12.3.11

BONHAMS TO SELL RARE BOOK OF EARLY POEMS BY WILLIAM BLAKE


A PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN COPY OF A VERY RARE BOOK OF EARLY POEMS BY WILLIAM BLAKE IS UP FOR AUCTION AT THE BOOKS, MAPS, MANUSCRIPTS AND HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS SALE AT BONHAMS IN LONDON ON 22.MARCH. IT IS ESTIMATED AT BETWEEN £60,000-80,000. THE POEMS IN POETICAL SKETCHES WERE WRITTEN BETWEEN 1768 AND 1777 WHEN BLAKE WAS IN HIS TEENS. IN 1783, A GROUP OF HIS FRIENDS BANDED TOGETHER AND PAID FOR THEM TO BE PRINTED IN A SLIM 70 PAGE VOLUME. APPROXIMATELY 50 COPIES WERE PRINTED BUT THE WHEREABOUTS OF ONLY 20 ARE KNOWN SO THE DISCOVERY OF THIS COPY, ONE OF A VERY FEW IN PRIVATE HANDS, IS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT. BLAKE WAS GIVEN THE PRINT RUN TO SELL OR GIVE AWAY BUT HE SEEMS NOT TO HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN PROMOTING THEM BECAUSE SEVERAL COPIES WERE FOUND AMONG HIS POSSESSIONS WHEN HE DIED. HIS FRIENDS, WHO INCLUDED THE SCULPTOR JOHN FLAXMAN, WERE KEEN TO SPREAD THE WORD OF BLAKE'S TALENT AND GAVE SOME VOLUMES AWAY ON HIS BEHALF BUT THE COPY FOR AUCTION WAS ACTUALLY GIVEN BY BLAKE HIMSELF. IT CARRIES HIS INSCRIPTION AND HIS ADDRESS NEAR LEICESTER FIELDS (PRESENT DAY LEICESTER SQUARE) WHERE HE LIVED FROM 1782 UNTIL JULY 1784, SO HE MUST HAVE GIVEN THE COPY AWAY FAIRLY SOON AFTER IT WAS PRINTED. THE IDENTITY OF THE RECIPIENT IS NOT KNOWN. THE BOOK ITSELF WAS LITTERED WITH ERRORS, SOME OF WHICH BLAKE CORRECTED BEFORE HANDING COPIES OUT. ALTHOUGH IT NEVER WENT INTO COMMERCIAL PUBLICATION DURING BLAKE'S LIFETIME, THE BOOK, WHICH INCLUDES WORKS SUCH AS 'MAD SONG' AND 'TO THE EVENING STAR' IS SEEN AS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF HIS OUTPUT, ANTICIPATING THE STYLE OF HIS MATURE WORK AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIS SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE.

