Collectors

[Sandro]

Not able to overcome the desire to lay out on our forum story with neighboring
(thanks to antique-salon):

At the second stop after the Dresden in our compartment came an elderly gentleman. Greeted all, he stared at me and nodded to me once again emphasized, as a good friend. At first I did not recognize him, but no sooner had he uttered with a slight smile, his name, I immediately thought: it was one of the largest antique dealers in Berlin, where I in peacetime often viewed and bought old books and autographs. We talked a bit about that, about this. And suddenly, quite unexpectedly, he exclaimed:

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- I positively must tell you where I'm going. For my entire tridtsatisemiletnyuyu work to me, an old art dealer, has never led to experience anything like this. You know, of course, what is happening now in the antique business; since, like the light gases to volatilize was value for money, newly-made rich men conceived a passion for the Gothic Madonna, old books, to paintings and prints by old masters, to satisfy them there is no way that and look rastaschat all households. Give them free rein - they disconnected you from the cufflinks cuff and carry the lamp with the desk.
So razdobyvat product is becoming harder and harder. Excuse me, what I call the goods so sacred to us with you the treasures of art, but it is an evil tribe prior to bringing that engravings of ancient Venetian masters begin to be regarded as equivalent to a certain number of dollars, and Guercino drawing as a kind of incarnation of a few hundred thousand francs. From those afflicted with manic acquisitiveness people there is no salvation. So, one morning I saw that my shop again devastated, and my time was to close the shutters on the windows, so ashamed and sad to see the old shop, inherited my father inherited from his grandfather, the pathetic remnant of a rubbish which in former times, even junk dealer would not put on his cart.
Among these sad reflection it occurred to me to view the old trade books in the hope of finding someone from our previous buyers who have, perhaps, be able to lure a couple or two duplicates. But the list of old customers are generally, but especially in our time, something like a cemetery, so I borrowed from them is not very much: most of the previous customers had died or were forced to put their property up for auction, from the same few to stand, it was impossible to expect anything to pull. Suddenly I found a whole bunch of letters one of the oldest of our clients. I completely forgot about him, because since 1914, ie from the very beginning of World War II, he never turned to us with your order or request. His correspondence with our company has started - I'm not exaggerating - sixty years ago! He bought more for my father and grandfather, but since I started working independently, he has never visited our shop. All indications were that it was highly original, old-fashioned people, one of those immortalized with a brush and Menzel Spitzweg types, copies of which are rare and in these times can be found in small towns provitsialnyh Germany. His letters were written in calligraphic hand and very accurate, the amount of the line highlighted in red ink and to avoid any misunderstanding, repeated twice, and he used his letters, old envelopes turned inside out and wrote on the remaining letters from strangers clean sheets. All this, together with evidence of extreme pettiness and downright fanatical avarice hopeless provincial. Signed in these specific documents contain, besides the name, his full title: "Counselor of the forest and economic department, retired lieutenant, retired Commander of the Order of the Iron Cross first degree." It can be concluded that if he is still alive, then he, as a veteran of the Franco-Prussian War, now at least eighty years. But this absurdly strange miser showed truly outstanding intellect, excellent knowledge of the subject and the fine taste when it came to collecting. By counting one by one all of his purchases for nearly sixty years, the first of which was paid more silbergroschen old, I became convinced that this little provincial at the time when a thaler could buy a whole stack of prints of the best German masters, quietly formed a collection of prints that would take pride of place in a number of acclaimed collections of our newly made rich. For even what he had in half a century to buy on the cheap only for us, now represented great value, and yet I suppose, he never missed an opportunity to profit, and other antique dealers and auctions. However, since 1914 we have received from him a single order, but I know too well what happens in our business, so I could escape from the sale of such a large collection. So, either this strange man was still alive, or the collection is in the hands of his heirs, I decided.
It is so interested me that the very next day, that is, last night, I'm not thinking long, he went into one obnoxious provincial towns of Saxony, and when I dragged a small station on the main street, it seemed to me incredible. that somewhere here, among these vulgar little houses with their middle-class junk, could live person with impeccable complete collection of Rembrandt's finest etchings, engravings by Durer and Mantegna.
At the post office, where I went this morning to know whether living in this town Advisor Retired such and such, I, to his surprise, learned that the old man is still alive, and then, frankly, a bit nervously, went to see him. I easily found his apartment, she was placed on the second floor of one of those nemudrenyh provincial houses, which in the sixties hastily fashioned architects speculators. The first floor was occupied by a tailor, the second well on the door on the left, glistening metallic plate with the name of the postmaster, and the right - porcelain named Adviser of the forest and economic department. In my timid call immediately opened the door to a very old gray-haired woman in a neat black bonnet. I handed her my business card and asked if he could see Mr. adviser. Surprised, the apparent disbelief at first she looked at me, then at the card, in this wilderness, in this old-fashioned provincial parish house of a stranger was, apparently, the whole event. Nevertheless, the old lady kindly asked me to wait and went with the card in the room at first until I heard her whisper out, and suddenly there was a powerful, rumbling bass voice: "Ah!" Mr. R. from Berlin! .. From a large antiques firm .. . ... I'm very glad I ask. " And immediately the old zasemenila in the hall and invited me to enter.
I took off my coat and went. In the middle of the room was modestly furnished, standing at full height, the old, but still quite sturdy man, with thick, bristly mustache, trimmed in a cord jacket paramilitary home design, and happily stretched out my hands. But this gesture of genuine cordiality contradicted some strange stiffness of his pose. He did not take a step toward me, and to shake his outstretched hand, I am somewhat confused at this reception, had to come to him. And then, when I was about to touch his hand, I suddenly noticed that she stood motionless in the air and not seeking my own, but only waits. And I immediately all became clear: this man is blind.
Since my childhood I can not get rid of the strange feeling of embarrassment when they are face to face with the blind, and I feel shame and embarrassment at the thought that here before me a living person who sees me as something quite different than I did. So now, looking at staring into the void lifeless gray eyes under the shaggy eyebrows, I was forced to make an effort to suppress my fear was gripping. However, the blind man did not give me time to indulge in this feeling, just my hand touched his hand, he forcefully shook it and resumed his loud, tumultuous welcome.
- This is truly a rare visitor - a smile on his face, he roared, - in fact, is not it a miracle that wandered into our lair of such an important gentleman from Berlin ... However, if one of the gentlemen antiquarians embarks on a trip, you should keep a sharp lookout. We say: "They came Gypsies - Locked gates ..." I guess, why did you come for ... In our poor, poor Germany did not become buyers, so gentlemen antiquarians and remembered his old customer and went in search of strayed sheep. I am afraid only that I will not have the luck. We, the poor old pensioners are happy now too and so, if we have a piece of bread. We can not afford the current prices are crazy ... No, my song is sung ...
I hastened to reassure the old man that he had misunderstood the purpose of my visit and that I have not come then, to offer him my product, but simply turned out in these places and did not want to miss a chance to pay their respects to the old client of our firm and one of the largest German collectors.
As soon as I uttered the words "one of the largest German collectors," as old man's face miraculously transformed. He still stood upright in the middle of the room, but the whole somehow brightened, and the features of his face expressed the greatest pride, he turned in the direction where he supposed was his wife, as if to say: "You see!" - and gently, almost tenderly, in a voice which no trace of the boorishness of the old warriors, just words in it, but heard only the pure joy, turned to me:
- Really, it's very, very kind. ... Your side but you will not regret that come to me ... I'll show you some of these gizmos, which not every day something happens to see even in your presumptuous Berlin ... no more beautiful in the museum "Albertine", nor in this damned Paris ... Yes, sir, if the entire sixty years engaged in collecting, already bound to dig up such that not lying under their feet. Louise, give me the key to the cabinet.
But then something unexpected happened: the old lady still stood silently beside her husband, with a friendly smile while listening to our conversation, he suddenly reached out pleadingly to my hands and shook her head negatively, at first I did not understand what that meant.
Then she went to her husband, and gently took him by the shoulders and said:
- Hervartov, you have not even asked the guest, whether he has now is the time to inspect the collection, soon after noon. And after dinner you need to rest for an hour, the doctor insists on it. Could not it be better if you'll show engravings after dinner? And then we drink coffee together. Yes, and Anna-Marie will come to this time, but it is much better than I would be able to help you.
And again, over the head of an unsuspecting old man, she repeated her strongly-deprecatory gesture. Now I understood: the old lady wanted me to be evaded immediate inspection, and I immediately invented an excuse, saying that it was very flattered and would be happy to see the collection, but I was waiting for dinner, and I am unlikely to be free up to three hours.
The old man turned angrily away, as the offended child whose favorite toy taken away.

