Category Archives: Everything Else

The Value of Picasso’s “Le Reve”

Le Reve, 1932 by Pablo Picasso has had quite the adventure since its creation. Created in 1932 by Picasso, this work was originally part of the collection of Victor and Sally Ganz who purchased the work in 1941 for $7,000. Put up for auction by the family in 1997, this work sold for $48 million to casino magnate Steve Wynn.

Le Reve, 1932 by Pablo Picasso

Almost a decade later in 2006, Wynn had the unfortunate accident of putting his elbow through the work. Now seven years later, fully restored, Wynn has sold the piece for a record $155 million to Steven Cohen the founder of SAC Capital. Cohen, along with Wynn, is one of the world’s biggest art collectors, with works by Van Gogh, Manet, de Kooning, Picasso, Cezanne, Warhol, Johns and Richter.

So what makes this piece so valuable? The first is the impeccable provenance and the second is the historical aspect of the work.  A portrait of Picasso’s famed muse Marie-Therese Walter, this work was created in 1932. Married and 45, Picasso spotted Walter in 1927 on a Paris street when she was 17. She would be the artist’s greatest love for the next decade, inspiring numerous paintings and sculptures.

The Marie-Therese period hasn’t always been considered Picasso’s finest hour in the art market as only his paintings from 1932 seem to hit it big. This can be seen with Le Reve’s auction in 1997, and in 2010 when Nude, Green Leaves and Bust sold for $106.5 million. La Lecture then went for $40.5 million in 2011 and Femme assise pres d’une fenetre sold for $45 million in February this year. So one can only assume that Cohen got a good investment, restoration and all.

Information Taken From:

Billionaire Steve Cohen pays $155m for Picasso’s Le Reve by Rebecca Clancy

Valentine’s Day: the Pleasure of Viewing Love in Art

With Valentine’s Day this week, the concept of love in art work is more prevalent than any other time of year. Ken Johnson, art critic for New York Times, provided an editorial musing about the themes of love he found in art around New York City including Metropolitan Museum of Art , and the Whitney Museum. From “Sleeping Eros” sculpture of the Greek god of love, to the erotic abstract expressionist work of Georgia O’Keefe, to the Statue of Liberty, Johnson explores the symbolism of love in art in its various formations and versions. Throughout all these examples, Johnson returns to art’s unique ability to evoke sentiment and substantiate his argument that the appearance of love in art can more truthfully explain the meaning of love over any dictionary definition.

Picasso’s mistress and one of his many muses, Marie Therese Walter

Interestingly enough a Picasso painting “Femme assise pres d’une fenetre“ of the artist’s mistress sold for $45 million,  over six times the amount it was last sold for in 1997, on Tuesday February 5th at the most recent Sotheby’s auction in London. While the extraordinary price says more about the growing value of Picasso’s work despite a struggling economy, I can’t help but ponder if the buyer was moved by the scent of love in the air. In fact, the other item that “had nearly stolen the limelight” earlier at the auction just happened to be another amorous creation, a series of works on paper by Egon Schiele, “Lovers (Self Portrait With Wally)”.

These works not only dealt with themes of love, but were direct

Picasso’s “Tête de Femme (Marie-Thérèse) [Head of a Woman], 1958″

translations from the artists’ personal lives. Picasso’s “Femme assise pres d’une fenetre” depicts Marie-Therese Walter, Picasso’s muse for many years, and a recurring model. She appears in our gallery in a lithograph and collotype, “Tête de Femme.”  As a viewer, my fascination with the muse may stem from a voyeuristic look into the artist’s life. It allows the viewer to pry into peer into the private first-hand perspective of the artist. We empathize with our artist, we admire as he admires. While Picasso had many muses, each one evokes sincere adoration. In both works Picasso uses an abstracted drawing style that exaggerates her features. She is beautiful, but not because of her conventionality, rather her striking angular features, and confident expression. This image of love does not appear contrived or symbolic, yet it still has the ability to affect the viewer, as we try to connect with Picasso and grasp his emotions during the conception of his works.

