September 16-23: the ‘Corners’ auction house presents an exclusive opportunity to see works from private collections which are to be auctioned on the 24^th of September. (Kyiv city museum ‘Dukhovni skarby Ukrainy’ (‘Spiritual treasures of Ukraine’), Desiatynna str, 10).

For the new auction season the ‘Corners’ auction house has as usual prepared a very interesting and diverse collection – from XVIIth century Dutch still-lives and XVIIIth century icons to works by contemporary artists.

Classic XIX-XX ct. Ukrainian and Russian painting is represented by such great landscapists as Yurii Klever, Ivan Shishkin, Sergei Vasilkovsky, Pyotr Sykhodolsky, Pyotr Levchenko, Ivan Schultse, Mikhail Erassi, Mikhail Tkachenko.

Traditionaly, this segment is characterized by the highest estimates.

One of the central pieces of the collection is the work “Spring landscape at Sundown” by Pyotr Sykhodolsky, one of the favorite artists of the Russian emperor Alexander II. The price estimate for the work is $150 000-200 000.

 

Pyotr Sykhodolsky. “Spring Landscape at Sundown” (1891).

The top-lot and the jewel of the collection is “Gelendzhik” by Sergei Vasilkovsky (late 1880s, estimate price $130 000 – 160 000), which was part of the show dedicated to the artists 125^th birthday (1979) at the Kharkiv Museum of Art, as well as was part of the “Big Collection of Russian Painters” catalogue (3^rd ed., Moscow, 2008). The painting is currently a part of an important private collection and is of great collectible value.

Sergei Vasilkovsky, “Gelendzhik”  (late 1880s).

Among other notable works representing the art of the émigré artists of the first part of the XXth century are paintings by Aleksey Grishchenko, the Krichevskiys (father and son), Aleksandra Pregel, David Vidgoff, Alexandre Benois Di Stetto, Great Dutchess Olga Romanova.

One of the most renown Ukrainian avant-garde artists, Oleksa (Aleksey) Grishchenko, or ‘the ukranian parisian’ as he is often called, is famous for creating his own style of paining – “tsvetodynamos” (color-dynamism). Two of the artist’s works from 1930s – “Crabs” (“Крабы») and “Harvest” («Сбор урожая») will be presented at the auction.

 

Oleksa Grishchenko. “Crabs” (1930s)

For the first time in Ukraine the work of Alexandra Pregel, the representative of European modernism, will be presented at auction. “Still life with a Jameson whisky bottle” is sure to attract a lot of attention from collectors. Before moving to the US Pregel was a member of the Russian bohemian circles in Paris. She was the daughter of Maria Tsetlin, a famous patroness to the arts, the image of which inspired Valentin Serov, Alexandre Jacovleff and Diego Rivera. Pregel was among the pupils, as well as a friend of, Natalia Goncharova, another Russian avant-garde artist.

 

Alexandra Pregel. “Still life with a Jameson whisky bottle”.

Those interested in avant-garde will also be delighted to know that among the works presented at auction is “The Sitter” («Натурщик») by Vera Ermolaeva. Among Russian avant-gardists this figure remains one of the most underestimated. This happened mainly because of her repression and death in a work camp in the 1930s. The artist, whom even Malevich called his “right hand” gave up Suprematism in favor of her own artistic explorations.

 

Vera Ermolaeva. “The Sitter”, (1926 г.)

In the graphic work by Marc Chagall, one of the key artistic figures of the XXth century, one can see his idea that ‘love overcomes the division inherent to this world and carries in itself the creative being, thus it is able to be of higher matter than every-day life.’

The feeling of ‘flight’ is a reoccurring leitmotif in the artist’s work. The “Nice. Sun. Flowers.” poster from 1962, having been commissioned by the mayor of Nice, has since become the city’s symbol.

 

Marc Chagall. “Nice. Sun. Flowers.”(1962)

Among other works presented are original lithographs by some of the most important artists of the XXth century, such as Pablo Picasso (“The King” (“Король»)) and Salvador Dali (“Spain” (“Испания») and “Eggs and Butterflies” «Яйца и бабочки»)) from the 1980s.

 

Salvador Dali. “Spain”, 1980s.

Ukrainian art of the XXth century is represented by works of Ukrainian-Soviet ‘classics’ – Sergei Shishko, Fedir Manailo, Iosif Bokshai, Pyotr Stolyarenko, Viktor Zaretsky and others. Among the ‘jems’ of this section one can name several works by Sergei Shishko. The artist spent his entire life living and working in Kyiv, which is reflected in his art. His painting “Dnipro Embankment” («Набережная Днепра», 1964 г.), which was part of the “Sergei Shishko” retrospective as well as the show’s catalogue (Kyiv, 2006), is by all means one of the key works by this artist.

The auction collection also contains a wide range of classic western art: from great examples of the XVII ct. Dutch landscape to French gallant scenes of the XIX ct.. Paintings, which once were part of great collections of some of the greatest houses and palaces of Europe, can become a center-piece of any classic-style interior.