PAVEL TCHELITCHEW(Russian 1898-1957)Study for Fata Morgana- 1939Watercolor on paperSigned and dated lower right "P. Tchelitchew 39"13.75 inches x 16.75 inches (35 x 42.5 cm)Provenance:The offered lot, according to labels on verso, has passed through a number of interesting hands. According to one such label (Figure 1), the offered lot was acquired from Julien Levy Gallery, New York by Mrs. John E. Abbott of New York, circa 1940. Julien Levy Gallery was in operation at 602 Madison Avenue, New York from 1931-1949. During that time, Mrs. John E. Abbott (Iris Barry) worked as Curator of the Museum of Modern Art’s Film Library while her husband, Mr. John E. Abbott functioned as Director of the Film Library. A label on verso cites a loan to the Museum of Modern Art under the name Abbott and numbered 42.1219 (Figure 2). Presumably, this loan of the offered lot by Mr. and Mrs. John E. Abbott was made to the Museum of Modern Art’s Tchelitchew: Paintings, Drawings exhibition in 1942. An additional label connects the offered lot with Durlacher Bros., New York and numbers the painting 39-88 (Figure 3). Durlacher Bros. and particularly, the gallery’s owner Kirk Askew worked closely with Tchelitchew, indeed, the artist painted a portrait of Kirk Askew’s wife Constance in 1938. It is uncertain when the offered lot was acquired by Mr. Robert H. Holmes, a New York collector who had other Tchelitchew works in his care such as The Seer (Christie’s, New York, Interiors, August 2012, Lot 53). According to a label on verso (Figure 4), Holmes presumably loaned the offered lot to the Gallery of Modern Art, New York for their exhibition Pavel Tchelitchew in 1964. The label references Holmes and numbers the piece 198 c.1964.Literature:James Thrall Soby, Tchelitchew: Paintings, Drawings, exh. cat. (New York: Museum of Modern Art), page 94 (unillustrated). Gene Downs, “Major Artists You Might Not Have Heard Of”, a newspaper article for the Savannah Morning News, October 4, 1998, page 8E and 15E (illustrated). Exhibited:New York, Museum of Modern Art, Tchelitchew: Paintings, Drawings, 1942 as #160. Also, presumably at New York, Museum of Modern Art, Modern Drawings, February-May 1944 and presumably at New York, Gallery of Modern Art, Pavel Tchelitchew, March-April 1964.Also Savannah, Georgia, Bohemia Gallery. Works by Tchelitchew and Emanuel Romaro, October –November 1998. The lot is accompanied with an exhibition catalog written by James Thrall Soby from the Museum of Modern Art’s 1942 “Tchelitchew: Paintings, Drawings” and a Savannah Morning News newspaper article from October 4, 1998 regarding the opening of the Bohemia Gallery, Savannah, Georgia that illustrates and discusses the offered lot which was exhibited then.Pavel Tchelitchew (Russian 1898-1957) was born into the Russian aristocracy and lived with his family on a large estate outside of Moscow where Tchelitchew’s interest in art and dance developed at a young age and was cultivated through private tutoring and formal education at the University of Moscow. During the Revolution of 1918, Tchelitchew and his family were forced to leave their home and moved to Kiev. Soon thereafter, Tchelitchew with the full support of his parents, moved to Berlin to further his development as a professional artist. Two years later, Tchelitchew moved to Paris and met Gertrude Stein who purchased a few of his still life paintings and introduced him to other members of the modern art community. At the beginning of World War II, the artist immigrated to New York City. He would continue to move frequently throughout his life and travel extensively through Europe while he created figural drawings and paintings as well as dramatic stage designs.Tchelitchew is well-regarded for his figurative works that employ illusionary effects like the offered lot. He began creating dual images or what he termed “laconic compositions” in the mid-1920s and continued exploring this visual device throughout his artistic career. According to the art critic and arts administrator, James Thrall Soby, the artist was particularly fascinated by double image postcards that he saw when he was a child. This early viewing experience led to Tchelitchew’s use of layering perspective and dual imagery found in his surrealist and metamorphic works. The oil painting Fata Morgana-1940 sold at Sotheby’s Paris, June 3, 2010, Lot 60 for $765,156. The offered lot, Study for Fata Morgana, as indicated by the labels on verso and exhibition titles, is a preparatory watercolor for the later oil painting and as such, closely parallels the work in terms of palette and composition. The term Fata Morgana refers to a mirage that appears in a narrow strip immediately above a horizon line due to atmospheric conditions. The Fata Morgana mirage is complex and involves the simultaneous projection of multiple images that are stacked on top of one another. Given Tchelitchew’s investigation of dual imagery and layering of different perspectives, the title Fata Morgana and the optical effects therein are particularly fitting. At first glance Study for Fata Morgana depicts a lush and expansive mountainous landscape. However, upon closer examination, two reclining female forms appear in the mountain peaks. Dramatic rolling hills and valleys set