Picasso’s “The Embrace”

The recent Sotheby’s success is proof that I am not alone in my voyeuristic pleasure, and I may dare to suggest that Picasso could have enjoyed such a behavior as well. In the stunning, “The Embrace” by Picasso, the painter and viewer are observing the love of a couple. As if painted from a window, a man and woman’s intimacy is captured. The earthy red of female figure paired with the calming cool blues of her partner emanates the serenity and warmth of love. It is Picasso, the artist, who captures the moment, paying careful attention to color and composition in order to emphasize the mood. The work is still able to incite emotions, but we feel the other side of love, our instinctive longing for closeness. The removed perspective only intensifies this desire, as we crave the affection depicted in “The Embrace.”

Cited Citations:

The Muse

A look into the human inspiration of famous artists is hardly revealing as their personal affections and desires are effortlessly translated into their art. There are no hidden feelings Picasso does not express for his multiple muses and lovers, no voluptuous bodies Matisse and Toulouse-Lautrec do not portray without a longing desire, and no lack of affection Renoir and Rembrandt do not display for their spouses in portraits.

Jacqueline en Mariée (Jacqueline, Married)

Jacqueline en Mariée (Jacqueline, Married) by Pablo Picasso

Artists portray and interpret what they feel in the heart, mind, and sexual arousal, so a new book titled Private View: An Intimate Dictionary of the Art World by Phillip Hook is certainly not telling, but it is incredibly insightful from the tidbits I have been researching. Offering a historical perspective, he explores the complex creative relationship between artists and their inspirational muses. Discussing a wide range of artists that span multiple art forms, time periods, and genres, the common denominator is the usage of the age old tradition of human muses for inspiration.

The power of the muse dates back to the foundation of civilization where the female form was idolized in figurines and drawings, and throughout history, poets, artists, and musicians alike have called upon them. Muses are not gender specific and there are no accepted norms. Their purpose is to create emotion for the artist, to inspire their best ideas to come to fruition. A Sotheby’s article titled, Masters and Muses states it perfectly, “Artistic creation, mental instability and sexual energy are closely related, which makes painters colorful lovers; it also means that their work is often influenced by their passionate relationships. The influence of the muse is manifold.”

This leads me to question, if the master sought inspiration and other comforts from their muses, what power did the muses hold in the relationship?  Without a specific muse to inspire at the right time would the same great works of art we hold dear today exist? Who knows the real power struggles that existed within the relationships or alternative histories that would be written, but without each other and the tumultuous or joyful joined experiences, some of the greatest works of art would not exist.

Sotheby’s At Auction. Jan/March. Master and Muses. Extractions from Private View: An Intimate Dictionary of the Art World by Phillip Hook.

Out with the Old and in with the Modern?

The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation has ignited an uproar in Berlin over its proposed relocation of famed Old Master works currently at the Gemäldegalerie.  The Gemäldegalerie houses one of the world’s most prized collections of European art from the 13th – 18th century, including works by famed masters such as Rembrandt, Dürer, Van Eyck, Raphael, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Rubens, and Cranach. Art historians, conservators, and museum-goers alike are fighting to keep the works in the Gemäldegalerie, but a large donation of Modern art from Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch threatens to push out the Old Masters to make room for the Modern ones.

Donors Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch

Donors Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch

This past June, the German federal government allotted €10 million to jumpstart plans for a 20th century gallery in the Gemäldegalerie and in the nearby Neue Nationalgalerie.  This decision was prompted by the Pietzschs’ donation, a donation with conditional terms:  the donated collection must be on display in the National Galeries.  This donation includes works by modern masters such as Dalí, Miró, Magritte, and Rothko and is valued at over €150 million. The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation proposes displaying the Pietzsch collection at the Gemäldegalerie and moving the Old Master works to the Bode Museum on the Museum Island.  The Old Master works that are not moved for display will be stored until space can be made available.