- Of course - he muttered, - "Gentlemen Berliners forever have no time! But be that as it may, but today you have to have patience, it is surely is not about some three or five, but the entire twenty-seven folders, and all polnehonki. So, in three hours, but look do not be late, or not have time.
Again, his hand is stretched out into the void in my expectation.
- And you'll see, - he added - you will find something to enjoy, and maybe tease a little, and the more you get angry, the more I will rejoice. Nothing can be done, since we are such, collectors: all for myself - nothing for the other n! - And he again strongly shook my hand.
The old woman went to take me to the door, I have already noticed that she was not alone; her face showed fear and confusion. And now at the door, she subdued and barely audibly murmured:
- Maybe ... Perhaps you will allow me to follow you gone, my daughter, Anna-Marie? .. So it would be better, because ... After all, you probably dine at the hotel?
- Please, I will be very glad ...-- I replied.
And indeed, an hour later, when I had finished dinner, a small restaurant at the hotel on Market Square came in, looking from side to side, middle-aged, simply dressed girl. I approached her, introduced himself and said he was ready to go to inspect the collection. She blushed, and suddenly, just as confused as her mother, asked me to first listen to a few words. It was clear that it is very difficult. When trying to overcome her embarrassment, she did attempt to speak, the color brighter poured down her face, his fingers nervously fiddling with a button on her dress. But finally it is still early, faltering at every word, and more and more confused:
- I sent you mother ... She told me everything, and we ... we ... we have a great request ... we want to warn you before you go to your father ... Father, of course, will show you his collection, but she ... You see ... it has not quite complete. Some prints are no longer ... and, unfortunately, very many ...
The girl caught her breath and suddenly, looking me straight in the eye, said quickly:
- I'll be quite frank with you. You know what now is the time, you'll understand. When the war started, his father went blind. He has in the past so often the case with bad eyes, and anxiety, he lost his sight completely. The fact that, despite his seventy-six years old, he is in no matter what was desired to participate in the campaign against France, and then when it turned out that the army is not moving as fast as in 1870, he was simply out of a went out and had lost his sight completely ... He is still very alert and has recently able to walk for hours and even went hunting. But he will now be deprived of that pleasure, and the collection - the only remaining in his life happy. Every day he looks at her ... that is, he can not see it, of course - he does not see anything - but every day after lunch, gets all the folders n gropes one after the other prints in the same invariable order, which he remembers by heart ... Nothing else interests him, he makes me read aloud to him all the newspaper reports about the auction, and the higher the prices listed there, the more he Rada-etsya ... because ... You see ... and in this horror ... father does not understand what time and what is happening with the money. He did not know that we are all lost and that his monthly pension can not live now and two days ... And then my sister's husband died at the front and she was left with four kids ... He said nothing, knows nothing about our financial difficulties. First, we save on what only can save even more than before, but it did not help. Then they began to sell things. His collection of course we did not touch ... They sold their jewelry, but, my God, it was such nonsense ... entire sixty years after the father of saved every penny spent only on the prints. And then came the day when we had nothing else to sell., We just do not know what to do ... and then ... Then my mother ... we decided to sell one woodcut ... He himself, of course, would never be allowed, but he does not know how hard it is to live, and he has no idea how hard it is to get out from under the floor at least some provisions, he does not know and what we lost war and gave the French Alsace and Lorraine, and we do not read him so that he is not worried.
The thing that we sold, was very valuable: it was engraved on copper by Rembrandt. We have been given for her knogo thousand marks, and we thought that this money will last us for several years. But you know how to melt away money now ... We put them in the bank, and after two months of them have nothing left. Had to sell another woodcut, and then another, and each time the vendor would send us the money only when they lose their value. We tried, we sell at auction, but here, despite the vast price, we managed to hold ... In the time it reached the millions of us, they turned into worthless paper. It gradually went away for a song all the best engraving, only a few pieces. And all in order not to starve to death, and his father did not know.
Because a mother now so frightened when you were with us ... Worth to his father to show you the folder - all at once to light ... In the old mat - he recognizes them in touch - we have invested instead of sold copies of prints or similar to them in the form of sheets of paper, so that touching them, the father of nothing guesses. This feeling and the roll of prints (he remembers them all in a row) gives him the same joy, as he used when he saw them sighted eyes. Moreover GG in our town there is not one man, whom his father would consider it worthy to see his treasure ... He was so passionately fond of each engraving that he probably would have ruptured the heart of grief, if he knew that they had long since sailed out of his hands. Since the dead head of the department of engravings on copper Dresden gallery, you - first, to whom he wished to show his collection. And I ask you ...
Suddenly she stretched out her hand to me, and her eyes filled with tears:
- We are very ... you ask! .. very! .. pity him ... pity on us ... not destroy the illusion of his ... help us to support his belief that all the engravings, which he will describe to you, there ... one suspect that they are not, would have killed him. Maybe we did wrong with him, but nothing we have not left. He had to somehow live ... and perhaps lives, perhaps no more than four orphans images ... Moreover, so far we have no way marred his happiness. Every day after lunch he was three hours of bliss, going through his prints and talking with them as human beings. And today ... this day could be the happiest of his life, because he had so many years waiting for an opportunity to show his treasures to someone who can appreciate them. Please ... beg ... not deprive him of that joy!
I just can not tell you, with what grief it was said. Lord, how many times I had as an antiquary to face with the most brazen deception, when using the mean inflation, the accident just a piece of bread were selected rare heirlooms - but this fate has played a particularly bad joke, which was particularly badly shocked me. Of course, I promised to keep quiet and do my best to hide the truth.
We departed on the way, I am painfully listened to her story about how, by what tricks have been fooled by the unfortunate woman, and this has further strengthened my intention to keep his promise. Before we ascend the stairs and take the door handle from inside the room came the thundering voice of joy the old man: - Come on in! "- Must be blind, with characteristic acuteness of hearing, he caught the sound of footsteps when we had climbed the stairs.
- Hervartov not even dozed off today, so he can not wait to show you their treasures - with a smile, "said the old woman. A single glance daughter was enough to reassure her about my behavior. On the table were already laid out piles of folders, and barely felt the touch of my hand, blind without unnecessary ceremonies grabbed me by the elbow and sat in a chair.
- So, I'll start without delay - see the 'need very much, and yet the gentlemen Berliners always busy. In this folder I Durer, quite full, as you now see, and a engraving better than another. Anyway, see for yourself, look! "- And he opened the first folder: - This is his" Big Horse ".
Carefully, barely touching the tips of his fingers, as is usually taken very fragile items, he took out a mat from a folder into which was inserted into an empty, yellowed by time, a sheet of paper and held it before his eyes in his outstretched hand. For a moment he enthusiastically and silently stared at him, saying he saw nothing, but, as if by magic, the old man's face assumed an expression of seeing. And his eyes are just completely lifeless, with fixed pupils, suddenly enlightened, they broke thought. Was it simply a reflection paper, or the light came from within?
- Well, how? - Proudly he asked .-- Sometimes you see something beautiful, this impression? See how delicately and clearly stands out every detail! I compared his copy with Dresden, and he seemed kind of vague, dull. And what is the pedigree! That's it! - He turned the page and the nail of his index finger so confidently began to drive to a blank paper, noting the places where they were to be tagging that I involuntarily looked, whether they really there to reality .-- This stamp collector, Nagler, and here Remi and Esdaylya, well, how could my famous predecessors assume that their property ever gets into a little room!
Chill ran down my skin, when it was unaware of his loss of the old man poured into fervent praise of completely blank sheet of paper; unspeakably terrifying it look like it with scrupulous precision fingertip led by an invisible, existing only in his imagination signs of previous owners of engraving . From the excitement in my throat and I could not utter a word in reply, but glanced casually at women, and seeing me tenderly outstretched hands trembling from fear of old women, I rallied and began to play a role .-- Wonderful! -- - I muttered .-- wonderful impression.
And immediately the old man's face beamed with pride.
- What's that! - He exulted .-- And you look at his "Melancholy" and "The Passion" in the paint - the second such instance in the world. " You take a look just what freshness, what are soft, juicy colors! - Once again, his finger lovingly ran on an imaginary figure .-- All Berlin, with all its art historians and antique dealers would turn upside down in envy if they saw it woodcut !
Loud, triumphant flow of his words flowed for two hours. No! I do not undertake to describe the truly mysterious horror that I experienced while watched with him a hundred or two blank pieces of paper and pathetic reproductions. An invisible, long since flown apart on all four sides of the collection continues with this amazing reality to live in the imagination of an old man that he is, without a moment's hesitation in strict sequence and in detail described and praised one another for all the engravings for the blind, deceived and such touching in their ignorance, man, it remained unchanged, and the passionate force of his vision was so great that even I began to instinctively resist this illusion. Only once did a terrible danger of awakening violated somnambular rest of his inspired contemplation. In extolling the embossing Rembrandt "Antiope" (it was about truly priceless printer's proofs), and lovingly leading her nerve, visions of imaginary lines with his finger, he found a smooth piece of paper so he knew recessions. Old man's face suddenly darkened, the voice became a hollow and uncertain .-- Yes "Antiope" Is it? "- He muttered in embarrassment. I immediately got down to business and, snatching it from his hands mat with a blank sheet, and began eagerly, and perhaps more to describe the imaginary woodcut, which itself perfectly remembered. Pale blind again smoothed, softened. And as I said, the face of the gruff old soldier brighter and brighter shone with ingenuous, sincere joy.

