autographs and letters
William Shakespeare was a British poet and playwright and writer.
William's father, John Shakespeare, was a merchant and official in Stratford. There are reports that he was a sailor for a time before joining a theater company in London. Beginning in the 1590s, Shakespeare began writing plays, and in 1593 he published a poem, Venus and Adonis, which became popular. He dedicated it to the Duke of Southampton, who was a philanthropist and patron of talent, and soon his business was booming.
From 1592 to 1600 Shakespeare wrote his dramas and romantic comedies "Richard III", "The Taming of the Shrew", "Romeo and Juliet", "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "The Merchant of Venice", as well as the comedies "Much Ado About Nothing", "Twelfth Night" and the tragedy "Julius Caesar". The playwright's business was so successful that he even bought a large house in Stratford. In 1599, Shakespeare became one of the owners, playwright and actor of the new theater "Globe". In 1603 King James took Shakespeare's troupe under his direct patronage. In the mature period, the great playwright turned to tragedies, there were "Hamlet", "Othello", "King Lear", "Macbeth" and others.
Although in the 19th century researchers had some doubts about the authorship of many of these works, William Shakespeare is considered the greatest English playwright, one of the best playwrights in the world. His plays have been translated into all major languages and to this day form the basis of the world theatrical repertoire, most of them have been screened many times. According to the Guinness Book of Records, Shakespeare remains the world's best-selling playwright, and his plays and poems have sold more than 4 billion copies in the nearly 400 years since his death.
Abraham Lincoln was an American statesman and politician, the 16th President of the United States (March 4, 1861 - April 15, 1865).
The son of a frontiersman and a Kentucky farmer, Lincoln worked hard from an early age and struggled to learn. He was a militiaman in the Indian War, practiced law, and sat in the Illinois legislature for eight years. He was an opponent of slavery and gradually gained a national reputation that earned him victory in the 1860 presidential election.
After becoming the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln turned the Republican Party into a strong national organization. In addition, he drew most Northern Democrats to the Union side. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared permanently free those slaves who were in Confederate territory. Lincoln considered secession illegal and was prepared to use force to defend federal law and the Union. Four more slave states joined the Confederacy, but four remained in the Union, and the Civil War of 1861-1865 began.
Lincoln personally directed the military action that led to victory over the Confederacy. Abraham Lincoln was reelected in 1864, and on April 14, 1865, he was fatally shot at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. by actor John Wilkes Booth.
Abraham Lincoln is a national hero of the American people, he is considered one of the best and most famous presidents of the United States until today.
Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky (Russian: Василий Васильевич Кандинский) was a trailblazer in the art world, known for his pioneering role in the development of abstract art. Born in Moscow, Russia, in 1866, Kandinsky embarked on a journey that would take him from the study of law and economics to becoming one of the most influential artists of his time. His journey into the arts began at 30, a significant shift from a promising career in law to attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. This decision marked the start of a profound exploration of color, form, and the spiritual in art.
Kandinsky's work is celebrated for its innovative use of color and abstract forms, with notable pieces such as "Composition VII" and "On White II" showcasing his ability to evoke emotional resonance through non-representational means. His art was not just about visual aesthetics but also aimed to touch the spiritual and emotional realms of the viewer. He often compared his method of painting to composing music, emphasizing the emotional power of abstract forms and colors. This philosophy was reflected in his theoretical writings, notably in "Concerning the Spiritual in Art," where he laid out his beliefs about the role of art and the artist in society.
Throughout his career, Kandinsky was involved with several avant-garde groups, including Der Blaue Reiter and Die Blaue Vier, collaborating with other influential artists of the time like Paul Klee and Alexej Jawlensky. After the Bauhaus school, where he taught, was closed by the Nazis, Kandinsky moved to France, where he spent the remainder of his life, continuing to evolve his style and contribute to the art world until his death in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1944.
Kandinsky's legacy is not only in his artworks, which are held in esteemed collections worldwide, such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, but also in his impact on the course of modern art. He opened up new possibilities for artists by demonstrating that art could venture beyond the representational and delve into the purely abstract, exploring the inner emotional and spiritual life through form and color.
