Amsterdam - Representatives of the Czech Heritage Office and castle caretakers managed to retain Lichtenstein's art collection items that went under the hammer today in Amsterdam's Christie's auction house.
Representatives of the Czech Heritage Office and castle caretakers received 10 million CZK from the Czech government to buy some of the auctioned items.
Allegedly, a secret art patron was to contribute with his own amount as well.
Amsterdam´s auction began at 11 am and lasted solid nine hours.
According to the Valtice and Lednice caretakers, with the sum of 10 million CZK the representatives managed to buy 28 auctioned items. These are mainly furniture and other art works that used to decorate residences of the Lichtensteins in Moravia.
Several items bought at the auction will be displayed publicly as early as this summertime in the chateaux and a castle. Two thirds of the items will be in Valtice, which is a former winter residence of the Lichtenstein's family.
Tapestry in Šternberk
Among the purchased items is a series of three tapestries, which used to hang in the castle of Šternberk. Lenka Vaňková from Olomouc´s Conservation Association confirmed that to Aktuálně.cz.
"The 18th century tapestry used to decorate Šternberk´s walls still in the times between the world wars. We will put them in the same hall where they used to hang," said Vaňková.
According to Vaňková, Amsterdam's auction was the last possibility to retain the tapestry for the Czechs. "It was a mere accident they appeared among the auctioned items. We were so lucky," added Vaňková.
Brueghel in Lednice
The chateau of Lednice will proud itself of having Pieter Brueghel´s Flowers Still-life. The state paid 1 million CZK for this 17th century painting.
The chateau of Valtice has also gained a set of furniture, which makes almost one whole room.
"It is a great success," said cheerfully Lednice chateau caretaker Ivana Holásková.
