Collection Brocard: de 1870 à 1924

Une vue imprimée de la galerie où se trouvait la collection de tableaux anciens et antiquités d'Henri Brocard, qui fut ensuite reprise par son épouse Charlotte.

La collection Brocard comportait un peu plus de 5000 tableaux et objets dont 3000 tableaux anciens, des primitifs flamands au XVIIIe siècle.

Les photos ci-dessous reprennent quelques vues des pièces du grenier où était entreposée une partie de la collection. Différentes expositions furent organisées pour le public, ce qui était relativement peu fréquent vers 1880. Les recetttes permettaient de financer différentes oeuvres caritatives à Moscou.

© Family Brocard.
Usage of the image under authorization only

A great Russian embriodery from the Brocard collection

© Family Brocard.
Usage of the image under authorization

I would like to share with you this nice embroidery, collected by the Brocard family probably around 1870 in Russia. The Brocard's marketing was really impacting the culture of embroidery making in Russia by inserying in each packaging new enthousiatic design patterns.

All families were trying to produce those designs into the private producting durably influencing the creativity in this kind a hand made art in the whole old Russian Empire.

This exemple is really characteristic with a great mix of white cotton and colored silk and symbolic myths around birds, othodox church, and men trying to convert other to the religion.
This nice and rare work was probably sed into a church. Although its age, this piece of embroidery is really in great condition, emphazing the large perimeter of what Henri Brocard was collecting at this time, from the flemish primitive paintings to the old russian traditionnal objects and memories.

Discovery of the old perfume "Royal Flush" from Brocard

My last update of the blog was months ago. But I did not forget you. In the meantime I have been maitaining my main blog about "Sur les pas d'une collection". There I decided to baptize my modest collection of Aboriginal art painting. I was not an easy choice, but finaly, remembering the great art's collection of Henry Brocard in Moscow, I decided to give the name of "collection privée BROCARD II". A symbol, a memory of the past, and also a strong link with my own private history.

Perfume Royal Flush from BROCARD
About 1920, Paris
© Family Brocard.
Usage of the image under authorization

Clearly I will never compete with Henry Brocard in terms of collection. I have not the same resources. But that's really for me an invitation to develop a collection stressing one of the oldest nomad population on the planet, as the Aboriginal people of Australia.

Today, I would like to present to you, a small wonderful perfume bottle from the end of the Brocard perfume industry : "Royal Flush" prepared in Paris around 1920.
One of the best experience when you are discovering an old bottle of perfume, is to smell around the neck of it. And when you are able to open the bottle and to discover the real fragrance as this one, you are experimenting a great great moment in your life. Which is compensating the frustration I had months ago in front of this larger bottle of Royal Flush presented on the blog there.

I did not find this perfume recipe in potential archive. What a pity as I am not a nose, able to identify the complexity of the ingredients inside. But beleive me I am dreaming about... this perfume for women coming from the past.

Exhibition at the Pushkin Museum: Brocard collection

Ancienne collection BROCARD, Moscou.
Fuite en Egypte, anonyme, XVe siècle.

Considering the current exhibition about the Brocard collection, organized by the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, I would like to share with you additional paintings. The rest of the text is in french and you find additional pictures or comment, by clicking on he last link of this post.

If you have the chance to visit this exibition in Moscow, thanks for your comment and picture.

Mes sentiments sont partagés aujourd'hui. Les quelques tableaux que vous allez voir ci-dessous ont été nationalisés en 1917, à l'occasion de la Révolution Russe. Ces photos sont rares. Elle ne figurent pas sur le web et ne sont pas accessibles au public.

Cet homme a beaucoup marqué la famille. Il fonda la parfumerie Brocard en 1864 à Moscou, qui devint le leader mondial des produits de beauté en 1913*. Et il se passionna en même temps pour le monde de l'art, disposant de moyens considérables à l'époque.

Ancienne collection BROCARD, Moscou.
descente de la Croix, XVIe siècle.

Sa collection comportait plus de 3000 tableaux des primitifs flamands aux oeuvres européennes du XVIIIe siècle. Et plus de 7000 objets d'art très diversifiés, des étoffes à la porcelaine fine, sans oublier le mobilier russe du XVIIe et XVIIIe siècle.

The full text and other picture are visible on this blog.