against the horizon line mimic the human form, both complimenting one another visually and ideologically and adding complexity to the work. In his works, Tchelitchew often embedded nature and the human form with the hope of elevating representation, as Soby writes the artist wanted to “contribute to the fixed structure, that it must be used as a kind of interior magic, created its own mystery and awe but never becoming a dominant illusion.” Iris Barry (Mrs. John E. Abbott 1895-1969) served as the first Curator of the Museum of Modern Art’s Film Library. Barry’s commitment to the relatively new study of film as art led her to salvage film prints from production studios that intended to destroy such materials. In doing so, she preserved a considerable amount of archival materials on the history of American film. In 1946, she became Director and Curator of the Film Library until she retired five years later. Her husband John E. Abbott also worked for the Museum of Modern Art as the Director of the Film Library and Executive Vice President in addition to sitting on the Board of Trustees in the 1940s. The offered lot, Study for Fata Morgana shows, not only Tchelitchew’s method of painting dual images, but also Barry and Abbott’s interest in modern art and the significance of understanding particular artistic processes.
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"AN IMPORTANT IMPERIAL RUSSIAN ICON TRIPTYCH, FABERGÉ & SIGNED N. EMELIANOV, CIRCA 1912 The central reserve displaying a finely painted image of The Serafimo-Ponetaevskaya Sign Mother of God, characteristically painted with a gem and pearl encrusted veil. The Christ Child as well as the head of the Virgin, encircled with ornate silver repousse haloes, the Virgin’s halo embellished with cabochons. Both hallmarked St. Petersburg, and with Cyrillic maker`s mark FABERGÉ beneath the Imperial Warrant and workmaster`s initials TR for Phillip Theodor Ringe. Below the Virgin are inscribed the standard troparion (left) and kontakion (right) celebrating icons of the “Sign”. And further still lower right the icon is signed in Cyrillic “Painted by N. Emelianov”. Above the Virgin on either side are painted two full length images identified by inscriptions as Angels of the Lord. To the Virgin’s right (viewers left) a vertical panel divided into six sections each depicting a church feast day or other related event. From top to bottom they are; The Birth of the Mother of God, The Entrance of the Mother of God Into the Temple, The Translation of the Relics of Saint Alexander Nevsky from Vladimir to St. Petersburg, Saints Peter and Paul, The Appearance of the Wonderworking Icon of Kazan, and The Translation of the Relics of Saint Theodore Stratelates. To the Virgin’s left (viewers right) a similar vertical panel divided into five sections depicting the following iconographical subjects; The Resurrection, The Transfiguration, The Apostle and Evangelist Saint Matthew, The Dormition, and The Assembly of the Archangel Michael. Further out, the left wing depicts a finely painted full length image of Saint Nicholas whose head is encircled by a silver repousse halo stamped with the workmasters initials TR and who stands beneath an image identified by the Slavonic inscription as the Not-By-Hand-Made Image of Our Lord. Below Saint Nicholas is a reserve divided into four sections depicting various subjects. Clockwise from upper left they are; The Transferring of the Vladimir Mother of God Icon, Saint George, Saints Konstantin and Helen, and the Translation of the Relics of Saint Nicholas. The right wing depicts a finely painted full length image of Saint Seraphim of Sarov whose head is also encircled by a silver repousse halo stamped with the workmaster initials TR and who stands beneath an image of The Old Testament Trinity. Below Saint Seraphim a reserve divided into two sections depicts the following subjects; The Discovery of the True and Life-Giving Cross and an image of The Kazan Mother of God. Each shaped panel separately painted and set into the ornately carved one piece frame displaying an eight-sided cross finial atop the left and right wings and the central section surmounted by a similar cross flanked by a pair of six-winged Seraphim. The wide lower margin with two medallions carved in high relief and depicting Saint George (left) and The Archangel Michael (right). The verso of carved frame lined with brass edging around the border and the entire back covered in kid leather and stamped in Cyrillic ?.??????? beneath the Imperial Warrant and with St. Petersburg address. Height 23.3 inches (59.4cm).Width 16.4 inches (41.5cm).Provenance:Colonel Dmitrii Nikolaivich Loman, circa 1912, presumably a gift from Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. With Bowater Gallery, London, where acquired by Mrs. Harold Leather of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, accompanied by original receipt of purchase dated August 10, 1970. Thence by descent to her son, Sir Edwin Leather (1919-2005) former Governor of Bermuda, and acquired by the present owner from the estate of Sir Edwin Leather.The Mother of God of the Sign icon known as the Serafimo-Ponetaevskaya was imbued with particular significance for Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna. As