Europe and its cultural center, France, back in 1890-1900-s became a favorite place of Russian artists. Paris World Exhibition, which was struck by the French work of Konstantin Korovin, Valentin Serov, Philip Malyavina, Diaghilev «Russian Seasons» in Paris (1909-1929), the boom of Impressionism, Cubism and avant-garde, accepted with enthusiasm the new generation of artists - all of which brings together Russia and European artistic elite. Not surprisingly, what France has become the main haven of Russian intellectuals. Year 1917, and triggered a wave of emigration, increasing as the defeat of the White Guard. In 1924 (after Lenin's death), France received the next wave of Russian immigrants - people who have lost their last illusions about the future of Russia.

Knowledge of language and culture of European countries has contributed to the rapid (at least outwardly), the assimilation of those who tried this. Nevertheless, the fate of Russian artists in exile formed in different ways. Some have found in Europe (primarily in France) a new house, try to reach success and achieve it. Other dissolved into melancholy and despair. Interestingly, some masters of Russian painting and graphics, well-known at home, after emigration have not been able to creatively marketed in a foreign country. By contrast, «new names», young artists, forced to flee their homeland, have made it out of this recognition, but in Soviet Russia they were known only to specialists. They have taken the citizenship of new countries that receive foreign art education. Their innovative style was formed outside the home. Indeed, in Russia they were connected only emigrant medium of communication and partly by the previous outlook, which they «exported» to foreign land, became the new homeland.

For obvious reasons, many of «Russian French», of the artists are still not in the expositions of the leading Russian museums, unlike the French. But they are exhibited at major auctions, where are the Russian private collections.

Today, there is nothing strange in the high demand for «Russian abroad» in Russia. In addition to the desire to include in the collection of works by artists who have been away from the authoritarian and patriotic direction in art, is taken into account and their investment attractiveness. According to the author «Russian abroad» (primarily «Russian Parisians»), there is a long history of rating sales for leading European and global auctions. Published estimeyty prices, which officially sold the work of the same «Russians Parisians» at auctions the past few years - the essence of their bond investment transparency. In short, no need to invent anything, and to conduct independent research. Enough to purchase access to the base of analytical resources for Russian art market (eg, ARTinvestment. RU), look at the archives of sales of auction houses (Sold Lot Archive of the Sotheby's) and get a summary of when and for how many images were acquired with a particular artist specific technical characteristics. The existence of such objective information is quite a representative basis for investment decisions, which is especially important for novice collectors, investors.

ownership of shares of «Russian abroad» bears for collectors, investors and other benefits. Perhaps chief among them - de facto recognition of the current artists abroad. Suppose that on the domestic Russian market, these names less well known than Peredvizhniki, but in Europe no need to explain that it is a famous artist: there is already know. Why is this important? Because foreign popularity rating, coupled with sales significantly increases the liquidity of works «Russian foreign». That is easier to sell them, because the range of potential buyers significantly more. These works do not have to show for the national arts to international level - they are already at this level. Demand for their shape not only Russian collectors and investors, but - historically - foreign buyers. Yes, today's rapid price increases can be attributed mainly to increased interest from Russian buyers. But they went out to the world auctions are relatively recent, 5-7 years ago, and paintings of artists «Russian foreign» sold earlier decades, and not without success.

Another important advantage of investment in the «Russian foreign countries» is a natural for Western culture provenansa. Almost each of the artist «Russian foreign» and there is published history of its existence: when the bought, in which collections «lived», in which the participants, in what directories published. To obtain this vital information (as affecting the price of the painting, and in view of its authenticity) for remaining in Russia artists often have to book a critical, expensive and long. So it turns out that unwittingly insulation «Russian foreign» allowed to work come from Russia a long time to exist in a civilized, relatively «transparent» art market, which naturally increased their investment attractiveness.

What does creativity «Russian foreign» for the internal Russian market today?

From the standpoint of business and investment the West has become a source of high quality proposals for the domestic market is experiencing a serious shortage of high-grade in nemuzeynom turnover.

