RUSSIAN ART+ CULTURE WINTER GUIDE RUSSIAN ART WEEK, LONDON 22 -29 NOVEMBER 2019 CONTENTS KONSTANTIN YUON ARTIST NAME The Ancient Town of Uglich, 1913Title (detail) of Work, 19XX Estimate £600,000–800,000*Estimate £XX,000,000–XX,000,000 Property of an American collector RUSSIAN An important silver-gilt, cloisonné and pictorial enamel casket, Feodor Rückert, Moscow, 1908-1917 ART+ CULTURE Estimate £100,000–150,000* THIS ISSUE WELCOME WINTER EVENTS ................................. 16 By Natasha Butterwick ..................................3 LONDON PREMIERE OF THE AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS DOCUMENTARY VYSOTSKY… By James Butterwick ..................................... 4 ODESSA NOTEBOOK By Irene Kukota ............................................. 18 Russian Pictures AUCTION SALES & Russian Works of Art, Fabergé & Icons Christie’s, Sotheby’s .....................................10 RUSSIAN COLLECTIONS MacDougall’s, Bonhams................................11 By Marina Maximova ................................... 24 AUCTIONS LONDON 26 NOVEMBER Bruun Rasmussen ........................................... 12 RA+C RECOMMENDS ..................... 28 34–35 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON W1A 2AA ART IMPRESSION MALABART ...14 RUSSIAN PICTURES +44 (0)20 7293 5673 [email protected] PARTNERS ...............................................29 RUSSIAN WORKS OF ART +44 (0)20 7293 6381 [email protected] SOTHEBYS.COM/RUSSIANART #SOTHEBYSRUSSIANART Above: Boris Nikolaevich Ermolaev, Girlfriends, 1962, Lithograph from the Estorik collection, 44.5 x 55 cm Cover: Maria Prymachenko, Poppies (detail), 1967, Gouache on paper, 62 x 86 cm Sale Title AUCTION LOCATION XX MONTH Sothebys_RussianArt+Culture_20191009.indd 1 09/10/2019 18:03:08 INTRODUCTION Nonetheless, we plough on and, to celebrate the SAVE THE DATE opening of Russian Art week, we are putting on a joint exhibition with Malabart of the work of 26.01.20 — 02.02.20 Maria Prymachenko, Grigor Kruk and Tetiana Yablonska at Shapero, our long-trusted friends. All three artists have the distinction of crossing the entire 20th century which has shaped their art in various forms. It could be argued that all are, or were at one time, revolutionary before the onset of a stricter world and the exhibition represents a good chance to view the work of WELCOME three artists, relatively unknown outside their The 2019 winter auctions of Russian Art are, homelands, who deserve a wider audience. as always, something of a mixed bag. There is a stellar painting by Ivan Kliun at Sotheby’s, As always, the period between June and Christie's are showing a first-class Roerich and November has flown by and the world of Macdougall's have unearthed a superb oil by Russian Culture remains as vibrant as ever. It Boris Kustodiev. always staggers me the level of interest, and indeed attendance, of any ballet, opera, or The pickings are, regrettably, a little thin on theatrical event, be it Russian, be it Western the ground reflecting a period of stagnation in by my countrymen and England has always the market in Russia though not necessarily provided such opportunities in spades. TOUR & TAXIS in the West. Sotheby’s recent online sale of non-conformist art in New York was a runaway Wishing you a wonderful and productive Russian BRUSSELS success and whilst demand is always there, Art Week. supply is short. There are, of course, work by the ‘usual suspects’, Aivasovsky, Yuon and good Natasha Butterwick non-conformist work but the market does [email protected] appear slightly flat at present. ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRING FAIRS IN THE WORLD www.brafa.art [email protected] RUSSIAN A R T + CULTURE [email protected] The world’s leading platform for Russian art and cultural events. Twitter, Instagram & Facebook: @RusArtCulture The contents of this guide are believed to be correct at the time of printing. Nevertheless, the authors, publishers and directors of Russian Art + Culture shall not be liable for loss or harm of any kind which may arise or result from any errors, inaccuracies or omissions. 2 www.russianartandculture.com www.russianartandculture.com 3 BRAFA_Ad Russian Art Cult 2019 150x180 v2.indd 1 4/10/19 14:57 AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS are headed by Kliun of such mega, out-there autumnal landscapes of provincial Russia by brilliance, that we might as well all pack up and Boris Kustodiev that one really should not RA+C SALES PREVIEW go home. Best picture to come up at Russian like, but simply cannot help oneself. ‘Autumn. – James Butterwick Art Week for years? Go on! Tell me I’m wrong! The Student’s Farewell’ is, for want of a better OCTOBER 2019 word, so blinking ‘Russian’. Lyrical, poignant, Indeed, it’s pretty difficult to find anything you feel the student is off, not to some rosy at the four auction houses