Soviet art at auction "Sovkoma". Summary
ARTinvestment.RU   07 апреля 2016

Trading of domestic art of XX century, gathered in the hall "Sovkoma" more than four dozen people and organizers brought almost $900,000

March 31, the auction house "SOVKOM" spent the first in 2016 (and 144-е in its history) auction "Soviet art".

As the name implies, the auction catalogue was published for the most part thematic and included 157 works, the earliest of which appeared in 1916, and at the latest — in 2012-м. Paintings, original and draw graphics, and porcelain figurine small bronze sculpture, the joint auction under the title "Soviet art" does not represent mere examples of socialist realism —, it is more correct to say that they are all created in the style, to the Russian and Soviet realist school.

As last fall, lots of "Sovkoma" was estimated in US dollars.

Despite all the changes and negative factors that have in recent time the pressure on the domestic auction and antique market, auction "Sovkoma", it seems, remain on it the island of stability. Seven o'clock in the evening, which was assigned the start of trading, the hall "Sovkoma" was almost completely full despite heavy rain and squally wind, there were about fifty people — collectors, dealers and people interested in the auction market people.

In the end it is the audience, or rather, 15-17 active participants "scoop" required another luck. Just like old times, cards with the numbers raised, it seemed that a good half of the hall, and almost everyone who traded, went home with my purchases, often committed at very attractive prices: except for a few particularly interesting lots, almost all sold at the start.

However, the best thing about this say the numbers. For half hour of trading had gone under the hammer 68 of 152 (44.7 per cent) lots totaling just under $900 000 . Almost 70% of all sold @46 mdas lots took room, phone buyers got 9 lots, 13 times lucky bidder correspondence and online-торгов in "SOVKOME" don't have.

More than half of revenue — $460 000 — organizers brought in just two trades. The landscape is of medium size "Dmitrov gateway" George of Nyssa, made in the second half of the 1940s-х — early 1950-х, oil on cardboard (lot 23), played in the party room and the player on the phone. In three steps from the start at $120 000, walking on $5 000, they reached the price of $135 000 that the picture and went to the gym the winner.

the Most expensive work of the day was Museum quality landscape "view of Moscow-реку" 1922 painted by academician Igor Grabar (lot 60), put up for auction with an estimate of $250 000-450 000. The lot started with the estimate, went to the party on the phone, perekopivka rates hall $325 000. Incidentally, this is the second result in the price ranking of the artist, compiled by results of the open auctions in the world, and the best auction price for a work of Grabar in the last four years. Here to you and "the decline in consumer activity in protracted financial crisis."

the Best result for works on paper become $17 000 starting price, which is paid by one of the bidders on the phone for drawing Alexander Labas "At the airport", created by the artist in 1964 in mixed media.

the undoubted success of the organizers of the auction include a selection of five works schedule the second half of XX century, Lev Viktorovich Shepelev (lots 121-125). All five original leaves (lots 121, 123, 124) and draw (lots 122 and 125) of graphics left in the room, four of the five — at the start. But for the first lot of this mini-стринга — picture "In construction" 1960 — in the fight came just three members in the hall. Start with $2000 down $200 and $300 (the step in "Sovkome" is normally exactly 10 % of the winning bid), they raised the price to $4 000 for which the work was awarded to the winner.

Other purchases were made mainly on the start or traded in 1-2 step. Most bought the painting — landscapes and still lifes. Nine portrait images of leaders of the USSR into new hands took only two — "Lenin on vacation" 1962 E. N. Sapiro (lot 72) and a large genre scene "In a night" A. L. Rotkina 1964 (lot 76). The party room bought both works for a starting price, $5 000 and $4 000 respectively.

For fans of statistics — some more numbers. The most attractive segment was the work of an average price category, worth $1 000-5 000. This range includes 40 of 68 (58.8 percent) lots sold. For comparison, in the price range of $10,000 to 50,000 (we're still a few years ago was attributed to average prices) sales of 22 %, or 15 of 68 works. But in the category of "$1 000 " were sold only seven works.

Passed 31 March auction the auction house "SOVKOM" reaffirmed that, despite the crisis, bad weather and other factors, with a decent sentence, even in our time you can count on steady demand and good results. As the situation changes (and will change it at all) in this segment of the antique market, it will become clear according to the results of the next autumn auction "Sovkoma", is scheduled for October 2016.

Maria Kuznetsova, AI