The Gemaldegalerie

The Gemaldegalerie

Opponents to this proposal are mostly concerned for the safety and prestige of the Old Master works.  They do not want them sitting in storage, unappreciated for years to come.  Jeffrey Hamburger, a professor of German Art History at Harvard, is one critic.  He drafted the petition against this proposal and went on to gather nearly 13,000 signatures.  He states, “I am not opposed to moving the Old Master collection back to the Museum Island.  I am much more concerned about the ‘how’ and the ‘when’ than the ‘if’” (Michalska, “Row over Berlin’s Old Master plan,” 2). Germany’s associations of art historians and conservators along with former museum directors Dube and Günter Schade share similar concerns, as they want the Old Masters to have a definite space set aside in the Bode prior to moving the works.

Lucas Cranach, The Fountain of Youth, 1546, currently in the Gemaldegalerie in Berlin

Lucas Cranach, The Fountain of Youth, 1546, currently in the Gemaldegalerie in Berlin

Proponents of this proposal include former director of the Staaliche Museen in Berlin (1999-2008) Peter-Klaus Schuster and current director of the New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art Thomas Campbell.  Schuster refers to the German public’s backlash as hypocritical, stating that public opinion at the time of German unification pushed for the Old Master collection to be displayed in its historical home at the Bode Museum on Museum Island.  However, at the time, Museum Island was not a fit place to house these works, which led to their display at the new Gemäldegalerie.  Now, when the works are to be returned to their historical home at the Bode Museum, the public is suddenly disapproving Campbell further supports this plan, stating that it is “courageous, logical, and absolutely right” (Michalska, “Row over Berlin’s Old Master plan,” 1). While the proposal has not yet been set in motion, Julien Chapius, deputy director of the sculpture collection at the Bode Museum, assures the public that the Old Master treasures will not be moved “until there is a reliable feasibility and financing plan for the Bode Museum Expansion in place” (Michalska, “Row over Berlin’s Old Master plan,” 2).

Information derived from: Michalska, Julia. “Row over Berlin’s Old Master plan.” The Art Newspaper. September 2012.

Picasso, the forge & the kiln: the art of partnership

Picasso’s relationship with Egidio Costantini echoes his partnership with Suzanne and Georges Ramié, of the Madoura Pottery in Vallauris, France. The two men initially met in the small French town in 1954, though their working relationship would begin a few years later when Peggy Guggenheim invited the artist to Venice. These encounters in Vallauris were pivotal in Picasso’s mature career. At a time when he had established himself as the major artist of the 20th century with his astonishing range of painting and sculpture, Picasso entered new territory via relationships with these three master craftspeople.

Costantini's inscription seen on the back of a glass Picasso dove

The Ramié’s created large editions based on original prototypes made by Picasso himself. Suzanne’s sculptural ceramics were inspiring canvases for the artist, who discerned the form of a sleeping goat or dancing woman in the profile of a vase.  In contrast, Costantini translated the artist’s drawings into glass sculptures. Produced in very limited editions, these works rarely come on the market. Their luminous, reflective qualities give them a certain depth and changeability absent in the ceramic works, special in their own way.

Suzanne talking with Picasso in the Pottery

Costantini, master of La Fucina degli Angeli (the Forge of the Angels) on the island of Murano, outside of Venice, transformed the centuries-old tradition of Italian glass blowing into a modern art. Originally trained as a radiotelegraph operator, botanist and bank clerk, he only began working with glass in 1945. Just as the first practitioners of photography aimed to establish their medium on the same level as painting and sculpture, so the Italian sought to elevate glassblowing from craft to fine art. Costantini knew how to promote his practice, and secured partnerships with such artists as Alexander Calder and Jean Arp. A 1965 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, recognized the importance of these rare sculptures, which are housed in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, amongst other notable collections.