- Finally I met a man understands! - Triumphantly, turning toward women, he exulted .-- And finally, finally you can see how valuable my prints. You would not believe, grumbled at me that I squander on his collection of all the money: it is true, for sixty years, I did not know wine, or beer, no tobacco, no theater, no travel, no books, but all the accumulated and saved to buy these engravings. But wait, you will still be rich and when I am gone, you'll be as rich as the greatest riches in Dresden, richer than any in our city, and then that you remember his good word, my extravagance. But as long as I live, no engraving will come out of this house: first vynesut me, and only then my collection.
And he gently, like a living being stroked emptied the folder, I was terrified to look at him, but nevertheless it is encouraging, because for all the years of war, I never saw a German expression on his face is so complete, so pure bliss. Beside him stood his wife and daughter, and it was the mysterious similarities between them and the figures of women in the engraving of the great German master, who came to the tomb of the Savior and seeing that the stone was removed and the coffin was empty, stopped at the entrance to the joyous ecstasy confronted with a miracle with an expression of pious horror on their faces. And just as in an engraving followers of Christ, smiling through her tears, struck a premonition of the phenomenon of the savior, the same way this poor, crushed the life of an old woman and her aging daughter smiled, lit up by bright childish glee blind old man - that was a fantastic picture, like me did not lead seen in my life.
Old collector reveled in my praise, he eagerly caught every word, again and again, opening and closing folders, so I sighed with relief when at last he had to clear the table for coffee and lzhekollektsiya was removed. But how insignificant was my guilty sigh of relief as compared with overflowing joy and a cheerful defiance that seemed to thirty years rejuvenated the old man! He seemed drunk with wine: sprinkled with anecdotes about their purchases and successful discoveries, and kept jumping up from the table and dragged to the touch, refusing assistance to their folders, to once again pull out some engraving. And when I said that I must go, he was downright scared, pout and stamp upon, as a stubborn child, with his foot, he said that this was not the case, chgo I watched and half of all prints. A lot of pains to persuade the women did not keep me saying that I miss the train.
But when, after a desperate wrangling, the old man was forced to agree and came the moment of farewell, he's touched. Taking my hand, he gently, with all the eloquence in which your fingers can blind, held them up to the wrists, as if trying to learn so more about me and express my love is stronger than we could have done any words.
- You brought me great joy to their arrival, great! "- He said with a deep, emerging from the very depths of his being an excitement which touched me very deeply .-- It is a pleasure for me now, that finally, after such a long, long wait, I again was able to see from an expert on my favorite prints. But know that you are not in vain visited by a blind old man. I give you my word, my wife is a witness that will add to their legacy one more point that the right to a sale of my collection will belong to your esteemed company. On your lot falls the honor of being the keeper of nobody slave treasure - an old man lovingly stroked his devastated folders - as long as it does not dissipate in the wide world. Promise me only to make this collection a good catalog: let him be my gravestone - I'd rather not.
I looked at the women: they were standing, huddled close to each other, and at times nervously twitching, and trembling passed from one to another, as if both were single, shaken by the same sentient beings. Yes, and I myself was once an unusually solemn heart, when this pathetic in their ignorance, people handed over my care, as a great value, its invisible and has long been dispersed collection. I excitedly promised him that perform was not able to, and again in the dead pupils flashed his life, and I felt a passionate desire, he vividly imagine my face: he felt on the gentle, almost loving clasp of his fingers when his hand was clenched I was in a sign of farewell and gratitude
Both women led me to the door. Fearing the sensitivity of hearing the blind, they did not dare utter a word, but a warm gratitude shone with their tear-filled eyes! As in a dream, I went down the stairs. In truth, I was ashamed. I was suddenly something like an angel from a fairy tale, and went to the miserable abode of the poor, returned an hour blind, returned just that, contributing to saving the deception, all the while shamelessly lied to, whereas in fact I am pathetic huckster, came to this house to steal some valuable prints. November whisked out something far more valuable: in our dim, dreary time I re-flashed the living spark of pure inspiration, spiritual light of the ecstasy for ever the art of the soul, to which my contemporaries had long since lost the ability. I felt awe - other way to describe this feeling - and at the same time I was ashamed of something, what exactly, I do not know.
When I was on the street, upstairs window creaked and someone called me by my name: it was an old man, his unseeing eyes, he looked to where he thought I was supposed to be. So far leaning out of windows, that women had to carefully grab it with both sides, he waved a handkerchief and cheerful, youthful-ringing voice shouted: "Good luck!"
I shall never forget this scene: there, high up in the box, joyful face gray-haired old man, as if floating above the sullen, always bustling and concerned about pedestrians; face of a man and ascended into a white cloud their beautiful illusions of our sad reality. And I remembered a wise old saying - it seems that Goethe said: "Collectors - the happiest of men".

[Ninni]

Sandro,

Individual thank you Sandro for the story - he touched a lot of good in the soul ...

[патриот]

Thank you! Very touching ...

[Marjana]

Сообщение от Sandro

since, like the light gases to volatilize was value for money, newly-made rich men conceived a passion for the Gothic Madonna, old books, to paintings and prints by old masters, to satisfy them there is no way that any moment rastaschat all households. Give them free rein - they disconnected you from the cufflinks cuff and carry the lamp with the desk.

Figuratively and true
 

History is remarkable and the fact that m is once again convinced that collecting is a passion, all-consuming love, and prosperity - not the main thing ....

[Sandro]

Сообщение от Marjana

Figuratively and actually

 
very forward and I hope to make it topical! So far only - figuratively ...

[Tana]

Article is not new, some sort seven years ago, but I liked this interview, so decided to put it here:
Russian secret Yves Mikaeloffa

Paris Antiques
Russian secrets Yves Mikaeloffa
  
George KHABAROV
- Specifically for "Top Secret"
 
    
Yves Mikaeloff - an art dealer, decorator, esthete
  
In the Louvre in an atmosphere of deep secrecy is preparing for the next Biennale antiques, which opens in September. About a hundred of the world's largest antique dealers present at the salon its unique collection of works of art from ancient Egypt and the antiquity and ending with the middle of last century: painting, sculpture, furniture, tapestries, textiles, ancient manuscripts, jewelry. Priceless masterpieces and treasures will be able to purchase and private collectors and public museums. One of the organizers and participants of constant Biennale, 63-year-old Yves Mikaeloff - a unique personality. This is not only well-known antiquarian and decorator, but thin esthete, brilliantly educated man, a sculptor, painter, engineer, athlete-rounder and a member of the Russia Academy of Arts.

- Monsieur Mikaeloff like you, an engineer by training, became one of the leading antiquarians of Paris?

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- Grenoble University, where I studied, was led by a prominent physicist, Nobel Prize winner Louis Neil. He was interested in absolutely everything and was convinced that science and industry is also an art form, which always aroused interest in us, students.

- You are a man, absorbed the culture of the East and West, and your name sounds in Russian style ...

- Belonging to different cultures sometimes leads to the fact that a person is what is called a home among strangers, and strangers among friends. However, sometimes such interbreeding leads to surprising results. I am from a family of Persians. To our names were added to "off" for the reason that many well-known Persian family in their time to send their children to study in Russia's universities, and future officers studying at the St. Petersburg Cadet School. At that time, all were delighted with Russia's culture and education. My family at the beginning of last century, moved to France. And it is France was the promised land ...

- Do you feel the Persian roots?

