An oil painting on canvas is made up of several layers of different materials. At the bottom of the structure is the canvas, then the sizing, then up to three coats of ground, then the paint layer and on top is a layer of varnish. These layers react differently to humidity and temperature. High humidity can cause a lack of adhesion in the ground layer. Fluctuating temperatures can cause the paint layer to expand and contract at a different rate than the other layers causing cracking and separation.

You do not want to display paintings, especially watercolors and color prints in direct sunlight, directly under an AC vent, or near a heat source. The UV rays will cause colors to fade over time. Some color dyes and inks will fade at a dramatic rate over others. I have seen a nice three color art print approximately fifteen years old with the color red completely faded out. The print was just shades of green, only the yellow and blue colors were left. Likewise, care should be taken in moving your paintings from an air conditioned home into a hot car. It only takes two or three minutes for a painting’s temperature to span 20 or more degrees. These are the conditions that you do not want to create. If possible, acclimate your painting slowly to avoid the shock of temperature change. Cover them while outdoors. The older the painting, the more drastic these effects can be.

Paint is in a continual state of drying as is the canvas. Be careful not to cause pressure to the back or front of an old painting. This could cause hairline cracks that can accelerate future condition problems. In all my thirty plus years of painting restoration there were two conditions that I could not correct. One instance was restoring a painting with severe heat damage from a fire. This painting was exposed to so much heat that the varnish fused into the paint layer along with smoke contaminants. I could not dissolve or penetrate any part of that varnish/paint layer. The frame on this particular painting was reduced to charcoal. Some conditions do exist where you have to accept that the painting is lost. The other condition was a layer of varnish that had turned an amber color and needed to be removed. I tried every chemical at my disposal. I could not dissolve it, but could soften it. The time it would have taken to remove the varnish resulted in a cost that was much greater than the value of the painting. Since the painting had no sentimental value to the owner, the restoration work was not done.

Paintings do not come with a past medical history. So, each restoration is a mission of discovery. The older the painting, the greater the chances are of finding past restorations. When an old painting is due to get it’s dark varnish removed, all of the past restoration to the paint surface becomes obvious and also has to be removed. Holes and tears in a canvas are the most common condition problems. Patching, filling, and touching up are routine practices. A torn canvas is nearly always due to an accident. The most common is a painting falling off the wall. Remember all four of the strong points to keep your paintings on the wall.

1. Make sure your wire is strong enough for the painting and frame weight.

2. Make sure the screws are large and long enough to hold the D-rings or eye screws to
the frame.

3. Make sure the wall anchor is secure in the wall and strong enough for the painting and
frame.

4. Make sure the wall is strong enough. Drywall can be a problem for a heavy painting or
mirror. If you can’t find a wall stud, use a heavy-duty anchor made especially for
drywall. If in doubt, use two anchors and space them about six inches apart.

In painting restoration the less you have to do the better. A painting should be kept as original as possible. This goes for all the materials that make up a painting and its frame. If the artist framed the piece, the frame and its painting should be treated as one entity. Many great artists like Whistler, Hassam and Muncha designed frames for their paintings. A great amount of value could be lost by reframing. A painting displays best in a period frame.

There are two ways to value a painting - monetary and sentimental. With research you can likely arrive at a monetary value. A painting of sentimental value is very personal and could be impossible to replace. So when do you call a restorer? If you have a painting that you value and observe a change of some kind like cracking, flaking or any kind of visual change you may be looking at a condition problem that if corrected early could extend the painting’s life and value. You could also need a restorer if you have a work of art that got accidentally broken, torn, scratched or damaged in some way.

To find a professional restorer I would suggest two ways:

1. Search the Internet - using the following search phrases - Art Restoration (for
paintings, sculpture, murals, glass, porcelain, etc.). Paper Conservation (for
watercolors, prints, documents, etc.) National Associations like American
Institute for Conservation.

2. Contact local museums, galleries, and dealers explain what type of restoration you
need and ask who they use. You may be able to see the restorers work first hand.
A museum or prominent art collector is going to know who does expert work.
If you have a fine work of art in need of minor or major restoration and you plan on selling it you may want to let the next owner find a restorer. If you have no desire to let it out of your possession, then by all means find a good restorer and get your painting esthetically pleasing for your enjoyment.

The Florida climate is such that special considerations should be given to our paintings. We are only caretakers of fine art. A properly cared for painting can be enjoyed by the generations to come. Special care should be taken in respect to humidity, temperature and sunlight. Florida has an abundance of each.

An oil painting on canvas is made up of several layers of different materials. At the bottom of the structure is the canvas, then the sizing, then up to three coats of ground, then the paint layer and on top is a layer of varnish. These layers react differently to humidity and temperature. High humidity can cause a lack of adhesion in the ground layer. Fluctuating temperatures can cause the paint layer to expand and contract at a different rate than the other layers causing cracking and separation.

You do not want to display paintings, especially watercolors and color prints in direct sunlight, directly under an AC vent, or near a heat source. The UV rays will cause colors to fade over time. Some color dyes and inks will fade at a dramatic rate over others. I have seen a nice three color art print approximately fifteen years old with the color red completely faded out. The print was just shades of green, only the yellow and blue colors were left. Likewise, care should be taken in moving your paintings from an air conditioned home into a hot car. It only takes two or three minutes for a painting’s temperature to span 20 or more degrees. These are the conditions that you do not want to create. If possible, acclimate your painting slowly to avoid the shock of temperature change. Cover them while outdoors. The older the painting, the more drastic these effects can be.

Paint is in a continual state of drying as is the canvas. Be careful not to cause pressure to the back or front of an old painting. This could cause hairline cracks that can accelerate future condition problems. In all my thirty plus years of painting restoration there were two conditions that I could not correct. One instance was restoring a painting with severe heat damage from a fire. This painting was exposed to so much heat that the varnish fused into the paint layer along with smoke contaminants. I could not dissolve or penetrate any part of that varnish/paint layer. The frame on this particular painting was reduced to charcoal. Some conditions do exist where you have to accept that the painting is lost. The other condition was a layer of varnish that had turned an amber color and needed to be removed. I tried every chemical at my disposal. I could not dissolve it, but could soften it. The time it would have taken to remove the varnish resulted in a cost that was much greater than the value of the painting. Since the painting had no sentimental value to the owner, the restoration work was not done.