In June of this year, the auction of over 540 objects from the Madoura Pottery at Christie’s London exceeded pre-sale expectations by more than four times, bringing in a total of £8,082,300 ($12,584,141). This was the last opportunity for collectors to purchase ceramics directly from the studio, where many lots had remained, untouched, until this summer. A new world record was set for the highest price achieved at auction by a Picasso ceramic when Grande vase aux femmes voilées sold for £735,650 ($1,145,407), more than ten times its pre-sale estimate. The enormous success of this sale confirms the collectible value of the Spanish artist’s fantastical pitchers, vases and dishes.

With fewer original paintings, drawings and graphic works on the market, Picasso glass sculptures and ceramic works are having their day.

Picasso drawing with light in front of a few ceramics

Mental and Psychical Conditions vs. Creativity: How much influence do they exert over an artist?

A recent article I read titled Japanese Scientist Says Vincent van Gogh Was Colorblind — But Does it Matter? discusses the possibility that Van Gogh was colorblind which was the reason for his use of bright, brash color choices in his artwork.  The author of the article holds steady in the belief that “To assume that the painter’s provocative artistic choices were simply the result of a medical condition is to completely disregard his own creativity.” This got me to thinking about artists and how their physical and/or mental condition may or may not influence their creativity.

An Edited Self Portrait by Van Gogh

What we do know about Van Gogh is that he was manic depressive, as well as epileptic. A brain disorder that causes unusual changes in the person’s mood, energy, and ability to function, manic depressive people have a hard time thinking and focusing, isolate themselves, experience hallucinations, and become involved with mind altering substances to help them cope. In Van Gogh’s case he drank absinthe, and suffered from those symptoms as well as hypergraphia, sunstroke, and possibly lead poisoning. The artist was institutionalized because of his manic depression and, later on, committed suicide at the age of 37.

It is often believed that because Van Gogh did use lead based paints he suffered from lead poisoning from nibbling at paint chips. It was also noted by his physician that during his attacks Van Gogh tried to poison himself by swallowing paint or drinking kerosene. One of the symptoms of lead poisoning is swelling of the retinas which can cause one to see light in circles like halos around objects. This can be seen in paintings like The Starry Night. This leads me to think about his mental state of mind and psychical abilities, and question whether or not he would have produced the same art if he did not experience such disorders.

Photo of Touloue-Lautrec

Many artists suffer from manic depression, Van Gogh is simply the most well-known artist to display and discuss his symptoms so openly. Van Gogh is certainly not the only famous artist to suffer from mental and/or psychical conditions that may or may not have had a role in the creative output. Toulouse-Lautrec had fragile bones, and suffered from Dwarfism, dying at the young age of 36. Gauguin was known to have syphilis which can severely affect the nervous system, and died at the age of 55 from the disease. Frida Kahlo was born with Spina Bifida, a birth defect that can cause deformities of the legs and spine and create chronic pain. Many people interpret how many of her best-known works depict her physical suffering: her bleeding, broken and weeping body which could have been a self-expression of her condition. Both Norman Rockwell and Willem DeKooning suffered from dementia later in life. Renoir had arthritis in his hands and fought to overcome the disease so he could continue creating his masterpieces. Though at times he suffered greatly and the disease became crippling, he continued to persevere through his work.

As a more detailed example, Monet was diagnosed with nuclear cataracts later in life and experienced changes in his perception of color. He no longer perceived colors with the same intensity and his paintings showed a change in the whites and greens and blues, with a shift towards “muddier” yellow and purple tones. Monet was both troubled and intrigued by the effects of his declining vision. He sought the help of many ophthalmologists and underwent an operation on one eye but was so upset at not being to paint while it healed that he declined to have the other one done. As a result of each eye’s difference in color perception and acuity, Monet was never again able to use both eyes together effectively.

It is rumored that Rembrandt, one of the greatest painters and printmakers in history, may have suffered from a similar visual aging. His earlier works show him to be a master of detail and light sensitivity, or in visual terms, to have good acuity and contrast sensitivity while his later works appear to be reduced in detail, clarity and light sensitivity. It could just be a conscious decision by Rembrandt to make such a stylistic change, but when artists age, how much does health change the art and how much of it is conscious creativity?

