Art

A flame has always stayed the element that a human being dreamed to tame and it happened. The first lighter was invented by Leonardo Da Vinci in the XV century, though the invention just stayed the invention and was not realized in practice. The drawings tell us that the lighter by Da Vinci would hold the half of a small room and we are not sure of the safety with such a lighter. The mankind seemed to be involved in the other essential problems to solve and the invention was forgotten.

Today, cold steel arms enjoy a revival as they emerge not as a real weapon but a unique and precious collector's item. That said, both fire and cold steel arms are highly valued but the latter enjoys a much greater demand. This is especially true with regard to smallswords which are appreciated for their delicate shape and elegance as well as for their precious beauty (in their time, most swords were expensive weaponry decorated with precious metals and stones). Probably, their popularity can be explained by the perception of smallswords as a weapon of noblemen, officers and generals.

Nikolay Konstantinovich Roerich is one of the impressive figures in the world of Russian symbolism and modern style, this is the legend that made the paints and brushes serve for him and who won the hearts of people from all over the world. Roerich became the famous traveler being a wonderful painter, archeologist, writer and the philosopher mystic reflected in his paintings and the future thereof. The inheritance issue by Roerich is the actual topic to discuss for 20 years already and is likely to last forever since a plenty of people concerned are not willing to talk in public. And one of the disturbing questions is what happened to the famous paintings and who owns them.

Armour collecting is something too different from the trivial activity that is affordable to very wealthy people or the amateur enthusiasts who put their lives to study the history of armament the Middle Ages. During the old times the defensive weapons meant the armament. We never neglect the fact that in the current times anyone who wants to «collect» modern replicas styled as the ancient rarity, though we admit that this is done exclusively by those who want to make their interior look more elegant and pretentious demonstrating the decorative armour on the special platform.

Currently warrior items are highly demanded with collectors who get pleasure from adding various arbaletes into their funds. The wealthier collectors afford themselves to spend up for authentic rarities while the less prosperous keep satisfied with the latest replicas made by the ancient drawings. The latter are quite logic since аrbalètes are not produced unlimitedly so they have their individual replicas.

Henri Matisse was always experimenting with colors and techniques of writing and only recently his paintings were appreciated and highly estimated. The most expensive painting by the artist is «Blue Nude» sold for $33 million 641 thousand at Christie's in October 2007 at the start price of $10 million. The painting was purchased by the Russian collector Sergey Schukin who spent a wealth to make Matisse one of the reputed and favorite «wild» painters in Russia.

When we happen to read remarks and reaction of Paul Cézanne's contemporaries to his works, we want to exclaim that it is incredible and impossible since they reacted so badly to the extent that it is really hard to perceive. Ambroise Vollard who traded in Cézanne's art works in Paris tried to purchase the paintings of the artist in the year 1895 in Aix-en-Provence and ran across the absolute incomprehension from the society. People could not seem to get a handle on what was wrong and why the trademan wanted to pay money for such rubbish. Vollard invoked discredit and ill will only by his willing to get Cézanne's paintings.

Renoir would have laughed if he was said that in a century his painting would be sold for a fortune. And modern admirers of his genius feel envious that they could not take part in the auction in 1875 held in the hotel «Druo» when the paintings of the legendary painter were sold for 100 franks and even cheaper.

In spite of the fact that the most expensive work of the Russian painter is not included in the Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings in the World, there are many paintings worth telling about. «White Center» by Mark Rothko is on the twelfth line in the world's rating, and it takes the first place in the rating of the most expensive paintings of Russian painters. The works by this painter are highlyvalued. His «White Center» (1950), sold for $72,8 million at the Sotheby's in 2007, is followed untitled painting created in 1954 and sold for $26,92 million the same year.

But before you hang it for display on the wall or put it in the case, you should understand that samurai sword is not only a weapon or work of art. It is more of a philosophy and the way of thinking. Samurai sword is a symbol of honor and martial virtue, courage and valor. It is justly called a part, an extension of samurai's soul. It is always referred to as the sacred regalia of Japanese rulers; it is a major object of Shintoist cult. Samurai sword can not be regarded as an amusing plaything, a fine and elegant trinket, a decorative object or a part of interior design.

The Oriental things are always in. They are mysterious, strange to our culture and thus so attractive. Utilitarian West is attracted to philosophical East, as all is attracted by something unusual and magic. No wonder that elements of cultural and everyday life become the core of collectors' activity. The Japanese weapon is the special stuff that personifies the unique technologies and external elegance, on the top of it, is the quintessence of philosophy and culture of the Japanese nation.

The world's expensive painting called «Number 5» was sold at Sotheby's in 2006 for the fortune, 140 million dollars. Jackson Pollock, the painter known for his contributions to the abstract expressionist movement, made the painting on an 8' x 4' sheet of fiberboard, in 1948 with thick amounts of brown and yellow paint drizzled on top of it, forming a nest-like appearance that made him famous all over the world. The same year the second expensive by the cost painting by Willem de Kooning, the painter from the Netherlands, was sold for 137,5 million dollars. Woman III measuring 68 by 48½ inches, is one of six «Woman» paintings he numbered. He painted the picture with oil on canvas in 1953.