the last icon of this iconographic type to be declared miracle-working in Russia (1885), it became for the Imperial couple a symbol of Holy Rus reborn and triumphant in the modern age, and a direct link to the miraculous powers and protection of Saint Serafim of Sarov, to whom the Empress Alexandra was especially drawn. When the couple attended the celebrations marking the canonization of the Nizhnii Novgorod saint in 1903, the Ponetaevskaya icon was one of three venerated for their connection to Serafim’s life and work. The Empress was given a copy to mark the occasion and this icon accompanied her until her final days and death in Ekaterinburg in 1918. The Ponetaevskaya icon was particularly associated with Tsarskoe Selo, which in 1901 became the official Imperial residence and from 1909 was the site of the Fedorovsky Gorodok, an elaborate complex intended to recreate the spirit and culture of an idealized Russian past in a modernized idiom. It is with Colonel Dmitrii Loman, the driving force behind the construction and conception of the Fedorovsky Gorodok and a trusted member of the Imperial family’s inner circle, that the offered lot is associated.The icon’s name derives from the Serafimo-Ponetaevskaya convent, established in 1864 in memory of Saint Serafim (1754/9 - 1833), whose hermitage was located at nearby Sarov. The convent was famous for its icon painting workshops, and in 1879, a novice named Klavdia Voiloshnikovna made a copy of an icon of the Sign that had been acquired from the artist Pavel Sorokin who oversaw the painting studio. In addition to the canonical features of Sign icons - the half-length figure of the Mother of God with her hands raised in prayer and the Christ Child encircled by a nimbus within Her womb - the icon that Voiloshnikovna copied had several distinctive features. The Mother of God’s eyes are lifted to heaven and a pearl and gem encrusted veil sheathes her head and shoulders, imparting to her face a teardrop-shaped contour. The faces are rendered in the painterly style popular in the nineteenth century and have a certain sentimental sweetness. On May 14, 1885 the icon performed the first of many miracles and by the end of the year was officially proclaimed miracle-working by the Holy Synod.In 1909 an exact copy of the icon arrived at Tsarskoe Selo as a gift from the Abbess of the Ponetaevskaya convent. That same year, Tsar Nicholas II approved construction of a temporary church to serve the devotional needs of His Majesty’s Own Regiment, who were permanently stationed there. Dedicated to Saint Serafim of Sarov, the church was an experiment in resurrecting an idealized Russian past. It was appointed with an iconostasis designed by Prince Mikhail Putyatin (see fig. #3 & #4) and filled with icons painted by noted iconographer Nikolai Emelianov executed in the 17th century style. The Ponetaevskaya icon occupied a place of honor in the church, along with relics associated with Saint Serafim.At the same time Nicholas and Alexander gave permission and funds to build a permanent cathedral on the grounds of the Alexander Palace at Tsarkoe Selo, where their family might worship surrounded by their most devoted troops as well as their favorite sacred images. Consecrated in 1912, the cathedral contained two churches. In the upper church dedicated to the Feodorovskaya Mother of God icon, a five-tiered iconostasis was installed, filled with new icons painted by Emelianov in the same 17th century style and lavishly adorned with silver basma. On the lower level, space was carved out for a crypt church and it was here that the temporary church’s altar, icons, relics and fixtures were transferred. To the Ponetaevskaya icon was added a copy of the Umilenie Mother of God that had been Saint Serafim’s personal icon, together with an icon of the saint himself. A second Ponetaevskaya icon hung nearby in the empress’s own private chapel, donated by the empress’s sister, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna in 1912 and adorned with a sumptuous silver oklad and costly embroidered veil (Fig.1).The offered triptych of the Ponetaevskaya Mother of God with Saints Nicholas and Serafim can be securely traced to Dmitrii Loman (1868-1918), a Colonel in His Majesty’s Own Regiment, whose energy and organizational talents made him an indispensable and sympathetic aide to the Imperial couple and was by all accounts very close to the Empress, who was the Godmother of Loman’s son, Yuri. A contemporary photograph dated to 1914 shows the icon hanging in the upper corner of Loman’s office located in the refectory at Tsarskoe Selo (Fig.2). Colonel Loman served in countless capacities that reflected the Emperor and Empress’ trust. In addition to being churchwarden of the cathedral, during WWI he served as the Empress’ representative on the Tsarskoe Selo Military Hospital Train No. 143 and similar trains under the protection of the grand duchesses. He was also on friendly terms with Grigorii Rasputin (Fig.3) who was a frequent visitor and was one of the few people actually present at his burial. Loman’s great passion was the preservation of early Russian art, music, and popular culture, and his collections of liturgical and folk art were intended to serve as