Moscow Museum of Art Deco

Moscow Museum of Art Deco
Moscow Museum of Art Deco

Moscow Museum of Art Deco opened its doors to the public on December 19, 2014. The museum is located in the former Imperial Mint on the Moscow River embankment. A young businessman Mkrtich Okroyan, graduate of Faculty of Mathematics of Moscow State University, has become one of the first serious collectors of art deco in Russia. The collector admits that he is passionate lover of Russian culture of the early twentieth century and the World of Art movement tradition. This passion led him to Paris. Here the young collector discovered the Art Deco in all its diversity and splendor. Mkrtich Okroyan feels the connection with a style of 1925 Russian culture, particularly Russian Seasons ballet of Sergei Diaghilev. That’s why one of the first acquisitions of the collector was the sculpture by Dmitry Chiparus “Russian Ballet”.

The interior of the Art Deco Museum in Moscow
The interior of the Art Deco Museum in Moscow

Over time, interest in collecting art deco sculpture turns into a systematic activity and the desire to create a full collection of works of the era of the last century. Today the exhibition includes the largest number of works in bronze and ivory period of 1920-1930 – more than 900 works. Among them, about 100 sculptures by Dmitry Chiparus – most brilliant representative of decorative sculpture of 1920-1930. The remaining 800 works – works by German sculptor Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss (February 13, 1882 – July 29, 1943), French architect and designer Paul Philippe Cret (October 24, 1876 – September 8, 1945), German visual artist Otto Poertzel (October 24, 1876 – January 16, 1963), French Art Deco sculptor Pierre Le Faguays (1892 – September 8, 1962), Austrian art deco sculptor Bruno Zach (6 May 1891 – 20 February 1945), and other artists.

The interior of the Art Deco Museum in Moscow
The interior of the Art Deco Museum in Moscow

The collection also includes works by famous designers of the time, Jacques-Emile Rulman, Jules Lelё, Paul Follo, Louis Sue, Andre Mara and Edgar Brandt.

The Art Deco Museum in Moscow
The Art Deco Museum in Moscow

Gallery arranges exhibitions and educational activities: a series of lectures and seminars, organized the exhibition “Images of Art Deco”, “Erte and Golden Twenties”, etc. Simultaneously the Gallery presents its works at international exhibitions in Paris, together with the auction house Sotheby’s for the 100th anniversary of Diaghilev’s seasons in 2007. In the framework of the Year of Russia in Spain (2012), the Museum of Art Nouveau and Art Deco presented the exhibition “Russian Seasons of Sergei Diaghilev and their influence on Art Deco” in Spain.

Details of the interior of the late art nouveau. The Art Deco Museum in Moscow
Details of the interior of the late art nouveau. The Art Deco Museum in Moscow

I would say this is the interior of the late art nouveau, in which appeared geometry. The picture does produce misleading. This above arch in general is associated with sketches by Erte. But in the aggregate, if disassemble each part, we have what is called modernity in Russia.

Details of the interior of the late art nouveau. The Art Deco Museum in Moscow
Details of the interior of the late art nouveau. The Art Deco Museum in Moscow

Mkrtich Okroyan spent years traveling from auction to auction in London, Paris and other world capitals, building up a collection that is now worth over $100 million.

Details of the interior of the late art nouveau. The Art Deco Museum in Moscow
Details of the interior of the late art nouveau. The Art Deco Museum in Moscow

Stepping into the museum is like stepping back in time into a mansion decorated in 1925 by a very affluent patron of the arts. The exquisite collection is exquisitely displayed, and the museum’s curators will happily answer visitors’ questions.

Details of the interior of the late art nouveau. The Art Deco Museum in Moscow
Details of the interior of the late art nouveau. The Art Deco Museum in Moscow

Most of sculptures are created by the Romanian sculptor of the era of Art Deco Demetre Chiparus. Inspired by the “Russian ballet of Diaghilev”, the Master miraculously made the move of graceful dancers and sophisticated dancers to freeze. And it seems, in a moment they will move in the dance, as soon as they hear a melody.

Moscow Museum of Art Deco
1914 Russian ballet dancers Mikhail Fokin and Vera Fokina in the ballet Cleopatra, Sweden
Moscow Museum of Art Deco
A French gilded Art Deco bronze by Raymonde Guerbe circa 1925
Moscow Museum of Art Deco
An Art Deco gilded bronze figure of a dancer by Joe Descomps, France circa 1925
An art deco glass vase
An art deco glass vase
An Art Deco sculpture by Georges Gori
An Art Deco sculpture by Georges Gori
An Art Deco sycamore and shagreen commode by Dominique, France, circa 1935 with an Art Deco bronze by Raymond Rivoire, Paris circa 1930
An Art Deco sycamore and shagreen commode by Dominique, France, circa 1935 with an Art Deco bronze by Raymond Rivoire, Paris circa 1930
An art deco vase
An art deco vase
Moscow Museum of Art Deco
An Art Nouveau Enamel, Diamond and Gold Brooch, by Vever

Moscow Museum of Art Deco
An Enrique Molins-Balleste Art Deco chryselephantine (bronze and ivory) figure, France 1920s
Moscow Museum of Art Deco
Butterfly Dancers an Art Deco bronze and ivory figure by Otto Poertzel, Germany, 1930s
Moscow Museum of Art Deco
French art deco chryselephantine lamp, circa 1930
Moscow Museum of Art Deco
Josef Lorenzl for Goldscheider Vienna circa 1929 with the original period shade
'Les Girls' Inspired by 'Russian seasons' ballet sculpture by Demetre Chiparus
‘Les Girls’ Inspired by ‘Russian seasons’ ballet sculpture by Demetre Chiparus
Moscow Museum of Art Deco
Moscow Museum of Art Deco
Moscow Museum of Art Deco
Parmigiani Fleurier – ‘Cat and mouse automaton clock’, created by art deco sculptor Edouard-Marcel Sandoz
Sculpture by Otto Poertzel (1876-1963) - Columbine and Harlequin, circa 1925
Sculpture by Otto Poertzel (1876-1963) – Columbine and Harlequin, circa 1925
Moscow Museum of Art Deco
The rarer version of Gefangener Vogel (Captured Bird) designed by Josef Lorenzl for Goldscheider Vienna circa 1924
Moscow Museum of Art Deco
The Moscow Museum of Art Deco