I
have never been to an auction of any kind and not usually pay much
attention to announcements in the press by any auction houses.
Nevertheless I couldn't help but notice the vintage photo of a sensual
dancer accompanying the announcement. It was her collection of valuable
jewellery that's to be auctioned on the 16th and 17th, in the Balcli's
Gallery in Barcelona.
The dancer in the photo below was Tortola Valencia. Born in 1882, educated in London, but had chosen Spain as her permanent home. I have never heard of her or known anything about her at all until this so irresistible image of her doing the Snake Dance that made me read the article which goes with the advertisement of the auction. She was apparently very famous in her time, beautiful, exotic, and daring in her artistic interpretation of her dances, ultra avantgarde in concept and technique in the beginning of the 20th century. She had also appeared in various films and documentaries. She was extremely popular, successful and had made lots of money, but astute enough to know how to manage her fortune, investing in only the very best art and unusual jewellery. She lived a very extravagant life surround by her collection of priceless paintings, art objects, stamps, antique furniture and of course rich and famous friends, amongst them dukes and duchess, politicians, literary writers and poets ... Although not so blessed in love, she had her share of many illustrious lovers.  She spent her later years painting in her luxurious ivory mansion in Spain. She died on the 13th of February, in 1955. |
- Current Mood:
Artistic
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