Paintings do not come with a past medical history. So, each restoration is a mission of discovery. The older the painting, the greater the chances are of finding past restorations. When an old painting is due to get it’s dark varnish removed, all of the past restoration to the paint surface becomes obvious and also has to be removed. Holes and tears in a canvas are the most common condition problems. Patching, filling, and touching up are routine practices. A torn canvas is nearly always due to an accident. The most common is a painting falling off the wall. Remember all four of the strong points to keep your paintings on the wall.

1. Make sure your wire is strong enough for the painting and frame weight.

2. Make sure the screws are large and long enough to hold the D-rings or eye screws to
the frame.

3. Make sure the wall anchor is secure in the wall and strong enough for the painting and
frame.

4. Make sure the wall is strong enough. Drywall can be a problem for a heavy painting or
mirror. If you can’t find a wall stud, use a heavy-duty anchor made especially for
drywall. If in doubt, use two anchors and space them about six inches apart.

In painting restoration the less you have to do the better. A painting should be kept as original as possible. This goes for all the materials that make up a painting and its frame. If the artist framed the piece, the frame and its painting should be treated as one entity. Many great artists like Whistler, Hassam and Muncha designed frames for their paintings. A great amount of value could be lost by reframing. A painting displays best in a period frame.

There are two ways to value a painting - monetary and sentimental. With research you can likely arrive at a monetary value. A painting of sentimental value is very personal and could be impossible to replace. So when do you call a restorer? If you have a painting that you value and observe a change of some kind like cracking, flaking or any kind of visual change you may be looking at a condition problem that if corrected early could extend the painting’s life and value. You could also need a restorer if you have a work of art that got accidentally broken, torn, scratched or damaged in some way.

To find a professional restorer I would suggest two ways:

1. Search the Internet - using the following search phrases - Art Restoration (for
paintings, sculpture, murals, glass, porcelain, etc.). Paper Conservation (for
watercolors, prints, documents, etc.) National Associations like American
Institute for Conservation.

2. Contact local museums, galleries, and dealers explain what type of restoration you
need and ask who they use. You may be able to see the restorers work first hand.
A museum or prominent art collector is going to know who does expert work.

If you have a fine work of art in need of minor or major restoration and you plan on selling it you may want to let the next owner find a restorer. If you have no desire to let it out of your possession, then by all means find a good restorer and get your painting esthetically pleasing for your enjoyment.

In your search you may find an individual who specializes in a field of conservation and restoration. For example, one who specializes in paper products only. Paper conservation is very different from oil painting restoration. Different equipment and materials and procedures. Or you could find a conservation and restoration service that is staffed by many professionals covering a variety of specialties like paintings, watercolors, prints, marble, glass, murals, etc.

When you find a restorer they will likely be out of your area. You may want to get your work of art appraised before you arrange shipping. Appraisers can also be found by Internet search or by asking local art dealers. Let the appraiser know that you are shipping it and want an appraisal for insurance purposes. It is highly recommended that you insure your artwork when it is out of your possession.
There are companies that transport works of art exclusively. They will come to your door, package it there, load and deliver it from your door to the recipient’s door.

When a work of art is in a restorer’s care any signs of potential problems can be noted. A general health report should be generated for you along with a plan for future care. Have a good dialogue with your restorer and bring up any concerns you may have. Some old paintings are in tremendous physical condition for their age while others need careful handling because of their delicate condition. This is information you should know for the care of your painting. There is no reason why a work of art cannot be maintained in a good state of health with simple care.

If you are a dealer or collector a good restorer’s business card should be in your wallet.

Good provenance will speed an insurance claim, be of enormous help in a police investigation and give owners great peace of mind.  Furthermore, in the art world, the value of the work may well be enhanced as well as protected by good art management practices.

• Typically, collectors’ records show specific details of each artwork, including the title of the work, name of the artist, the medium it was created in, its dimensions, whether its an original work, giclee or limited edition, date and place acquired and price paid.

• Such records almost always include at least one photograph, sometimes several showing the work from different angles, front and back or in various degrees of close-up.  Often a detailed photo of the artist’s signature and the work’s date is included.

• Good provenance will also include details about the artist, reviews and press coverage, sales history, appraisal and authentication.

• Careful collectors will have at least two copies of all provenance stored, whether on paper or disc, in separate locations, perhaps the house and the office, or with the bank or insurance company.

• Provenance should be reviewed on a regular basis.  If the work is by a living artist, a conscientious collector will continue to track the artist’s career to determine whether anything has changed that might affect value, plus or minus. If the artist is no longer living, the savvy collector will occasionally check the so-called secondary market for recent sale prices or call in a professional appraiser.

A good gallery will furnish much of this information at the time of acquisition or shortly thereafter.  If they do not, then a buyer shouldn’t hesitate to ask for it.  Having it, one day may prove to be invaluable if not to the collector then to their heirs or next owners.

1. Information

If you’re interested in a particular item or items offered at auction, gather as much information as you can.  Talk to the auction house specialists, who can provide valuable insights about the work’s condition, its provenance (acquisition history), its reserve (the lowest price a seller will accept) and the level of interest from other buyers.

Study an artist’s previous sales record.  This can be done online by visiting such databases as Artprice.com and Artnet.com both of which have an enormous amount of data available on thousands of artists including auction prices achieved for their work worldwide, biographical details and media coverage.

Get to the auction early and ask to closely examine any item that particularly interests you.  At Sothebys in New York one day, I bid on a beautifully decorated Faberge cigarette case I’d spotted in the sale catalogue.  It was only after I’d acquired it that I realized that closing the case would squash any cigarettes inside. it was intended to contain calling cards.

2. Location

When the bidding gets hot you want to make sure your every gesture will be observed.  This can be difficult in a packed room crowded with people sitting and standing, coming and going.

Some bidders like to be in the front rows where the auctioneer can see them clearly and they can have eye contact.  Some prefer to be a less visible, more mysterious bidder and tack a back row; others prefer to stand against the wall where they can survey the action.  Still others like to be close to an exit where they can duck out to make a cellular call to seek input from a spouse, friend or consultant.  Wherever you chose to watch the action from, if you’re interested in bidding make sure you stay in one place and your gestures can be readily seen and recognized.