In an interesting note to add to the discussion, while Matisse was recovering from appendicitis at the age of 21, he decided to start painting and ended up leaving his law career. Would one of the great formative figures in 20th-century art, a master of the use of color and form to convey emotional expression have ever picked up a brush had he not suffered that medical condition? No one can say for certain, but artists are products of their environments and emotions.

Time and lifestyles catch up to everyone, artists are no exceptions, but with artists how do you understand the influences for their creation, outside of the aesthetic appeal.  How much of it is conscious versus unconscious, mental versus emotional, psychical ability versus psychical perseverance, and does the artist themselves even recognize the difference or is it all simply relative? These are the questions worth considering when admiring a work of art, because art is meant to be subjective and provocative and thought provoking. Only the artist themselves know what their true motivations and intentions were, but as viewers it is always pleasurable to interpret.

Women in the Art World: Personal vs. Professional Fulfillment

Anne-Marie Slaughter’s recent article in The Atlantic, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” has kicked off a debate regarding her decree that present societal conditions make having both a satisfying work life and raising a family impossible and that the feminist dream to “have it all” is simply not possible. ARTINFO, in response to this debate, conducted a survey about women in the art world and whether or not they were satisfied with their reality.

Women in the Workplace

Reaching out to “high-achieving women in the arts with varied backgrounds and career paths, both mothers and non-mothers,” ARTINFO received an overwhelming amount of responses. In these responses, themes emerged surrounding the experiences of the women which were rather interesting to read.

The first theme to emerge from the study revolved around feminist ideology. In the 70’s it was well preached that women could be ‘superwomen’ and have both a successful career while maintaining a functional family life. Some women took this ideology and combined family life with work life, while other women choose to compromise one or the other. No way is the right way as every career women finds her own balance, but all paths depend on a number of circumstances such as the age of the children or the job position or where you are at in your life. Whether the path is fulfilling is up the women to determine.

The second theme to emerge was creative and cooperative career planning. With technology being widely available, more women in the art world are able to work from home. Shared responsibility, selectivity, and of course planning all aid in being successful at both, but tough choices still need to be made. Yvonne Force Villareal, an owner of the Art Production Fund, stated the feelings best in her response when she said, “What I quickly grew to learn is that ‘balance’ is a relative term. Something always has to give – compromise and sacrifice are constant factors.”

Career or Family or Both?

The third theme is the location of the art professionals. Different countries have different societal views and roles for working women. Some are more supportive of women in the workplace while others are not, and the term “having it all” means different things to different women. The last theme to emerge is the framing of, ‘can’t have it all’. Many of the art professionals were taken aback by the closed-mindedness of Slaughter’s suggestion. Antonia Carver, director of Art Dubai, stated it best when she said, “Where we went wrong seems to be in the way that it was assumed that ‘having it all’ was a universal aspiration, and that the responsibility to achieve this should come from women themselves. It wasn’t society that needed to change, but women who needed to try harder. So the weight of balancing work and family, and the challenge of physically ‘fitting it all in’ primarily fell to women.”

In the art world in particular, which is often a male driven realm, women are able to be successful both professionally and personally. Comprise is the best solution as echoed by all of the female art professionals in the survey, while constantly re-prioritizing what is important in their lives. The fascinating aspect about this topic is that gender roles are taboo and everyone has a strong opinion regarding the matter, but the woman has the power to decide what ‘having it all’ means to her, and there is no larger disparity in this belief than in the art world.

Masters of Printmaking: Picasso and His Original Lithographs

There is no denying that Pablo Picasso (Malaga, 1881 – Mougins, 1973) is the greatest artist of the 20th century. Loved and admired around the world, Picasso’s artworks are a symbol of creativity and ingenuity.  Ranging from paintings, ceramics, glass, lithography, linocuts and etchings, everything Picasso created from Cubism to Modern Art inspired and influenced every artist who worked alongside him and after him.