For those captivated by Kandinsky's revolutionary approach to art and interested in the evolution of abstract expression, signing up for updates on new product sales and auction events related to Kandinsky's work is an excellent way to stay informed. This subscription service is tailored for collectors and art experts, ensuring you are the first to know about opportunities to acquire pieces by or related to this groundbreaking artist.
Modest Petrovich Musorgskii (russian: Модест Петрович Мусоргский) was a Russian composer and pianist.
Born into an old Russian noble family, Modest was trained on the piano from an early age, then served as an officer in the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In 1856-57 Mussorgsky became acquainted with the composer Alexander Borodin, and later with Alexander Dargomyzhsky, Cesar Cui, Mili Balakirev and the music critic Vladimir Stasov. Together they formed a friendly community that became known as the Mighty Handful.
In 1858, Musorgskii left military service and took up only music. Later, however, for the sake of earning money, he was forced to enter the civil service and work in various official positions. In music he tried for a long time to find his own style, experimented a lot, took on different genres. He composed piano and orchestral works, many satirical romances, vocal pictures and songs with vivid characters. Musorgskii's symphonic work Intermezzo (1861) and fantasy Night on Bald Mountain, the cycle of pieces Pictures at an Exhibition, written for piano in 1874 as musical illustrations to Victor Hartmann's watercolors, and the vocal cycle Children's, which included seven pieces, are widely known and often performed.
Musorgskii gradually became popular in Russia and abroad. The pinnacle of Musorgskii's work in the 1860s was his opera Boris Godunov, based on Alexander Pushkin's drama, staged at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg in 1874. In 1872 he almost completed his last opera, Khovanshchina; Sorochinskaya Yarmarka and several other operas remained unfinished.
After Musorgskii's death, his friend the composer Rimsky-Korsakov decided to put all his works in order and publish them. He made many changes to the melodic and harmonic order of the compositions completed by the author, including Boris Godunov.
Aleksandr Konstantinovich Glazunov (russian: Александр Константинович Глазунов) was a Russian late Romantic composer, conductor and teacher.
Glazunov belonged to a well-known dynasty of book publishers in St. Petersburg and showed musical ability early on. He studied music with Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov, wrote his first symphony at the age of sixteen, and was noticed by the patron of the arts Mitrofan Belyaev, who became his admirer and benefactor. Thanks to him, the young Glazunov traveled all over Europe and was introduced in Weimar to Franz Liszt, who promoted the performance of his First Symphony at the congress of the General German Musical Union.
After the death of composer Borodin, Glazunov helped Rimsky-Korsakov finish his opera Prince Igor, and in the late 1890s he was already collaborating with the Imperial Theaters and writing three ballets. In 1899 Glazunov was appointed professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and from the end of 1905 he became its director, retaining this post even after the October Revolution of 1917. Glazunov's personality is characterized by the fact that he spent his director's salary on helping poor students. And in general, during the hungry years of post-revolutionary devastation, he supported students, even if he did not share their musical beliefs - among them the greats Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich.
In 1922, Aleksandr Glazunov was named People's Artist of the young Soviet republic. In 1928 he traveled to Vienna to take part in the jury of the Schubert Centenary Composition Competition and never returned to the USSR. However, even while living in Europe, he retained his Soviet citizenship. Officially, Glazunov's stay in Paris was explained by his serious state of health and the need for medical treatment. Already in 1972 Glazunov's ashes were transported to the USSR and reburied in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
In addition to ballets, Aleksandr Glazunov wrote eight symphonies (the ninth remained unfinished), seven string quartets and a great deal of orchestral music. He wrote mainly for piano and organ, and at the end of his life he composed works for saxophone - a solo concerto and a quartet for saxophones. Glazunov's most popular works today are his ballets The Seasons (1898) and Raymonda (1897), his Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, the Polonaise from Les Sylphides, and his two concert waltzes.
Nikolai Andreevich Rimskii-Korsakov (russian: Николай Андреевич Римский-Корсаков) was a Russian composer, teacher and conductor, music critic, and member of the Mighty Handful.
