- Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza said crisis was 'also affecting collectors'
- Bought British painter Constable's The Lock for 10.8m in 1990
By Lee Moran
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A cash-strapped Spanish Baroness is hoping one of her prized Constable paintings will fetch 25million at auction so she can 'ease her cash flow situation'.
Baroness Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, who founded the Madrid art museum bearing her surname, said her country's recession was 'also affecting collectors'.
It had forced her, she said, to sell British painter John Constable's The Lock - finished in 1824 and the last of The Stour Series, which includes his famous work The Hay Wain, to be privately owned.
For sale: The Lock, by British painter John Constable, is up for grabs at Christie's auction house in London in July
Reluctant: Baroness Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza said she did not want to sell her Constable painting
'I need the money, I really need it, I have no liquidity,' the owner of an art collection worth more than 800million told Spanish reporters in a staggeringly frank admission.
She added: 'I am very austere with my life, but to maintain the collection requires lots of costs.
'I have had 640million of art work lent for free to the Spanish state over the last 13 years. I did not want to sell this.
'It has given me a lot of pain to lose this painting, that myself and my husband bought at an auction in 1990, but if God chooses I will not have to sell any more.'
Art home: The Thyssen-Bonemisza museum is located in the 19th century Villahermosa Palace in Madrid
Couple: Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza (left) and her late husband Baron Hans Heinrich (right) build up a formidable art collection which has become the envy of the world
The Lock, to be sold at Christie's auction house in London on July 3, depicts a man operating a wooden canal lock gate in preparation for a boat to pass through.
A rural church is visible in the distance. It was first acquired by 19th century collector James Morrison at the Royal Academy’s summer exhibition in the year it was completed.
WHO EXACTLY OWNS THE LOCK?
Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza was one of Europe's richest men in the latter half of the 20th century - and following in his father Baron Heinrich's footsteps he became one of the world's greatest art collectors.
Using wealth generated from the large industrial conglomerate inherited from his father, he preserved and augmented the outstanding collection of Old Master pictures formed in the 1920s and 1930s.
He also significantly expanded the range through his own acquisitions, most particularly of the work of European and American artists from the 19th and 20th centuries.
His father’s collection included masterpieces by European masters including Hans Holbein the Younger, Albrecht Durer, Jan van Eyck, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Caravaggio.
It was largely displayed at the Villa Favorita, a 17th century mansion on Lake Lugano acquired from Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia in 1932.
Baron Hans Heinrich added more than 200 paintings, as well acquiring over 900 more modern works which were completely outside his father’s range of interest.
As his collection increased in scale, he began to focus on the possibility of finding it a suitable, permanent home.
In the mid-1980s, the main body of the collection was placed into a trust and in 1992 the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum was opened in the newly refurbished 19th century Villahermosa Palace in Madrid.
Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza shared her now deceased husband’s passion for collecting and they spent much of their marriage visiting museums, art galleries and auction houses.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza's bought it at auction for 10.8million in 1990 - at the time a world record price for any British work of art.
It has since been in the collection at the Madrid museum - which the couple opened in 1992 in the refurbished 19th century Villahermosa Palace after placing their collection into a trust some years before.
The Baroness tried to sell it to a British collector last year for 30million, but the deal was never sealed. She also tried to negotiate with the Spanish state, saying: 'I offered it at a special price, to be paid in installments, but we could not reach a deal.'
She also revealed that the museum has been been hit the country's economic crisis, with Caja Madrid recently cancelling its long-standing annual 1.75million sponsorship.
But it is not her most valuable painting, which is the Mata Mua by Gauguin, which has been valued at around 120million.
Constable himself said of The Lock: 'It looks most beautifully silvery, windy and delicious - it is all health - and the absence of everything stagnant, and is wonderfully got together.'
Jussi Pylkkanen, president of Christie’s Europe, Middle East, Russia and India, called the piece 'an outstanding masterpiece of European art'.
He said: 'This superb landscape, coming from the same series as The Hay Wain, represents British landscape painting at its very best.'
Richard Knight, co-Chairman of Old Master and British Paintings Department, and John Stainton, International Director, British Paintings, said: 'The sale of this painting will be a moment of huge significance for the art market, and for that of Old Master paintings in particular.
'In 2006 we combined the forces of our Old Master and Early British paintings departments due to the broadening international appeal for works dependent on their quality, as opposed to the nationality of the artist.
'Since then we have seen British art reach new heights and have broken records for a number of the greatest British artists including Stubbs, Gainsborough and Lawrence.
'We look forward very much to presenting this hugely significant work of art to the world's leading collectors and museums.'
