VLADIMIR TRETCHIKOV
Chinese girl (Green Lady). Early 1950s
Bonhams. 20.03.2013
Estimate: 300-500 thousand pounds
Result: 1,000,000 pounds
Source: bonhams.com

yesterday at Bonhams auction of African art was a record for the work of Russian-African artist Vladimir Tretchikova . One of the most well-known and publicized his paintings - «Chinese girl (Green Lady)» - was sold for 982,000 pounds.

Portrait of Chinese woman with a green face has got a British collector and jewelry magnate Laurence Graff (Laurence Graff). "China Girl", along with other works from the collection will be on display at Graff his estate Delaire Graff Estate near Stellenbosch in the West Africa.

Vladimir Tretchikov - artist of Russian origin, who emigrated to South Africa in in 1946 and lived there most of his life. In South Africa Tretchikova (or, as it was called, "Tretchi") included in the top ten national artists. "China Girl" was written by him in 1950. Served as the model for the portrait pretty young Chinese woman Monika Sing-Lee, worked in the laundry room in Cape Town. Portrait later became one of the most publicized images of post-war art. His published everywhere - on posters, mugs, wallpaper and rugs. Tretchikov believed that in all the years since the writing of the portrait, it sold at least half of his large-format prints. And all the while the original was in a private American collection. At Bonhams he was exposed with an estimate of 300-500 thousand pounds, but the final result far exceeded pre-assessment.

With this sale Vladimir Tretchikov the most expensive South African artist. Prior to that, the leaders of South African art market considered Irma Stern ("The Congolese beauty", 541,000 pounds) and Jacob Hendrik Pirnif ("Landscape Stellenbosch", 713 thousand pounds). Previous auction record Tretchikova refers to 2012 in October at Bonhams his «Portrait Lenka (Red jacket) "went to a new owner for 337,000 pounds .

Prepared Maria Onuchina, AI

Source: bonhams.com , artinvestment.ru