Rosalie and Mitchell Rudnick developed a passion for studying and collecting 19th century Caucasian rugs in the early 1980s. From their Boston home base they developed friendships with the leading New England and New York rug dealers, gaining trusted access to the knowledge and inventories that these dealers possessed. Soon, the Rudnicks’ Caucasian rug interest became all-consuming, leading them to travel worldwide in the pursuit of exemplary rugs. Rosalie and Mitch became enthusiastic and much revered members of the international rug community by participating actively in the Boston Rug Society, the American Conference on Oriental Rugs, and the International Conference on Oriental Carpets. Their cheerful presence always elicited smiles from other attendees. 

Caucasian rugs are, for the most part, anonymous weavings full of colorful, lyrical patterns. Collectors, connoisseurs, and curators spend countless hours debating and contemplating what makes one rug visually more appealing or artful than another. The Rudnicks spent 35 years voting for their aesthetic preference with their checkbook. Rosalie and Mitch's repeated willingness to commit to buying a given rug led to the formation of a collection that captures all the magic and talent of these anonymous 19th century Caucasian weavers. Many rugs from their collection have been exhibited in museums and published in scholarly rug books, validating their aesthetic and leading others in shaping their view on artfulness in Caucasian rugs. 

Grogan & Company is delighted to be offering the Rudnicks’ collection at auction on Sunday, November 20, 2016. The online catalogue is available at groganco.com, and the collection will be is exhibition at Grogan & Company’s Beacon Hill Gallery. For more information, please contact Michael B. Grogan at info@groganco.com or 617-720-2020.