Pablo Picasso's Original Lithograph "L'étreinte (The Embrace)"

The importance of Picasso’s work and the longevity of its value are what make his artwork the most sought after works on the art market today. Picasso was an inventor, and loved to explore different mediums and processes as it allowed for a creative input and controlled output. Renowned for his immense skill and range as an artist, Picasso mastered the art of printmaking. His stunning original lithographs are amongst the most brilliant works in his artistic oeuvre.  Representative of his varied artistic styles, Picasso’s lithographs depict images and techniques that extend from his brief post-Impressionistic period to Cubism and beyond.

Pablo Picasso's Original Lithograph "Nature morte à l'aubergine (Still Life with Eggplant), 1946"

As some background, a lithograph is a printmaking process where the design is drawn or painted on a flat surface of a stone with a greasy crayon or ink. The design is chemically fixed on the stone with a weak solution and in printing, the stone is flooded with water which is absorbed everywhere except where repelled by the greasy ink. Oil-based printer’s ink is then rolled on the stone, which is repelled in turn by the water-soaked areas and accepted only by the drawn design. A piece of paper is laid on the stone and it is run through the press with light pressure, the final print showing neither a raised nor embossed quality but lying entirely on the surface of the paper. The artist, in this case Picasso, would then hand-sign the work to show his approval and claim ownership.

Pablo Picasso's Original Lithograph "Dwarf Dancer, 1966"

Picasso himself was rather involved in his lithography process as he enjoyed improving upon it, and his art, by adding different colors or mixing up materials. Take our Still Life with Eggplant (1946) original lithograph as an example. Cool tones are mixed with vibrant colors that combine to convey the texture of paint, clearly depicting Picasso’s soft, swirling strokes. Or in our newest addition, L’étreinte (1966), that beautifully depicts the influence art nouveau and impressionism had on Picasso with softer, less abstract edges, and almost pastel like brush marks. In the striking original lithograph, Dwarf Dancer from the ‘Barcelona’ suite (1966), Picasso utilizes the brush in an energetic layering of pure hues to create a vibrant scene full of motion and activity.

Pablo Picasso's Original Lithograph "L'Attente (The Wait), 1966"

Full of rich painterly texture and impressionistic use of color the original lithograph, L’Attente (1966) illustrates the delicacy and grace Picasso used to portray his female models. Picasso perfectly captures the essence of his subjects, creating a work instilled with a sense of intrigue and emotion. Perhaps this ability to clearly depict the nature of his subjects from his vast and creative viewpoints is what best defines Picasso’s stunning original lithographs.

 

“Which Warhol’s Warhols’?” Australian Art Series Hotel Group to Offer Works by Tony Tetro

The originality of artwork is a delicate and hot topic these days. From the appropriation of other artist’s works to the revelations and prosecutions of devious operations, there is no end to the discussion which is why it was interesting to read the Art Series Hotel Group’s (a real estate group in Australia that purchases and displays fine art) plan for an art forum on the topic. They are approaching the topic in an unconventional way in regards to the competition they are offering that presents master imitator Tony Tetro’s Warhol’s, next to an authentic one by Warhol that will have guests guess which one is the true Warhol.

As tonytetro.com explains, Tony created works for over 30 years that replicated artists such as Chagall, Rembrandt, Dali, and Rothko. Tetro’s works were regularly passed off as legitimate works in museums, galleries, and auction houses around the world. Tony did six years in jail for using his “talents” and currently executes master copies for an exclusive list of elite clients from his studio in Southern California, which is topic for another discussion…  

Van Gogh original and imitator as presented by NOVA. Can you tell which is which?

Known for their elaborate promotional and forum ideas, such as their past event “Steal Bansky”; for this particular event, Tony was commissioned by Art Series Hotels to reproduce nine Warhol prints that would be hung alongside an authentic work by Warhol as a guessing competition for hotel guests. Whoever is able to spot the authentic Warhol will get to own the work, and for at least trying, the guests will be entered into a drawing for one of Tony’s. Tony’s art are to be clearly labeled by law with a definitive stamp, and in the company’s terms and conditions, they state that “none of these works must be entered into commerce or passed off as genuine by the winners.  The promoter shall not be held liable for any actions of the winner after they have claimed the prize”.

