Among the presented lots there are paintings of various art styles and trends, as well as objects of arts and crafts.
The Russian Art Week is traditionally held in London twice a year: in May-June and in November-December. Biddings for paintings, as well as objects of arts and crafts are organized by famous auction houses, such as the Christie's, Sotheby's, MacDougall's and Bonhams.
During the auction bidding, which will last till Wednesday, art collectors will be offered hundreds of lots. These include canvases of various styles and trends: the classics of Russian art painted by Aivazovsky, Polenov, and Vasnetsov, as well as Goncharova's impressionism, Feshin's avant-garde, Deineka's socialist realism, as well as items of decorative and applied art, including traditional jewelry produced by Carl Faberge's studio.
The Christie's: Natalia Goncharova and the Collection of Faberge
The Russian art auction has been traditionally opened by the Christie's today. It has offered "Still Life with a Teapot and Oranges" by Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962). For many years it was believed that the author of the canvas was Mikhail Larionov (1881-1964), and only careful examination of the art work in the pre-auction analysis established its true creator. The painting has been sold today for £ 2.4 million ($ 3.2 million), which is five times more than its preliminary estimate.
Among other notable lots there are paintings by Apollinary Vasnetsov (1856-1933), Vasily Vereshchagin (1842-1904), and Maria Vasilyeva (1884-1957), as well as watercolors by Konstantin Somov (1869-1939).
"This time we managed to collect a really strong selection, while, as usual, we bet on the quality and attractive estimates by experts,” – Alexandra Babenko, an expert on Russian painting at Christie's, said.
Speaking about the situation on the market in general, she said that interest in Russian art is growing. "The tendency of growing interest in trading has strengthened. Last time we were very pleased with the auction results - the percentage of lots sold was very high, with the final price of many lots having significantly exceeded expectations," she said.
"We see a large influx of non-Russian speaking customers on the market; in particular, their interest in Faberge is high," the expert pointed out.
One of the main pearls of the collection will be a miniature rhinoceros figurine with a clockwork mechanism by Faberge company. Its estimated cost ranges from £ 300 to 500 thousand ($ 390-655 thousand).
Top Lot at Sotheby's
The Sotheby's has timed the auction of fine art works of the Soviet period to the 100th anniversary since the October Revolution. The most expensive lot of the whole Russian Art Week belongs in this category. The Miner (1925) by the Soviet painter, monumentalist and graphic artist Alexander Deineka (1899-1969) is estimated at £ 3.5-4.5 million pounds ($ 4.64-6 million).
In total, 120 paintings by 80 Russian artists will be offered. They were created in the period from the earliest years of the Soviet Union to 1991, when the USSR collapsed.
Among the authors of these works one should mentioned Alexander Deineka, Alexander Rodchenko, Yuri Pimenov, Serafim Ryangin, and George Rublev.
Among the lots of Russian painting there stand out "Portrait of Nadezhda Sapozhnikova" painted by Nikolai Feshin (1881-1955). The canvas, which was named this artist’s best porter ever exhibited for auction in this auction house, is estimated at £ 1.2-1.8 million ($ 1.6-2.4 million). The collection of paintings by Alexandra Exter (1882-1949) is also noteworthy. Its prices range from £ 100-150 thousand ($ 130-200 thousand) to £ 180-250 thousand ($ 240-330 thousand). The bidding will be held on November 28.
Author: Vera Ivanova