Messages

586

The Yussupovs / Re: Arkhangelskoie, the estate of the Yusupovs near Moscow

« on: September 28, 2004, 01:27:07 PM »

okay, this is what it says on the plan:

"chateau d'arcangelsky
 plan des entresolles"


and there's another notation in english that says:

"the arkhangelskoye palace
 plan of the mezzanine. 1780
 designed by charles de guerne"


the cross-section along the central axis is also dated 1780 and is also by de guerne.  

------  since we've established that these two works would (seemingly)
         go together, i'd like to draw your attention back to the
         solid-black lines (or walls).   although it may not show-up well        
         in the image i posted, upon further inspection with an
         AGFA  LUPE 8x (a photographer's magnifier), what appears to
         be one elongated 'H' shape, is actually 2 seperate 'T' shaped
         mezzanines.    they almost meet at the axial square....but
         don't.   and since the cross-section is cut along the opposite
         axis, through that square where they DON'T meet, it (the
         cross-section) won't show the configuration of the plan.

587

The Yussupovs / Re: Arkhangelskoie, the estate of the Yusupovs near Moscow

« on: September 27, 2004, 08:47:43 PM »

i removed my comments from the images in question, so everyone can draw there own conclusions and/or use y'alls posts as guides.  

btw, thanks Antonio, it hadn't occurred to me that it might be the mezzanine, but it makes much more sense that it is.   i've always thought that with the 2 central staircases, there was precious little of a 2nd floor.

588

The Yussupovs / Re: Arkhangelskoie, the estate of the Yusupovs near Moscow

« on: September 27, 2004, 05:34:04 PM »

Yes it really is. Surely they can do something before it's too late. I read that after WW2 the Soviets invited Feliks back to be the old man curator and consultant on its renovation because he was the only person alive who remembered what it used to look like. They were going to give him rooms and let him live out his life there but Irina was furious he would even consider dealing with the Bolsheviks who killed her family members and told him she and the entire emigre' community would disown him if he did it. While I can see her point, if he had at least been a consultant it would have saved it from ruin. But I can also understand how sad and humiliating it would have been for him to have to accept such a small part of an estate that was rightfully his.

i do remember reading that somewhere....   and you made some very good points for both sides!   what an awful position for him to have been in.    from reading his memoirs, anyone could plainly see depth of his feelings for estate, palace & it's collections.   it was an integral part of who he was (although he seemed to survive pretty well without it after the revolution...).      i'm sure he at least THOUGHT about it (whether he ever considered it as a viable option, is anyone's guess).     i'm sure he would have wanted to make sure it was all taken care of in the right way.    it would have killed him to it's condition today

589

Imperial Russian Antiques / Re: Romanov Tiaras

« on: September 27, 2004, 10:01:20 AM »

how does one make a parure function as a tiara?  i'm sure that it is more than just turning it over and whacking it on one's head.  how do they make it stand up?

actually, a 'parure' is a set of jewelry that specifically go together; such as a tiara, necklace, earrings & bracelets; or, as in the case of my last post (the 5th one up from this one), it's a parure comprised of a tiara, necklace & brooch.    but i'd forgotten that....



and when a necklace is used as a tiara, it's attached to a wire framework.   sometimes the frame is made at the same time as the necklace, but other times it's made later, when someone wants to make the jewel more functional.    

also, a necklace can be adapted for use as a tiara and/or a tiara can be adapted for use as a necklace.


i hope this helps?

590

The Yussupovs / Arkhangelskoie, the estate of the Yusupovs near Moscow

« on: September 27, 2004, 07:26:41 AM »

...

591

Imperial Russian Antiques / Re: Romanov Tiaras

« on: September 23, 2004, 03:40:48 PM »

thanks so much!   i had COMPLETELY forgotten that it was a parure!

and here i was, thinking it was the tiara being used as a necklace --- in spite of knowing (but not remembering) that it wasn't.  

i can be a bit slow at times....   but i eventually get there )

592

Imperial Russian Antiques / Re: Romanov Tiaras

« on: September 23, 2004, 01:40:44 PM »

i'd never noticed this before:

593

The Alexander Palace / the Slide

« on: September 23, 2004, 01:27:30 PM »

i'm hoping this won't be a repost of an image everyone's already seen, but just in case.....

594

Palaces in St. Petersburg / Re: Winter Palace, Guest Suites

« on: September 23, 2004, 02:58:01 AM »

Or, where would Prince Charles, Duke of Windsor have stayed when he visited St. Petersburg a few years ago?

do you mean 'the prince of wales'?

