NOT AN ART EXPERT

Many of us ask ourselves these 2 questions when we look at the art-work: 1) What is the value of it? 2) What if it's fake? I recently watched 2 documentary movies that will answer those questions. Name:  What makes art valuable Production: BBC Story: What Makes Art Valuable is a BBC documentary answering very exciting question: what is the link between art and money? What makes art-work so valuable (also super-relevant question taking into account the sale of Salvator Mundi attributed to Leonardo da Vinci few days ago for $ 450 million). The journalist is telling us about top 10 most expensive art-works ever sold, who bought them and why.  Spoiler: Leonardo is not in the list, too hot to be there :)  Name:  Fakes in the art world   Production: Deutsche Welle Story: The second movie Fakes In The Art World is answering even more interesting question: how do we know if it's a fake or not. DW documentary is showing us what happens if ...

These last days of October more and more I hear from different people that time flies and it's almost Christmas / New Year / Hanukkah... True-true and just before the festivities will start, let's drop by some great museums and see what they have :) In the today's issue 3 unmissable exhibitions that are now open in Vienna + 2 events. Superstar of the Baroque: Peter Paul Rubens . About 70 art-works out of 120 exhibited at the Kunsthistorisches museum Vienna were landed form the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg, Prado museum in Madrid, National Gallery of Art in Washington. These breathtaking masterpieces allow visitors to see Rubens' approach and creative process.  Peter Paul Rubens, "The Miracles of St. Francis Xavier", about 1617-1618 Raphael's masterpieces.  About 70 art-works out of 120 exhibited at the Kunsthistorisches museum Vienna w ere landed form the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg, Prado museum in Madrid, National Gallery of Ar...

Sometimes when we talk about an art object we are wondering when it was created? Was it yesterday? Or 150 years ago? Or 1500 years ago? What were the conditions the author was surrounded by when he was living and creating this art-work? For this it’s good to start from brief general periodization of art. Please keep in mind that all the dates are subjects for discussion. The art historians nowadays are arguing about when certain period started and when it finished. So all the dates below are approximate. We will look now at the Western art (European art + regions that are following European cultural traditions, for example North America): Prehistoric art – 2.5 million – 500 BCE Stone age, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age                 (no ice-age) Ancient Classic Art:                 Art of ancient Egypt ...

Often when I enter some great museums I almost feel helpless because of the amount of beauty that is overwhelming. It feels like even if I’d spend there a week or a month I wouldn’t see all of it. This feeling can be discouraging sometimes. But we don’t give up! Just Enjoy :) Enjoy whatever you are doing (and this is relevant not only when it comes to visiting museums). Breathe, smile and let’s go :) Here are some tricks how to make your museum experience awesome, exciting and make sure you’d want to go back to this and other museums. On the way to a museum accept the fact that you won’t be able to see everything. In the best case you’d probably see 10-20% of the collection. Just accept it. It’s normal. We are humans and we have our limitations. We get hungry, tired, sleepy. And it’s just becoming overwhelming. Plan to spend in the museum 2-3 hours. Not more. And think that you can come back there again when you want Don’t go to a museum if you are tired or hungry. Rem...

Hi, Привет, Hola :) How are you? Let me ask you something: Have you ever been at the museum or an art gallery, standing in front of an art-work and wondering “What the hell is this?…” Asking yourself: what the author had in mind painting this? Why it is in the museum and how it is different from all the rest? Feeling lost and confused by not understanding why exactly this artist is so amazing that deserves the whole room for his art. Me? Yes! May be more often then I’m ready to admit. How many times I heard from people: “I don’t like going to the museums because I don’t know anything about art” or “museums are boring” Well yes, I know what you mean. And I’ve been feeling very same way. Now I’m not a snobbish art expert with 30 years of experience who will crucify you if you mix Monet with Manet (yes there is only 1 letter difference and the whole big deal for the art history). I only believe that there are no silly questions, museums are cool and can be a lot of...