3. Paddle

Bidders are generally recognized by a numbered card or “paddle”.  Donald Trump may not need one but most of the rest of us do.  This official identification is obtained by registering prior to the start of the auction, which means showing some sort of picture ID and providing basic financial information.  Once you’ve got your paddle, you’re off to the races, but be careful.  Don’t use it as a fan or to wave hello to a late-arriving friend.  You could end up owning something you don’t want and don’t need.  You need use it only if you are the winning bid.  Otherwise, simply raise your hand as if you were hailing a taxi.  If you’re identified as the highest bidder, which is when the auctioneer shouts “sold!” and points at you, then raise your paddle number so the auctioneer can note it.  If you haven’t registered and don’t have a paddle, you’ll cause confusion and a minor riot than could turn very nasty.

4. Spotters

Some auction rooms use employees as “spotters” to ensure no buyer’s bid goes unnoticed.  These can be useful people to cultivate prior to an auction for those who may wish to remain anonymous.  Bidders can alert them to look for a particular signal from them that a potential rival bidder won’t recognize.  They might say, I’m bidding as long as I’m holding a pen in my right hand or my legs are crossed.

Don’t show your hand – literally — too early.  Some believe early, aggressive bidding intimidates competitors.  But most suggest don’t get into the bidding until the bidding pace slows and the room seems almost spent.  Don’t feed the frenzy.  Wait until the top to jump in.

Taking the leap from viewing to collecting art can be a frightening process for the beginner collector. However, those that start down this road can quickly find they’ve caught the “collectors’ bug”, and it doesn’t have to be as painful or as costly as they thought!

• Collectors start, of course, by deciding what it is exactly they want to collect. They reach that conclusion by first becoming familiar with the many types of art that exist. Exploring the internet and visiting libraries, museums, special exhibitions, art events and, of course fine art galleries, are all good ways to begin to build an understanding of the countless possibilities.
• Most local arts organizations, societies and museums host lectures that also help increase our knowledge of the different movements in the art world and their importance. They also help us reach a deeper understanding of the specialized language that is often used to describe the many different styles and techniques that are available.
• Visiting galleries during their open house events is a great way to learn. Such events offer opportunities to meet visiting artists and to listen to presentations by that artist or the gallery staff. This is also a chance to meet other people with similar interest to yours while sipping a free glass of wine!
• When a type of art, or perhaps even one particular artist within that “school” of art, is found that appeals, collectors gather as much information as they can about their new favorite subject. Dealers love to talk to people that have an interest in the artists they represent and most artists enjoy discussing the nuances of their work. Both give interested collectors a much deeper understanding of the work than can be seen on the surface.
• But both dealers and artists hope a painting will be acquired, above all, because the buyer loved it and couldn’t live without it. Only buy what you love! This is so important I’ll repeat it…only buy what you love! Buying a work of art hoping to make a profit is foolish at best even for the seasoned collector, never mind the beginner collector. But more than that, collecting artwork is an investment in the understanding of the human soul. What distinguishes us from other forms of life is our ability to create and appreciate art. Understanding that the art buyer is the steward of an artist’s creation is more important for some than any potential return on investment.
• Budget can be a consideration but it need not be a deterrent from starting a collection. We’re lucky that here in Naples there are many galleries representing artwork from the emerging artist to collected masters. If a budget is small, researching local emerging artists can yield great bargains, and helping a promising young talent pursue their artistic destiny can be very rewarding!
• Whatever their budget, collectors usually buy the best they can afford. They never compromise quality for size. They ask for provenance, and inspect the condition of the piece carefully.

But, and I’ll say it one more time, usually even the most experienced collectors buy what they love! Buying work that is loved is buying art that will always have a place in your life. It will be forever rewarding.

“Art washes away from our souls the dust which is everyday life.”
John Steven Davies III

View the Weatherburn’s online art gallery

Lighting is critical when it comes to viewing art most favorably, yet it is often given far less attention than it should. Bad lighting can darken a painting and make it appear gloomy and dull. Over-lighting can create glare and wash out rich colors and subtle highlights. To get it just right might need the help of an expert. Here are a few pointers.

Studios are often bright, lofty places with huge windows that allow the artist’s work to be flooded with natural light. So natural light, especially sunlight, might be the best light in which to view a painting, right? Not necessarily.

It’s true that bright sunlight can illuminate a painting brilliantly but it can also create major problems. Ultraviolet rays can be very harmful to artwork, especially to those created in more fragile media such as watercolors, prints or photographs that can fade extremely quickly. To a certain extent such works can be protected under special glass but that too has its drawbacks.

Incandescent light generates a yellow glow that can enhance some paintings but “fight” with others, depending upon the predominant colors in the artwork. Incandescent lighting can enhance paintings created in warm yellow, orange, pink or red, but works far less well with cool colors like blue, green or violet.

Flourescent lights are hardly worth mentioning. They may be appropriate to brighten libraries and schoolrooms but their super-white light is too harsh and uncontrollable for almost every art situation.

Halogen lights that emit a strong clear light but in low-watt, controlled situations usually prove to be the best solution for most works of art. But you’ll need to figure out whether you need a flood or spot bulb, how many watts, how far the light source should be from the artwork, and at what angle. Most good lighting stores can help you with the answers, and some provide free charts. Or, you can always call in an expert.

Did your question not get answered here? Contact Roger Baker at the Weatherburn Gallery in Naples, Florida for more information on Naples, Florida Fine Art Services.

Texture is provided by monolithic monasteries, craggy, crenellated castles and papal palaces perched on hillsides. Color comes from a palette of green undulating hills and slender pointed cypress trees, butter-yellow fields of sunflowers and groves of oranges, lemons and lavender-gray olive trees.

Into the fabric of this spectacular backdrop has been woven a rich pageant of historical figures and events that have shaped some the most influential movements of art, history and religion of the western world. Here walked saints and sinners, popes and philosophers, artists and artisans who left a mark still clearly visible centuries later.

Yet, until now, Umbria has been somewhat off the tourist-beaten track long overshadowed by the undeniable splendors of Tuscany its neighbor to the west. Even the Romans largely ignored the region considering many Umbrian towns inaccessible and commercially or strategically unimportant.

But all that has changed. Helped by savvy municipalities who’ve learned to offset the heart-stopping Stairmaster climbs to their pedestrian-only hilltop piazzas by installing escalators and cable-car funicular, Umbria is moving onto the fast track in the Euro Stakes.

