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London art dealer blames museum, billionaires take part in exhibition
It started and continues with a scandal (can be seen until March 14) a unique exhibition “Fabergé, the jeweler of the imperial court” with precious exhibits created more than a century ago.
It is housed in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg and is dedicated to the centenary of the death of Carl Fabergé (1846-1920). The exhibition in the Hall of the Coat of Arms of the Winter Palace was personally inaugurated online by Mihail Piotrovski – Director General of the State Hermitage.
Half the intrigue in Russian and world crime novels revolves around reaching for Fabergé’s famous “eggs”, valued in the millions. And where there is demand, there is supply, art dealers say. Why should Fabergé be pitied for counterfeiters? He is a very productive teacher with dozens of students,
but he had
good luck
royal pet,
especially at Easter. The famous eggs were “laid” for this holiday (only 65 are preserved in the world), but there are hundreds of other exhibits with their signature.
Doubts about the authenticity of the exhibition are raised by the art dealer Andrei Ruzhnikov. In a letter to the museum director Mikhail Piotrovsky wrote:
“Your exhibition
it’s from Fabergé
shame and disgrace,
a blow to the reputation of the world museum ”. His main argument is that during the period 1904-1905 no Easter gifts were ordered for the royal court in his studio, and there are such on display, for example a 1904 jubilee wedding egg. Ruzhnikov is convinced that they were they made these mistakes. either by incompetence of museum specialists, or are the result of corruption, and there were at least 20 forgeries in the exhibition. (The curator is Marina Lopato, who passed away last year. – the greatest Russian connoisseur of the Fabergé case).
“They are products for a souvenir shop, not for an exhibition, and they were not made in the 20th century, but in the 21st century, the art dealer, about whom very little is known, is convinced. His website claims to have 40 years of experience in the art trade, he has worked for a mutual fund, now lives in London and offers personal services to clients for the acquisition, sale, valuation, restoration and insurance of works of art.
The Guardian writes that after Ruzhnikov’s revelations, the Hermitage was advised to close the exhibition immediately, which also includes exhibits from the personal collection of billionaire Alexander Ivanov. (Many suspect that there is a personal dispute between him and Ruzhnikov)
In response to the Hermitage website, a preface to the exhibition catalog was published, written by Piotrowski: “The authenticity of any new item that appears on the market can and should be questioned,” he wrote. The Russian sites suggest that it is beneath the dignity of the academic, who has run the museum for nearly 30 years, to descend to the level of criticism.
Before becoming a personal supplier to the imperial court, Carl Fabergé worked for 15 years as a restorer of royal jewels. In this way he studies the tastes of the highest people and gains experience. The exhibition includes not only the unique items owned by the Hermitage, but also five other collections and museums, including the new Fabergé Museum in Baden-Baden.
Thus, the Hermitage pays homage to the great master, displaying in all their diversity works that never cease to arouse admiration, to amaze with their imagination and exquisite execution. Often in the jeweler’s works.
they are hidden
be smart
mechanisms
He has excellent qualities as an organizer and runs a large company that works not only for the palace but also for the middle class. In 1914, 600 teachers worked for him.
Peter Karl Gustavovich Fabergé was born in Saint Petersburg in 1846. From 1874 he began to deliver products made in his studio to the court. In 1885 he received the title of “supplier”, and 25 years later he was declared a jeweler of the imperial court.
The history of unique Easter eggs in jewelry art begins in 1885. The first one received Empress Maria Feodorovna from her husband Alexander III: it is made of white enamel, and the surprise is a hen made of colored gold with a crown and a ruby egg. (Ruzhnikov hints that there are at least two of those eggs, ba)
Nicholas II has a miniature copy of the imperial insignia, which in 1900 received the Grand Prize at the World’s Fair in Paris. (can be seen in the exhibition – ba). Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna became Fabergé’s personal patron. During World War I, Fabergé supplied medical devices to hospitals, and in 1918, he left Russia for good. He died in Lausanne, Switzerland.
There is a room in his name in the Hermitage, and on the occasion of the museum’s 250th anniversary the president
Vladimir Putin
Provides
His collection
two masterpieces
for the master: a mantel clock and a Rothschild egg clock. The first gift was made by Fabergé on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the celebration of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Mapia Fedorovna. The second pot was owned by the Potschild family until 2007, when the egg was purchased at auction by the Pythian National Museum for $ 18.5 million. The exhibition displays many gifts and personal belongings of the imperial family and those close to the court: photo frames, trays, snuff boxes, clocks, animal figures (including an agate mouse, gifted by Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich to a famous dancer), cane handles and umbrellas, inkwells, etc. You can see a tiara, tiara, bracelets, brooches from Maria Fyodorovna, the ring of Nicholas II, a gift from her children in 1913 and many others. Fabergé taught his contemporaries to first appreciate the uniqueness of technology and design, and only then to notice the value of materials.
However, many of the planned exhibits did not arrive due to complex logistics during the pandemic.
The atmosphere of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was achieved in the exhibition with picturesque portraits of the highest personalities, costumes, dresses and personal belongings of the imperial family.
The exhibition can be viewed according to the Hermitage’s operating hours on a special route (it is available on their website). Tickets are provided for her and visiting hours only. The price is 300 rubles (about 7 leva). They can also be purchased on the museum’s official website: tickets.hermitagemuseum. org. If you want a guide, the ticket price is 1000 rubles (22 BGN). Such a large exhibition dedicated to Fabergé has not been held since 1993. It can also be viewed online.
Due to restrictions during the pandemic, the Hermitage lost 80% of its visitors. In 2020, the museum has 800,000 visitors and a year earlier, 5 million. It houses more than 3 million works of art from around the world. The total area of the museum is now 233,345 square meters.
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