Treasures into Tractors: The Selling of Russia's Cultural Heritage, 1918-1938

by Anne Odom (Editor), Wendy R. Salmond (Editor)

Sixteen scholars from Russia, Vienna, and the United States explore the fate of Russian art collections and libraries following the Russian Revolution in 1917, the institutions and individuals responsible for their sale, and the prominent collectors, libraries, and museums that acquired them. Unlike the widely publicized controversy surrounding Soviet-Nazi war loot and its restitution, the sales of the interwar period are not well known outside a small scholarly community. This volume reveals the extent of the Soviet government’s voluntary “realization” of Russia’s cultural patrimony between 1918 and 1938 and its consequences for both the international art market and the perception of Russian art.

The imperial Easter eggs by Fabergé and Old-Master paintings purchased by Andrew Mellon from the State Hermitage and now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. are the most celebrated works that changed hands. Equally significant are the bibliographic rarities from imperial libraries, icons and liturgical art from churches and monasteries, and antiques, furnishings and fine art from estates, palaces, and private homes.

See the review in the New York

Genres: Russia, Art

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology of essays about the different aspects of selling and buying the items of Russian nobles, including a distinct section on books, on decorative arts, and art. My favourite sections were about the collectors, Ch 8-12 and 15-16. Didn't really drag because each chapter covered a different topic. Each author seems genuinely passionate about their topic. Only wish there was more pictures of the stuff being sold and the places they were held.

[Frederic · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books, but not for those who mainly want to see the fabulous works of art that the Soviets sold off to fund the revolution. Instead we get the stories behind those transactions, and some of the US and European collectors who took advantage of the opportunity to build their collections. This is a masterful work of scholarship in the history of material culture.