About collection.
Many modern nations, in one way or another and at a particular stage in their history, have managed
to discover for themselves t he achievements of earlier civilizations in the sphere of art and culture.
Inspired by these models of the past, they have succeeded, in their turn, to create their own
masterpieces, which still thrill us with their technical skill and with the beauty of their spiritual message.
I would like to say a few words regarding some parallels between the art of Renaissance Italy and early Russian art. The civilized world is well aware of the achievements of Italian Renaissance in the sphere of architecture, painting and sculpture.
The source of inspiration for the masterpieces of the Renaissance was the newly-discovered classical art of Ancient Greece and Rome.
The source of inspiration for the masterpieces of early Russian painting – Greek (or, better say, Byzantine) icons and their ideological content – Orthodox Christianity. The great masters of early Russian painting – Andrei Rubliov, «icon-master Daniil», Dionisi and a few others, whose names we know, but, in the majority of cases, anonymous artists of Medieval Russia created their own original panels, individually interpreting the Byzantine School of icon-painting. The works of Russian icon-painters formed the basis of Russian cultural tradition.
We should keep in mind the fact that in Italy the atmosphere of intense creative activity and total self-realization of artistic genius was sustained and greeted by political power. The role of a private commission, the individual interest of a patron was very high. People in power engaged outstanding artists of that magnificent epoch and generously paid them, financing in fact the production of true masterpieces, which is a rare occurrence. This is why an inhabitant of the Earth can nowadays see with his own eyes and appreciate the sublime, unique masterpieces of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and other Renaissance masters in the museums of Italy, France, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, USA, Russia and many other countries.
Early Russian art, at the same time, was developing in the Middle Ages, an epoch filled with wars and social upheavals, and in a country which was geographically far away from the centers of the civilizations of Classical Antiquity.
How can we explain this Russian phenomenon?
It was primarily connected with Orthodox faith, which came from the Byzantine Empire, and which was manifested in the appearance of the masterpieces of Russian icon-painting. Even though it was an extremely difficult and turbulent time, the people succeeded in strengthening their faith and used its energy not only to survive, but also to create works of outstanding artistic value. In those days Orthodox churches and the icons that adorned them were a powerful instrument of national, religious and cultural unity of the adherents of that faith. We may venture to suppose that early Russian painting was a significant (and as a symbol of Russian Orthodox Church – crucial) factor in the survival of the Russian ethnic character and, consequently, of the Russian nation of today.
And one more remark. In Medieval Russia, unlike the Byzantine Empire, the icon acquired immense popularity, and was a foremost genre of painting, of the greatest importance compared with other arts. Apart from that, the art of Russian icon-painting has a very long history: it evolves not only in Medieval Russia up to the 17th century, but also in later epochs, such as the 18th – 19th centuries, a period also represented in our collection.
Today we are proud to offer to the public the works pertaining to this Russian national tradition. Most of these icons, with only a few exceptions, are being reproduced for the first time.
Mikhail de Boire (Yelizavetin) 2009
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History of my Collection
The first icon that gave a start to my collection was «Our Lady of Bogoliubovo», dating to the 19th century, which I acquired in 1977. I liked it a lot at the time, and I still like it.
After that I began to take a particular interest in early Russian painting. I also made friends among collectors. These were Constantine Sokolov, Nikolai Vorobiov and some others, who at the time already had large and important collections. It was fascinating to hear them speak about their outstanding icons, some of which were, doubtless, true masterpieces.
Collecting early Russian painting started to be my passion, moreover, my most favorite passion. All the money I made I was spending on good icons. And I got so carried away that I did not even bother with acquiring my own apartment, I always rented them.
The majority of the collection was formed already in the Soviet epoch.
Many extremely precious icons (which can truly be regarded as part of the national heritage) I saved from being smuggled abroad. They, just like all the other important works in my collection, will forever remain in Russia and will be accessible to all Russians.
In some time I realized that I would never have enough money to buy all the things I wanted. So I started exchanging less important works of early Russian painting for those which I considered to have special significance for the history of Russian art.
As a result of this passion for early Russian painting, by the time of the emergence of new Russia, I already had a very fine collection of ninety-two icons, which included masterpieces dating to the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Among them were «Transfiguration» (first half of the 15th c.), «St. Catherine with Scenes from her Life» (second quarter of the 16th c.), a signed Stroganov panel «Annunciation» (early 17th c., by Nazari Istomin Savin) and several images of the Palekh School, the most famous icon-painting center of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The opportunity to legally conduct private business in new Russia allowed one to make much more money. Eighty percent of my income I continued to spend on icons, but now only on those which I myself and renowned specialists (I always consulted them) approved. Even the slightest doubt regarding the time of the appearance of an icon stopped me from purchasing it.
In those days almost every Russian businessman was involved simply in «collecting the price difference» – bought things, sold them for more money, the «difference» – more cash – was added to their savings and so on. They would buy houses, expensive furniture, imported cars (only two years ago I started driving a foreign-made car).
Meanwhile I kept gathering my beloved masterpieces of early Russian painting, and my collection continued to expand, especially after I began acquiring Russian icons abroad and returning them back to Russia, to their historical homeland. Some of them were already shown at various exhibitions, including the one named «Returned Heritage», at the State Tretiakov Gallery (Moscow) in the spring of 2008.
That same year, in June, the «Tsaritsino» Museum (Moscow) set up a show of the best works in my collection, which included some two hundred icons. Several art historians helped me with the project: Engelina Sergeevna Smirnova – professor at the Moscow State University and a world-famous expert (particularly in Medieval panels – of the 14th, 15th and early 16th c.); Natalia Ignatievna Komashko from the Andrei Rubliov Museum (a specialist in 17th, 18th and 19th c. icons); and Alexander Sergeevich Preobrazhenski, professor at the Moscow State University (connoisseur of 15th – 17th c. Russian art). It is owing to their help that the most important part of my collection was put on display at the Tsaritsino «Khlebny House».
The specific feature of this exhibition is that here visitors can see not only the major schools of early Russian painting, but also works coming from provincial centers and studios, where outstanding Russian masters executed icons of which not only our country, but also the whole world can be proud of.
Thus the present show can be regarded as a sort of «textbook» on the history of early Russian painting. After visiting it two or three times, one can imagine the full panorama of the evolution of Russian icon-painting and appreciate images which are in no way inferior to the internationally famous masterpieces, created in whatever country and in whatever epoch.
At present I am engaged in preparing the necessary legal documents that would guarantee that this collection will never be sold or divided by my heirs and will always be accessible to the people of Russia.
Such are the concise history of my collection and some plans for its future.
I was pleased to know that many visitors have written down their comments, and I realized that I have not lived my life in vain, fulfilling (may be, in part) my destination in this world.
Mikhail de Boire (Yelizavetin) 2009
