Blockbuster auction of Russion works at Gene Shapiro’s inaugural auction in October
Oct. 2, 2007
STAMFORD, Connecticut—Gene Shapiro, former owner of Trinity Fine Arts/International Auctions, LLC., has opened his own auction house, Gene Shapiro Auctions, LLC and will kick off with an inaugural auction Oct. 20. The auction will run the gamut of Russian art from varying styles and time periods. Live and absentee bidding are available at LiveAuctioneers.com, where those interested may also preview the fully-illustrated catalog.
When asked the reason for leaving Trinity, Shapiro replied, “I had left in the beginning of the year to Moscow for several months, and upon returning I decided that it was time to continue building the market I had begun for Russian art when I was still at Trinity. There is still a wealth of high-quality Russian paintings in the States and a global market eager to buy them, and the relationships I have developed with key consignors and buyers made opening my own house an obvious choice.”
While Shapiro’s auctions will initially concentrate heavily on the Russian market, the sales are not limited to Russian art. Important American and European works form a substantial part of the inaugural sale as well.
In the October sale, older, 19th century paintings are represented by artists including Ilya Repin, Ivan Aivazovsky, Alexei Stepanov, and others. The authenticity of the Repin was confirmed by Vladimir Petrov, while the Stepanov carries expertise from the Tretyakov Museum in Moscow, and the Aivazovsky appeared previously at a major auction in London. Other artists of note in the auction include Appolinari Vasnetsov, Natalia Goncharova, Jean Pougny, and Liubov Popvova, and many other well-known artists.
One of the most stunning 19th century Russian pieces in the sale is lot 4, a painted porcelain plaque from the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory dated 1838 and painted by N. Sesliavin after an original work by the Russian favorite Adolphe Ladurner. A very similar painted porcelain plaque, estimated at £50,000-£70,000, was scheduled to be sold in the Rostropovich Collection Sale at Sotheby’s in September. In news that shocked the art world, the Rostropovich sale was cancelled the night before the auction after the contents of the sale were bought in entirety by a Russian billionaire. Lot 4 will be offered by Shapiro at $60,000-80,000 and is already generating significant interest.
The auction will also feature numerous Russian bronzes, including a Troubetzkoy sculpture formerly in the collection of the Honorable James Anton. Other works by noted sculptors include numerous bronzes by Evgeny Lanceray and Vasily Grachev. It is especially interesting to note for collectors of French bronzes, that the quality of antique Russian bronzes in general was very high, and actually matched or often exceeded that of their French counterparts.
One of the strongest sections of Shapiro’s auction is a large group of works by Russian modern and so-called “nonconformist” artists. These artists, who painted during the Soviet regime, produced artworks which were not officially sanctioned by the government, and the artists were often persecuted for their artistic endeavors. One of the most famous, or infamous, events in recent Russian art history is the “Bulldozer Exhibition” which took place on Sept. 15, 1974 in Moscow. During the exhibition, which featured works by underground artists, the Soviet authorities actually stormed the grounds with hundreds of attackers and bulldozers (hence the name), destroying many paintings and beating the artists and spectators. Ironically, many works by the artists who appeared in this exhibition are now highly in demand, both for their aesthetic value and historical importance. These artworks regularly achieve record prices at auctions. Shapiro’s auction features three works of this time period by Evgeny Rukhin, one of the organizers of the Bulldozer exhibition, including two which were purchased directly from the artist.
With regard to these contemporary offerings, Shapiro notes, “We are proud to offer in this auction two major works by one of the most influential nonconformist artists, Pyotr Belenok, both of which were actually exhibited at the Bulldozer exhibition and as such are historical pieces in addition to being powerful images.” Shapiro goes on to say, “I am also very happy to be able to offer two works by the influential and legendary Vasily Sitnikov.” Lot 95, “Krasavitsa,” estimated at $35,000-45,000, is a playful nude done in Sitnikov’s signature style and color from the 1980s. Lot 96, estimated at $40,000-60,000, “USSR” from 1975, is a vivid painting full of details of Soviet life. Shapiro explains, regarding lot 96, “Kremlin scenes like this by Sitnikov rarely go to market, and this piece was purchased directly from the artist in the 1970s in Moscow.” Other works in the auction by noted Russian contemporary and nonconformist artists include works by Lev Kropivnitsky, Ivan Kudryashev, Vladimir Yakovlev, Mikhail Chemiakin, Mikhail Roginsky, Edward Gorokhovski, Vagrich Bakhchanyan, Timur Novikov, Natalia Nesterova, Edward Steinberg, and Lev Tabenkin.
Lest auction-goers forsake Gene Shapiro’s auction as a strictly Russian affair, it is worthwhile to note the strong selection of American and European artworks that will be featured in the auction. Amongst others, these include a 1948 painting by the influential American modernist architect and artist Robert Bruce Tague, and paintings by important American artists Hermann Fueschel and Paul Weber. European paintings in the auction include a lively selection of old masters and 19th century British paintings, along with modernist paintings by highly sought-after Israeli and Greek artists Raffi Lavie and Spyros Vassiliou respectively. Finally, the sale is rounded out by an antique Islamic ceramic sculpture dating to the 10-12th centuries from a private collection, sold with a scientific report confirming authenticity by the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the behest of Thomas Hoving.
To view the fully-illustrated catalog, and leave absentee or live Internet bids, visit www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