Unprecedented numbers are discovering Umbria also offers verdant valleys, and incomparable architecture, history and art but with far less traffic than its neighbor. In Umbria even in August, it’s still possible to find a vacant lunch table with a breathtaking view without being killed in the rush by a coach party of multinational cameras. And in this part of the world, a morning’s tour of a medieval hillside followed by a little melt-in-the-mouth pasta and chilled white wine on a quiet bougainvillea-draped terrace with a view is hard to beat.

Many of Umbria’s main attractions are in Orvieto, Deruta, Perugia, Gubbio, Assisi and Spoleto that form a rough circle around Todi, a convenient center for touring the region. Although historically they feuded with each other frequently, today these towns are inextricably bound together by threads of history and art. Each has compelling reasons to visit but a few are must-see destinations. Among them is a town that has a resident population of a little more than 3,000 but contains one of the most visited sites in all of Italy.

Place of Pilgrimage

During the Middle Ages, two powerful factions fought furiously for dominion over Umbria for more than 300 years; on the one hand the Papacy, on the other the Holy Roman Empire. Captured during one of the bloodiest battles of this war was the young son of a wealthy Umbrian merchant named Francesco di Bernadone.

Born in Assisi, captured and held in nearby Perugia, Francesco was a changed man following his release. He gave all he had to the poor, looked after the sick, led a humble, exemplary life and founded a movement that became a global phenomenon. It led to a profound renewal in spirituality, in art history, in literary expression and even in the planning of towns that had to be reorganized to accommodate the new communities of his followers. We know him as St. Francis of Assisi.

Two years after the saint’s death in 1226, construction began on what was to become the saint’s final resting place. Today, the Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, the only sovereign land belonging to the Vatican outside Rome’s Vatican City, ranks behind only the Collosseum in Rome, the ruins of Pompeii and the canals of Venice as Italy’s top tourist attraction.

Assisi is an overgrown village of pink and pale-gray stone perched on a flat shelf in the side of a mountain that looms massively over the patchwork of fields and groves of the Spoletine Valley below. Although there are other treasures to see, including a first century BC Roman temple of Minerva, it’s the gorgeously embellished two-story basilica at one end of the town that is the biggest draw. Not only because it contains the majestically simple tomb of one of Christianity’s most revered figures and the patron saint of Italy, but also because it contains a festival of frescos showcasing the skills of the greatest geniuses of the early Renaissance, among them Cimabue, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and Giotto di Bondone.

Giotto gives hope to all artists everywhere. Born into a rural family in 1266, he rose from a shepherd boy to become one of the single greatest artistic talents in western history. His 28 dazzling frescos that grace the nave of the Upper Church and form the tableau cycle known as The Life of St. Francis are among the world’s great masterpieces. The Basilica di San Francesco moves the devout to tears and art lovers to near religious ecstasy.

Sinister Sinners

While Assisi has a past blessed by the presence of a saint, written into Perugia’s history is the story of one of the greatest family of sinners of all time: the Baglioni family whose reign of terror in the 14th century turned assassination, treachery and incest into art forms of another kind. When not plotting secret vendettas and poisoning their outside rivals, they killed siblings on their wedding nights, kept lions as pets, tore human hearts out of chests for lunch, and married their sisters. In a tangled conspiracy of ghastliness, the bulk of the family massacred one another on a single day in August 1500.

Rudolfo Baglioni, the last survivor, was no better then the rest. His main claim to fame was the attempted assassination of a papal legate that so irritated Pope Paul III he sent in forces to quash the city’s defenses and literally bury the old Baglioni neighborhood. In the process, a whole section of the medieval town was preserved, a subterranean complex of intact houses and cobbled passages eerily dark, damp and gloomy beneath the newer streets above. Today, you can explore this “Medieval Pompeii”, by stepping off the escalators that move visitors from the parking lots below through the underground complex to the streets above, notably the Corso Vannucci.

The Corso Vannucci, one of the most famous of boulevards in all Italy, is the heart and soul of Umbria’s capital city. Along its stately and broad length and in its surrounding streets are magnificent squares, fountains, churches and palaces that comprise an almost complete medieval city. And here is one of Italy’s top museums, the Galleria Nazionale d’Umbria, which houses the largest and finest collection of Umbrian art in the world. It contains many masterpieces but most proudly those by Pietro Vannucci, better known as Perugino. His contemporaries described Perugino, who studied alongside Leonardo da Vinci and countered among his star students Pinturicchio and Raphael, as “Italy’s greatest master”.

Emblematic of the new pictorial style that Perugino pioneered was his decoration of the Collegio del Cambio, once the meeting rooms of Perugia’s Exchange Guild. Perugino was hired in 1498 to fresco one of the rooms, a work now considered a masterpiece of studied naturalism and precise portraiture and an invaluable reference for 15th century fashion. It became an endless source of inspiration for artists and craftsmen for generations that followed. Not only did the style and composition of the fresco cycle become an accepted model, but also the lavish ornamentation that went with it provided a ready-made pattern book for engravers, inlayers, fabric designers and above all manufacturers of the glazed Italian ceramic ware known as majolica.

Majolica Mecca

Deruta especially assimilated the rich vocabulary of Perugino’s masterpieces. The ancient hill town high above the Tiber valley has been a famous center of ceramic craftsmanship for more than six hundred years.

Perugia was once the source of much of Deruta’s financial backing and Assisi was one of its biggest clients. Pilgrims visiting the birthplace of St. Francis a few miles away were in constant need for bowls and cups for eating and drinking as well as souvenirs bearing the saint’s image.

The same plates, bowls, jars and pitchers produced in Deruta during the Renaissance are still being formed and painted today and many of the classical motifs still used are based on the works of Perugino, Raphael, Pinturricchio and other Renaissance masters.

While Deruta majolica now enjoys a world-class reputation and there are more than 300 ceramic firms in operation there today, the basic process has remained largely the same and, for the most part, the craft remains a personal one. One of the pleasures of a visit to Deruta is the possibility of meeting the people who create each piece individually, some of who are descendents of families who produced these objects hundreds of years ago.

Fairs and Festivals

Similar links exist between other Umbrian hilltop towns although many today proudly celebrate their independence and individuality. But when they do so, even their fairs, tournaments and festivals are rich in history and art.

