Lift your glasses 举杯欢庆

KONRAD BERNHEIMER, a fourth-generation art dealer, made his first sale when he was 12. At the 1956 Munich antiques fair he sold a small Louis XVI table for DM6,000 (then $1,429). “I still remember who bought it,” says the bearded and greying Mr Bernheimer, but he will not say who it was. Now the owner of London’s venerable Colnaghi gallery, currently celebrating its 250th anniversary, he has long known that client confidentiality and keeping contacts to oneself are cardinal rules of the trade.
身为第四代艺术品代理商的科诺德•伯恩海姆，在12岁那年就做了第一笔生意。1956年慕尼黑古董交易会上，他以6000德国马克（当时约合1429美元）售出了一张路易十六时期的小桌子。满脸胡须、头发花白的伯恩海姆说，“我还记得是谁买走的”但他不肯透露买主姓名。伯恩海姆现在是伦敦科尔纳吉画廊的主人，这家画廊正在庆贺250岁生日，他深知替客户保密和私下接触是这一行的基本原则。

While other tykes were playing football, Konrad’s grandfather was taking him to museums. He was the patriarch’s first grandson and chosen heir. The family firm founded in 1864, L. Bernheimer, occupied a palatial building in central Munich where it was filled with tapestries, furniture and objets d’art but no silver, jewellery or paintings. Paintings, however, were Konrad’s passion. When his grandfather announced yet another study trip to a decorative-arts treasury, the boy pleaded for a visit to an Old Master museum instead. After 1977, when he became owner of the Munich firm, the stock gradually changed and now is proudly Bernheimer Fine Old Masters.
其他孩子还在踢足球的时候，科诺德的祖父就把他带到了博物馆。科诺德是他的长孙和指定继承人。伯恩海姆家族企业创始于1864年，在慕尼黑市中心有一栋富丽堂皇的大厦，装饰着织锦挂毯、家具古董，但是没有银器珠宝、油画水彩。而绘画恰恰是科诺德的最爱。科诺德的祖父吩咐他到装饰艺术宝库游学时，这个孩子却请求去参观名画博物馆。1977年，他成为了这家慕尼黑企业的老板，藏品日益变换，如今成了声名赫赫的伯恩海姆画廊大师佳作。

During a brief stint at Christie’s in 1975, Mr Bernheimer got what he calls the “London bug”. In 1985, he opened a branch of his Munich dealership near Bond Street, a short walk from the illustrious Colnaghi gallery; 17 years later he owned the place.
1975年伯恩海姆在佳士得拍卖行短暂工作过，从此对伦敦心驰神往。1985年，他在邦德街附近开了慕尼黑公司的代理行，距科尔纳吉画廊几步之遥；17年后伯恩海姆拥有了这家画廊。更多信息请访问：http://www.24en.com/

“Colnaghi: the History”, published as part of this year’s anniversary celebrations, tells of the personalities and sales that contributed to its formidable reputation. It all began with fireworks. In 1760 Italian-born Giovanni Battista Torre (known as “Fireworks Macaroni”) started a Paris shop best known for its firework displays but also selling books and prints. Fifteen years later, his son Anthony, together with another Italian, Paul Peter Colnaghi, moved to London, establishing themselves as sellers and publishers of prints. Their set of prints titled “Cries of London” was a particular success.
出版《科尔纳吉画廊：传奇历史》是周年庆祝活动的一个部分，这本书讲述了对画廊声名远播做出贡献的各色人物和生意往来。而一切都始于烟花。1760年，出生于意大利的乔瓦尼•巴蒂斯特•托雷（被戏称为“烟花通心粉”）在巴黎开了家店，以绚烂的烟花表演远近闻名，这家店也经营书籍版画。15年后，托雷之子安东尼和另一个意大利人保罗•皮特•科尔纳吉迁往伦敦，销售出版书籍。他们出版的名作《伦敦的叫卖声》大获成功。

