With news of Russia’s economic woes it’s good to see that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is contributing to the country’s oil sales – albeit of the oil-painting variety.
The Associated Press reports Monday a painting by Putin has sold for a record million dollars at a charity auction in his hometown of St. Petersburg – quite a feat for a non-established artist selling in the midst of an art market collapse.
AP describes the work as a “frost-rimed (sic) window in a traditional log hut”, although to FT Alphaville (no art connoisseur mind you) it looks more like the work frequently exhibited on the classic childhood art TV programme HartBeat, hosted by the late Tony Hart.
What with resolving the Ukrainian Russian gas dispute, we also wonder where Mr. Putin finds the time?
Related links
Trouble in the art market – FT Alphaville
Putin’s record-breaking painting – BBC
Moscow and Kiev strike fresh deal on gas – FT.com