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
National antique truck show pulls into Eastern States Exposition for weekend - Union-News & Sunday Republican
WEST SPRINGFIELD – Roger W. Gardner, of Suffield, Conn., lived just 10 months shy of seeing his dream come true.
“Do you think I’ll be alive to see it,” he had even questioned one of his daughters two years ago when the American Truck Historical Society pushed back its plans to bring its national convention and antique truck show to the Eastern States Exposition grounds from 2010 to 2012.
Gardner found the 1930s-vintage International C-60 abandoned in a cornfield years ago on a farm where he’d worked as a young man, and its restoration was a work in progress when he died last July at age 85, still dreaming of having it entered in the national show that would be held right up the road from where he lived and plied his trade with trucks.
On Tuesday, Gail Haines brushed away tears more than once as she and her sister, Jane D’Agostino, watched the C-60 lead the way with two other of their dad’s antique trucks when they rolled onto the exposition grounds for the national antique truck show. The show opens on Thursday, and Gardner is to be recognized for his work for the society and its Nutmeg Chapter.
“These are his friends,” Haines said, motioning to some of the men who helped pave the path for the C-60 to arrive at the show. “This is when you know the real heart of Suffield and of the antique truck community.”
Harold F. Willard, of Harold’s Garage in Northampton, an 84-year-old legend in the towing business and member of the truck society for decades, made certain his buddy’s precious cargo arrived in tip-top shape for the show.
“We’re like a big family,” said Willard after watching two of his grandsons unload Gardner’s trucks from his own more youthful vehicles, a 1964 Kenworth and a 1978 Autocar flatbeds, which are also entered in the show. Willard and Gardner belonged to the same chapters, and it had been at Gardner’s construction company several years ago where Willard received his award for 50 years of achievement with the truck society.
Willard’s gesture was just the cart after the horse, so to speak, in the process by family and friends to complete the restoration of the C-60.
The project started out as a Thursday morning gathering for a team of volunteers from across Western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. But, as the national show drew closer, the tempo picked up quickly; the mornings blended into the afternoons, and, in at least one case, night fell before the work for the day was done, Haines said.
The list of helpers was many. Calvin Pixley, of Westfield, was the mastermind behind the mechanics of the truck, Gardner’s son-in-law Richard D’Agostino (along with his wife) handled the paint job on the cab that’s emblazoned with “R.W. Gardner, ” on each door. Someone else donated the gas tank, and another friend dropped off some vintage burlap bags bearing the name of the Eastern States Farmers Exchange to adorn the truck bed for its display at the big show.
It was Bob Sullivan, of Suffield, who had oak boards milled from trees felled right on his property to rebuild the bed of the truck to honor his friend, and it was Sullivan who was behind the wheel as the truck pulled up for registration day. “It was a long haul to get it to this point,” said Sullivan. “This is Roger’s last hurrah. His dream was to bring the C-60 to the Big E.”
Source: www.masslive.com
Painting the Express blue - Malaya - Online Edition
Painting the Express blue
By A Web design Company
WHEN everything’s falling into place for Rain or Shine, it is practically unbeatable.
The Elasto Painters showcased this anew by coasting to a 102-96 victory over Air21 last night to solidify their hold of the top spot in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The victory, Rain or Shine’s third, came because the team is clicking on both ends of the court, according to coach Yeng Guiao.
“We’re playing the kind of game we want,” said Guiao after his team matched its best-ever start under him in last season’s Commissioner’s Cup.
“We had balanced scoring, good ball movement and switching well in defense,” he added. “The only thing I’m not happy about is we missed a lot of free throws. But aside from that, I’m happy with the result.”
So sharp were the Elasto Painters they bucked 10 missed charities to post as much as an 84-64 spread in the third quarter and went into the last 5:07 of the game with a very comfortable 98-80 cushion.
Air21 was in the game only in the first 25 minutes. Once Rain or Shine’s sizzling game kicked in for a 71-53 difference, there was very little doubt right of the coming outcome.
Import Jamelle Cornley scattered 21 points and 14 rebounds. The markers were five below his average, but he had plenty of help this time.
Jeff Chan wound up with 16 anchored on a 5-for-9 three-point shooting, Gabe Norwood added 13, all in the second half, and Ronjay Buenafe 11 despite going 0-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Import Zachary Graham led everybody with 37 points and 20 rebounds but only Paolo Hubalde was the lone other double-digit scorer for Air21 with 10 and all were made in the first half as the Express dropped to a 1-2 win-loss slate.
“Their import is a fantastic scorer, one who carried the team on his shoulders with his scoring ability,” noted Guiao. “But the gameplan was really to shut down Ren-Ren Ritualo and (Mark) Isip, who always played well against us. We really prepared in defending (against) those two.”
