Now considered a Russian-American artist emigrated to the U.S. from Russia in 1923, already an accomplished master. His former teacher Ilya Repin at the end of life called Mao the most talented of modern Russian painters

the story of the Feshin we already published in the category "Artist of the week" 7 years ago. The reason for a new conversation about the wizard was taking place in Moscow, exhibition. Even before September 24 at the Museum of Russian impressionism (a private Museum owned by Boris mints) to see the exhibition project "a place in the sun. Benkov / Feshin"

Feshin — painter bold, powerful, distinctive, very recognizable. The undisputed innovator. He was elected an academician of the Imperial Academy of arts at age 35 in 1916. By this time they have created a software work "Cabbage", "Cheremis wedding", "the Douche" and "Portrait Vari Adoratsky", which was compared with "Girl with peaches" by Valentin Serov. Feshin quickly gained a reputation as an artist, does not recognize rules and traditions. No compositional or stylistic. The rules he invented his own, again. Feshin could afford to keep the characters front-end only symbolically marked the blurred faces and at the same time carefully to write portraits of far away women and children. Could shift the image portrayed strongly in the region, contrary to the canons. And the output is still to a masterpiece, as is the case with the portrait Adoratsky. His "Pouring" in 1911 froze just a step away from abstract expressionism. At international exhibitions (and even before the revolution, he had dozens of exhibitions in Europe and USA) his works critics have noted in par with Renoir and other Impressionists.

Subsequently, the connection with American connoisseurs of his art, and promoting his students occupied high positions under the Soviet regime, helped the artist to take the family in the United States. Writing that was pretty adamant about his wife. But the solution is clear: too much grief fell on the family. In the post-revolutionary destruction and famine Feshin became ill with tuberculosis, in the same 1919-м died of typhoid fever father behind him and mother. The work was really bad. Torn by civil war the country was not art. By the early 1920-х commercial orders to take was simply nowhere. At one time, the artist painted portraits of the leaders of the revolution for the photos — Lenin, Trotsky, Lunacharsky and others. They decided to criticize — say, did not have contact with nature, and thus psychological stress. But I would not agree, Feshin even with that background, wins the class. Formally conflict with the authorities and harassment was not. Most likely, he just did not find them. When the Bolsheviks Feshin was part of the Association of artists of revolutionary Russia. At one time he was appointed Chairman of the arts Council of Kazan state free art studios. But the prospects as an artist he has ceased to see. Plus it was urgent to do that-то health. Word, yet remained a window of opportunity (abroad have been waiting for and are still produced) Feshin all-таки decided on departure.

American fans helped Feshin quickly integrated into the local art-сообщество. There were orders for portraits of members of the American establishment: businessmen, representatives of show-бизнеса etc. Soon Feshin became more than a wealthy man. He could afford to move from bustling new-Йорка in the quiet town of Taos, state of new-Мексико, buy land, build a house and Studio. At the new place he was attracted not only suitable for the dry climate, natural beauty and pleasant neighborhood. In Taos was already a colony of artists, had friends, Feshin it was good. And it shows in the work: in this town he made hundreds of portraits of local people — Indian and Mexican girls, farmers, shepherds. The son of a Carver of wooden iconostasis, Feshin was furnished with carved furniture, pet house, built on his own project (it is now his Museum). Brought horses to the only daughter AI, which is doted. Began a quiet life. But the happiness did not last long. In 1934, the wife was fascinated by the local poet, decided to dramatically change his life, and Feshin daughter were forced to leave home in Taos. Many had to start anew. Again work orders for portraits. The new arrangement, the ordeal, hotels, new-Йорк, then Los-Анджелес. Feshin never recovered from the blow. However, at the end of his life he began to travel. Traveled to Asia, to Japan, wanted to come in the USSR. But was not in time. Nikolay Feshin died in suburban Los-Анджелеса in 1955. In 1976-м daughter and I moved his ashes to Kazan — fulfilled the father's will. In 2002-м she was buried in the capital of Tatarstan with the father. Iya brought the Russian museums (the Tretyakov gallery and the Kazan Museum of fine arts) a number of paintings and sculptures by Nicolai Fechin and was able to arrange in the USSR, his first show after the exile.

But years of breaking cultural ties with the homeland in the Soviet period still did the trick. Fechin, in fact, had to discover for collectors and visitors in early 2000-х as a painter of the Russian Diaspora, a Russian American. At the time his paintings were almost no in the collections of Russian collectors. But after a few years the situation has changed dramatically. Russians began to buy andauction prices soared. Masterpieces were worth millions of dollars. Today Feshin included in the auction top-20 artists orbit Russian art.

About the market. Being an artist of the American art market, Feshin, the auction was in the cage long before the Russian boom. He worked a lot in America his work is requisitioned, and patterns on the hands and on the market has always been in sufficient quantity. In the late 1980-х — 1990-е they cost in the range of $20 000-110 000. More female portraits, landscapes and still lifes — cheaper. And this situation continued until the re-opening of the artist's Russian audience at the beginning of 2000-х. And what happened with the prices of paintings Feshina on, otherwise, how voluntarism and not name.

Since the beginning of the two thousandth of a comparable class of work at one and the same time could be sold for $30 000 and $200 000. And no, these cases do not explain the doubts in authenticity. Although counterfeit Feshina on the market at-прежнему abound. Market tried different equilibrium points. And about 2006, started an avalanche rise in prices. In 2007 auction statistics Feshin was decorated with millions of individual results. And in 2008 one million dollars was almost the standard price for a good female portraits with a side of about 80-90 cm at the same time things are not worse than class, but with a size of about 50 cm were sold at the same auctions in the range of $200 000-250 000. At the same time those who are well-versed in authenticity and had the courage to take risks on small American auctions, it was possible to buy good work, and several times cheaper. It was a time when that $25 000, $250 000 —, and things happen. In short, the volatility was down to voluntarism. The apotheosis with prices Fechin came in December 2010. Then"MacDougall" good, but not mind-blowing picture of the "Little cowboy", while the estimate of $800 000-1 000 000 was sold for a crazy $10 870 000. There are too many observers in unison said: come on. In the words of Henry Baskerville in the performance of Mikhalkov: "who do I take in this hotel?" Yes, Fechin bought in their collection, very rich people — and Filatov, and, as they say, Smuzikov (Sepherot Foundation), and others. But ten million for children's portrait? However, the cowboy all the miracles, as expected, ended. After him the best scenic things of large size several times took an impressive barrier of $2 000 000-4 000 000. But the ten million mark Feshin never even approached.

How are things today? "Departures" from the General trend occur periodically, but the situation became more balanced and predictable. The picturesque still lifes with flowers measuring approximately 65 × 50 on premium auctions are now sold at around $320 000. Female portraits with a side of about 50 cm can reach prices of $500 000-800 000. A recent interesting example — selling female portrait 1910-х years (valuable doemigratsionny period). View it in our Instagram. The previous owner bought the canvas at Christie's in 2000 for $96,000. And in 2018 at Sotheby's it sold for almost $777 000 — is 8 times more expensive. And these dynamics don't just call the big questions.

Feshin today is not undervalued artist. Buy it as-то especially cheap and profitable unlikely to succeed. However it should be. Liquidity is the author of international fame, the long-standing holder of the world auction market. So with the Fechin collectors today not only interesting as an artist-новатором, but quietly, from the point of view of investment potential.

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI

Sources: rusimp.su, liveinternet.ru

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artist of the week. Nicholas Feshin.