On 4th June, Christie’s will be offering a selection of works by many highly sought-after artists in their sale of Russian Art. The early 20th-century painters featured include Alexandre Jacovleff, Konstantin Somov, Nicholas Roerich, Dmitri Stelletsky, Boris Grigoriev, and Yury Annenkov.
The second session will offer over 40 works from the famous workshop of Fabergé, plus Imperial jewels, rare bronzes, Soviet Porcelain and works by the Imperial Porcelain Factory. Pictured here is a Fabergé model of a chimpanzee, carved from petrified wood – it’s estimated that it’ll fetch between £100,000-150,000.
Other Fabergé items from the sale include these desk items hand-crafted by the house’s master craftsmen. The pen, tray and desk seal are being sold from the collection of a Royal family.
Never before seen on the market, this portrait by Konstantin Somov of his friend and muse Boris Snejkovsky is one of two included in the sale.
Dmitry Stelletsky’s vivid decorative quadriptych, The Hunt, reflects the a Russo-Byzantine aesthetic heritage favoured by the artist. It’s offered from a distinguished French Collection and is estimated to fetch £40,000-60,000.
The highlight of the sale is said to be La Mère Agathe, Boris Grigoriev’s portrait of an elderly Breton woman which was exhibited widely in New York upon its debut in 1924. It’s estimated that it will fetch £250,000-350,000.