On the collection point of view, this relatively little studied cultural stratum, valuable for a variety of criteria. The peak of creativity «Russian foreign countries» took place in the late 1910's - mid 1930's, and even France - the center of the arts of the time. By world standards this is a particularly valuable time - time of bold experiments, the time of the avant-garde, being «Parisian school», time, Picasso and Modigliani, Chagall and the time of Kandinsky, Mondrian and Kislinga time. In this cultural and historical context of works of our compatriots from the connoisseurs of Russian art was of particular interest. Their work will give an idea of which way would develop Russian art, has not happened dramatic social upheavals of isolationism and dictatorship of socialist realism. In short, Russian collectors «abroad» - this is not the only object of investment, but, in fact, a museum of history and art, full of interesting objects for research and unexpected discoveries.

this article, we will open a series of publications devoted to investment in works of «Russian abroad» (primarily «Russians Parisians»), representatives of several waves of post-exile, which is already in exile emerged as the master of painting and received worldwide recognition .

Leopold Syurvazh

French artist of Finnish descent ¹ Leopold Syurvazh ² (Leopold Survage, 1879-1968) has long been successfully experimented with cubism ³ and other directions of avant-garde painting. In particular, there is evidence that it belonged to avant-garde idea Syurvazhu «tsvetoorgana» - a tool prototype svetomuzyki in which the sound is illustrated by a number of outbreaks of light bulbs. In the 1920's, his works began to dominate the reasons for the style, which some critics attribute to conditionally neoclassicism. Like many «Parisians Russians», Syurvazha attracted to their projects Sergei Diaghilev. The artist, in particular, worked on the decorations «King Tristan» in the «Russian ballet seasons». He also worked on book illustration and has developed designs of fashionable clothes. Through experiments kubisticheskim name Syurvazh now firmly entered the world an anthology of avant-garde - direction, which is still in vogue in the contemporary art market.

pictures of medium size (65 x 46), executed in oil or in the company syurvazhevskoy «kazeinovoy» Technology exhibited at the Paris auction to bid to estimeytami 20-50 thousand Euro. Smaller works can cost in the Paris bid and 5-20 thousand euro. Much depends on the auction and class work. So, 22 November 2007 picture of 1914 in size 46 x 33, 3 was sold at Artcurial over 154 thousand dollars. The maximum price for the work Syurvazha the results of rating sales amounted to just under 280 thousand dollars.

During the 2004-2007 year average prices for works of this artist has grown more than 40 percent. By market standards, this figure shows a high investment attractiveness. Curiously, and the total price. Since 1998, prices for the work of Leopold Syurvazha grow linearly, without a dramatic ups and downs (a small decline seen in 1998, but rather it was a «mathematical» character). Rare to the market predictability - another plus, which should be evaluated to investors.

About 80 percent of the work of Leopold Syurvazha sold in France, local auction houses. Among the recent sales rating Syurvazha were two. On 22 June 2007, over 280 thousand dollars was sold later abstract work «The Golden Age (Black Horse)«. Several earlier, in November 2006, large oil, «City and birds», it was sold for 251 thousand dollars (including Buyer's Premium).

Alexander Arkhipenko

Arkhipenko Alexander (Alexander Archipenko, 1887-1964) - Legend «Russian foreign», sculptor, constructivists and a pioneer, a recognized artist, author, collages and constructions of relief compositions, the internal dynamics of the singer who made a significant contribution to the history of Art. Unfortunately, it is not our art. It is no coincidence that his work is called the plastic sculptural paintings (skulpto-scenes) rather than statuettes.

All of this would be just nice words, if the value has not been verified price. Thus, on 6 May 2003 at Sotheby's (auction «Impressionism and Modern Art») skulpto-picture «Blue Dancer» was sold for 1, 016 million dollars. This fact makes the point all over the i.

There is a version of that plot the future of sculpture Arkhipenko «suggested» Henri Matisse, whose «dancer» in 1910 could see a sculptor at the exhibition. More precisely, it would be to say that the dancers managed to capture at that time, many French artists, as well as the Diaghilev ballet season made this a very popular topic.

