The Unexpected Story Behind 245-year-old Painting
Historical Paradoxes in three parts.
Special publication in commemoration of Yom Ha-Shoah
With special thanks to inspired and inspiring colleagues: director of Amos Rex Museum, Dr Kai Kartio, director of the Sinebrychoff Art Museum-Finnish National Gallery Dr Kirsi Eskelinen, chief curator of the Sinebrychoff Art Museum-Finnish National Gallery Dr Ira Westergard, researcher at the University of Helsinki Kersti Tainio.
Part I. From Unremarkable Acquisition To Major Re-discovery
Year 2021: the 25th anniversary of re-appearance of believed to be lost rare artwork
This year, the end of April 2021, marks the 25th anniversary of a very special art acquisition which resulted in one of the most stunning re-discoveries in the present day art history. In April 1996, an initially unremarkable acquisition was made by the Sinebrychoff Art Museum in Helsinki, Finland. It was an Italian artwork of the XVIII century, by an anonymous arti
OSIP
January 15th, 2020 has marked one of the most special commemoration dates in this year’s cultural calendar, the 130th birth anniversary of Osip Mandelstam, Russian poet of Jewish origin, vulnerable and hunted man who has created a cosmic, unparalleled quality of poetry that has become a distinctive mark of literature of the XX century in general.
This anniversary could well be his 300th or 30th one. He is from the category of eternal lights, and there are so very few of them.
Michael Rogatchi (C). OSIP. Portrait of Osip Mandelstam. Oil on canvas. 70 x 50 cm. 1993. The Rogatchi Art collection.
Artistic View:
The Ancestors Family series
Michael Rogatchi Contemporary Biblical Art
As central as the Jacob family is in Jewish spiritual life and narrative, as it is in
Michael Rogatchi’s series of his contemporary Biblical art works known as
Forefathers project.
In the case of Jacob and his family, the artist sees it in two ways: as continuation of the line of the Patriarchs, of which Jacob was the last one; and as of fundamental beginning of the Jewish nation. “
We all are children of Jacob”, – Michael says often.
What is interesting is that Michael’s paintings on the Jacob family created in different periods of time during a six years period are all united by the dominating expression in them, light. According to the core of all portrayed characters, that light in Michael’s paintings is different. It represents four different types of spiritual light.