Masterpieces Malevitch preparing to auction?
ARTinvestment.RU   05 мая 2008

24 April 2008, several authoritative sources have reported agreement between the City of Amsterdam and the heirs of Kazimir Malevich at the avant-gardist controversial works from the collection of Stedelijk Museum

24 April 2008, several authoritative sources, including Bloomberg News and The New York Times, reported on the agreement between the City of Amsterdam and the heirs of Kazimir Malevich at the avant-gardist controversial works from the collection of Stedelijk Museum. New York law firm Herrick, Feinstein LLP, represents the interests of the heirs, made the transfer of five major works from the museum collection.

It is believed that the Stedeliyk Muzium was a bona fide purchaser of the work. In 1958 they were bought from Hugo Heringa. Another point is that Hering did not seem to have had the right to dispose of them as his property. What played lawyers. From the comments of agencies able to understand that in Dutch law because of the lapse of time from the perspectives of legal action in Europe was not. Therefore, the legal attack began when Stedeliyka part of the collection, 14 paintings, left in 2003 for exhibition in the States - in New York's Guggenheim and the Houston Menil Collection, which has become vulnerable to lawsuits.

It is better to stop and translate the spirit of that, removing the legal fog, able to assess the extent of the court decision. It is believed that in Stedeliyke is not only the largest but also the most representative collection of works by Malevich. It is clear that it is formed not only works for the Berlin exhibition of 1927, but part of the collection of Nicholas Hardzhieva and his wife Lilia chaga. The same collection with the archive, which has been unofficially removed from the USSR in 1990 and also gave rise to legal disputes.

But this, again, the nuances. More important than others. The point is that for the Berlin exhibition of 1927 Malevich chose the best. This was a retrospective, and, of course, a chance to express their creativity and innovation priority at the global level. Obviously, Malevich's fear that his work, and thus the idea can be buried for many years the Soviet authorities. And, as is now clear, was right. In the USSR, forging a new religion, a new symbol - the competitors were not needed. In short, in Stedeliyke was smart selection of oil Suprematist 1915-ies (size 70 x 60, and sometimes m), 1913-1914 kubisticheskie song's and other valuable works. All finished, high-quality masterpieces. In late April, has already learned what works from otsudili heirs. However, already on the experience of previous settlements could guess that the quality and value will help them understand. When Stedeliyk published a picture on the website ( stedelijk.nl ), in what is happening, it was impossible to believe ... It has become clear that on the market comes a remarkable thing, of unprecedented quality, the most valuable thing in the works of the artist. With the exception of one kubisticheskoy work in 1913, everything else - masterpieces of Suprematism 1915-1922 years.

It's amazing how often repeated intrigue. I only have figures outline the events remains. The story claims the heirs of Malevich's not hard to find in electronic «file» magazine Art in America in October 1999: «New York Museum of Modern Art concludes an agreement with the heirs of Malevich» ( findarticles.com ). This now Dejavu. Under magazine article nine years ago, in the exposition of a famous museum with MOMA in 1935 were 16 works by Malevich. Hung himself prespokoyno participated in exhibitions, no one was against. And please to the eyes of visitors, and further, if the Soviet Union did not zatreschal at the seams, do not forget to pre-open borders. Active people emerged previously unimaginable opportunities. And thirty-one heir Malevitch (at that time, in 1999) appeared, and a fantastic opportunity to work otsudit facing tens of millions of dollars.

The legal vulnerability of the museum's right to work of Malevich as a result of almost a detective story that, to admit, has created not only humans but also the ominous atmosphere of the time. It is clear that the reconstruction of the events of 80-year-old sin many inaccuracies. So it is necessary to take an amendment to the imperfection of sources, and in general by the number of treatments - more correct to treat this story as a legend to some.

In 1927, Malevich was the first time and, as later revealed, the latter permission to travel abroad - for the preparation of the exhibition in Berlin. From his Leningrad studio in Germany, the artist has brought about a hundred works, including some seventy paintings. But even before the expiry of the travel Malevitch telegram suddenly raised back into the country. In anticipation of wrong, but still hoping to return, Malevich left their work for the storage architect Hugo Heringu. But take away the work of Malevich was not destined to: abroad he is not allowed until his death in 1935. Upon completion of the work of Hering sent Suprematists deposited museum director Alexander Dorner Hanover. It is them and then saw the MOMA director Alfred Barr, which is taken in Europe, the material for the exhibition «Cubism and abstract art». Ostensibly believing Dorner authorized manager of the works, Barr bought him two pictures and a couple of pictures. A further seventeen works selected for exhibition in New York. According to various sources, the number of different - but now it is not important. According to other sources, Dorner had to be at any price to get a visa to leave Germany, and is believed that the paintings of Malevich used as an argument in this matter.