- Of course, even though I do not know the language. But I learned the legacy of their historic homeland through music, dance, art.

- Recently in Paris at the auction were sold things that belonged to the late Princess Soraya Bakhtiari, who died in Paris last year. At the time, Shah Reza Pahlavi, with her divorce because she could not give him an heir. You do not currently have acquired?

- No, but I am with great nostalgia and, if you like, with a melancholy thought of this brilliant story of a woman, from which the Shah of Iran refused. He made a big mistake - probably the same as Napoleon, when abandoned Josephine to marry the daughter of the Austrian emperor. If Princess Soraya remained his wife, the fate of Iran, might have been different.

- Probably, it is difficult to "the street" to get into the closed world of antique dealing with the millions of values?

- See how to do it. In this world, which I do not think private, are important not only economic "indicators". Helps education, general culture, passion. It is much harder to fit into a market where there are castes, clans, competition, struggle.

- How did your career in the antiques field?

- It happened in London many years ago when I was in their ignorance did not even know that there are public auctions. Once my friend brought me to the auction Sotheby's, and I was so impressed for sale items, which bought exotic Ceylon trunk for travel, which keeps up to now.

- Chest was Ceylon, but as an art dealer you prefer XVIII century, which is considered to be the golden age of the monarchy ...

- In the tapestries, carpets, fabrics, I did not limit itself to this century. Buy everything from the era of the Copts, that is, II - III century BC, and until the present day. As for furniture, I prefer the French XVIII Century Furniture, as well as German, which is located in major Russian collections. This is really its golden age. That's when the furniture was the personification of art alive. An example of the greatest artistic innovations in the field of decorative arts - Bagatelle palace in the Bois de Boulogne, which used the latest style, form and materials.

- Master furniture-makers were exclusively in the service of King ...

- Then the kings served their country and civilization. Until his death in 1774 Louis XV of France led the way, in that era most people, the most advanced and the happiest country in Europe.

- You, by chance, not a monarchist?

- No. But I think that this regime in line with the needs of society. I do not feel nostalgia for the monarchy. Nevertheless, I believe that one of the key problems of today's life is the inability of people to find a form of social organization that best responds to the needs and aspirations of citizens.

- Is not that democracy?

- Of course, but in what form? In all countries, we see its imperfections. And here, I think, can play a big role is culture. Rulers should not be guided solely by economic theories, sometimes winding society to a standstill.

- You would prefer to live in the era of Louis?

    
Staircase decorated Yves Mikaeloffom New York mansion
  
- I have never been asked such a question. Eighteenth century - the time of brilliant ideas and the close ties between Russia and France. But I would be painfully witnessed the collapse of Louis XVI, the excesses of the French Revolution, with its horrific murders.

- "If we were talking about the Russo-French relations, let's talk about your findings, which you have enriched our museums. Fifteen years ago, you remember, was sold to the Hermitage wonderful tapestry ...

- For professional reasons, I have no right to disclose the secrets of his sales. I can only say that I found this tapestry in the United States. He was part of the history of Russo-French relations. Peter the Great had brought from Paris to St. Petersburg seven Lyons weavers, artisans who created the manufactory to produce tapestries. Niece of Peter, Anna Ivanovna, sitting on the throne, ordered the manufacture of a series of four tapestries on women. Three of them were in the Hermitage, and the last was from me. With the mediation of Directors of the Hermitage and Russian Museum, he, fortunately, returned home. These tapestries can trace the evolution of French tapestry style under the influence of Russian artistic genius.

- In your luckiest hands and tapestries were made from drawings by Raphael, now located in New York's Museum of the Metropolitan ...

- Once I arrived in London for the furniture, but I did not get it - it was bought by a Russian collector. Nearby you can sell two tapestry of unknown origin, which I with grief and acquired. After much research I discovered that they were executed from drawings by Raphael.

- As far as I know, you have enriched and a collection of Sevres porcelain in the Louvre?

- I replenished her large vase that belonged to the Medici - it produced on the occasion of the birth of the Dauphin - as well as the famous dinnerware blue-white color.

- Prospecting and acquiring masterpieces presuppose the existence of large capital ...

- In Paris, many antique shops were created from scratch. Today, there are big houses, grandiose public auction and really toss huge funds. There are large Marshal - art dealer. But there is a place for "ordinary" antique. They prey on those that are not interested in others, and are satisfied, as they say, small spools.

- At the last Biennale, I saw Madame Bernadette Chirac, whose husband enjoys the art of the East. She somehow has expanded its collection?

- Madame Chirac visited the exhibition on the grounds that the National Syndicate of Antiquaries traditionally conveys considerable resources to the Fund of the Paris hospitals, which she directs and which, inter alia, takes care of sick children.

- In one of the pavilions, I saw a series of paintings by Brueghel the Younger. There is no and in the Louvre ...

- At the Biennale of antique dealers came from the motherland Bruegel, a significant part of his life collecting dedicate this unique collection.

- Are any of your clients' Russian?

- Yes, we are working with several very large Russian collectors from Moscow, Paris, New York, London. For obvious reasons I can not give their names. In Russia, as you know, have appeared in recent years, a very wealthy family, fortunately, combining the wealth of cultural interest. Either they themselves come to the showrooms to buy antiques, or send their decorators. Their meeting in no way inferior to the best western collections.

- If the Americans continue to ravage Europe, export from the Old World great value?

- Indeed, over the past two years, according to statistics, 80 percent of all works of art that appear on the market, get in the United States. But your word "devastate" I do not like. The main thing - to works of art do not end up in countries where they are at risk. When I see in the Metropolitan having exceptional historical value of the desk of Louis XV, in which the king signed his most important decrees, it gives me joy. In my opinion, this is one of our best "ambassadors" on the other side of the Atlantic. Another example - an outstanding collection of French art in the Hermitage. How important is it, where it is?

- What is now considered antiques?

- We have established "bar" - in 1950. Although more recently, the border runs through the 1920 - 1930 years, when the bloom was exceptional decorative art. Fifties chosen, after the National Center for Arts and Culture named after Georges Pompidou carried out a large retrospective exhibition devoted to the era.

- It is hard to imagine that someday will be antiques, modern furniture, paintings, porcelain and other ...

- There is no doubt, will. Outstanding artists working today. I am currently doing design apartment in New York. It would be wonderful to decorate with modern furniture, made in France.

- Do you, I think, a dangerous profession. Recently arrested a French waiter, "collector", who ruled from various European museums for seven years, 172 works of art on the amount of two billion euro. In the center of Paris in broad daylight committed daring raids on the jewelry shop. Soon will reach up to antique ...

    
Yves Mikaeloff in flight
  
- I do not think, for the stolen antiques, although there are fabulous money, not sell. They are in all catalogs. Moreover, it is difficult to make furniture. Today, more often try to steal Impressionist paintings, and I'm not doing this epoch.

- Have you risk buying this or that thing?

- It is always a risk. I take risks when they bought the tapestry, which sold the Hermitage, or when the acquired unique furniture, then sold me to the Paris museum "Petit Palais". This is a risk because there is no time for a thorough study of what to buy. Most of all about all you have five minutes. Normally rely mainly on intuition. I happened to be wrong. But still, I prefer to make a bad buy, rather than miss something. The biggest disappointment in life come upon me, when I hesitated and not bought one thing and then found out what great value it represents. I will not even say what this thing is not to reopen old wounds.


- Are any of Antiquaries burnt on your business?

- I'm such cases are unknown. There are, of course, ruined antique dealers, but as a rule, for other reasons - because of the romance novels, hobbies, gambling.

- Probably not easy to reconcile art with commerce?

- Yes, it is not easy. It is necessary to have two contradictory if not mutually exclusive qualities. In our craft to be an artist, have a good taste, but at the time of tendering exercise even a little bit of madness, without which it never priobretesh truly priceless thing. I would compare with antiquarian jumper Sergei Bubka: to strive for such transcendent heights, must be a man desperate and obsessed. Thus, to keep his job well, you must have a cold intelligence, prudence. At a crucial moment in the antiquarian artist must give way to a businessman.

- How often do you fall into the hands of stolen works?

- It happened only once. Once the auction I bought a tapestry, which turned out to steal. Came to me its real owner, and together we have filed a lawsuit against the thief. Estimator tracked down this rogue. And I returned the money. As a rule, we never buy a thing without knowing its origin and not knowing the person to whom it belongs.

- Do I need special permission for export of masterpieces from France?