595

Palaces in St. Petersburg / Re: Kamennostrovsky Palace

« on: September 21, 2004, 08:34:03 AM »

I have some pics and a floorplan if you want to see them

TO: Londo954:

Yes, PLEASE!    especially the floorplans; those are MUCH harder to find;   it'd be fantastic if you could post them!

thanks very much!

596

Tsarskoe Selo Palaces / Re: Pavlovsk, the Palaces

« on: September 19, 2004, 06:03:36 AM »

There is another book of Emmanuel Ducamp by Madame Korshunova on The Winter Palace that is at US $195! I think it was Daniel who posted of the Hermitage's Virtual Academy that has E. Hau's and other artiests c1860's watercolors of some of the rooms.

i have this book.   it's large and very thick & heavy.   and boxed.

and absolutely wonderful!

300 pages;  hundreds of Hau's watercolors (some of them are so skillfully done, you'd SWEAR they were photographs!);  also contains
watercolors by Premazzi & Ukhtomsky;  but what i love most, is how extensive & thorough it is.   there is a view for most of the main rooms (& in some cases, several views, in order to show it's transformation over time);   the images cover the state apartments, the private apartments of the imperial family & the various rooms in the 4 reserve apartments (each reserve apartment consists of several rooms).




of course, in the book, each watercolor occupies an entire page, with the description, & where the room represented is situated, occupying the page opposite.

as i said,
it's absolutely wonderful.    i would have done just about anything in order to buy it.    i spent about 4 hours a day for 3 days thumbing through it, much to the dismay & irritation of the staff in the upscale bookstore.    it was "suggested" to me that i either buy it or forget about it --- but, in either case, that i not come back.     i left.

then, i actually dreamt about the book.  
i took it as a sign, albeit, a very CONVENIENT sign! <wink>.    though i could ill afford to, i used part of the rent money to buy it.    

it was worth it.

it was SO worth it.

597

The Yussupovs / Princess Irina Yusupova,nee Romanova - discussion and pictures

« on: September 18, 2004, 10:36:49 PM »

her natural elegance is evident

598

The Yussupovs / Re: The Yusupov Palace on Moika, St.Petersbourg

« on: September 18, 2004, 09:03:47 PM »

you're probably right, martyn.    

given the time-frame for each set of photos (the treasure-trove spread out on the table & the "studio shots" of Irina used in Irfé adverts, it HAS to be 2 different tiaras, doesn't it?    

even when one factors in the sale of the vartious properties (the chateau de Kériolet, the London apartment & the villa Tatiana on Lake Geneva), & the MGM award, Feliks was still continuously selling and/or pawning jewelry.....   he & Irina still lived on a relatively grand scale & they continued to support many people & a great many charities.

i guess what i'm getting at is, would they have had the means to actually buy new jewelry?    
i think martyn's suggestion about a copy made of paste seems realistic....
but so does the idea of having borrowed one from someone else --- the only problem i can think of with that idea is this:
would Irina actually have borrowed & worn a piece like the sunburst tiara, knowing that it would probably be recognised by many as being the property of someone else?    would Feliks have allowed that?   they were, after all, trying to promote a business.    btw, wasn't most, or all, of their money tied-up in that?  

but they were successful for a while, so they may have actually had the money for new jewelry -- maybe they considered it a "business expense"?

599

The Yussupovs / Re: Mansions of the Yusupovs in Europe - Finland, France etc

« on: September 18, 2004, 08:17:48 PM »

I love the portriat of Pcss Yusupova - do you know who the artist is?

unfortunately, i don't.   for either portrait, but the black&white image reminds me of Franz Xavier Winterhalter.    given the number of Russian (and French) aristocrats & royals he painted (& she was both [one by birth & the other by marriage and residency]), i wouldn't be surprised if it was painted by him.    or it may just be in his "style".

anyone know for sure?   or have any suggestions?

600

The Hesse-Darmstadts (Hesse and by Rhine) / Re: Houses of Hesse - branches and titles

« on: September 17, 2004, 06:45:31 AM »

that's why i'm here.   and i've got almost exactly 20 years under my belt, as it were.... and i'm very familiar with the passion you mentioned ---
it's what motivated me to get a minor in (pre-revolutionary) russian history (i needed a break from my major, so i finshed-up what i needed to get my minors: the one in russian history and one in anthropology).

and i must say, my interest, passion, fascination (et cetera) in the various personalities that made up the clan Romanov, has not diminished a bit....as a matter of fact, it's grown to encompass all aspects of their world, those around them, not to mention the buildings and trinkets with which they decorated their lives & person.

they occupy an enormous part of my day and, indeed, my life....as well as a big chunk of whatever disposable income i have at any given time.    

they're an addiction that i gladly endure