Image via Wikipedia
17 January 2010
By
columnist Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French
Furniture and Decorative Arts
Happy New Year: The Drouot Scandal
Continues
The highly popular French daily
Aujourd’hui en France (national version of Le
Parisien) featured
the headline in large block print last Monday: Trafic d’oeuvres d’art à Drouot (Trafficking of Works of Art at Drouot). Having stopped at the news stand
to purchase my evening copy of respectable Le Monde, I was stunned to see the Drouot arrests from early
December (See Paris Art Market buzz, 11 December) were still literally making headline
news. I couldn’t resist purchasing
a copy of the USA Today-style paper and quickly glanced over my shoulder to make sure that no
acquaintances actually witnessed my lapse in standards. Once safely hidden in a dark café, I
opened the paper to see a complete two-page spread devoted to the story. “Thefts at Drouot: a Chagall and
Diamonds Found”, “Surprising Discoveries by Investigators” the titles
read. I did not realize that
Drouot had enough popular appeal in France to deserve so much copy and
attention in a mass circulation daily.
Sold!....... A former auctioneer who embezzled lots..
(Cartoon: Aujourd’hui en France, January 11 2009)
Upon reflection, the key
concept here is clearly not art or Drouot itself, but the fact that there is a
“scandale” involving personal gain by a closely knit group, the commissionaires or Savoyards. For
example, the paper claims that one Savoyard actually had a Porsche in his
garage and rented a “standing” (high-end) apartment, proof that he was living
way beyond his modest means of €4,000 per month salary (quite a respectable
amount in France). Of course the
paper does not mention that the car could have been a clunker, nor does it specify
what it meant by the use of the word “standing” to describe his apartment. I have found that this can indicate anything
from a circa 1980 concrete slab building with tinted glass-fronted terraces to
an 18th century Hôtel Particulier. Ah
the joys of freedom of speech.
The articles offer scant
additional information except that investigators have only had time to rummage
through ten of 125 storage containers used by the commissionaires and have discovered an unspecified amount of
diamonds and a gouache by Chagall.
The paper shades Drouot as a closed temple where bizarre rituals occur
in the basement, such as throwing of dice to divide the loot and the conspicuous
consumption of raclette, a Savoyard specialty of melted cheese served on potatoes and cold
cuts. Wow, I hadn’t realized that
cheese could be demonic. There are
quotes from “sources” inferring that this is just the tip of the iceberg and
that the commissionaires are going to start falling like dominoes. Only three of the original 8 arrested are still in custody
and the judge has not specified a timetable for a hearing, probably a delay
tactic to keep them locked up. A
new rule has been established at Drouot prohibiting commissionaires from both selling and purchasing objects at auction
effective immediately. The paper
cites Georges Delettrez, the formerly silent President of Drouot Holding, as saying
something to the effect that one should not slaughter the entire flock because
of one bad sheep. By the
way, the Gustave Courbet painting which started the entire saga is now downgraded
to the hand of one of the official copiers of the painter, hence significantly
diminishing the initial 900,000 € estimate mentioned in the press. Jokes aside, this does promise to be a serious
blow to the institution and to the Paris art world in general. I’m sure that we have not heard the
last of it so stay tuned.
A Discovery in Doha
On a recent holiday lay-over in
Doha, Qatar, I decided to visit the new Museum of
Islamic Art (opened in November 2008) designed by celebrity architect I.M.
Pei (b. 1917). Although an
official competition took place in 1997 to select the renowned Jordanian architect
Rasem Badran (b. 1945) for the project, Pei (officially in retirement) was
brought in by jury member Luis Monreal when Badran’s involvement failed to
materialize. He accepted the
challenge despite his admitted lack of knowledge of Islamic art and
architecture and embarked on a six month tour of the Muslim world for
inspiration. He was initially
dazzled by the colorful Moorish architecture of Cordoba, then the Mughal wonders
of India but decided that these were not the “pure essence” of the Islamic architecture
that he was seeking due to their varied influences. He found his purified vision of Islamic architecture at the
mosque of Ahmad Ibn
Tulun (876-879 AD), the oldest surviving mosque in its original form in
Cairo.
Museum of Islamic Art, Doha. (Photo: Paul Paradis)
At a distance, the structure
first appears massive and daunting with its somber monochromatic stone and
large cubic masses. However, while
approaching along the palm-tree lined walkway, the onlooker is treated to a
surprise as the light and shade of the desert sun play tricks with the
geometric shapes crowning the building, and the contrasting dark grey arches
and other detail come into view.