- In France, operates a good system, based on two criteria. The first - the price barrier. If the cost of the things listed below that barrier, no permission is not necessary. This does not apply to archival materials: here for the export of any document necessary permission. Second - each work of art is sold overseas, has a special passport. Before the sale, we show it to the museum. Museum experts issue an export permit, valid for five years. The same procedure as far as I know, there is in Russia.

- Several years ago a famous art critic Nicholas Khardzhiev had brought from Russia to Holland to his collection, which included several paintings of Malevich. He died, and the paintings have disappeared. Can Russia to return the paintings, if they exist?

- Undoubtedly. This removal is considered a crime without a statute of limitations. We have laws allowing the return valuable works of art illegally exported from the country's twenty, thirty or fifty years ago. So for you all is not lost.

- Is it possible to consider the acquisition of works of art as a profitable investment of capital?

- We should strictly distinguish between the concepts of "investing" and "work of art. Do not buy this or that thing only in the hope of a profitable investment. Russian merchants and collectors acquired remarkable pictures, not guided by short-term profits. They did it for my own pleasure, and thus helped to create and live artists. But already then these pictures are worth a fortune of money. When buying just for investment, it often is not justified.

- Where do you find rarities?

- I am looking for antiques everywhere, including in the Parisian flea market. Do not forget that, once the most famous works are over the centuries to become unknown. And our role is to be open again.

- Do you often lucky to find?

- Sometimes happens. Once I discovered in London in mediocre store, the album works by the artist, to whom Louis XV in 1735 ordered the interior drawings for the Palace of disabilities. This rare discovery later I bought the museum.

- Is there such a thing as a Russian antique dealers?

- Russian art is a great value and has always enjoyed success in Europe. But with the Russian antique dealers I have never been contacts. Unfortunately, this biennale Russia is not represented. And your antique dealers must participate in such international exhibitions.

- What's fashionable in antiques?

    
Yves Mikaeloff at the opening of antique Biennale 2001 in Monaco, along with representatives of the princely dynasty
  
- Our profession does not undergo significant evolution, but the fashion trend, of course, exist. For example, today is in high demand the eighteenth century, especially its ending. In painting, we begin to discover new masters - the disciples of famous masters. By the way, today in France and the United States a large demand for Russian art.

- Do you have special ties with Russia. In the late eighties, you help solve the problem with the pictures of Natalia Goncharova and Mikhail Larionov, who Tomilin, wife Larionov, bequeathed to Russia ...

- It was an amazing story. Mrs. Larionova, Tomilin, who died in Lausanne, bequeathed the entire collection in Russia. When one of the conditions was the establishment of a special museum in Moscow Goncharova and Larionov, that has not yet been done. In France, the meeting fell under the law of inheritance - in Russia could leave no more than 30 percent of the paintings, the rest were to stay here. At the request of the Ministry of Culture of Russia, I participated in the negotiations, which ended successfully. The French authorities have made concessions and agreed not to break up the collection. The remaining few paintings on display at the Center for Arts and Culture after Pompidou.

- That is, the French were the losers?

- France was right. Several years ago I visited the exhibition Goncharova and Larionov in the Tretyakov Gallery. And, looking at the audience's reaction, I realized that these pictures are where they should be. Now we are all waiting for, finally, Russia's government will fulfill the will of Mrs. Tomilina and create a museum. I hope our Russian friends have not forgotten the gesture, made by France.

- For what services you elected a member of the Russia Academy of Fine Arts?

- I think, was of great importance, my participation in the return of paintings by Goncharova and Larionov. In addition, I worked on the renovation of the building of the Tretyakov Gallery.

- You are not only an art dealer, but also known decorator. Which concept do you offer customers?

- I aspire to create such spaces, where a man and his family feel good. Often created wonderful interiors, which, however, impossible to live.

- You have to draw houses and apartments of rich Russian in Paris and other Western capitals?

- I recently visited a New York mansion, purchased Russian businessman. House beautifully decorated Russian architect and designer, using the style of the last century. I was in a very beautiful apartment on the Champs Elysees, owned by a major Russian businessman. It is they should be designed in the style of French XVIII century by adding a Russian sweep. I know many of your countrymen, have been raided in Paris to buy Russia's curiosities in antique shops.

- As far as I know, you are doing and sculpture ...

- There is a large exhibition of my sculptures in the open air in the Mediterranean town of Antibes. They were exhibited at the Biennale of Contemporary Art in Lyon. I am a secular life, and therefore remains a time for creativity.

- You are super-modern artist, and your installation does not look like your favorite XVIII century ...

- For me, sculpture - is a natural continuation of Craft antiquary. In his installations, I'm trying to transform, obzhit space. I think that nature needs to be the person who converts to a cozy feel to it.

- "The picture makes the one who looks", - said the artist Marcel Duchamp ...

- I really like this phrase. In its modern sculpture I strive for complete transparency. I like it when they sit down to a bird. I'm going to arrange a permanent exhibition of his sculptures on the nature of the plateau Lubéron that in the French Provence. There, I hope they will feel good in the trees, birds, rabbits, boars and other animals.

- But this is an ideal place to study decathlon - also your hobby ....

- Even in ancient times, sport was part of the culture. Here I do to him and am. All my life I do decathlon and has recently established a record of France for his age category.
 
  http://ts.omnicom.ru/2002/07/17.html

[Tana]

Khardzhiev Nikolai Ivanovich
Interesting story about collections and collectors Khardzhiev NI
This is a story about how you can build a collection without money, that the collector does not necessarily have to be rich, just have to be "in the right place at the right time."
Its very interesting personality, he compiled a Russian avant-garde, its history, all connected with it, but I did an inventory of the collection, if he retained for the collection of stories, why he sometimes it's "rules", even something removed or is was all the same investment?
He never bought anything from his collection, many of the materials he handed over the relatives and descendants, because Khardzhiev going to write the history of Russian avant-garde, about him writing that he was "an art historian, an expert on Russian avant-garde, literary historian, collector of archival material and works of art, but where's the story?
In my opinion, he agreed to give Russia part of the archive, konfiskovanogo in Sheremeteva, but forbade its publication for 25 years, how to understand it, maybe he was going to live longer, all these 25 years?
I can somehow determine their attitude toward him: rather, he was just obsessed with his collection, he wanted only one to possess all these riches, and he managed it throughout his life, but in the end everything turned out differently than he planned. ..
Imagine how many interesting things in this archive !!!!!
Poor Russian avant-garde, collected with such care Khardzhiev, its archive and collection of scattered (scatters) in the world ...
... can not say exactly what it was and so, its my opinion during his life no one has described, and that's what works may appear with Provenance "from Khardzhiev" and how to prove?
P.S. remembered the underground millionaire Koreiko from the novel "The Golden Calf by Ilf and Petrov

[Евгений]

Chapter Art Foundation "New Gallery" spoke about his collection of posters and about what in the near future we expect from "paper" market
 
- Today, your collection is one of the largest in the country. What was the concept of assembly?

- And the concept was not. I have twenty years of collecting Soviet painting 1920-1950's, when one day a man came to me and brought under his arm about twenty-sheet poster. At first I was determined they were skeptical: it is unclear what may be the value of the lottery thing. All the posters were then brought one period - the years 1919-1921. Already then it became clear that most collectors form the thematic meetings. But for me the main criterion for selection was a year of work - from 1886 to late 1950's.

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- At first glance, the object for collecting an "uncomfortable": having trouble with the storage, and at the same time, connoisseurs of the paper is not so much like a painting. What attracted you to this form of art?

- The poster was very promising and as an artistic direction, and as an object of investment. After the appearance of this type of art in Russia in 1886, none of the great graphics do not miss the opportunity to try their hand at a new art form. The same can be said about the Soviet poster - in this area have worked all well-known artists, from Masyutin to Malyutina, up from Mayakovsky Rodchenko. As a result, a culture of art, filled with professional talented people. I am sure that even now there are fine artists. But the poster is directly tied to the time that is created - perhaps more than other arts. And while it took forever.

- What is the current probability of finding the unknown poster sheets - for example, pre-revolutionary?

- Almost zero. For example, posters lobbying for the subscription of the loan to help the victims of the wars of 1905, 1914, it was quite a lot, and advertising - at times less. Posters advertised the first tobacco, tea and women's cosmetics - soap and perfume. If you start to look, for example, specifically advertising sewing machines Singer, then, whether you are in the hands of at least a million, the chances are not many. Posters often used as decoration, they were hung on the wall instead of the cheap popular images, and not specially guarded.
   
- What sort of ways supplemented the collection?

