November 13, 2000

THE AMBER ROOM ON THE WEB NOW

http://www.tzar.ru/amber
If the Amber Room had not disappeared during World War II, we would celebrate its tercentenary in 2001. Prussian kings and Russian emperors, architects and artists, leaders of the Third Reich and Soviet leaders, Maecenases and businessmen, treasure hunters and outstanding scientists, not to mention craftsmen, were involved in the history of the "Eighth Wonder of the World".
New web site allows you to learn about the history, the present day news concerning this famous masterpiece, and about the completion of its reconstruction by a team of craftsmen of the RLS "The Tzarskoje Selo Amber Workshop" with the financial support of the German private company "Ruhrgas AG". In addition, you may assemble jigsaw puzzle with fragments of the Amber Room on-line, record your impressions in the guest book http://eng.tzar.ru/guestbook or fill in a special questionnaire for visitors - http://eng.tzar.ru/guestbook/brief_survey
Today, the theme of reconstruction of the Amber Room is of primary importance. Preserved photographs and archives help the roughly 40 art experts to fashion the barely palm-sized thin amber pieces so that they match the original in shape in colour and to carve fine ornaments, thus recreating the legendary work of art like a huge puzzle from over half a million pieces of amber. The time approaches when, before our very eyes, we will see a replica which looks very much like original, but is a new work of applied art, worthy of being on display in one of the best palace-museums of the world: the Catherine Palace in Tzarskoje Selo (www.tzar.ru)
You are welcome!
Dr. Tatyana G. Bogomazova
Project Manager and Art Director culture@ctorstudio.com
3 University emb., St.-Petersburg,
Russia
ph.7(812) 311-5517

From: newsletter@theartnewspaper.com
Subject:

This week's top stories

The Art Newspaper.com

http://www.theartnewspaper.com

This week's top stories (ABBREVIATED):

COURT ORDERS CÉZANNE TO BE SEIZED FROM SHOW
PARIS. The French courts have ordered the seizure of 'The sea at l'Estaque' by Paul Cézanne, currently on show in the Musée du Luxembourg as part of the exhibition 'From Fra Angelico to Bonnard: masterpieces from the Rau Collection', at the request of Michel Dauberville who claims it was stolen from his grandfather, gallery owner Josse Bernheim-Jeune, during World War II.
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=3796
THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM FACES ABANDONMENT
LONDON. Britain's first public art collection, which opened in 1742, may have to be sold off. The trustees of the Foundling Museum, in Bloomsbury, London, have warned that unless their financial appeal is successful, 'a most remarkable and unique collection will be sold and dispersed.'
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=3795

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"The Jewish people should be heirs to heirless art"

says Knesset member

Report on the Vilnius Forum on holocaust-era looted art

Christie's and Sotheby's to help with provenance research projects

By Martin Bailey
LONDON. At an international conference held in Lithuania last month, Christie's announced that it has helped raise $500,000 for opening up Nazi documentation which is in Russian archives, while Sotheby's is to assist the Council of Europe in setting up a central website on looted art. These moves reflect the auctioneers' growing concerns over the problem of war loot.
The International Forum on Holocaust Era Looted Cultural Assets, held in Vilnius 3-5 October, was a follow-up to the important Washington conference two years ago. Thirty-seven nations signed the final communiqué, including members of the Council of Europe and the US.
The most sensitive issue addressed in the communiqué was the fate of works of art which had belonged to Jewish victims who had died and left no heirs, although there was no agreement on the right solution. Israeli Knesset member Colette Avital told the forum that in these cases, "it should be established that the Jewish people, and its representatives, will become the natural heirs." She then added pointedly, "we suggest that the next conference takes place in Jerusalem", a reference interpreted by some to be a suggestion that heirless works might go to Israeli museums. The Czech delegation reported that 66 paintings in their National Gallery which had belonged to heirless Jewish owners are now in the process of being transferred to the Jewish Museum in Prague. Representatives of the art trade attended, with Zurich dealer Walter Feilchenfeldt addressing the forum as president of the Confederation Internationale des Négociants en Oeuvres d'Art (CINOA). Speaking as someone who "although not directly a Holocaust victim, but close enough to feel a victim myself", he warned about the dangers of "unnecessary regulations". Mr Feilchenfeldt added that he opposed placing the burden of proving that works of art were not looted on the trade, as well as the use of the term "cultural asset" being applied to "decorative items which are not of museum quality."
more:
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=3714