11.3.11

MAJOR EXHIBITION OF CARAVAGGIO TO BE PRESENTED IN MILAN


VITTORIO SGARBI RETURNS TO MILAN TO PRESENT A MAJOR NEW EXHIBITION THAT ILLUSTRATES THE BIRTH OF THE GENIUS CARAVAGGIO. RECONSTRUCTING HIS ARTISTIC TRAINING, FROM SIMONE PETERZANO TO THE VENETO AND LOMBARD MASTERS, THIS FASCINATING SHOW EXAMINES THE PRECURSORS AND CONTEMPORARIES OF MICHELANGELO MERISI (1571-1610), HIGHLIGHTING THE WORKS THAT THE ARTIST WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE SEEN AND WHAT HE WOULD HAVE WITNESSED IN THE ARTISTIC CLIMATE THAT DOMINATED THE AREA FROM VENICE TO MILAN BEFORE HE MOVED TO ROME, WHICH ACCORDING TO THE MOST RECENT STUDIES WAS LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN AROUND 1595-96. CURATED BY VITTORIO SGARBI, THE EXHIBITION 'THE EYES OF CARAVAGGIO. HIS FORMATIVE YEARS BETWEEN VENICE AND MILAN' IS PRODUCED AND ORGANIZED BY ARTHEMISIA GROUP IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MUSEO DIOCESANO DI MILANO, PROMOTED BY REGIONE LOMBARDIA AND STAGED THANKS TO THE VITAL SUPPORT OF BANCO POPOLARE DI MILANO AND TERNA. THE EXHIBITION GATHERS AROUND SIXTY MASTERPIECES BY THE GREATEST PAINTERS OF THE DAY, WHICH ARE EXHIBITED IN THE MUSEO DIOCESANO FROM 11.MARCH TO 3.JULY. WORKS BY GIORGIONE, TITIAN, TINTORETTO, LORENZO LOTTO, JACOPO DA BASSANO, MORETTO DA BRESCIA, GIOVAN BATTISTA MORONI, GEROLAMO SAVOLDO, VINCENZO AND ANTONIO CAMPI, AND MANY MORE, SOME OF WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN EXHIBITED BEFORE, DOCUMENT THE FORMATION OF A GROUNDBREAKING AESTHETIC AND AN INNOVATIVE CONCEPTION OF THE HUMAN FIGURE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH SPACE AND LIGHT, WHICH WAS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOUNG MERISI. NATURALLY CARAVAGGIO HIMSELF COULD NOT BE LEFT OUT, AND THE EXHIBITION INCLUDES SOME EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT WORKS. ONE OF THESE IS THE SO-CALLED 'MURTOLA MEDUSA', THE FIRST VERSION IF THE FAMOUS SHIELD IN THE UFFIZI GALLERIES, WHICH TAKES ITS NAME FROM THE POET WHO WROTE A POEM ABOUT IT IN 1600. THE EXHIBITION ALSO INCLUDES TWO OTHER SEMINAL MASTERPIECES BY CARAVAGGIO: THE OUTSTANDING 'REST ON THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT', FROM THE DORIA PAMPHILJ COLLECTION IN ROME, AND 'THE FLAGELLATION OF CHRIST', IN ALL ITS HARROWING AND SENSUAL BEAUTY, FROM THE MUSEO DI CAPODIMONTE IN NAPLES, IN MILAN FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1951. DIVIDED INTO SIX SECTION, THE EXHIBITION ILLUSTRATES THE ARTISTIC CONTEXT OF CARAVAGGIO's EARLY YEARS AS AN ARTIST.

A LA VIEILLE RUSSIE TO EXHIBIT AT TEFAF MAASTRICHT 2011


A LA VIEILLE RUSSIE, THE NEW YORK ART AND ANTIQUES GALLERY THAT COUNTS AMONG THE WORLD'S LEADERS IN ANTIQUE JEWELRY AND RUSSIAN WORKS OF ART, WILL EXHIBIT EXQUISITE ITEMS BY FABERGE, AS WELL AS A VERY RARE ENGLISH NECKLACE, AT THE TEFAF MAASTRICHT 2011, THE EUROPEAN FINE ART FAIR THAT OPENS ON 18.MARCH. AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE TWO ELEGANT ENAMEL FABERGE FRAMES, AS WELL AS A FRENCH 18th CENTURY LACQUER BOX, AND A VICTORIAN GARNET AND DIAMOND NECKLACE AND EARRINGS. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE A GREAT COLLECTION OF RUSSIAN CLOISONNE ENAMEL, FEATURING SIGNIFICANT COMMEMORATIVE PIECES. 'WE ALWAYS BRING TOP REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE SELL IN THE GALLERY IN NEW YORK, WITH A FOCUS ON EUROPEAN ANTIQUE JEWELRY, SNUFF BOXES AND OBJECTS DE VERTU, AND OF COURSE FABERGE', SAID MARK SCHAFFER, A PARTNER IN A LA VIEILLE RUSSIE (ALVR) ALVR's STAND IS COMPLETELY RE-DESIGNED AND UPDATED, MEANT TO BE A JEWEL-LIKE MICROCOSM OF ITS NEW YORK SPACE. IN FACT, THIS YEAR IS ITS 17th EXHIBITING AT TEFAF, MAKING IT ONE OF THE LONGEST EXHIBITING US DEALERS AT THE FAIR. IN THE 160 YEARS SINCE ITS FOUNDING ALVR HAS BOUGHT A SOLD COUNTLESS FABERGE PIECES, INCLUDING MANY IMPERIAL EASTER EGGS. ALVR WAS KEY IN CREATING SOME OF THE LEADING FABERGE COLLECTIONS, INCLUDING THE FORBES MAGAZINE COLLECTION, NOW PARTIALLY OWNED BY VICTOR VEKSELBERG. OTHER CLIENTS INCLUDED GRAND DUCHESSES KSENIA AND OLGA, SISTERS OF NICHOLAS II, AND THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF WINDSOR, AND KING FAROUK. WORKS FROM THE GALLERY ARE LOANED TO MUSEUMS AROUND THE WORLD AND EXHIBITED REGULARLY.

