History
“… Art demands knowledge”
Bertold Brecht
“Three Centuries” Gallery operates on antique market from the year 2000, but its history begins in the year 1993. Main areas of the Gallery activity are objects of interior: furniture, bronze, illuminating devices, paintings, marble, and porcelain — all, that creates unique colouring of the Past revived in the Present. For the years of operation on antique market, “Three Centuries” Gallery had identified its specialization: the Gallery offers objects of art, created in one of the brightest periods of Russian art flowering — from late 18th to middle 19th centuries.
Admiration by skill of creators of past centuries and desire to preserve unique rarity objects inspire the owner and employees of the Gallery. Serious approach to the matter made “Three Centuries” one of the best antique galleries of Moscow.
The Gallery collaborates closely with museums, renders feasible assistance in restoration and replenishment of museum collection objects. The clients of our Gallery are such museums as Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, State Historical Museum, “Battle of Borodino” Panorama Museum, “Kolomenskoye” Moscow State Open Air Museum, “Tsaritsino” Moscow State Open Air Museum, Yesenin Moscow State Museum, “House of Gogol” Memorial Museum and other Russian museums.
Sincere dedication to history of subject and deep knowledge of history of arts don’t give anybody a reason to classify the Gallery as a mere commercial organization. It is rather a community of like-minded persons who responsibly, with heart and pleasure do their labour of love.
Besides its principal activity, the “Three Centuries” Gallery takes part in exhibition projects, such as “Lighting of 18th – Early 20th Centuries” Exhibition, prepared in collaboration with “Ostankino Estate” Museum and held within the framework of the 16th Antique Salon, Day of Russian Estate held in Tver Region in ancient Znamenskoye-Rayok estate, “Children in the Art of Three Centuries” Exhibition within the framework of the 21st Salon, “Magic World of Fan” Exhibition (Pushkin State Museum), “Russian Interior. Epoch. Fashion. Style” Exbition held in Pushkin State Museum, “1812. World and War” (State Historical Museum), “The Tales of Belkin. World of Pushkin’s Heroes” Exhibition (Pushkin State Museum), “Roads of the War of Anatoly Arkhipov” Exhibition (Central Armed Forces Museum) and many other exhibitions.
Important aspect of activity of the Gallery is a struggle for purity of collection. Impeccable reputation of “Three Centuries” Gallery is based on serious professional approach to selection and authentication of objects and to attribution topics.
From 2004, “Three Centuries” Gallery, as many other important antique firms, is a member of International Confederation of Antique and Art Dealers (ICAAD) and takes part in the work of this organization and its projects.
Publishing activities are not less significant aspect of the Gallery’s life. Under the auspices of “Three Centuries" Gallery, Rudentsovs Publishing House had issued high quality unique album books which have no analogues on book market: “Architectural Heritage of Russia. Fyodor Schechtel”, “Russian Interior. Epoch, Fashion, Style”. “Fans in Russia. 19th – Early 20th Centuries”, “Illuminating devices. Collection of Ostankino Palace”, “Furniture in Russian Interior of Late 19th – Early 20th centuries”, “Portrait Miniature from Private Collections”, Atlas of Cultural Heritage Sites (Monuments of History and Culture) of Moscow City (three-volume edition), “Architectural Heritage of A.S. Kaminski”, “Paths of War of Anatoly Arkhipov” (photo album).
In 2005, “Three Centuries” Gallery moved to Zamoskvorechye District in the distinguished mansion of the 19th century, built in 1869 by order of Moscow merchant D.F Vinokurov.
The atmosphere of solemnity and implication to something lost long ago, but miraculously preserved and regained, reigns in the mansion. Halls are filled with refined furniture and objects of decorative and applied art, and walls are again adorned with pieces of painting. It seems that the house acquainted with evening parties and luxurious balls resuscitates, reappears from the state of oblivion, in which it rested for almost a century.
Andrei Vladimirovich Rudentsov, owner of the Gallery, is a member of International Council of Museums (ICOM) from 2011.