Originally from an old noble family, Rimskii-Korsakov studied piano from the age of six and by the age of nine was already trying to compose music. After graduating from the St. Petersburg Naval School, in 1862-1865 he was on a round-the-world voyage, during which he was made an officer. He participated in an expedition to the shores of North America, visited Great Britain, Spain, Norway. In 1873-1884 he worked as an inspector of military bands of the fleet.
During his studies at the school and during the expedition Nikolai Rimskii-Korsakov continued to study music. His acquaintance in 1861 with the composer Miliy Balakirev and his circle "The Mighty Handful", which included composers Caesar Cui, Modest Mussorgsky and Alexander Borodin, became the impetus for his work. Rimskii-Korsakov 's aesthetic views and worldview were formed under the influence of the "Mighty Handful" and its ideologist V. Stasov.
Nikolai Rimskii-Korsakov was very prolific, and almost all of his works are based on folk and classical Russian literature and melodies. He composed 15 operas, including The Pskovite Girl (1872), May Night (1879), The Snow Maiden (1881), Sadko (1896), The Tsar's Bride (1898), The Tale of Tsar Saltan (1900), Kashchey the Immortal (1902), The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh..." (1904), The Golden Cockerel (1907). Fragments from some operas have become the most performed in the world, among them "The Song of the Indian Guest" from "Sadko" and "The Flight of the Bumblebee" from "Saltan".
The composer's works also include three symphonies (the first of which he completed while sailing around the world), symphonic works, instrumental concertos, cantatas, chamber instrumental, vocal and sacred music. In 1886-1890 Rimskii-Korsakov conducted the "Russian Symphonic Concertos" in St. Petersburg, and in 1898 - in Moscow, at the same time he was also engaged in teaching. In 1871 he became a professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he taught classes in practical composition, instrumentation and orchestration.
As a teacher, Rimskii-Korsakov trained over 200 composers and musicians, including Alexander Glazunov, Mikhail Gnesin, Alexander Grechaninov, Anatoly Lyadov, Sergei Prokofiev, and Igor Stravinsky. He also published several textbooks on harmony and orchestration. Rimskii-Korsakov's work had a great influence on the development of Russian classical and foreign music.
Graham Vivian Sutherland was a prolific English artist. Notable for his paintings of abstract landscapes and for his portraits of public figures, Sutherland also worked in other media, including printmaking, tapestry and glass design.
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![CHOPIN, Frédéric (1810-1849) [et George SAND (1804-1876)]](https://veryimportantlot.com/assets/image/picture_4259662/2e92e/pryubdxec22rash3hutkisg-t9nzulzo6llj3oynfeqys0fes5dqhrzflj8omqn1729410665jpg__fix_374_244.jpeg)
George Sand, born Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin, was a French novelist, memoirist, and journalist, acclaimed as one of the most distinguished writers of the European Romantic era. Renowned more than Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balzac in her time, George Sand authored over 70 novels along with a wealth of other works, including plays and political texts. Her contributions were not limited to literature; she was a fervent advocate for women's rights, critiquing the institution of marriage and societal prejudices with a passion mirrored by her great-grandmother, Louise Dupin.
George Sand's upbringing in the village of Nohant under the care of her grandmother shaped her profound connection to the countryside, a theme recurrent in her rustic novels such as "La Mare au diable" and "La Petite Fadette." These works, celebrated for drawing inspiration from her love for the rural landscapes and empathy for the underprivileged, underscore her literary prowess and innovative exploration of pastoral themes.
Her life was marked by controversies, including her choice to wear male attire for practicality and statement, challenging societal norms. This defiance extended into her personal life, where she maintained numerous high-profile relationships, including a notable liaison with the composer Frédéric Chopin. Despite facing criticism for her unconventional lifestyle and progressive views, George Sand's work and personality captivated many of her contemporaries, earning her friendships with luminaries such as Franz Liszt and Gustave Flaubert.
