The French house untouched for 100 years

The French house untouched for 100 years

This has got to be one of my favourite items of news for a long time! Shades of the 70-year-old Parisian flat I blogged about previously, methinks. What is it with the French and leaving things alone for decades on end? If this had been in Britain the place would have probably been knocked down by now(!). What a fantastic story, and what a fellow Monsieur Mantin must have been to build a huge house, fill it with such a vast collection of ephemera and then insist it be left as a museum so people today could have some idea of his lifestyle? It's the ultimate time capsule!

I get the impression from the article that he is considered something of a morbid eccentric but then as it also says what better way to ensure his immortality? I wish I could do the same, but I doubt my poky little flat and its contents would be of any interest to 22nd Century scholars (or even still standing 100 years from now)! The terms "aesthete" and "gentleman of leisure" are certainly well-deserved though; one could easily add "philanthropist" considering what his legacy has turned out to be and the esteem in which he is held by the townspeople today. It must be a fascinating place to visit - I almost want to hop on a ferry now and cross the Channel to have a look! Certainly a must-see if one is ever in the area.

And to think that a simple misunderstanding went towards making it how it is today, in that M. Mantin only wanted it to be a museum in 100 years time, not that it should be locked up for 100 years. His great niece should also be commended for seeing the cultural and historical importance of the place and ensuring that it was opened in accordance with Mantin's wishes, despite [typical] paper-pushing from the local government. All in all, an incredible memorial to one man's interests and life 100 years ago, and an amazing saga.

Parisian flat containing €2.1 million painting lay untouched for 70 years

Parisian flat containing €2.1 million painting lay untouched for 70 years

This is an incredible story, a true example of a time capsule if ever there was one. It always amazes me when hidden or forgotten items come to light after so many years, but to find an entire apartment left just as it was 70 years ago is quite remarkable. That the rent was still be paid right up to this year, and the tenant still alive yet seeming uninterested in returning, makes it all the more fantastic.

What it must have been like for the assessors and experts to be the first people to enter the room in seven decades I can hardly imagine, although by all accounts it was an eerie yet thrilling experience. Plus, amongst all the fascinating paraphernalia and items of history, there turns out to be a lost painting by an important Italian artist that goes on to fetch a record price! Truly this was a dream discovery and it makes one wonder, if a flat in a bustling capital city can be overlooked for so long, just what else is out there waiting to be rediscovered?

Gallery searches for stolen brick

Gallery searches for stolen brick

Yes. A brick. And not from the gallery's actual structure either. No, someone seems to think that if a certain "artist" writes his signature on an ordinary house brick it suddenly becomes art and worth £3,000. Which is why I'm overcome with delight that some perceptive, quick-witted fellow has taken the opportunity to show it up for the pointless charade that the whole thing typifies. Here's a question - why, if the replacement brick also has writing upon it, is it too not worth £3,000? Is not a "worthless equivalent" an oxymoron? If something is an equivalent, it is the same as the thing it replaces, so logically this new brick should be worth £3,000 as well. In fact, if I got a brick and signed it, then passed it off as "art", I could make three thousand pounds too, couldn't I? Of course not. The whole idea of a signed brick being high art is a farce of the highest order and frankly I fail to understand the mentality of anyone who says otherwise. What we have here, in essence, is little more than a three grand signature. If I were an auctioneer or a valuer and someone approached me with this and asked me for £3,000, I'd call for the men in white coats. Still, you've got to laugh.

Sparebots: little figures made from LEDs, resistors, capacitors, wire and other electronic spare parts

Sparebots: little figures made from LEDs, resistors, capacitors, wire and other electronic spare parts

Now this immediately took me back to my schooldays, fiddling around with LEDs, resistors and so forth during Physics and Design & Technology lessons. It also, rather naturally, made me laugh and marvel at the way this chap and his wife have turned such electronic items into life-like displays, albeit with a humorous twist. Only a Britisher, looking at a pile of electrical components, would have come up with such an idea! It is also, I think, an interesting insight into the human mind, in that we seek to see something of ourselves in the unlikeliest of objects. All in all, most amusing!