The strategy was carried out to the letter as Ritualo was held to only nine points and Isip just two after notching 17 in a 97-86 win over Talk N Text last Saturday.
Guiao said the lopsided outcome is no real gauge of the kind of game Air21 is capable of.
“Air21 is a deceivingly strong team,” pointed out Guiao. “One would think they’re an easy team to play, but when you play them papahirapan ka.”
It was therefore imperative for his team to keep its focus. “One thing we hand in mind was that nobody relaxes, mentally, even if we had a good lead. We should achieve what we’ve set out to do.”
Norwood was at the forefront of that crucial third quarter assault, when he scored nine of his points, including a picture-perfect alley-oop dunk and a triple.
Ryan Arana, Jervy Cruz and Chan also lent big hands, with the latter completing a four-point play and nailing a shotclock-beating triple for that 20-point spread, 1:21 left in the period.
Cornley’s twinner sandwiched three-point plays by Jireh Ibanes and Buenafe that spelled a surge that plucked the E-Painters from a 78-90 count and into that 98-80 lead.
Source: www.malaya.com.ph
Oldies are goodies at Colonial Antique Mall - Northwest Herald
WOODSTOCK – Lee Muto has been doing this for a long time. She knows a good piece of furniture when she sees it.
And, from where she’s standing, they aren’t making it anymore.
“The couples I’ve been doing business with for 30 years, the stuff they bought 30 years ago is in great shape still,” Muto said. “There’s nothing you buy new today that will be good in 30 years, I’ll tell you that.”
The 69-year-old Muto speaks directly about the way the industry has shifted since she got into it 41 years ago. She began simply refinishing furniture but today owns Colonial Antique Mall in Woodstock. The store is celebrating 15 years in business this year.
The mall sells antiques made before 1969, about 80 percent of which is brought in from independent sellers. Muto has 70 different dealers in her store, which she said makes it in some ways like 70 different businesses.
Muto still restores furniture at her shop. She sees the new stuff on the market as it comes in for repair.
“We’re hoping that people will wake up once their chair falls apart for the sixth time,” she said.
Muto points to cheaply made Chinese imports – often constructed with composite wood – as a big reason she’s keeping busy on the restoration side of things.
But she’d like to see more interest in the craftsmanship that lasts – craftsmanship she said is plentiful in her 18,000-square-foot showroom. Items in the mall date back to as early as the mid-18th century.
“Young people want it cheap and they don’t really care too much about quality,” she said. “And most of the time they don’t know the difference.”
About four years ago, Muto decided to add on to her facility with another 17,000 square feet of furniture in a separate business called the Lake Avenue Bazaar.
It was an effort – a successful one, Muto said – to reach a younger demographic. The bazaar offers old, new and in-between items.
In general, the prices at the bazaar are slightly lower than at the antique mall. But it’s not as big of a difference as it once was.
Source: www.nwherald.com
Painting Philadelphia green - Examiner
In the figurative sense, Philadelphia is getting greener than ever. Collaborations by the Philadelphia Water Department and Streets Department are advancing Philadelphia toward becoming, as Mayor Nutter likes to say, “the greenest city in America.”
The water department teamed with NovaThermal Energy to deploy the first commercial scale geothermal system in the United States for heating a building with domestic wastewater. This pilot project is taking place at the Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant.
The 1-million BTU/hr unit, accessing heat from the adjacent sewage channel, projects a 50% reduction in heating costs for the plant. Some $215,000 is expected to be gained over 15 years.
“We will be able to save on costs and energy resources at a city facility,” explained Mayor Nutter, “while commercializing a technology that can be used in large commercial and industrial buildings throughout the country.”
The project was made possible with funding largely from the city’s Greenworks Pilot Energy Technology Grant program and Energy and Conservation Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of SE Pennsylvania is supporting the measurement and verification of the project’s efforts.
Philadelphians can get involved in not only geothermal heating but the production of fertilizer by using waste disposals in their kitchen sinks. A new pilot program (Clean Kitchen, Green Community) is testing the effectiveness of diverting food garbage from landfills through household garbage disposals.
In this case, the Streets Department has partnered with INSinkErator officials and community groups to institute the pilot along garbage collection routes in West Oak Lane and Point Breeze. One hundred homeowners will be given free waste disposers and installation by local, licensed plumbers. The Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation and Diversified Community Services will lead the effort in their respective areas.
The Streets Department will assess the volume and composition of waste generated before, during and after the pilot. “Food waste disposers move food scraps out of trash trucks and landfills to the water department, where it’s converted,” said Terry Ferry, president of InSinkErator, “into clean water, renewable energy, and fertilizer products.”
