Gray Lovers, or How to Steal Chagall

For the author of biographies of famous Russian collectors, there is nothing more interesting than unraveling the stories of the lives of the Shchukin and Morozov brothers, studying the preferences of the Ryabushinsky family, or the “genius dabbler” Ostroukhoff. Having become bestsellers, they read like a detective. So why doesn’t Natalia Semenova change genres and write a detective story, especially in collaboration with philologist, translator, and curator of the Bakhmetevsky Archive at Columbia University, Tanya Chebotareva? Old friends – one in Moscow, the other in New York – have crafted a captivating story that transports us from country to country, from the early 20th century to the early 21st century. Betrayals, thefts, and even murders are woven into the fate of the main character of the narrative – the painting “Gray Lovers” by Marc Chagall.

Old friends – one in Moscow, the other in New York – have crafted a captivating story that transports us from country to country, from the early 20th century to the early 21st century. Betrayals, thefts, and even murders are woven into the fate of the main character of the narrative – the painting “Gray Lovers” by Marc Chagall.

Before our eyes, the shadows of the “godfathers” and patrons of the young artist come to life: collector Ivan Morozov, gallery owner Claudia Mikhailova, and critics Yakov Tugenhold and Abram Efross. And of course, as is fitting in an art detective that immerses us in the world of antiquarians, dealers, and famous auctions, the book “Gray Lovers or How to Steal Chagall” features a brave fighter against forgeries and the smuggling of works of art.