Gubbio has huge fortress-like buildings of light stone that are stacked atop each other up the slopes of a steep mountainside crowned with a 14th century Piazza Grande and a Palazzo di Consoli whose main feature is a 300 foot bell tower than can be seen from miles around. Gubbio too has ties to St. Francis of Assisi, has a homespun school of painting and is a center for majolica. But its known as the Town of Festivals, its biggest annual bash being the pagan Corso dei Ceri held on May 15, that is one of Italy’s top five fiestas.

At the height of the Corso dei Ceri mayhem, teams of young men come bursting out of the palace into the square carrying three giant wooden “candles”. Then, the captain of each candle team shins up his fifteen-foot charge and is handed an enormous ceramic urn full of water. Next, men hanging directly from the bell tower’s biggest bell use their body weight to start it swinging and ringing. This is the signal for each captain to toss his urn into the seething crowd, which parts to allow the urns to shatter then falls in upon itself in delirious attempts to grab a broken shard. Somehow, the whole thing is supposed to auger a good harvest.

In June, Orvieto is stage to the Procession of Corpus Christi during which there is a parade of locals in 13th century costume performing medieval song and dance. In August, Citta della Pieve hosts the Palio dei Terzieri that involves a procession of several hundred participants impersonating 16th century acrobats, fire-eaters and jugglers, soldiers dragging siege canons and catapults, and citizens dressed as characters from paintings by Perugino.

But Spoletto, an otherwise quiet town of Roman ruins and medieval buildings terraced up a hill behind which towers a forested mountain, bursts at the seams each summer when it hosts the big daddy of them all. The three-week Spoletto Festival brings international performers into town to provide a serious dose of heavy-duty culture that amounts to one of the most important festivals of music, dance, art and theater on Europe’s calendar.

All of Europe revels in its history and glorifies its past. But the ancient hilltop towns of Umbria truly do form a rich tapestry of landscapes, monuments, events and characters sufficiently colorful, varied and compelling to leave a lasting impression deserving enough for a place in any traveler’s museum of memories.

For three centuries the St Petersburg Academy of Arts has admitted only the most gifted students in the nation, and for three centuries it has graduated alumnae whose work has transcended that of their peers. Many graduates have earned wall-space in museums. A few have achieved the status of national icon and their likeness has been immortalized in bronze or stone.

The roots of this illustrious institution are planted in the 18th century when, after centuries of introspection, Russia’s imperial leadership began to turn outward. They looked west toward the glittering capitals of London and Paris where Royal dynasties lived in lavish palaces and held opulent court attended by the most sophisticated beau monde of the age. They vied with each other to attract the brightest, most gifted and talented from all walks of life. Musicians, writers, artists and artisans flocked to the two capitals seeking patronage, eager to add their contribution to what was become known in the west as The Age of Elegance.

Russia’s enlightened 18th century tsars and prestigiously wealthy aristocracy sought first to emulate their western counterparts and then to surpass them, believing that international cultural patronage was the hallmark of a world-class power. Their legacy is opulent palaces, richly endowed museums and priceless objects of art that to this day continue to set a spectacular world standard.

Peter the Great began this renaissance in impressive style — by announcing a new site for the nation’s capital. Out was the centuries-old capital of Moscow, and in was a new city-to-be on the edge of the Baltic Sea. The swampy site, plagued by mosquitoes in the summer and frozen stiff in winter was none too popular with the court. But to ensure they obeyed, the 21-year old Tsar decreed those that didn’t build palaces there would be expelled. Furthermore, he insisted they build in the prevailing western European style he so admired. The result was a brand new city of impressive palaces, awe-inspiring churches and imposing administrative buildings built around a network of picturesque canals, broad boulevards, and leafy parks and squares that was to become known as St. Petersburg, the Venice of the North.

Unfortunately, a painful illness in 1725 ended Peter’s life prematurely at aged 43. It interrupted the full realization of his ideas, which included the foundation of an Academy of Fine Arts. That dream wasn’t realized until 1758. But shortly thereafter it took off in spectacular fashion.

Among the graduating class of 1762 were several of Russia’s most distinguished masters-to-be who attracted the attention of an important sponsor, one who was to become one of the greatest champions and collectors of art in the world. In 1764, the recently crowned Empress Catherine became patron of what she renamed the Imperial Academy of Arts.

Today the school is known formally as the Ilya Repin St. Petersburg Academic Institute for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture; but to most it is known simply as the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. It is the largest art school in Russia with 700 full-time and 500 external students, and 160 professors and lecturers.

With roots that can be traced back more than 250 years, the Academy is an historic entity that has remained true to one ideal: to graduate some of the most talented artists in the nation. As French artists have flocked to Paris and Italians have been drawn to Florence, Russian artists travel to St. Petersburg from all corners of their vast country seeking fellowship and inspiration from the locale and the illustrious cultural tradition of its past.

This season we are proud to present the work of five “Stars of the Tsars”, four of whom are alumnae of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. They rank among the most gifted Russian artists of their generation.

Roger Weatherburn Baker -
Weatherburn Gallery - Naples, Florida
Featuring Art by: David Dunlop, David Hettinger, OPAM, Andrei Krioutchenko, Timothy Norman, OPA, Blake Ward, and more.

Istanbul, June 2007
First impressions of this fabulous city of 15 million that famously straddles the Bosphorus between Europe and Asia, are cobbled streets sweltering under a hot summer sun seething with western and eastern Europeans, Asians, Muslims and Arabs dressed in garb and speaking in languages as colorful and varied as their countries of origin. It’s easy to imagine nothing much has changed through the ages.

Once hunkered down behind impressively fortified walls and known as Constantinople, this great center of religion and learning, power and wealth was an important stop along the Silk Road, the busiest port on the Mediterranean and the richest city in Christendom. Behind its daunting chain of double walls pierced by fortified gates and strengthened by almost 200 towers the city prospered, withstanding wave after wave of invaders for more than a thousand years until it was captured by Mehmet II in 1453 marking the beginning of the Ottoman Empire.

Enough of the great fortress walls remain to still intimidate but today the city’s skyline is dominated by the lumpy outlines of the Blue Mosque, with its towering six minarets built by the same stonemasons who built the Taj Mahal, and the awe-inspiring dome and minarets of rose-pink Hagia Sophia the more than 1400-year old ‘Church of Holy Wisdom’ that ranks among the world’s greatest architectural achievements. Within these mosques, mosaics and calligraphy have been elevated to a dazzling art form. Fine-featured mosaics of holy figures peer down from the domes and walls that are also decorated with passages from the Koran artistically written in bold black letters forming elegant shapes, patterns and designs. Here in the old quarter is Topkapi Palace home to a glittering collection of priceless treasures amassed during the 470-year reign of the Ottoman sultans.