That is right. Methane gas, generated as food waste breaks down, can be converted into heat and energy to power water plants, similar to the one in southeast Philadelphia. Solids that remain are processed into fertilizer pellets for use on regional farms. Therefore, much less soggy, heavy waste is trucked and dumped into landfills where methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide, builds up.
“This approach is sustainable,” declared Water Commissioner Howard Neukrug. Plus, it cuts down on unwanted odors in the kitchen. To learn more about Clean Kitchen, Green Community, visit www.philadelphiastreets.com, www.ogontzave.org, or http://dcsphila.org. The respective telephone numbers are 215.686.5560 citywide, 215.549.9462 in West Oak Lane, and 215.336.5505 in Point Breeze.
Another local advance is greening as many as 10 school yards and recreation centers starting this month. This marks the 2nd phase of the city’s Green 2015 Action Plan. One in 8 Philadelphians do not have a public park or playground within walking distance of their homes. This phase pulls the school district, water department, department of parks and recreation, the Trust for Public Land, and the Mural Arts Program into the action. The collaboration will expand public access to green spaces at a cost of about $9 million (about 2/3 from state, city, and school district sources).
“This program represents a triple bottom line for Philadelphia,” stated Dr. Janet Haas, board chair of the William Penn Foundation. “It repurposes existing city property, putting assets we already own to better use. And it brings communities together in attractive public spaces around their schools and recreation centers. In a time of economic scarcity, that level of impact is no small feat.”
The program initially focuses on redesigning and redeveloping the William Dick Elementary Schoolyard, Hank Gathers Recreation Center, and Collazo Park for expanded public use. Cost efficiencies are being gained from redeveloping locations in close proximity, and community engagement and education of students to adults are considered critical. Pending the success of this pilot, the greening of more recreation centers and schoolyards will be announced later.
In addition to increasing the natural world for public enjoyment, expanding green spaces reduces pollution in the storm water system caused by excessive runoff from paved areas during hard rains and heavy snows. “Win-win partnerships like these get real traction and deliver on-the-ground results,” said Will Rogers, president of the Trust for Public Land. The goal is to transform 500 acres of land in Philadelphia neighborhoods into green playspaces by 2015.
For more details, visit Greenworks Philadelphia by clicking here or call 215.686.1776.
All rights to this article are reserved by Gloria Blakely. Copyright 2012.
Source: www.examiner.com
Antique show in St. Louis city appraising, buying old toys - KMOV
(KMOV)—An antique toy show is in St. Louis for two days allowing people to get appraisals on antique toys and sell them on the spot.
The FX Antique Show will be at the Hampton Inn on Oakland Avenue Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The staff will appraise any toy from the 1970’s and older.
The appraisers will then offer an on the spot, cash offer for participants’ toys.
The toy does not need to be in the original packaging.
Source: www.kmov.com
South Africa deal not to show 'rude' Jacob Zuma painting - BBC News
A South African art gallery has agreed not to display a controversial painting of President Jacob Zuma with his genitals exposed after reaching a deal with the ANC.
The painting has sparked fierce debate about the balance between freedom of expression and the right to dignity.
Hundreds of ANC supporters protested outside the gallery on Tuesday.
The painting, The Spear, was defaced last week. It will also be removed from the Goodman Gallery's website.
Under the deal, the ANC has agreed to drop its legal action demanding that the gallery remove the painting from its exhibition and the website.
The red, yellow and black acrylic painting showing Mr Zuma echoing Soviet images of Lenin was taken down after it was covered in red and black paint.
On Monday, South Africa's City Press newspaper said it was removing the image of the painting from its website following threats by the ANC.
In a joint news conference, ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said: "Maybe we should not have gone to through lawyers, we should have talked directly."
Goodman Gallery director Liza Essers said: "I believe in the right to freedom of expression and the South African constitution."
"Brett [Murray, the artist] is very saddened by the hurt that the painting has caused," she said.
The ruling party said the painting was "rude, crude and disrespectful" towards President Zuma and wants all images of the painting online and elsewhere taken down.
In an affidavit served on the City Press newspaper, Mr Zuma said: "The portrait depicts me in a manner that suggests I am a philanderer, a womaniser and one with no respect."
President Zuma, who has four wives, has previously sued local media companies 11 times for defamation.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
poor lamb, hope she manages to get by for a year or two on the 25 million . - stuart, alicante, spain Yeah, she could always shift the whole collection to China and charge them high entry fees.
- Ishkandar, London, 30/5/2012 21:27
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