- In March 1994, in New York held an auction Sotheby's, dedicated to the Russian constructivist poster. Have passed since then, of course, almost fifteen years, but how many times the market struggled, as many times as many were sold then things have changed owners. Auction house Bolaffi in Italy has been 130 years doing just paper. In principle, they can be accessed with the order to search for a specific western poster. Fly in 1914, they may be able to find. A pre-revolutionary Russian posters specific theme - is unlikely. It can be found only in Russia. Western market does not know them.
 
- Are there many fakes on the market?

- Abundance, but let's not say "fake", it is better to use the word "replica" or "second printing" from the old stone. This, in fact, souvenirs, and a poster around the world are sold numbered facsimile reprints on which it is written that it is a copy. Another thing, if such products onto the market, which are offered at a price of originals, but it may be two and three thousand dollars, depending on the author, edition and a number of features. In this case it is the buyer of misinformation, though sometimes unintentional.

- Who is acting as an expert in contentious situations?

- Examination of the paper can be done in GosNIIR Street Gastello or contact the State Public Library (former Lenin Library), which is important in the world collection of the poster. Generally, this is a delicate matter - when before you print from an old stone on the old, "pozhivshey", paper, hard to argue that this is certainly a fake. To do this have on hand is the same poster, but it is better to three hundred posters of the same time that it was something to compare. Catching the seller can be a replica of something else: the fields are not so, say. But there are the absurd situation where, for example, posters of the same series by the same author also suddenly appear in large numbers in different stores.
 
- How big is the competition among collectors?

- The demand today significantly exceeds supply. However, there is no competition, there is rather a different quality of assembly. Other not only in degree, but also in direction. I know, for example, a man who only recently became a collector, but approached it seriously. He liked one remarkable Leningrad artists - Dmitri Bulanov. He is largely convincing to me such recognized masters as Rodchenko, Klutsis, Stenberg. In fact it is this author, I think, was the founder of Russian Constructivist poster. So, he gathered all collector Bulanova, who was on the globe, on all auctions worldwide. And published a book about him.
 
We are with you at the next peak of interest in Soviet art, which, of course, does not always coincide with the demand is on the schedule. "Wallets" in general, and conservatives stand aloof from such fluctuations. But today the Soviet material - very demanded area. Good Soviet constructivist poster to get very difficult. Its price is already in the first-hand some rather large, not to mention the mediators. Therefore, collecting posters should be dealt with people who not only have sufficient funds, but also outlined a range of interests for. There are interesting corporate collections devoted to a particular type of activity - for example, railway posters or posters fleet. Interest in the sort of thing is big enough, even among those who have no direct relation to art.

- What will happen to the poster market in the current economic situation, as far as "safe zone"?

- It just would not be worse. Poster - vanishing nature. And due to this has been steadily increasing in price. http://www.openspace.ru/art_times/co.../details/6359/

1.Valentin Gorlov, collector, the head of the Art Fund "New Gallery"

[Евгений]

The collection of Russian art has a long tradition of German-speaking countries. The first serious collections have appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century. Then the greatest interest is the work of contemporary artists and innovators, because Russian avant-garde has been recognized in the West almost before in their country. Then formed the circle areas of interest to foreigners - kubofuturizm, supremacism and, somewhat later, the Soviet underground. Russian art collected mostly successful Western businessmen and international journalists, who worked in the Soviet Union. There are avant-garde works of local and large corporate gatherings - primarily banks.
Read more:
http://www.openspace.ru/art_times/co.../details/6794/
1.Leonid Purygin. Summer in the Naro-Fominsk. 1972. Oil on canvas. Private collection of Norbert Kuhinke, Germany

[Евгений]

Alexander Samoilov

  In terms of our artists

  When the magazine "Our Heritage" dismantled exhibition of paintings from the collection of M. Krasilina happened a small but noteworthy event. In the exhibition hall, where the work was going on, entered the visitor. He saw a dark blue picture at the wall, picked it up and, turning to Krasilinu, astonished, said sadly: "Yes, it Foros, remember. It was night and played music. They danced - Vika Lebedeva and Irina ... I, too, was somewhere near here ... "That is so accidentally met with a picture of" Dance on the shore, "written in 1979, the famous artist-monumentalistkoy Irina Lavrov (1931-1999), her husband artist Igor Pchelnikov.

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In the incident, if you wish, you can see many "meanings". But the essential - what is the value of the ongoing assembly of modern painting? It is likely that the existence of exhibition space assembly creates attraction and communication, as "communicative pipe" between people of different ages and professions, living and gone. It is also a kind of "diary" biography of the owner, stating the artistic outcome of private and professional "meetings and partings. Finally, it - the individual collector's version of artistic priorities generations. At the same time, the art collection - the usual daily routine, in which the painting exist, as they allow the living conditions, and the exhibitions look handsome as far as they "wash and combs.

Every meeting has its "face" that defines the identity of the owner. Mikhail Krasilin, as they say, is well known in artistic circles. Art critic, more than thirty years head of the sector expertise of the State Scientific Research Institute of Restoration, the researcher later iconography XVIII-XX centuries., Universal expert on Russian and Western European paintings, the author of about 100 publications. After graduating from MSU, in 1967, he began his professional career at the Museum-estate "Arkhangelsk, where he served nearly four years. This was the beginning of entering the profession - the acquisition of skills and the addition of the museum's own internal constitution. Then there was a short-term work in the Museum of Early Russian Art. Andrei Rublev. In 1973 he was invited to VNIIR Ivan Petrovich Gorin, his legendary director, the position of head of sector expertise.

History krasilinskoy collections of modern Russian painting of the second half of the twentieth century, and traditional, and not quite normal. Craving for collecting, swelling in childhood, was a common manifestation of curiosity, a form of self-learning and intelligent yet the desire to surround himself with the world of stable and close things. First there were postcards with reproductions of paintings, later - the plate, as "material" realization of personal musical preferences. After the acquaintance with the "living" art. "In a class with me, she studied the girl, and her father was an artist Terenin. And one day, having been invited to visit, I found myself in the "studio" - a small room in a communal apartment. For the first time I saw these tubes of paint, felt their living smell. Saw blood-stained hands, stretchers, paintings without frames, standing on the floor ... I felt everyday, material life of art. And there was a large French book on El Greco with luxury in those days in black and white reproductions ... "- says Krasilin. It was, of course, and visiting museums. Visual Arts, as a rule, "cultural" is more recognizable in museums, in direct contact with the works. "Museums are often - former private collections, which have become common for some time. Before that everything was someone at home ... This is intrigued - and why I also can not be a museum "- continues to Mikhail Mikhailovich.

The collection marked the meeting with the artist Belavin Nikolai Alexandrovich (1912-1993), with whom Krasilin met in 1969 when he worked in the Museum-estate "Arkhangelsk". He first saw the work, then the artist - and the impression of the work at the meeting fully coincided with the impression of the individual. His story - a German prisoner and Gulag past, sometimes tell them with a smile, from which numb, - was a stunning revelation. Touching charm of his art drew softly, and lifestyle surprised.

Krasilin recalls: "Belavin nowhere officially did not work, carried out jobs for the Society for Protection of Monuments, to which he lived - is unclear. Since 1956 - in Moscow, his mission - to get impressions. Oil almost did not write more watercolor or pencil - they are operating, it was necessary to quickly capture what he saw. " Every summer he went to travel around the country - from Lviv and Uzhgorod to Bukhara, Samarkand and Khiva (Central Asia was once - in 1968), from Solovki to the Crimea. I drew the temples and old architecture. Was on the Volga, in Pskov and Pechory, many worked in Moscow, in Pereslavl on, Dmitrov, Zvenigorod, Volokolamsk, New Jerusalem. Art Belavin, in a sense more kulturologichno than artistic, but no less valuable. His schedule has kept many kinds of architectural monuments, which are already there. In 1969 Krasilin arranged an exhibition of watercolors Belavin in "Archangel". Artist in gratitude made repeated watercolor "Anthony monastery in Novgorod," and gave it a beginning collector. Around the same time, he had the work of Nicholas Zakutalina "Moscow court yard" and several lithographs Anatolia Krynskogo.

Collection Krasilina happened largely due to his professional activities. The process of gathering was a unique form of professional and personal communication, a way of self-actualization of the collector by vocation. At first the picture came as a "coincidence". Developed concept collections, which were to be consistently implemented, as such, was not. Gradually the number of pictures was "volume" to be felt in the dimensions of a Moscow apartment. Some of them found their place on the walls, began to look differently. Delineated range of names of artists. By the end of 1980 came the realization that interested in collecting works of his contemporaries. Then there were thoughts about the exhibition - would like to see the picture as an integrated display in the exhibition room. Moreover, the exhibition, as an organized form of display products, is the realization of specific principles of combining them in an exhibit to some extent reflect the idea of the collection. We can say that thinking about the exhibition crossed out on the "mental" gathering, which existed up to now only in "practical" plane.