In an effort to promote the art forum, Art Series Hotels issued the following statement:

“It’s estimated that more than 15% of all paintings sold in the world are [unaccepted], and the namesake artists at Art Series Hotels are not immune.  With this in mind, we’ll be hosting a forum on art [originality] on Tuesday May 15th with Tony and other industry speakers.

We consider [the legitimacy of] art a serious crime, and an issue often swept under the carpet.  We are hoping this project stimulates discussion around [the legitimacy of] art and its impact. What does it mean for the industry, what’s the impact on the artists, how can you pick an [unaccepted artwork] from a real [one], what value do we actually place on art?”

It is certainly an engaging way to promote the issue, but is it the right way? One speaker pulled out of the forum after learning about the competition, and the Warhol Foundation is appalled at the decision to promote Tony’s art as items of value. There are fun and interesting ways to educate individuals on the seriousness surrounding the legitimacy of art and the impact it has on the market, but this I feel is crossing a line. The promotion and introduction of unaccepted works onto the market and the statement the competition is making about the value of them is deplorable, and whatever you, the reader may think, the Art Series Hotel Group is at least succeeding in their goal of creating a discussion about the topic which is one that needs to be addressed although maybe not in such a creative way.

Information obtained from:

The Fake Warhols Used as Prizes to Promote an Art Forgery Forum in Australia by Nicholas Forrest

Art Series Hotel Website

 

 

New Ways of Protecting Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage is unique and irreplaceable, which places the responsibility of preservation on the current generation. Whether it is art or monuments, tangible heritage is always at risk and nowhere is this seen to be truer than in Iraq (technically Afghanistan as well but that’s for another blog). Many are aware of the recent history of Iraq, strife with civil discord, war, and a nuclear power conflict, making the issue of protecting their cultural heritage trivial in the big scheme of issues currently at hand. However, Iraq is known as the “cradle of civilization,” for a reason as it is a treasure trove of important archaeological sites including Babylon, Ur and Nimrud. These sites encompass an important part of Iraq’s cultural heritage and they are in danger of being irreparably harmed; thereby making the trivial issue of Iraq protecting their cultural heritage a rather significant one.

Damage done to an archeological site in Southern Iraq

Historically, Iraq has been home to continuous successive civilizations since the 6th millennium BC.. The area and people survived centuries of successive empires, multiple religious affiliations, and wars to become what John Stewart lovingly refers to as “Mess O’ Potamia” today. Although you can disagree with the current politics occurring in and surrounding the country, you cannot disagree with the importance of preserving and researching the area for the benefit of humankind and history.

That is why I was surprised to read an article titled “Iraq protects its artifacts via satellite” in which the Iraq government is in the process of employing satellites to stop the historical sites from being looted and to reduce their vulnerability to random exploration. There are around 12,000 known archaeological sites across the country which go back to the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Islamic civilizations. According to reports, around 170, 000 artifacts, including the Iraqi equivalent of Mona Lisa – the Sumerian girl’s head, have been lost from Iraq not to be seen again.

Iraq Cultural Heritage Site

Looters have descended upon many of these sites and are in the process of destroying them and extracting artifacts to sell to collectors and dealers. Past archaeological research is being destroyed in the process, as is the potential for future research. A series of international agreements has banned the trade in looted antiquities but these are inefficient with little to none legal holding. This why I wholeheartedly agree with the Iraq Tourism Authority’s plan to spend the next two years building walls around the archaeological sites and developing a specialized department that will control and monitor the areas using the satellite imaging.

All cultural heritage, whether it be sites, artifacts, or art, deserve to be preserved and accessible depending on their condition so future generations can enjoy and learn from them. That is why I enjoy working at the gallery because I feel like in some small way, by helping the art to find the right owner, the art can continue to be appreciated for generations to come and survive a little bit longer in this ever changing world.