10.3.11

RODIN SCULPTURE STOLEN FROM ISRAEL MUSEUM


A STATUE BY FRENCH SCULPTOR AUGUSTE RODIN WAS STOLEN FROM THE ISRAEL MUSEUM DURING THE FACILITY'S RECENTLY COMPLETED RENOVATION, THE MUSEUM SAID WEDNESDAY. THE NUDE BRONZE OF FRENCH NOVELIST HONORE DE BALZAC WAS ONE OF A SERIES OF STUDIES RODIN CAST FOR A MONUMENT TO BALZAC ON DISPLAY IN PARIS. IT WAS DONATED TO THE MUSEUM IN 1966 BY THE JEWISH-AMERICAN IMPRESARIO AND LYRICIST BILLY ROSE. THE MUSEUM SAID THE THEFT WAS DISCOVERED THREE MONTHS AGO AND IMMEDIATELY REPORTED IT TO POLICE. POLICE SAY AN INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING BUT WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE CASE. THE STATUE IS 50 INCHES BY 24 INCHES WIDE AND WEIGHS ABOUT 140 POUNDS. IT WAS MOLDED IN 1892 AND CAST POSTHUMOUSLY BETWEEN 1918 AND 1926. RODIN IS RENOWNED FOR THE ICONIC MASTERPIECES SUCH AS 'THE THINKER' AND 'THE KISS'. THE MUSEUM SAID IT COULD NOT PROVIDE A VALUE FOR THE BALZAC PIECE. BUT BASED ON RODIN SCULPTURES OF SIMILAR DIMENSIONS PUT THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE STOLEN ARTWORK AT APPROXIMATELY $350,000, ACCORDING TO THE ART LOSS REGISTER, WHICH SPECIALIZES IN RECOVERING STOLEN ART. CHRISTOPHER MARINELLO, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE ART LOSS REGISTER, SAID IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO SELL SUCH AN HIGH-PROFILE PIECE IN THE OPEN MARKET WITHOUT DETECTION. HE SAID IT WAS MOST LIKELY THAT THE THIEVES WOULD MOVE THE PIECE UNDERGROUND, SHOP IT ON THE BLACK MARKET OR RANSOM IT TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY.