Core assembly MM Krasilina are the work of his friends and good friends - a personal "circle of friends. They - and the essence of the person meeting. "At the core of the collection of works of those artists with whom I got on a human being", - said M. Krasilin. Communication began sometimes accidentally, sometimes the meetings were held on the recommendation - if the artist was interesting, and personally acquainted with him was not a collector. Were there new connections, new relationships formed next, they were superimposed on each other, often overlap.

It happened that the artist Boris Mikhailov had been friends since the mid 1960's, since the club's "Homeland", well known in the sixties its focus on the conservation of monuments of national culture. There appeared artist Boris Mikhailov, who graduated in 1972, the Stroganov School. "Mikhailov, in essence, a metaphysical artist" - says Krasilin and leaves in the collection of some of his "metaphysical" works carried out in an unusual technique - acrylic on polukartone.

Three portraits M. Krasilina wrote Victor Kalinin - two are portrayed in the meeting. The most eloquent, capacious in understanding the individual, picturesquely shock - "yellow", 2003. Getting the collector with Victor Kalinin took place in his studio somewhere in the late 1990's. Knew about each other was mutual interest and, as they say, came together quickly. In the collection there are his other works - "Trinity" (1991) and "Family" (1984). Outwardly, little similar to painting, they echo the simplicity of its "deep clear" - the image of the Old Testament Trinity, soaring above the altar, is superimposed on a seemingly everyday family scene at the table, and she sees the Trinity. The exhibition in "our heritage" also exhibited naked - "Act-11" (1994), which represents another aspect of the picturesque talent Kalinin - his enthusiasm monumentalizirovannymi plastic forms, and work almost open color.

From the artist Marlen Spindler (1931-2003) Krasilin first met "through friends" at his house and remembers that "in his small two-room apartment were pictures in bulk, it was all in the pictures. Even in small-format "little thing" Spindler charms lush picturesque power, brutal power. The fantastic imagery of his work brings to mind the art of Marc Chagall. For unconstrained plastic Spindler characterized by a "limiting" or even "the beyond" - a simplified form, free dynamic drawing broad brush, "thinking" of color, while the use of open-forced color, complex stylistic. Scenes asserted in the work's title - "Palms. Vologda (1981), "Red Jew" (1980), "Zek with a cat on his shoulder" (1988) - seem to be common, but their unusual pictorial and plastic expression. In meeting Krasilina - small size work made on paper in gouache or tempera. Spindler legacy after his death, almost everything was in Switzerland, in the collection of Ursus Genero and Nadi Brykina. In the spring of 2006 in Zurich exhibition of works by Marlene, with a huge and gorgeous catalog, opens gallery Nadi Brykina.

Pictures came into the assembly Krasilina different ways. This is generally unpredictable process, though, buying things, the collector usually follows a simple rule - the picture should reflect the maximum extent possible the aesthetic credo of the artist, to be in some way to sign his work. Typically, the artists understood the idea of gathering Mikhail Mikhailovich and offered him to choose the work on his taste - the ability to choose "is the most" prized. Or gave what was considered most appropriate to their plastic language.

Andrew Krasulin, for example, offered a choice, and soon joined the collection of three of his works - "Stool" (2000), "Graduation" (2001) and "black stripe" (2001). Pictorial and plastic back to them very minimized and at the same time, it is extremely expressive. Each point of the painting surface "interpretation" - a white preparation with grooves on the bristle brush, the movement is well-read, the transparency of the liquid matte paint in vertical lines, kept in fine gradations of gray, peaceful blue on the edge of the painting ( "stool"). By education a sculptor, densely paint Krasulin began with the mid-1980, following the style of "non-objective asceticism. His plastic forms, whether painting or graphics, lapidary and arhitektonichny. They - the embodiment of the spontaneous, unconscious aestheticism.


Pictures Ossetian artist Gela Goyaeva Krasilin saw on the walls of the apartment of his friend Larisa Kashuk, famous art critic and art curator. An overwhelming impression from the White Horse on a blue background "- an unusual, original imagery and hue. We Goyaeva had two solo exhibitions in the capital and near it - in the Istra museum and gallery "Movie" in the early 1990's, yet creative life in the "extreme" Moscow, apparently not formed. As with regret Krasilin told me: "I personally have never seen him. Later, almost all the paintings went to private collections. Goyaev, apparently, returned to his homeland (in Tskhinvali, South Ossetia. - AS). No information about his present whereabouts and occupations there. But the collector for three of his works - "The Mountain" (1993), "Cow" (1993) and "Still Life on a blue background" (1994).

Paintings by Yuri Ruff - "Entry into Jerusalem" (1992) and "Son of the hours" (1992) - somewhat echoing the works Goyaeva, came to the collection, we can say, "the walls" GosNIIR. In this manner in the assembly there and watercolor Ivan Petrovich Gorin and Alexander Yablokov, a member of the Institute, the restorer of the highest category.

The canvas "Dance on the shore" (1979) Irene Lavrova, with which we started a story about meeting Krasilina, "game" style of painting in the "carnival of art" 1970, are mysteriously able to modulate the experience of people entering into contact with it. In her pictures of reality took shape beautifully fanciful sense of "extraordinary instantaneous" happy creative stay in Foros in 1979, when Irina and Igor Lavrov Pchelnikov worked to design the interior of the sanatorium "South".

As a professional art critic, in MM Krasilina has its own "team" of artists with whom he had to work - to write about them or to arrange exhibitions, large and small. He organized solo exhibitions of Nicholas Belavin in "Archangel" (1969), in Ferapontovo - exhibition graphics Nikolai Andronov (1999), Natalia Egorshina (2000), Mary Andronova (2001), painting and graphics Anatolia Slepysheva (2001). There have been numerous articles to directories and books of Victor Kalinin, Mikhail Ivanov, Annamuhameda Zaripova, Eugene Rastorgueva.

To the 75-year anniversary of the last in 1995 Krasilinym was prepared by a huge retrospective of the artist's work in the CHA. The exhibition showed all stages of the creative evolution of the master - from the realism of field sketches and "revolutionary romanticism" large paintings 1950 to the chamber "Gorodets paintings, which he began doing the 1970's. It was possible to "extract" from the funds of the State Tretyakov Gallery picture of "Youth" (1957), which has made the young Rastorgueva the ranks of significant Soviet artists.

Today the artist 86 years, but he continues to work actively. His meeting with Krasilinym in the late 1980's grew into a friendship, and we can say that available in the collection of things Rastorgueva - paintings and sketches, albeit fragmentary and incomplete, but still reflect the main stages of a long career of the wizard. In this sense, revealing even-card, which the artist had written and sent on the occasion of different festivals. Rastorguev also a wonderful ceramic artist, has kept "in the hands of the" folk tradition, "uncultivated" molding. Imagery of this "uncultivated" Ceramics lurks in the naive depiction of his game "Gorodets" pictures - "Time" (1996), "Feeding the rooster" (1998) or "Vertushechniki" (2001), who found his place in the meeting Krasilina.

The ethical moment in collecting activities Krasilina, which is closely in contact with a professional, always for him was significant. And collecting contemporary art had a certain ethic background. Krasilin, following, as he says, the museum's own internal constitution, believed that the museum staff can not be a collector. He deliberately and on principle refused to collect icons, because by virtue of their professional training to them had a direct relationship, studying later icons of XIX - beginning of XX century. They were widely circulated on the black market and in 1970, and in 1980 were a kind of "actual art."

According Krasilin, "almost every living artist needs not only material support but also moral." This support contemporary artists, sees them as important and always challenge his collecting activities, and he decides it purposefully. In the first place that seeks to promote the picture of him interesting artists in the museums. He gave the gallery "New Hermitage" pattern "Smokers" and "Panda" Eugene Rastorgueva, watercolor Anatolia Slepysheva "Sitting" in Yaroslavl Art Museum - the work of Nicholas Nasedkina "Mother. Porch black house "and Victor Kalinin's" Portrait of Father ". But the main task of the collector - to search for and introduction to the artistic revolution of young, still unknown, but interesting artists.