that even holds a future, but to an unstable world, a world of I have a Confession. I have sinned. I have erred from the woke like a lost sheep... candle to this masterpiece. The summer was intellectual torpor and to a life untenable. bad enough with the KPV going tonto, but It reminds me of a P.G. Wodehouse quote Whilst many of my ever-diminishing this winter (do we still have a winter or are we about Russian literature which I will not readership will think that I thoroughly deserve heading into the dark abyss, taking Greta with share in a family magazine such as this. The it, I have recently become a victim of the us?) is worse. Far worse. At least we had a bit provenance rocks too. The Kapitsa Family. It is woke crowd and thus, from now on, all my of padding in the summer but now. the Chelsea of Russian Art Week. The Kliun is reviews, utterances, even exclamations will Liverpool and Man City combined. be subject to the most rigorous censorship. Now… Whilst this gives me the distinct advantage of finally knowing how felt a writer in (whisper I make no secret of my fondness for the it quietly, totalitarian) Soviet Russia in 1948, Russian avant garde, a movement of utter my rear quarters are still smarting. Someone brilliance that could, and should, have old enough to be my great granddaughter influenced Western European Art for brought me wailing before the Grand Vizier centuries but the fact that Sotheby’s have and I have been castigated. Luckily, I saw the resurrected a major Kliun oil, last seen at error of my ways, have bent the knee before auction in 1990, is a considerable coup. the baying crowd and am a changed man. It has the required red-hot provenance, Jollity begone! Forsooth flippancy! Bring George Costakis and, purely visually, is one on the grey, as many shades as you think to treasure. The estimate £2,500,000- appropriate which, as the sky outside is a £3,500,000 is attractive, serious collectors bizarre slate colour, brings me conveniently will be lining up, but will it fetch as much as the Kustodiev, Boris onto this winter’s auctions of Russian Art. KPV? I’m hedging my bets. Call Ladbrokes! Autumn. The Student’s Farewell, signed and dated 1923. est. £1,500,000 - £2,000,000 19372411_L19116_Russian_Postcards_A5_V3.indd 1 14/10/2019 11:09 I. Kliun In truth, a concept with which I am clearly Spherical Suprematism I also make no secret of my admiration for Macdougall's have always supported, much to an ever-more distant relation, the auctions est. £2,500,000 - £3,500,000 Macdougall's and how they have shaken up their credit, the market for non-conformists are about as grey as the skies outside though the market. They always seem to come up and have sold a number of great works there is a light of such celestial brilliance that headed by a Kliun from the Costakis collection. with one or two masterpieces though I don’t over the years, 15 to be precise, and are I struggle to find the mots justes. This winter, Actually, let me re-phrase that. This winter, always agree with their estimates. This winter celebrating their anniversary. In offering 2019, the London auctions of Russian Art are 2019, the London auctions of Russian Art their star painting is one of those evocative, written congratulations - I have always found 4 www.russianartandculture.com www.russianartandculture.com 5 AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS the Ice/Fire combo of Mr and Mrs MackyD. Goncharova landscape they are offering really £500,000 estimate for a painting 37 x 94.5 one to admire – I cannot but pass comment is mega-dull, despite a glowing adjective of in size and would, Ladbrokes predict, come in on a wonderful Oleg Vassiliev and a terrific ‘visionary’ (in its Spinal Tap sense of the word?) at £650,000. Mikhail Shvartsmann that they are offering attached to the artists’ status in the Press for sale. This market is so undervalued. Let’s blurb. It is, however, a veritable masterpiece Our chums at Christie's, fresh from winning get it back! when stood next to a Larionov portrait on the Eurovision Song Contest, are selling a really offer which, regrettably, sits at the opposite superb vase of the Russian North from what end of the spectrum to the Kliun. I have had looks like the late-1920’s early-1930’s. I feel many a fierce debate with Russian friends I should keep quiet about this lot in order to as to the merits of these two artists, always myself put in a cheeky bid but my objectivity coming down in favour of the female, but such 19372411_L19116_Russian_Postcards_A5_V3.indd 5 14/10/2019 11:09 remains sacred and, as I wrote, my every word debates turn nasty when I disparage Larry for K. Yuon is now subjected to scrutiny. It is a piece that The Ancient Town of Uglich turning thoroughly second-rate the moment est. £600,000 - £800,000 shows the growing tendency to realist, figurative he crossed the French border.