Down by the ferry terminals, next to the faded facade that was once the terminus of the fabled Orient Express, are the covered alleyways of the ancient Spice Market where colorful, aromatic powders have been sold since the days when the precious cargo arrived in wooden ships from Egypt or by camel trains from the distant Orient. And not far away sprawls the cramped indoor maze of narrow streets and passages known as the Grand Bazaar, where more than 5,000 shops and stalls have been selling goods from throughout the Ottoman Empire and beyond for more than 600 years.

Cappadocia, July 2007
Famed for one of the most remarkable landscapes on earth, Cappadocia’s draw is its valleys of naturally-formed, tall, conical, rock outcrops known as peri bacalari or fairy chimneys. Early Christians fled here from the Middle East to this remote and desolate region in the 4th century leaving scores of these outcrops carved into hidden chapels adorned with exquisite frescos. We took an early-morning, hot-air balloon ride gliding over the bewitching landscape as the orange dawn streaked across the sky.

Around Keyseri are the remains of entire underground cities: labyrinths of narrow subterranean passages, at times only waist-high, connecting dozens of rooms, kitchens, stables, storehouses, churches, wine cellars and ventilation shafts that are believed to have accommodated thousands during the 6th to 9th centuries, keeping them hidden from attack sometimes for a year or more.

Nearby is the pretty, leafy town of Avanos, for centuries famed for its beautiful pottery and ceramics thrown, painted and glazed by hand, some by masters of the craft recognized worldwide. We visited the legendary studio of Kaya Seramik Evi. Many of the delicate, intricate designs found here are painstakingly reproduced from originals that adorn the sultans’ palaces and the country’s most important mosques. Avanos is also famed for its stunning silk carpets, the most collectable of which have 900 knots to the inch and the maker’s name woven into the pattern.

The Turquoise Coast and the Aegean, July 2007
The southern coast of Turkey is a craggy ribbon of sandy coves, inlets and bays of crystal-clear waters ideal for sailing, swimming and snorkeling. Now known as the Turquoise Coast, this Turkish Riviera of picturesque harbors and fishing villages teems with boats, para-sailors and sun worshipers by day and throbs to a disco beat by night. But behind this contemporary façade lies a much more ancient history.

Brooding over the popular resort of Bodrum is one of the most impressive fortresses on the Mediterranean, the castle built on a peninsular by the Knights of St. John to protect pilgrims on the way to the Holy Land. Nearby is Halicarnassus the site of the ancient tomb of King Mausoleus one of the seven wonders of the ancient world that gave us the word mausoleum but was torn apart by the knights to build their castle.

Today, traditional wooden boats known as gulets leave the picturesque port of Fetiye to cruise the Turquoise Coast for two or three days of gentle sailing and sight-seeing, but once these ancient ports were important trading centers for seafaring Greek and Roman traders. Then, none was more important than Ephesus.

Ephesus, one of the greatest ruined cities of the western world, is a World Heritage Site and therefore protected from development and commercialism. There are actually several cities built here one atop the other. The spectacular ruined city seen today dates back to the 4th century when Ephesus flourished under Roman rule as their chief port on

the Aegean. Even in ruins, the Library of Celsus is the ancient site’s magnificent centerpiece. But its villas, lavishly decorated with finely painted murals and vibrantly colored mosaic floors, are as equally impressive as its temples, arches, fountains and colonnaded streets.

St. John the Evangelist took Jesus’ mother Mary to Ephesus in AD37. Today, her modest stone house is a shrine revered by both Christians and Muslims. Nearby also are the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, another of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

We head back to Istanbul to start our journey home but we have one more stop to make. Our visit to Turkey would not be complete without seeing the ruins of the ancient city of Troy, the pivot of Homer’s Iliad and the place where the decade long Trojan War was fought. A thriving port city four thousand years before Christ, Troy is truly legendary but sadly there is little left to see. But, like much else about Turkey, its shadows are long and its echoes are powerful.

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Mystery is what makes China one of the most alluring travel destinations in the world.  For centuries, tales of a vast and distant land of fabulous riches, exotic customs and an ancient culture whispered across the deserts, plains and mountains along the Silk Road all the way to the Roman Empire.  But few believed what they heard.  Even centuries later when Europeans first read Marco Polo’s Travels, most dismissed his accounts as pure fantasy.

But such stories were woven into the fabric of a mysterious allure that has persisted through the centuries to modern times.  Now that the bamboo curtain has been drawn aside and a government more open to the West is stimulating sweeping change, the sights, sounds, myths and legends of China are attracting millions of visitors a year. 

Few are disappointed by what they find, but many are surprised.  China has a rich culture older than that of ancient Egypt and classical Rome combined.  Much of it remains and it doesn’t disappoint.  But, China is a country of surprising paradoxes. 

On the one hand, are abject poverty, grime and squalor in rural villages more than 400 years old.  On the other, are new airports, highways and cities of gleaming steel-and-glass towers housing luxury hotels, western-style shopping malls, international banks and corporations as dense as a forest.  With a population of 13 million, almost twice that of New York City, Beijing alone has more than 2,700 high-rises and the number is climbing higher every month.  Shanghai’s tally of towers is almost as great.  Much of its spectacular Pudong business district didn’t exist 10 years ago as it rushes to rival Hong Kong as Asia’s commercial and financial epicenter.  Capitalism is in full bloom in a Communist country.  One that still dictates that its citizens may have only one child, what occupation that child will pursue, what may be watched on TV or what internet access may be allowed.   

Many rural villages are falling under the bulldozers of progress but the people’s customs remain rooted in their rich cultural heritage.  In China, old customs, beliefs and superstitions die hard.  Ancient herbal remedies are still commonplace.  Priests are invited to give new buildings their blessings.  Even the most urbane Chinese business leader will consult a feng shui specialist about the proper placement of a high-rise or use a hip cell phone to discuss strategic timing with a fortune-teller.  

American icons are not only encouraged but embraced.  Enormously popular with Chinese children, there seems to be a KFC on every city corner, and when the first Macdonald’s opened in Xi’an, more than 50,000 meals were served the first day.