9.3.11

SOTHEBY'S TO SELL RARE BEJEWELED CANOPY


A STUNNING, RARELY SEEN BEJEWELED, NEARLY 150 YEAR OLD CANOPY FROM INDIA IS EXPECTED TO SELL FOR AS MUCH AS $5 MILLION WHEN IT GOES UNDER THE HAMMER NEXT MONTH, ACCORDING TO SOTHEBY'S. THE PEARL CANOPY OF BARODA WILL BE ACUCTIONED OFF ON 24.MARCH AS PART OF A LARGER AUCTION OF INDIAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN WORKS OF ART IN NEW YORK. IT INCLUDES OVER 500,000 PEARLS, AS WELL AS NUMEROUS DIAMONDS, SAPPHIRES, RUBIES AND EMERALDS SEWN ON SILK. FLORAL 'PERSIAN-STYLE' VINES MADE WITH COLOURED BEADS CIRCLE THE CANOPY. 'THE MAHARAJA WAS A GREAT PATRON OF THE ARTS', SAID MARY JO OTSEA, THE WORLDWIDE DIRECTOR OF SOTHEBY'S CARPET DEPARTMENT. 'THIS PIECE IS A CONTINUATION OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF INDIAN ART FROM THE MUGHAL PERIOD, WITH PERSIAN INFLUENCES.' THE CANOPY DATES FROM AROUND 1865, WHEN IT WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE MAHARAJA OF BARODA, IN THE PRESENT-DAY INDIAN STATE OF GUJARAT. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE PIECE WAS INTENDED TO BE DONATED AS A GIFT TO DECORATE THE TOMB OF THE PROPHET MOHAMED IN MEDINA, IN WHAT IS NOW SAUDI ARABIA. THE MAN WHO COMMISSIONED THE CANOPY, MAHARAJA KHANDE RAO GAEKWAR, WAS KNOWN TO BE PARTICULARLY FOND OF JEWELS. IN 1867, HE BOUGHT THE 'STAR OF THE SOUTH', ONE OF THE LARGEST DIAMONDS IN THE WORLD. THE CANOPY IS PART OF A SET WHICH INCLUDED FOUR LARGE RECTANGULAR JEWEL-ENCRUSTED CARPETS, OF WHICH ONLY ONE REMAINS. ONE OF THE RECTANGULAR CARPETS WAS SOLD AT AN AUCTION IN DOHA, QATAR IN MARCH 2009 FOR A RECORD $5.4 MILLION. ART HISTORIANS ARE STILL UNSURE EXACTLY HOW THE CARPET AND THE CANOPY WERE ARRANGED TOGETHER, OTSEA SAID. THE CANOPY HAD NOT BEEN SEEN FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS UNTIL IT WAS INCLUDED IN AN EXHIBIT AT THE VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM IN LONDON LAST YEAR. AT THE TIME THE CANOPY WAS CREATED THE NOMINALLY SOVEREIGN STATE OF BARODA WAS AMONG THE MOST PROSPEROUS IN BRITISH INDIA, WITH MUCH OF ITS INCOME COMING FROM COTTON, RICE AND SUGAR. BARODA STATE, WHICH WAS FOUNDED IN 1721, EXISTED UNTIL IT WAS INCORPORATED INTO NEWLY INDEPENDENT INDIA IN 1947.

BONHAMS TO SELL BROOCH THAT ONCE BELONGED TO QUEEN VICTORIA


A GOLD, ENAMEL AND GARNET BODICE BROOCH FROM 1830 THAT BELONGED TO QUEEN VICTORIA WILL BE OFFERED IN THE JEWELERY SALE, TAKING PLACE ON 6.APRIL AT BONHAMS KNIGHTSBRIDGE. THE FINELY DETAILED BROOCH IS EMBELLISHED WITH GREEN AND RED ENAMEL, SET WITH CABOCHON GARNETS THAT SUSPEND AN ELONGATED DROP OF A SIMILAR DESIGN. IT IS ESTIMATED TO SELL FOR £600 – 800. THE BROOCH ORIGINALLY BELONGED TO VICTORIA, DUCHESS OF KENT, WHO ON HER DEATH BED IN 1861 (THE SAME YEAR AS THE DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT) LEFT HER JEWELRY TO HER DAUGHTER, QUEEN VICTORIA. QUEEN VICTORIA SUBSEQUENTLY GAVE THE BROOCH TO HER THIRD DAUGHTER HELENA, PRINCESS CHRISTIAN OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN, AS A PRESENT ON HER 24th BIRTHDAY IN 1870. THE REVERSE OF THE BROOCH HAS A SIMPLE, YET VERY PERSONAL ENGRAVING: 'BELONGED TO DEAR GRANDMAMMA V. FROM MAMA V.R. TO HELENA 25th MAY 1870'. ALTHOUGH PRINCESS HELENA MARRIED THE GERMAN PRINCE CHRISTIAN OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN IN 1866, THEY REMAINED IN BRITAIN CLOSE TO THE QUEEN, WHO LIKED TO HAVE HER DAUGHTERS NEARBY. HELENA WAS CONSIDERED THE MOST ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY, CARRYING OUT AN EXTENSIVE PROGRAM OF ROYAL ENGAGEMENTS. SHE WAS ALSO AN ACTIVE PATRON OF CHARITIES, AND WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE RED CROSS. SHE WAS ALSO FOUNDING PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL SCHOOL OF NEEDLEWORK, AND PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL BRITISH NURSES' ASSOCIATION.

