Vasily Polenov. Biography, art, auction prices
ARTinvestment.RU   18 октября 2019

At the opening of the New Tretyakov gallery the long-awaited exhibition "Vasily Polenov" the AI repeats the story from the category "artist of the week", posted 27 June 2019

a detached observer might get the impression that known to each Soviet schoolboy artist whose masterpieces hang in the Tretyakov gallery and the Russian Museum, is no longer available. All the museums and funds, and buy what-то worthwhile in your collection now is impossible. As, for example, you can't buy Vrubel painting or Malevich. Fortunately, Polenov absolutely not true. His work can be enjoyed not only in the Museum halls. On the contrary – take da buy. In the antiquarian market of Russia, more than in galleries and at art-салонах, strong sold a lot of finished works in the range of $250 000 – 300 000 for landscapes less than one meter. Not to mention about foreign auctions. Expensive, but, more importantly, offer at least in principle. If I had money. Albeit considerable.

His reversal of fortune would be enough for ten lives. A nobleman, a volunteer in the Russo-турецкой war, awarded the medal "For bravery" and the order of the Serbian Takovski cross. Gold medalist of the Imperial Academy of arts, received his award in competition with Ilya Repin. Lecturer Levitan and Korovin. Dear artist, emerged from the Imperial Academyof arts in protest against the events of Bloody Sunday. The author of the Opera. The Creator of poignant humanistic biblical cycle, the main work of which wanted to ban civil censor but allowed Church. The most important of his painting was personally renamed Russian Tsar against the will of the author. His best works miraculously did not die on the ill-fated "Titanic". And then all-таки came to America, where their traces were lost for 80 years. In General, just think: still a favorite of Tsar Alexander III became in the end one of the first people's artists of the RSFSR, Yes, with protection to your Museum from the Lunacharsky.

the First thing that comes to mind at the mention of Polenova's "Moscow courtyard" Yes "Babushkin sad" - as taught in school. Exemplary Russian lyrical realism. In Soviet times, we did not consider it necessary to tell you that the main work of the life of itinerant Polenova was not soulful Russian landscapes and genre scenes, and a gospel series "Life of Christ" (or "the life of Christ"). He wrote this series for nearly 50 years, has created more than 60 paintings. Polenov personally several times walked all the known sources the way of Jesus. The job demanded hard work and high voltage spiritual strength. In addition, you need to consider that 120 years ago the journey through the Middle East was not just exhausting, but also dangerous. On pilgrims and then attacked the Bedouins. So in addition to pencils and albums Polenov, as they say, kept in its Arsenal an impressive Mace.

the Grandson of the master, now deceased Fedor Polenov, the Director of the estate "Polenovo", said that the paintings from the "life of Christ" was exposed time and again as if mystical danger. The show's first and main cycle of paintings – "Christ and the sinner" - tried to ban Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich President of the Imperial Academy of arts. The younger brother of Alexander III hammered himself in the head, for the people that this picture will be harmful. But still, to decide its ultimate fate was then entrusted to three censors, the military, civil and spiritual. Military called for the screening. Civil, unlike the military, doing the will of the Prince and spoke out against the show. But the outcome of the case decided by Church censor gave permission. After XV a traveling exhibition of 1887 the painting "Christ and the sinner" wanted to buy Pavel Tretyakov, negotiated. But in the end it was given to Alexander III, who bought the painting for the Winter Palace. But instead of the original title, "which one of you is without sin?" why-то ordered to hang on the frame plate "the Prodigal wife". The artist unsuccessfully tried to convince him that the title is wrong, he put that idea of sin as a misfortune, not a prodigal and a sinner. But the Emperor remained unconvinced. And four years later renamed the picture could and do die. It, among other works, being prepared for shipment to an exhibition in America in 1912. But loading the deadline is not missed, and the ship left without them. The ship that was unsinkable "Titanic" sailed in the first and last flight. They say that after that, the logs began to fear what-то like that, and didn't want to give up their work at overseas exhibitions. But this fate they suffered. 12 years after "Titanic" 13 paintings from the "life of Christ" selected by Grabar, all-таки was sent to America and 11 fromthem sold. Logs the rest of your life trying to figure out their fate, but died in ignorance. Only in 2010-х old story cleared up, some paintings have been found and sold to new collectors at the Bonhams auction. Two of them – a two-meter, "which one of you is without sin?" and "Guilty of death" - set a historical record price for the artist. In 2011-м they were sold respectively for $6 397 000 and $4 462 000.

of Course, to seven digit figures in dollars don't need to look as a reference point. It is still exceptional cases – payment for the rarest things, if not at the peak of prices, but the background is still a good market situation. From the records of the last time you make a sale on the "Setbase" metre landscape "the River Oyat" for nearly $888 000 in terms of pounds. Very strong quality a thing that can serve as an objective indicator of a cooling market in 10 years. Indeed, in 2008, at the same Sotheby's bought it much more expensive for $1 385 000.

But back to Moscow. Today benchmarks to finished scenery (not sketchy) - size 60-70 cm $200 000 – 300 000. In the auction market they are not found, and in the galleries there. Usually they like popular things, reserved for the most prestigious fairs and antique shops – it is convenient to compare, watch, and inquire the price. Still there are a number of etudes, sketches, works the size of a postcard and a little more. For them can request $3 000 – 5 000 meet things quite nice. But you have to understand that this work is not investment grade. In General, any sketches, sketches, sketches, "sketches" today are particularly illiquid - sell them if anything will be hard. On the market and found the graphics Polenov, landscape watercolours, sometimes very good. Asking for them in the neighborhood of $3000-4000.

One of the first paintings Polenova on the gospel story was created almost 40 years before the "life of Christ". It was also a beautiful story. In 1871 (Polenov was 27 years old) graduates of the Imperial Academy of arts gave the competition the same exam topic – the resurrection of Jairus's daughter, the story of one of the miracles of Christ. Among the participants also were Polenov and Repin young, the same age as him. At stake was a gold medal. And the condition was not to see how the subject solve colleagues in the exam. In the complex rivalry of the graduates gave themselves to the work without the rest. As a result, in the Russian Museum are now just two masterpiece on a single story – one Repin, another Polenov. The Commission decided to give gold medals to both. Later Polenov and Repin were friends for many years, traveled together in a creative trip to Europe, where Polenov, in the end, and matured the plan of a great Evangelical of the cycle.

Like as a reward for completing an important mission, the Lord granted Polenov long life. The artist died in 1927 at age 83 at his estate in the Tula region (Borok, now Polenovo), which immediately after the revolution, Lunacharskii issued them a safe conduct. Polenov died, never knowing that the security certificates are not eternal. His children in 1937 repress and sent to camp (fortunately, come back alive and will be rehabilitated) that the estate settled punching the Tula builders of communism and only by a miracle, after Stalin's death, in this case, will be able to restore order and to resume the work of the Museum.

Such is the story of great talent and greatworker.

the Exhibition "Vasily Polenov" will be held in the New Tretyakov gallery on the Crimean Shaft, 10 from 17 October 2019 to 16 February 2020.

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI

Sources: ros-vos.net, culture.ru, syl.ru, theartnewspaper.ru, the-biografii.ru, christianart.ru, artinvestment.ru