Beijing and most other major cities now have international hotels with fitness and business centers, and luxury rooms complete with computer ports and CNN; restaurants offering western as well as eastern cuisine; shops with friendly, English-speaking staff, and taxi drivers adept at reading major destinations preprinted in Chinese and English on pocket cards provided by the hotels.   

There’s much to be seen in Beijing, the host city founded by the Mongul Emperor Kublai Khan, but other spectacular sites include Xi’an, site of the world-famous army of terracotta soldiers; cosmopolitan Shanghai on the South China Sea; and dazzling and glamorous Hong Kong where west has long met east.

Beijing

Visitors arriving by air at the nation’s gateway capital are greeted by a ten-foot high, 200 foot-long mural depicting the Great Wall that dominates one side of the ultra-modern airport’s Immigration Hall.  Symbolically, even today’s invasion of foreign hoards must pass beyond the greatest defensive barrier the world has ever known.

Once beyond the wall, expect to be awed by a swift-moving, commercially booming metropolis that’s the bustling capital of a country larger than all of Europe and inhabited by one in five of the world’s population. 

Sights not to miss include Tiananmen Square, the largest in the world, and still the spiritual and political heart of the country where more than 500,000 Chinese spontaneously congregated in the summer of 2001 to celebrate their capital’s selection as the host city of the 2008 Olympiad. 

On one side of the square, beyond a moat, under imperial yellow roofs and behind 33-foot high vermilion walls, is the fabulous 9,000-room fortress-palace known as the Forbidden City.  Here 24 emperors ruled their universe for more than 600 years.  Despite the teeming crowds, it’s still possible to find a quiet corner in the massive complex, stand in a secluded courtyard and imagine the smell of lotus blossom and the passing rustle of the silks of a Ming Dynasty official. 

Outside the city is the Great Wall sprawling across the mountains like a sleeping dragon.  Begun 200 years before Christ walked the Holy Land, when completed it snaked for almost 4,000 miles across the country’s northern territories.  Here too, it’s possible to stand on the massive wall’s gray terraces, listen to the brightly colored pennants snap in the breeze and imagine Mongol warriors just the other side of the craggy, green-clad hills.  That is, if you can block out the legions of multinational tourists, and the incongruous European classical music blaring out of the antiquated PA system.

Of course, there’s much, much more to see.  Imperial parks, teahouses, pagodas, temples, the labyrinth of traditional dwellings and alleyways known as the Hutong district that can be toured by rickshaw, and the richly colorful song, dance and acrobatic art-form known to the world as the Beijing Opera.  Shoppers shouldn’t miss the Hong Qiao market, a four-story complex in the heart of downtown, famed for its pearl dealers on the top floor who’re well known to celebrities, film stars and the likes of former Presidents Carter and Clinton.

Xi’an

Although the ancient city of Xi’an served as China’s capital for more than 1,100 years and was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, most foreigners hadn’t heard of it until 1974 when three farmers digging a well in a field beyond the city walls stumbled on one of the greatest archeological finds of the 20^th century.

Buried 16 feet beneath the ground was an army of more than 8,000 life-size terracotta soldiers, chariots and horses entombed with China’s Emperor Qin (pronounced chin) more than 2,200 years ago, the first emperor to unify the country and give it his name.  The discovery of a fully-equipped army standing in silent rank and file guarding their emperor in his afterlife swept the forgotten city onto the world stage and fueled a tourist industry that has pumped millions into the region’s economy.  

Today, the airy and elegant, marble-and-glass Qin Army Vault Museum is a World Heritage site.  Covering an area the size of two football fields, it’s the centerpiece of a high-tech complex that includes a spiffy cinema-in-the-round and a museum gift shop where most days one of the farmers who originally found the site signs autographs like a rock star.

By 2008, there will be much more to see.  Incredibly, not all of the buried army has been excavated, nor have Emperor Xin’s final resting place and several other Ming Dynasty burial sites covering almost 22 square miles.

Shanghai  

In its heyday, once virtually run by predominately British and French traders, cosmopolitan Shanghai was the place to be, a colorful playground of smoky jazz clubs, sepia-lit dance halls and somnolent opium dens.  Today, no other city can better capture the urgency and excitement of China’s opening and reform.

But Old Shanghai is still evident if you know where to look.  You can still see men and women performing tai chi before work or twirling ballroom dancers practicing under a bridge.  You can explore the classical Yu Gardens and stroll the surrounding old city and its markets.  Visit the Jade Buddha Temple, the universally acclaimed Shanghai Museum, the best in China, and the nearby Bird and Flower Market.  Don’t miss the incredible views from the riverside strand known as the Bund and a ride through the French Concession quarter for a real sense of the city’s multinational past.

If you can, visit a Children’s Palace where exceptional children, identified by talent scouts combing regional schools, are placed at a tender age in the hands of equally gifted educators to refine their skills.  Here, you can listen to small children practicing their piano or violin studies with the skill of a virtuoso and be entertained by toddlers practicing sword fights and acrobatic skills in preparation for admission to the Beijing Opera school.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient and longtime British Crown Colony, remains one of the world’s foremost centers of capitalism.  Even though it was returned to China in 1997, nothing much has changed. It continues to grow and prosper at warp speed and is a dazzling testament to rampant consumerism, a shopper’s paradise selling everything from Mao lighters to Rolls-Royces.  Sitting at the crossroads of trade between east and west, it’s a glittering, modern-day bazaar where you can buy custom suits hand-cut by Chinese tailors or the latest shoes from Gucci or Ferragamo.  

Much of Hong Kong’s magnificent harbor that once thronged with junks and pirates, windjammers and clipper ships, has been filled in for a sparkling new international airport (the old one has been razed to make way for a Disneyland) and more towering pinnacles of success and prestige.

The best way to view this modern mercantile miracle is from above or below.  Towering above the harbor is The Peak, a mountain clad with the city’s most deluxe homes offering spectacular panoramic views from an observation complex that can be reached by road or, much more delightfully, by a virtually perpendicular tram-car ride.  Or, for ground-up views, ride across Victoria Harbor on the Star Ferry that shuttles between Hong Kong and Kowloon, and weaves between sampans and ocean liners.

The Sons of Heaven, who once ruled this vast land with an imperial power that was absolute, adopted a personal symbol of their authority that became autonomous with their nation.  They chose a fearsome mythical creature that universally inspired awe — the dragon.  They chose well.  The classical wonders of China’s past and the unlimited potential of its future are awe-inspiring.   The fire-breathing dragon, that long stood guardian over the nation’s ancient treasures, has assumed a new role.  It’s blazing a trail toward center stage in the new world of the 21^st century. 