"Geographically," the core of the collection includes pictures of Moscow artists - because of their accessibility. "Of course, I would like to artistic geography of the meeting was much wider, but little has turned out, always work interfered with", - says Krasilin. Most "Moscow" artist - Mikhail Ivanov (1927-2000), with whom the collector tied warm and friendly relations, because "Michael Ivanov - the rare artist who has devoted himself one inexhaustible topic - Moscow, its hidden alleyways, architecture, and quietly disappear from our being. "Spring Street" (1985) is complicated by the color and texture of superimposed layers of paint. This picturesque "interest" is very typical for an individual artist's hand.

There is also the work of "Yaroslavl" - a few cheap popular, ironic paintings and watercolors by Helen Ovsyannikova died recently at the age of the centennial of the Faith-Kichigin Kuznetsova. Several sketches nizhegorodtsam Yuri Kuzmin, a master of fine lyric landscape associated with the Volga. Getting happened to him at Rastorgueva. Kuzmin in 1965, graduated from the Gorky Art School, together with Victor Kalinin, and subsequently, by the way, was a notable photographer. In meeting Krasilina is his wonderful, very expressive form of execution "Autumn Chapel" (1994) - from orange leaves, the perceived texture, letter, separate smear and scratching colorful pasta.

Interest in the artistic life of other parts of our once great country, and especially the Baltic republics, was present at Krasilina always, but, unfortunately, did not find the proper display of art in the collection.

Work, the specifics of which it was a very wide geographical range of missions, indirectly, contributed to collecting capacity, gave a lot of experience, knowledge, friends. In 1970-1980-ies sector expertise GosNIIR actively engaged in the survey of Orthodox (and the Old Believers) churches - from the Baltics to Moldavia and from the Urals to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - to identify artistic values. Got into such unknown, surprising and incredibly hard to reach areas where you can get only once in his life and then to more luck. It was always a touch of the "other" side of life and culture. And, of course, in some incomprehensible way, indirectly affected in collecting activities, has played his perfunctory role in the design of a person "collection. Each expedition provided the opportunity to get acquainted with the museums and to meet with the artists. Ability to "visit" a new place took the form of practical purposeful action. In Riga, there was seemingly quite impossible meeting with Boris Berzin (1930-2002), an unusual Latvian artist, a master of public holidays, "Bacchic" paintings. From this meeting has remained a large lithograph "skirt" (1982). From Riga's friends attended the workshop Krasilin Artur Nikitin, energetic and very refined artist. And in Tallinn was a meeting with a good artist and a collector of Russian icon painting Nikolai Kormashovym.

Oriental theme "in collecting Mikhail Mikhailovich - soulful, with a long history. In Central Asia the first time he went alone in 1968. Journey "their way" lasted almost a month and started with Ashgabat. Then Uzbekistan - Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Urgench wanted to get to, but failed. Much later, in 1980, were very interesting and wonderful trip to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. But the collection has "east" of the Moscow artists - Nicholas Belavin, Mikhail Ivanov, Annamuhameda Zaripova. "As no one else, Zaripov succeeded in painting to express spicy beauty of the East, the personification of the streets of fabulous cities, by air and sparkling perry. These themes are inspired by his homeland - a borough Sakar-Chaga near the ancient Merv in Turkmenistan "(M. Krasilin). His works in the collection of a lot - "Evening Race" (1979), "Donkey" (1979), "Evening road, illuminated by the sun" (1979), "Evening in the village" (1981). All they really oriental composition whimsical and "twisted" color and a particular sense of space.

In the collection are the work of both advanced and for one reason or another, forgotten artists. As noted by the collector himself - "I try to focus still on the artists, who in the art relegated to the shadow or forgotten." Art becoming Sergei Sokolov was such - winding and long. A graduate of Moscow Aviation Institute, he worked in a very "serious" scientific institute, but felt that the main thing in his life - painting, left in 1976, the Tretyakov Gallery "working to relocate the museum values" in order to properly review the picture and see the funds in which it was "something" that then, in the late 1970's, it was impossible to watch. With Krasilinym he met at an auction «Sotheby's» in Moscow in July 1988, the second, the "landmark" event, when the world is actually first learned of contemporary Soviet artists - and the nonconformist, and some of the officially recognized.

Sergei Sokolov has worked in a predominantly "collage technique, with a marked attention to the texture. Understanding of abstract forms became much more clear when he met with Igor Vulokh, who "thought forms on the colorful surface. Krasilin begins to collect Sokolova, contributes to its participation in the exhibition "Abstraction in Russia. Twentieth century "in RM in 2001-2002, and then in the State Tretyakov Gallery - 2003-m. Several of his works included in the collection Timing and the Moscow Museum of Modern Art.

At the exhibition in "our heritage" were shown, so to speak, the cream of the collection. Exposure labeled a "chamber color, a small hall space, and the paintings on the walls looked almost" at home ". In a free "carpet" hanging were identified semantic units of the exhibition - in the "capsule" form, clearly articulate the aesthetic priorities Krasilina-collector, as he himself had conceived and that "everything was simple - on one wall" hung ", figuratively speaking, realists, on the another Conceptual, and on the front, near the entrance - abstractionists.

Quantitatively modest, but very high quality was, for example, is creativity Nikolai Andronov (1929-1998) and Natalia Egorshina. Classic links - Ferrapontov neighborhood - and the visual motif - the night and the lake - the small picture Andronov "winter. Night "(1986) and" North Lake "(1995), instantly recognizable around the picturesque handwriting and the highest level of mastery. A small picture Egorshina "Calf" (1983) - a kind of figurative paraphrase a very soulful, pensive tone, piercingly opened later in the film Andronov "to visit me came white colt ..." (1986).


Anatoly Slepyshev artist, in the words Krasilina, "hitting its elemental picturesque, powerful energy force, a color ungovernable mass" was a "show" picture "herd" (2004).

Igor Vulokh began to write an abstraction from 1965. His "Method" (1971) already mature work, though unusual classic. In it, he "thinks" exquisite color relationships colorful pasta dough on the surface of the canvas.

And Andrew Grositsky surprised by their attitude to the small world. He has an unusual focus sight. The exhibition in "our heritage" of his work "rumpled Vase" (1997) and "The Natural" (1999) is for the viewer's perception shaped diptych, pictorial and plastic diphthong. Clearly saw that the artist depicts not the subject, and almost mystically transformed image of the object, as if fashioned paint.

Red furnace "(2003) Nicholas Nasedkina, known for its commitment to the black color, it was red because the author felt her hot, and wrote fiery speaker.

Very attractively simple, as it were "naive" early work of Boris Mikhailov's "White House" (1989), not quite yet fit into the framework of "metaphysical series.

Adoption of the value of traditional easel painting - so it would be wise to formulate a general idea of gathering Mikhail Krasilina. His collection is united in the juxtaposition of dissimilar graphic trends. Figurative realist - Etudes Eugene Rastorgueva, Nicholas Belavin, Sergei Sofronova, Ivan Gorin and Alexander Yabolokova and works etyudnogo plan - Tatiana Gorchakova (1906-1988) "Yasnaya Polyana. In the apple orchard "(1955) and" yurts in the mountains. Issyk-Kul "(1970), where the form is filled with the freshness of realistic full-scale emotional experience. The abstract - works by Yuri Zlotnikov ( "Composition with Red Stripe", 2004), Anatoliy Zhigalova ( "White Composition", 1979), Andrew Krasulina, Igor Vulokh. And, finally, the conceptual in all its manifestations.

Today in Moscow there are several collections, corresponds to the names and composition of the paintings from the collection of M. Krasilina. There are, of course, minor differences (artistic and "ideological") in the artistic quality of assembly. But in general, they represent individual stratigraphy of Soviet Russia and the fine art of the late XX - early XXI century. This is a collection of A. Zaripov, M. Alshibaya, A. Mironov.

As we have said - a collection of Mikhail Mikhailovich Kraslina "unfinished", open, with the prospect. Today, it has its limits and composition, but the boundaries and guidelines for the collection of fluid. Paintings, "surviving" in his collection, "travel by" artistic weight. Likely a combination of exhibition space at future shows will probably see anew and to understand the work of different artists, attracted professional, friendly attention of an art-collector. For works of art becomes a full artistic life, only when it became public - available for a general overview and discussion of displays, catalogs and albums.
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Pictures from the Collection:
1.A.Krasulin. Black band. 2001. Primed canvas, tempera
2.B.Mihaylov. White House. 1989. Oil on canvas
3.I.Lavrova. Dance on the shore. 1979. Cardboard, oil
4.A.Buh. Flowers (in the blue vase). 1999. Oil on masonite