Pei was fascinated by the almost cubist purity of Ahmad Ibn Tulun mosque
and here he brings the effect to spectacular heights. Once inside, the clean lines and nuanced muted colors
continue but decorative detail becomes more important. A double grand staircase draws the
visitor’s attention to a huge suspended ring-shaped lamp with latticework décor
inspired by Egyptian pierced metalwork, then on to an oculus in a faceted steel
dome allowing the sunlight to penetrate directly into the space. A 45 meter-high window directly behind
the staircase offers a breathtaking view of the Arabian Gulf and the Doha
skyline on the opposite side of the corniche, or cressent shaped coastline of the city.
Grand Staircase, Museum of Islamic Art. (Photo: Paul
Paradis)
Stainless steel faceted dome with oculus. (Photo: Paul Paradis)
The French interior designer
and architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte
(b.1948) who worked with Pei on the Grand Louvre project collaborated to design the galleries,
display cases and furniture. He used
three principal materials to cover the walls providing neutral backdrops to the
works of art: grey stone textured in parallel lines, warm dark wood carved with
vermicular patterns, and metal molded into geometric reliefs. The organization of the galleries first
by theme (calligraphy, the figure in art, pattern, science and art) on one
floor, then chronologically and geographically on the second floor of the
permanent collections is at times confusing, but the austerity and elegance of
the presentation safely avoids overwhelming the visitor with too much detail or
material.
Ceramics and metalwork form the
backbone of the collection, as well as textiles, glass, illuminated manuscripts
and sculpture from every corner of the Muslim world. An important collection of exquisitely chased and engraved
brass astrolabes
(classical astronomical instruments used in part for predicting the position of
the sun, moon planets and stars) from the 1st to 19th
centuries is probably among the best in the world.
Dish, Fritware With Underglaze Painting, Iznik (Turkey) 16th century. (Photo: Paul Paradis)
Brass Planispheric Astrolabe, 984-985 AD (Photo: Paul Paradis)
The grand finale to the visit
is undoubtedly the gallery dedicated to jewellery and other precious
objects. A necklace with large
rose-cut cabochon diamonds, pear shaped emeralds and tiny pearls from India
gleams out from the glass case and the visitor can circle completely around it
to discover the precious enamel work backing the settings to the royal gems.
Diamond,
Emerald And Enamel Necklace With Pearls, India 19th century. (Photo:
Paul Paradis)
The masterpiece of the collection is a large falcon in gold inlaid with rubies, emeralds, diamonds, a large sapphire and enamel decoration, also from India (c. 1640). The museum claims that it is one of the most spectacular pieces of Mughal jewellery known to have survived. The rubies are cut to form the feathers and a large sapphire the beak. The chest is intricately decorated with tiger stripes in enamel. Its exact use is not known but one hypothesis is that it formed the top of a royal scepter. The weight of the precious object is engraved on the perch (210 tolas), as well as the name of the imperial eunuch Khwaja Ruzbihan, treasurer of the private jewels of the Mughal Emporer Shah Jahan (1592-1666).
Falcon, Gold Inlaid With Gems And Enamel, India c. 1640.
(Photo: Paul Paradis)
The globalization of the art
market became crystal clear to me as I approached a display of two exquisitely
carved wood and ivory-inlaid panels which looked more than vaguely
familiar. The first, presented on
the left, is part of a minbar (door) from the mosque of the Mamluk Emir Qawsun in
Egypt, dated around 1330. The
Mamluks were originally slaves of Turkish origin converted to Islam who ruled
Egypt and Syria from the 13th to the 16th centuries. The second,
on the right, is from a door to a Coptic
church, dated approximately 1320.
The fact that one panel is from a mosque and the other a Christian
church despite their obvious similarities is fascinating and witness to the
blending of cultures under Mamluk rule of Egypt. Unfortunately, the regime began a wave of intolerance
towards Christianity, destroying and pillaging churches in Cairo in 1321 and
again in 1354. The fact that this
panel survived is therefore quite exceptional.
Sculpted And Ivory-inlaid Panels From Mamluk Doors, Egypt
14th century. (Photo: Paul Paradis)
Once back home, I confirmed
that my memory had not failed me.
Both of these rare panels (although now shed of their associated wooden
door frames from 1900) were part of the highly eclectic collection of Charles
Gillot (1853-1903). Christie’s
Paris auctioned the collection in March 2008. The first panel (lot 41) sold for a spectacular 2,160,250 €
including buyer’s premium, seven times the low estimate of 300,000 €. The second (lot 45) sold for 1,488,250
€, almost six times the low estimate of 250,000 €. I recall having been at the auction and the surprise and
excitement when the hefty sums were attained. Rumors slithered through the room that the Museum in Qatar
was making purchases. Clearly the
Emir of Qatar had unlimited means to acquire the collection to his flagship
project. Judging from the
spectacular museum, I guess that we can only thank goodness for that.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=8ef01336-7ba4-45f4-b1f4-728937969fcb)