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At first glance, Naples and St. Paul de Vence, the most visited medieval village in France, appear to have little in common.  One is a community less than 100 years old at sea level.  The other is an ancient village on top of a mountain.   But there is at least one characteristic they share.  Both are thriving art centers attracting thousands of visitors every year.

There are dozens of such communities in Europe and several in the south of France to rival St. Paul, but this little village in particular has much that makes it unique; not least of which is how it got started as an art destination and, most important, who began that trend and who followed it.

A MOUNTAIN OF ART ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA

Words and pictures by Roger Weatherburn Baker

St. Paul de Vence is a spectacular tangle of medieval dwellings and cobbled passages immured behind massive 13^th century ramparts.   From its lofty perch on a spur in the craggy foothills of the Alps-Maritime, it offers stunning views across cypress-studded valleys toward the distant Mediterranean and the azure shores of Cap d’Antibes.

         Just the sort of place to attract artists and artisans.  And it has done, since the Middle Ages.  In the beginning, they were humble weavers, stone and wood carvers.  But later, those that walked these streets included some of the greatest names in 20^th century art.

         They first came in the 1920s, a cadre of avant-garde artists with a common passion for pushing the envelope of their creativity into realms few others appreciated at the time.  Drawn from their studios in the surrounding countryside the attraction was not St Paul’s history or its panoramic views but a cool leafy inn built on a rocky outcrop just outside the village walls.  There they would meet, eat and drink and perhaps play a form of bowls known locally as petanque in the elm-shaded square outside.

Although they were often short of funds, the innkeeper, Bernard Roux, welcomed them and encouraged them, willingly accepting their art in exchange for food, wine and lodging.  It was the smartest thing he ever did.  It began a revival for St. Paul de Vence and made him a very wealthy man.

Among the first artists to pay their way in kind at the inn were Chagall, Signac, Modigliani, Bonnard and Soutine.  Among the many that followed were Picasso, Miro, Matisse and Dufy.   Within the span of a few years, the Roux family found themselves owners of a priceless cache, one of the finest 20^th century art collections in private hands anywhere in the world.

Today, the old inn is an internationally renowned hotel and restaurant known as La Colombe d’Or.  Inside, almost every available space is decorated with enough 20^th century masterworks to fill a small museum.  Some are large, impressive and of unmistakable origin.  Others are little more than a doodle on a scrap of paper pinned to a corridor wall.  Outside are works as big as the stature of the artists who created them.  A huge mosaic by Leger is built into an ivy-clad wall of the summer dining terrace.  Another mosaic of a dove by Braque is installed in a wall fringing the swimming pool, one end of which is overhung by a Calder mobile as tall as the cedar trees that flank it.

Over the years, the eye-boggling collection has attracted an impressive list of celebrity guests that have included Greta Garbo, Sophia Loren, Yul Brenner, Burt Lancaster, Yves Montand, David Niven, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Roger Moore, Tony Curtis and many, many more.  And they keep coming.  The evening in July this writer was there Michael Caine swung by on vacation. 

Located a little farther outside the village is the Fondation (correct spelling) Maeght,  a world-renowned museum opened in 1946 that has an even more extensive and impressive collection of 20^th century paintings, sculpture and ceramics, many by the same artists but largely donated or acquired from a variety of private collections.  This gem, however, is frequently overlooked in favor of its more celebrity-associated rival.

Both destinations helped put St. Paul on the map with artists and collectors alike.  Today, the little village is crammed with dozens of studios and ateliers, and more than 70 fine art galleries that attract an average of 7,000 visitors a day. 

Main Street is the rue Grande, which is anything but grand by today’s standards.  It’s a narrow cobbled passageway little more than a hand-drawn cart wide in places.  Underfoot, even the cobbles are laid out in decorative designs, sometimes a complex floral still life, sometimes abstract swirls resembling clouds.  The little street snakes through the village from one side to the other, rising and falling, twisting and turning, lined with shops from end to end like a medieval mall.

Some of the more cramped shops, sweetly scented with lavender, sell herbs, olives and oils from the region; others are stacked with fabrics, tablecloths, napkins and bags in those distinctive patterns so typical of Provence.  But these shops are mere diversions.  Those offering art seriously outnumber them.

Some of the galleries are upscale, spacious and well appointed.  They exhibit paintings and sculpture with attitude and prices inflated enough to give even the fattest wallet a hernia.  Others are in a sliver of space little more than a doorway.  There’s even one parked in a single room called The Garage Gallery. 

Often these quainter showrooms are artist-owned, and have the more affordable and unusual art.  One such gallery was offering tiny miniatures of famous French shops, cafes and restaurants individually crafted from Limoges porcelain.  Another displayed sculptures created in weird abstract shapes that when lit cast shadows that looked like a violin, a flower or a shapely nude.

While Mark Chagall spent the latter part of his life in St Paul and is buried in the village cemetery, others who first came here decades ago are more notably connected to other communities in the surrounding area. 

Picasso, who spent most of his life in Provence, lived in nearby Mougins, another picturesque mountain village now also peppered with galleries and studios.  In 1946, he was loaned space for a studio in the Grimaldi Palace down the road in Antibes.  During the five months he worked there he created more than 70 drawings and paintings, which he donated to the city at the end of his stay.  Those works form the nucleus of the Picasso Museum that also displays the art of Ernst, Leger, Miro and Nicolas de Stael. 

Just a quick brush stroke away from St. Paul is the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer.  Here is Les Collettes, the wonderfully tranquil retreat that was once Renoir’s home and is now also a museum.  On display in nine rooms are a few of his original paintings, drawings and sketches.  In a small studio his easel, paints, brushes and palette have been poignantly left out ready for use as if he were about to return.

In Nice is a museum dedicated to the life and works of Henri Matisse close to the Hotel Regina where he once lived.  Just outside Monte Carlo is the mountain village of Eze where ascent to the galleries and studios above is permitted only by mule or on foot. 

Provence has so many places of interest to the art lover a map pinpointing them all would resemble a pointillist painting.  But there is none that can rival St. Paul — a veritable mountain of art where so many giants’ paths crossed creating a legacy still thriving almost a century later.

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