In her later years, George Sand's home in Nohant became a haven for writers and artists, reflecting a mellowed phase of her life filled with writing, hosting friends, and engaging in botany. This period highlighted her enduring dedication to literature and her ability to foster intellectual and creative exchanges among the leading figures of her day.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques interested in the legacy of George Sand, staying informed about upcoming sales and auction events related to her works is essential. Signing up for updates ensures you won't miss the opportunity to own a piece of literary history that celebrates George Sand's remarkable contribution to literature and society.
André Breton was a French writer, poet, and anti-fascist, renowned as the principal founder and leading theorist of Surrealism, an influential movement that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind. Born in Tinchebray, France, in 1896, Breton's work was deeply influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud and was characterized by a fascination with dreams, the irrational, and the workings of the mind. As a cultural icon, his contributions extended beyond literature into the realms of art, sculpture, and painting, making him a pivotal figure in 20th-century artistic movements.
Breton's seminal work, the "Manifesto of Surrealism" (1924), outlined the principles of the movement, advocating for the expression of the subconscious and the importance of dreams as a source of artistic inspiration. His leadership and writings not only shaped Surrealism but also had a lasting impact on the broader culture of art, influencing countless artists, painters, and sculptors. Breton's ability to merge poetry with visual arts led to collaborations with prominent artists like Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, and Joan Miró, further cementing his legacy as a central figure in modern art.
Notably, André Breton's works and personal collection, which included art pieces and surreal objects, have been displayed in museums and galleries worldwide, showcasing his eclectic taste and profound influence on the art world. His Paris apartment was a gathering place for artists and intellectuals, becoming a hub of Surrealist activity and thought. For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Breton's contributions represent a fascinating intersection of literary prowess and visual creativity, highlighting the enduring relevance of Surrealism.
For those interested in exploring the depths of Surrealism and André Breton's groundbreaking contributions, signing up for updates can provide exclusive access to new product sales and auction events related to this pivotal artist and thinker. This subscription is an invaluable resource for collectors and enthusiasts keen to deepen their understanding of Breton's influence and the broader cultural movements he shaped.
André Breton was a French writer, poet, and anti-fascist, renowned as the principal founder and leading theorist of Surrealism, an influential movement that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind. Born in Tinchebray, France, in 1896, Breton's work was deeply influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud and was characterized by a fascination with dreams, the irrational, and the workings of the mind. As a cultural icon, his contributions extended beyond literature into the realms of art, sculpture, and painting, making him a pivotal figure in 20th-century artistic movements.
Breton's seminal work, the "Manifesto of Surrealism" (1924), outlined the principles of the movement, advocating for the expression of the subconscious and the importance of dreams as a source of artistic inspiration. His leadership and writings not only shaped Surrealism but also had a lasting impact on the broader culture of art, influencing countless artists, painters, and sculptors. Breton's ability to merge poetry with visual arts led to collaborations with prominent artists like Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, and Joan Miró, further cementing his legacy as a central figure in modern art.
Notably, André Breton's works and personal collection, which included art pieces and surreal objects, have been displayed in museums and galleries worldwide, showcasing his eclectic taste and profound influence on the art world. His Paris apartment was a gathering place for artists and intellectuals, becoming a hub of Surrealist activity and thought. For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Breton's contributions represent a fascinating intersection of literary prowess and visual creativity, highlighting the enduring relevance of Surrealism.
For those interested in exploring the depths of Surrealism and André Breton's groundbreaking contributions, signing up for updates can provide exclusive access to new product sales and auction events related to this pivotal artist and thinker. This subscription is an invaluable resource for collectors and enthusiasts keen to deepen their understanding of Breton's influence and the broader cultural movements he shaped.
André Jolivet was a French composer.
André's composition teacher was the French composer Marie-Paule Le Flem. Jolivet became interested in atonal music and then became a student of composer Edgar Varèse, who taught him musical acoustics, atonal music, and orchestration.
In 1936 Jolivet co-founded the group La jeune France, and in 1945 he was appointed music director of the Comédie Française. He developed an expressive melodic style, epitomized in the virtuosic Concertino for trumpet, strings and piano (1948) and the 1949 Flute Concerto.
André Jolivet is known for his complex, expressive experiments with rhythm and new sounds. He adapted music from Egypt, the Middle East, Africa and Asia into his distinctly French style.