Russian icons at an auction of works of Orthodox art
ARTinvestment.RU   26 мая 2008

Auction house Christie

Auction house Christie's will conduct on 9 June in London trading «Orthodox icons and religious items». Already, many experts predict that this auction may become the largest in the history of international tendering, on the religious art of the Orthodox countries of post period. According to preliminary estimates, the amount of transactions to be about five million pounds sterling. At the auction will be billed on more than 230 items of religious art XV-XX centuries, which alongside the works of Greek, Cretan, Middle Eastern and Venetian schools broadly representative Russian icons.

The most expensive Russian fathomable auction, according to estimeytu become a monumental icon of the Novgorod school «Apocalypse», the beginning of XVII century. Preliminary assessment of the work at 180-250 thousand pounds. This icon is of great value not only in terms of the level of artistic performance, but also because of the complexity of the iconography - on one board depicted several scenes that have symbolic value.

Among the most interesting upcoming auction lots include «Christmas» (around 1500; 80-120 thousand pounds sterling), «The Annunciation with stamps» of Vologda region (XVII century; 100-120 thousand pounds ), «St. Demetrius »Moscow school (XVI century, 60-80 thousand pounds sterling),« The Virgin of the upcoming holy patron family Stroganov »(XVII century, 40-60 thousand pounds sterling).

Also at the auction will be billed several Greek icons, rare examples of church plate, the Gospel of monogram of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich Romanov - son-in-law of Tsar Alexander III.

Source: www.rian.ru , www.christies.com