8.3.11

GUERLAIN SHALIMAR PARFUM INITIAL


FRENCH PARFUMEUR GUERLAIN HAS RECENTLY RELEASED A NEW FRAGRANCE DERIVED FROM THEIR CLASSIC SHALIMAR FRAGRANCE. THE SHALIMAR PARFUM INITIAL IS COMPOSED OF GREEN NOTES, FLOWERS, CITRUSES, WOODY ACCORDS WITH A SMALL TOUCH OF BERGAMOT AND ORANGE FOR A FRESHER TONE. THE BOTTLE IS CAREFULLY DECORATED WITH A BLUE STOPPER AND TASSEL WITH THE LIQUID OF THE FLACON COLOURED IN PINK. THE FRAGRANCE IS EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE FROM GUERLAIN IN FORTY, SIXTY AND ONE HUNDRED MILLILITER BOTTLES.

HERMES ARCEAU POCKET PROMENADE DE LONGCHAMP


THE ARCEAU WRISTWATCH IMAGINED IN 1978 BY HENRI D'ORIGNY LENDS ITSELF IDEALLY TO A POCKET-WATCH VERSION. ITS ASYMMETRICAL ATTACHMENT AND ITS LUGS NATURALLY INVITE A CORD-STRAP FIXED TO THE ARCH LIKE STIRRUP LEATHER TO A STIRRUP, THUS EVOKING THE SADDLE AND HARNESS MAKING ORIGINS OF HERMES. WHETHER IN A TROUSER OR JACKET POCKET, THE MANNER OF WEARING THE ARCEAU POCKET FURTHER ACCENTUATES THE INNATE CLASSIC CHIC OF THE ORIGINAL WATCH DESIGN. THE ARCEAU POCKET PROMENADE DE LONGCHAMP INTRODUCES A NEW DIAL THAT IS A TRUE WORK OF ART SCULPTURE FROM A BLOCK OF NATURAL MOTHER OF PEARL. IT DEPICTS AN EQUESTRIAN SCENE USING A RELIEF MODELING TECHNIQUE: THE CARRIAGE, HORSES AND PROTAGONISTS ARE THEMSELVES ENGRAVED ON TWO SUPERIMPOSED GOLD PLATES. THE PERSPECTIVE LINES, THE VARIOUS PLANES AND THE DEPTH OF FIELD, UNDERSCORED BY THE THIRD DIMENSION OF THE CREATION, INSTILL A DISTINCT SENSE OF LIFE AND MOVEMENT. THE MOTIF EVOKES THE CENTRAL DETAIL OF THE PROMENADE DE LONGCHAMP SILK CARRE DESIGNED BY PHILIPPE LEDOUX IN 1965. THE WHITE GOLD 43.2mm CASE AND SHIMMERING GREY-BLUE MOTHER OF PEARL DIAL RADIATE A SENSE OF DIAPHANOUS HARMONY THAT MAKES A STRIKING CONTRAST WITH THE CORD-STRAP AND POUCH IN MATT HAVANA ALLIGATOR LEATHER.

LVMH TO ACQUIRE BULGARI


FRENCH LUXURY GROUP LVMH HAS AGREED TO BUY ROME BASED LUXURY JEWELER BULGARI SPA IN A CASH AND SHARES DEAL WORTH 4.3 BILLION EUROS. THE DEAL WILL SEE BULGARI'S FOUNDING FAMILY BECOME THE SECOND LARGEST FAMILY SHAREHOLDERS IN LVHM BEHIND THAT OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE BERNARD ARNAULT. LVHM ALSO ANNOUNCED A TENDER OFFER OF 12.25 EUROS PER SHARE TO ACQUIRE THE REMAINING SHARES OF BULGARI, A 61 PERCENT PREMIUM OVER WHERE THEY WERE TRADING BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT.

7.3.11

HARRY WINSTON PREMIER BIJOU


HARRY WINSTON HAS RECENTLY RELEASED A STUNNING NEW ELEGANT WATCH FOR WOMEN AS PART OF THEIR LATEST COLLECTION. THE PREMIER BIJOU HAS BEEN REINTERPRETED AND MASTER CRAFTED TO FOCUS ON THE NATURE OF HARRY WINSTON'S DESIGN AND THE CONSTANT CREATIVITY INVOLVED WITH ITS GEMSTONE EXPERTISE. THE WATCH HAS THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ONE DIAMONDS WHICH WEIGH A TOTAL OF TWO POINT FOUR CARATS WITH A DIAL CONSISTING OF SMALL UNIQUE DIAMONDS BECOMING LARGER AS THE CENTER IS REACHED