8 Jun, 2009 in London at Sotheby's in the Week of the Russian bid auction held on the evening of Russian art, which takes place twice a year. Total will be billed on 28 lots.

Most works come from private collections and do not appear on the market for many years. In addition to earlier work of Isaac Israilevich Brodsky (1883-1939) «Nurse with Children », bids will be exhibited three paintings from the collection Koulfaks, as well as works by such masters of Russian art, as Nikolai Nikolai Roerich , Kustodiev , Mikhail Nesterov and Sergei Vinogradov .

After the completion of the auction of Russian art evening auction of Contemporary Art will take place in Russia and Ukraine (June 9), then the daily auction of Russian art (10 June) and a daily auction of works of decorative art with works by Faberge and icons (10 June).

One of the main lots upcoming evening auction is the picture of Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev (1878-1927) «Country Fair» (private collection), signed and dated 1920 year. In the 1910's of the state of health Kustodiev suffering from spine, has deteriorated sharply. Chained to a wheelchair and virtually cut off from the outside world, the artist had to work from memory. «Country Fair» ( estimeyt 1-1,5 million pounds ) - the typical sample kustodievskih pastoral paintings from the life of Russian provinces. In the post-time, on the eve of new global cataclysm irrevocably pushed back patriarchal Russia, represented in pictures Kustodiev, enjoyed great success as an artist at home or in Europe.

Collection Koulfaks

In the 1920's, one of the most prominent figures in the Russian emigre environment of New York was Sonia Koulfaks. She was born in Russia in the family of a prosperous merchant, but even before the revolution left the country. After a short marriage in Germany, Sonja, came in 1922 in New York, began life «from scratch». Her house on Long Island has become a real Mecca for Russian musicians, artists and intellectuals. Sonia exhibited her works owned by Mikhail Nesterov and Alexandra Moravova and continued to expand its collection in the United States and Europe in 1924-1930 -s. In addition to Russian art, she collected the works of contemporary American artists, art glass, samples of English and American furniture of the time.

From my future husband, Peter Koulfaksom Sonia met in the late 1920's and lived with him in the marriage for more than 25 years. Peter was the eldest son of the other remarkable women of her time - Sibilly Koulfaks, one of the founders of the famous design firm «Koulfaks and Fowler».

Painting «Woman in an interior» (1924, 150-200 thousand pounds ) Arsen'evich Sergei Vinogradov (1869-1938) - one of the first works written in an apartment off artist in the city center in a house number 8 on the street Elizabetes. On a recent move shows complete lack of atmosphere in the interior. Vinogradov was the first time in Riga together with Igor Igor Grabar and Konstantin Somov in December 1923 on the way to New York where in 1924 in the Grand Central Palace was open «Exhibition of Russian Art». The artist was so fascinated «ÕÐÏÉÔÅÌØÎÏÊ silence» Riga that after America decided to move to the capital of Latvia, and will no longer return to Moscow.

The other two lots from the collection Koulfaks - painting «The province» 1920 Boris Kustodiev (1878-1927), a sketch set to failed staging A. Ostrovsky «There was not a penny, but suddenly the Altyn »( 300-500 thousand pounds ), as well as the work of Mikhail Vasilievich Nesterov (1862-1942)« single woman »(100-150 thousand pounds).

Another top lot auction - painting Alexander Konstantinovich Bogomazova (1880-1930 ) «Abstract Composition» (1914-1915). The work comes from the largest private collection of San Francisco. Bogomazov considered one of the brightest representatives of the Ukrainian avant-garde. In 1902, he entered the Kiev Art College, but was expelled in 1905 for involvement in revolutionary speeches. Moved to Moscow, Bogomazov continued professional education in private studios Fiodor Rerberga and Constantine àÏÎÁ . In 1913-1914 he was already among the most prominent figures in Russian kubofuturizma, one of the ideologues and theorists of this direction. As the first artist-experimenters, Bogomazov in their work, to give much attention to expressive possibilities of line and color, dynamics and rhythm that are fully reflected in the «abstract compositions», with its interlocking diagonals, curves and sharp angles, creating a powerful sense of rhythmic pulsation. In this work, fully demonstrated by the bold innovation Bogomazova. The painting, acquired in a private collection in 1989, it was about 20 years. Her estimeyt: 300-400 thousand pounds.

At the auction will also be offered the work of Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947) «Treasure» (1919, 300-500 thousand pounds ) from the private collection of the United States. The composition and the expressive means that a typical Karelian landscape in contrast to many other sketches made by the artist in the next two years, is extremely short. Roerich carefully constructs the picture as if propityvaya every millimeter of religious mysticism, as those old masters, the art which it inspired.

Day auction of Russian art

Top lots afternoon auction of Russian art - two of the Lev Bakst (1866 -- 1924). One of them - a costume sketch for the Indian Prince in the ballet «Blue God», dated 1911 year (15-20 thousand pounds). The authors of the libretto of the ballet on the theme of Indian Legends - Jean Cocteau, and Frederik de Madrazo, music - Renaldo Ghana. The play was getting ready for the «Russian Seasons» Diaghilev in 1911, but its premiere in Paris was delayed for a year and was held in 1912. When working on a performance «Blue God» Bakst designs inspired by traditional Indian dress from mogolskoy medieval miniatures. In the same style Bakst worked in the creation of costumes for the ballet «Scheherazade» and «Oriental». The second top lot - a priest catfish costume sketch for the ballet «Blue God» 1911 ( 15-20 thousand pounds ).

Prognoz Artinvestment . RU next week by Sotheby's auction of Russian and Christie's can be found here .

Source: press release Sotheby's