Once again, this auction brings together an exceptional selection of significant works from the Orthodox cultural sphere — objects that have found their way to our house from Germany, across Europe, as well as from Great Britain and the United States. What unfolds here is a panorama of the highest level of craftsmanship: from porcelains of the Russian Tsarist era, once created for the Imperial court, to exquisite silver and enamel works by the legendary jewellers to the Tsars — Khlebnikov, Ovchinnikov, and Fabergé — names that remain synonymous with perfection and luxury to this day.

Among the paintings, two positions emerge that could hardly be more contrasting — yet it is precisely this opposition that creates their particular tension. Ivan Trutnev’s finely composed scene of a funeral, imbued with quiet dignity and academic precision, gains further significance through its early reception in the art journal Niva and its documented exhibition history. In contrast stands the powerful, nonconformist visual language of Evgeny Rukhin, in which religious tradition and artistic rebellion converge into a compelling modern iconography. Two works, two attitudes — united in a dialogue between past and present that engages the viewer directly.

A particular highlight is the exceptionally rich offering of icons, within which rare and finely executed works from the 15th and early 16th centuries stand out. Among the most important examples is an icon depicting Saints Athanasius the Great and Cyril of Alexandria, worthy of any major museum collection. The liturgical vestments, adorned with black crosses on a white ground, seem in a striking way to anticipate Malevich’s Black Square by several centuries — or might icons such as these even have served as his source of inspiration?

No less impressive are a Crucifixion with basma and a monumental Mother of God of Smolensk, likewise of museum quality. Withdrawn from the art market for decades, these works now re-emerge for the first time from important private collections — rare, striking, and of particular art-historical significance.

Taken as a whole, the catalogue unfolds a fascinating journey through the centuries of icon painting: from archaic, folk-inspired works to precious creations made for the Tsar’s court. In the icons of the early 20th century — the final years of the Tsarist era — a transformation becomes visible, as individually identifiable artistic personalities begin to sign their works. Their enamelled oklads glow in the finest nuances, reflecting the ornamental elegance of Art Nouveau in its purest form.

We wish you great pleasure in discovering this distinguished selection. Browse the catalogues online: Catalogue 156.1, Catalogue 156.2, and Catalogue 156.3.