Somehow miraculously managed to ship the goods abroad. The historical landscape was such that the Nazis have one's heart hinged labels «degenerative art». Already there were confiscated, and even your purchased, Malevich, who also represented the «art of degeneration», Director Barr the passage across the border secretly, hidden in the paintings umbrella. Three years after the events described and the very Dorner had to emigrate to the United States, taking with them a picture and drawing. And the rest - back Hugo Heringu from which all started. What would later say about Heringa, but he still managed to safely hide paintings and drawings, and to preserve the legacy of Malevich in the military liholetya.

In the meantime work uplyvshie overseas regularly exhibited at MOMA. In 1963, when nearly three decades, none of the heirs are not told of their rights, they become part of the permanent museum collection. Problems began in 1993 when the Soviet Union after the collapse of the heirs of Malevich, with the assistance of the German art historian Clemens Toussaint initiated negotiations with the MOMA on the return of works. As a result, in 1999, the New York Museum of Modern Art has agreed to pay financial compensation to heirs (the size is not named, but rumored to have been paid about five million dollars) and return one of the sixteen paintings - «Suprematist composition» with black and red rectangles, form a cross. The remaining fifteen works seem to be left in the museum. So wrote the newspaper of the time. There are also another version of that picture got more (in that little hard to believe). But it must be admitted that the museum in any case easily away.

The fate of same otsuzhennoy in 1999 from MOMA «Suprematist song» was clear as God's day. Already in May 2000 at Phillips auction in New York, oil on canvas sold for 17 million dollars against the expected ten million. Perhaps this experience, and taught the heirs continue to not accept the money - to take pictures profitable.

Then, in 1999, according to the text of the article has already been known that the following objectives Malevich heirs - it is Harvard's Bu sch-Reisinger Museum (a settled left Dorner two works) and the Amsterdam Stedelijk Museum, where the heirs Haringa sold over thirty works of Malevich's works from an exhibition in 1927, retained an architect. Now known about Stedeliyk.

Relation to the results of Crown and restorative dispute - how to win the lottery. Lucky. So, soon the auction. Let's remember, as the recently returned and sold restorative Gustav Klimt, returned and sold as Egon Schiele. From the museum visitors are not ubudet. But the market only possible way to date, received one of the masterpieces of the most significant artists of the XX century. For the first time in a decade, and possibly the last time in history. And the masterpieces of Klimt and Schiele have come to the market: there are sources, but Malevitch this class - hardly. Doubly important that these things will not simply with Iron provenansom, but now the whole «white», from a legal point of view: the new owner can no longer terrorize the claims, playing on the dubious origin. Completely legal Malevitch, released from a dark past - it is a huge rarity in the market, that is the thing that has the highest liquidity.

Collectors are well aware that it is now or never. The battle for the top five of Stedeliyka be grave. Tentative projections type «are no less than twenty million» - this is painful modesty. Selected Suprematist oil of a quality which otsudili from the Dutch, it may cost 60, and 70 million dollars, and more. Thus our forecast - in the coming year, the name of Malevich moved from 5 th place in the ranking of most expensive paintings by Russian artists at least a second or even first. In an environment of experienced collectors, as well versed in direction, and the market situation is believed that the record in the 72 million Mark Rothko would still beaten. And then, of Malevich will be well-deserved first place. Well, it is highly likely.

It is clear that the American abstract expressionist of Russian origin are not born shit. With the result in 72 million dollars in its place on a pedestal, he is unlikely to give in so easy. By the way, ironically, with the legacy of Rothko, too, was connected a great scandal. Paintings, bequests Rothko Foundation, following the death of the artist deftly «ordered» proxies. It was only after years of debate, the daughter of the artist was able to otsudit of the paintings and monetary compensation from the gallery «Marlborough». But that's another story.

Sources: findarticles.com ; reuters.com ; svobodanews.ru ; geocities.com ; abcgallery.com ; bloomberg.com ; nytimes.com ; stedelijk.nl ; directorinfo.ru