in accordance with similar sales, focusing on auktsionnik or the Internet. Although for me the sale or evaluation of works of art on the Internet is totally unacceptable. Two ladies, for example, wanted to buy the same cup or plate - and it grows in value to one hundred thousand pounds. Terrible folly! In my opinion, the Internet harms sales of art. And personally, I would have never bought a piece of art to photos - I must see him "alive".

- It's no secret that Russia's government is preparing two laws designed to control the antiques market. In the near future art experts will be required to undergo gosattestatsiyu, in addition, is preparing a document that sets rules for trade in the shops and auctions ...

- In my opinion, the State has set itself an impossible task. Last year in the world on the official market sell works of art on the one hundred and fifty billion dollars - is ten billion more than they receive from the arms trade! And to control this edifice is unlikely anyone under force. In the West it has long understood. Legislation governing the antiques market in part, is available in two countries - Italy and France. Italy, for example, prohibits the export of works of art - due to the fact that its territory is 90%of these, the old art of world importance. In France there is a law that protects those who sell their collections - a unique document that do not allow old ladies to cheat: if you are buying lower a price more than doubled, the law allows you to judge. Two exceptions to the rules - the whole world.

Of course, public museums have the right to purchase at auction any item called for by the seller price - and with this "right of first night" No one argues, on auction no one raises their hands when traded museums. However, at a recent Sotheby's auction this rule ignored: broke the price that gave the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum, 2 times. As a result, the Louvre has spent 2 million euros to buy the sculpture of Messerschmidt XVIII century - a work, in my opinion, has no relationship to art. Question of the experts is not easy. Do the experts who decided to go gosattestatsiyu will be forced to withdraw from the museums? In Moscow, for example, attribution of Western European art deals with the head of foreign department of the Pushkin Museum Vadim Sadkov. And now he will have to choose: to remain or become a member of the museum of private experts.

- And if the law still will?

- In fact, it already had. However ... you know, in Russia "restricted to leave" remains only antiques. And personally I have seen in the country of the work that later proved to be at Sotheby's. Hence, there is contraband, and she encouraged - and this, rather than allow free circulation of art. Well, that now no longer take the toll from imported products. But again, if a work of art "goes" is not with you (for example, to carry my boxes with me physically impossible!) - You have to take 18%of value added tax - despite the fact that the thing purchased for yourself or even located the property a few years.

- What is your prediction ...

- Trade antiques state more "driven underground". As a result, as in Soviet times, all more or less valuable works of art will be sold "from the back room."

- And what it threatens private collectors?

- You know, destroy the private collecting was unable to Stalin, "underground" collectors were under Khrushchev and Brezhnev. Now they have not diminished, although the number of known collections - no assembly, namely the collection (a collection - it is strictly selected in accordance with a specific topic things of the highest standard and quality) - declined, in my opinion, nearly doubled. In addition, older collectors die, and about once every 25 years, collections are re-forming. So far we have once existed. It is unlikely that collectors and connoisseurs will be less.

ANNA MIROSHNICHENKO
Source: Journal Antik.Info "
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