The gallery’s glory days came in the late 19th century when Otto Gutekunst became its director and moved the firm into Old Master paintings. With the help of an art historian, Bernard Berenson, Colnaghi sold hugely important pictures, including Titian’s “Europa”, to Isabella Stewart Gardner, an American arts patron. In the book, Alan Chong, who today is the director of Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, gives an engaging account of Gutekunst and Berenson’s complex, sometimes devious, dealings with the very rich and art-hungry Mrs Gardner. Later there were sales to Henry Clay Frick and to Andrew Mellon and his son Paul.
19世纪末这间画廊迎来光辉岁月，时任经理的奥托•古特孔斯特把店搬进名画博物馆。多亏艺术史学家伯纳德•贝伦森的鼎力相助，科尔纳吉画廊出售了大量名画，包括把提香名作《欧罗巴的诱拐》卖给美国艺术赞助商伊莎贝拉•斯图尔特•加德纳。钟亚伦时任波士顿伊莎贝拉•斯图尔特•加德纳博物馆的馆长，他在书中生动描述了古特孔斯特和贝伦森与身家豪富、热爱艺术的加德纳夫人错综复杂、颇费心机的交易。后来画廊还向实业家亨利•佛里克和安德鲁•梅隆与其子保罗•梅隆出售过作品。

In the 20th century Colnaghi, under a succession of expert directors, became renowned for its Old Master drawings. Jean-Luc Baroni continued this tradition when he joined the gallery in 1982. From that year on he was the majority partner in buying drawings; from 1996 he also owned all the paintings that were bought, paying Colnaghi a commission on those sold. The gallery had been purchased in 1985 by the Oetker Group, a Hamburg-based food company. But after a few years the Oetkers’ enthusiasm for the art trade dwindled and in 2001 they offered to sell it to Mr Baroni. He refused. The annual rental alone was £250,000 ($360,000). Instead he decamped to a less costly space. And having already bought out Colnaghi’s share of the drawings, he took nearly all the gallery’s stock with him.
20世纪，科尔纳吉画廊历经多位行家的经营，以大师画作闻名于世。1982年，加盟画廊的让-卢克•巴龙尼延续了这一传统。此后他成为购买画作的最大股东；自1996年起他已拥有科尔纳吉画廊买下的所有画作，出售后付给画廊佣金。1985年科尔纳吉画廊被汉堡的食品企业奥特克尔集团收购。数年后，奥特克尔家族对艺术品的热情渐渐退却，2001年想把画廊转卖给巴龙尼。他没有接受。单是每年租金就要25万英镑（约合36万美元）。相反，他搬到了租金较为低廉的地段。此时他已经买断科尔纳吉画廊画作的所有权，获得了几乎所有的藏品。

At that point, recalls Mr Bernheimer, “old” Mr Oetker called him, saying simply “I think you should buy Colnaghi.” He was offered the Colnaghi name and a rental lease on the space (later on, Mr Bernheimer, together with Katrin Bellinger, a Munich dealer in drawings, bought Colnaghi’s archive and art library). Many people thought that whatever Mr Bernheimer had paid for Colnaghi, it was too much for a largely denuded dealership. Not so: dealing from its premises in Bond Street with its internationally recognised and respected name opened doors for Mr Bernheimer that might otherwise have required long, hard pushing—were they to open at all.
伯恩海姆回忆，当时老奥特克尔请他去，只是说“我认为你该买下科尔纳吉画廊”。他买下科尔纳吉的名号和场地租赁合约（此后又和慕尼黑艺术品代理商凯特琳•贝林格共同买下画廊的档案和艺术图书馆）。大家认为，伯恩海姆无论为这间空壳画廊出多少钱都耗资过多。事实绝非如此，画廊位于邦德街的旧址及其国际声誉和尊贵品牌，为伯恩海姆敞开了大门，不然要经历漫长艰难的跋涉才能对他开放。

Champagne corks are popping as the gallery celebrates its anniversary. An exhibition of archival highlights is on view this summer. In early July a scholarly study-day at the gallery kicks off a master paintings and drawings week during which London’s dealers show off their treasures. In September, in a change of key, Colnaghi will show photographs by Julian Schnabel, an American filmmaker and artist. For Mr Bernheimer that also will be cause for celebration. Its curator is a fifth-generation art dealer, Blanca Bernheimer.
香槟酒砰然打开，画廊热烈庆贺自己的生日。今年夏天将展出一批珍品佳作。7月初，学术研究日为大师绘画作品展览周揭幕，伦敦艺术品商家将展示珍贵藏品。9月，科尔纳吉画廊变换主题，展出美国导演朱利安•施纳贝尔的摄影作品。对伯恩海姆而言，还有个可喜可贺的理由。画廊的负责人正是第五代艺术品代理商布兰卡•伯恩海姆。