Auction results «Blue Dancers» Personalizing Alexander Arkhipenko quite zakonomeren. In June 2005, a bronze sculpture «figure», created in 1921, went under the hammer for almost 800 thousand dollars.

The period from 1913 to 1920 is considered particularly valuable in the sculptural art Arkhipenko. It works created at this time, enabled the artist to obtain the status of «a pioneer of modern sculpture», one of the founders of direction «new plastics». Record of the period, and the aggregate of all creativity Arkhipenko belongs skulpto-painting «woman», sold in June 2005 at Christies for 2, 66 million dollars.

Graphics and lithographs by Alexander Arkhipenko displayed in the auction world, are much more affordable price range. Thus, 6 October 2003, at Sotheby's sold the portfolio of lithographs Subscription Wizard, 1921 for 6, 6 thousand pounds (about 10 thousand dollars). A 2 February 2005 the auction house sold a graphics «Still Life with Jug, and a glass plate» for 30 thousand pounds. In general, the schedule for sale in the range of 10-20 thousand dollars.

Painting Arkhipenko valued significantly higher, and sold less frequently. According to statistics ARTinvestment. RU, all were sold at auction 11 paintings. The most expensive oil «Vase with Flowers» moved to a new owner in 2001 for 460 thousand dollars. Curiously, the canvas has already participated in the auction in 1992 and then was sold for 250 thousand dollars.

The value of the sculpture is not only from year of creation, but also on the number of copies and established the existence of evidence that cast the sculpture itself Arkhipenko. Price range varies from several tens of thousands of dollars for a sculpture, not having sufficient evidence of the authenticity of and participation in the master cast sculpture, and hundreds of thousands of working with impeccable provenansom and existing in a single version.

Sergei Sharshunov

Sharshunov Sergei (Serge Charchoune, 1888-1975) - Russian Dadaists ⁴ , creative hooligan, a prominent member of French avant-garde community 1910-20-ies. His name is firmly included in the anthology of modern painting. Innovation, style, treatment of form and color of avant-garde compositions, the development of ornamental aesthetics of Cubism - all this has provided the artist a place in history alongside «French» Serge Polyakov, Nicholas de Steel, Andrew Lanskoe. Portfolio Serge Sharshunov is highly decorative and positive songs.

Probably not without the help of Russian art collectors interested in his work over the past five years has increased markedly. If in 2003 the sale of Sharshunov over 10 thousand Euros raised from the market surprise, today result in 20-30 thousand euros for a medium-sized oil is quite natural.

Most of the traffic in the paintings the artist, about 90 percent of the French auctions. In 2003-2004, large pictorial composition of about 100 cm in the horizontal can be bought for 12-15 thousand dollars (at estimeyte 3-7 thousand dollars). Today we are estimeyty of similar quality «podtyanulis» according to a new environment to 20-40 thousand dollars. Prices for graphics Sharshunov (watercolors and gouaches format similar to A4) has a very democratic. At the French auctions in 2007, they can be purchased at the price range of 3-7 thousand dollars.

Prices for works by Serge Sharshunov, according to the ARTinvest ment. RU, abruptly went to the mountain since 2002, the growth potential of the works Sharshunov still very high. The most expensive work Sharshunov was sold for 190 thousand dollars in June 2006 in the auction house Blanchet, exceeding the upper estimeyt five times. In terms of investment attractiveness of creativity Sharshunov can be very interesting for small and medium-sized investors.

Vladimir Bogdanov

To be continued ...

¹ Finland until 1918 was a part of Russia. Return

² The current name of the artist - Shtyurtsvage - «ofrantsuzil» Poet G. Appolinaire, transformed it into Syurvazh. Return

³ From this passion Leopold Syurvazh inherited clearly «geometric» in building compositions. Return

⁴ Dada (from fr. - baby talk) - anarchist vanguard art over the literature, painting and poetry, have proliferated in the 1916-1922 year. His followers accompanied epatazh and scandal. Dadaists committed «artistic tricks» - to create compositions of incidental items psevdotehnicheskie drawings. It is believed that after the 1920's Dada France merged with surrealism. Dada, according to some estimates, is a precursor of pop art. Return