inspiration for the revival of a single national style in all facets of contemporary life. In 1915, he was instrumental in creating the Society for the Renaissance of Artistic Rus, a group that included the leading artists and architects working in a neo-Russian style. The society’s goals included the study and preservation of Russian antiquities, the revival of pre-Petrine aesthetic traditions adapted to contemporary conditions, publishing textbooks on Russian art for schools, and restoring the purity of the Russian language. The complex of buildings that grew up around the Feodorovsky Cathedral, the Feodorovsky Gorodok, was to be a prototype for the realization of these goals on a national scale.In every sense the offered triptych is a microcosm and memento of the Feodorovsky Cathedral whose construction and decoration Loman oversaw. The painting is the work of the Palekh- trained Moscow-based court iconographer and restorer Nikolai Sergeevich Emelianov. Having proved his ability to interpret the spirit of 17th century icons in a modern idiom with the iconostasis for the temporary church, Emelianov was among a select group of iconographers (including Mikhail Dikarev) commissioned to provide icons for the cathedral’s upper church (Fig.4). Emelianov also prepared the drawings for the mosaic icons that marked the multiple entrances to the cathedral. In addition to the iconostasis, in 1910-11 Emelianov painted 102 icons for the cathedral itself, including “an icon of the Mother of God of the Sign with attendant angels,” of which the present icon may have been the model for the Loman triptych. Icons by Emelianov from the Feodorovsky Cathedral and other late Imperial churches are preserved in the State Museum of the History of Religion and, like the present icon, are generally signed in the lower right corner. So pleased were the royal family with his work, that Emelianov was awarded a silver medal on a Vladimir ribbon for his icons in the Feodorovsky Cathedral together with the Emperor’s “personal thanks.”The elegantly elongated figures of the two attendant saints - the tsar’s name saint Nicholas and Saint Serafim himself - and the miniature painting of the marginal scenes of festivals and saints are subtly adapted to the distinctly modern features of the Ponetaevskaya Mother of God. An exceptionally rich visual rhythm is created by the variations in scale and size of the scenes that flank that central image and create a continuous horizontal band along the lower edge. The three panels are set within a carved wooden framework that echoes the elongated gables of the iconostasis designed by Vladimir Pokrovsky for the upper church (Fig 5.). The carved relief roundels on the lower margin reference the mosaic icons of Saint George and Saint Michael that Emelianov designed to mark the north and south entrances into the cathedral (St. George appropriately designated the officers’ entrance). Reflected in the cabochon-studded haloes is the rich intricacy of 17th century devotional icons that established the aesthetic ideal espoused by enthusiasts like Prince Shirinsky-Shikhmatov and Loman himself. The fact that they were made in the workshops of the Imperial silversmith Fabergé reflect the status and importance of the person who commissioned the offered triptych. The carving borrows some of the stylized folk motifs from the furnishings designed for the cathedral by Nikolai Bartram and executed in the workshops of the Moscow Zemstvo at Sergiev Posad. Here too a balance is sought between the lushly ornamented upper half in the neo-Russian style and the neoclassical simplicity of the lower section, so typical of Fabergé’s work in burl and Karelian birch.Clearly, the triptych is a testament to Loman’s deeply held conviction - one he shared with the Imperial couple - that a renaissance of Old Russian values in contemporary life was a goal within reach. In the absence of a presentation plaque or other documentation we can only speculate as to its origins. It would certainly have been a fitting gift of appreciation and remembrance from the Empress for whom Loman had proved so indispensable. It is displayed in Loman’s office near an assortment of personal photographs depicting Tsar Nicholas II and the Empress of the type known to have been given by the royal couple to those whom they held in high esteem. However, perhaps the best clue as to who might have commissioned this icon rests in the fact that it was decorated by the firm of Fabergé. For it is well known that when the Tsar and Tsarina wanted to favor someone special with an extraordinary gift they would call upon the workshop of Fabergé to fulfill such requests. When all known facts are taken into consideration, Imperial silversmith Fabergé, court iconographer Emelianov, and the triptych being situated in the office of dutiful royal confidant and administrator Dmitrii Loman, it is fair to presume that the offered lot was indeed a gift from Nicholas and Alexandra to Loman most likely upon the completion of the cathedral in the fall of 1913 which Loman oversaw, including the task of primary fundraiser. After decades of decay and destruction, in 2009 a concerted restoration of the Feodorovsky Cathedral at Tsarskoe Selo was undertaken and the iconostasis reconstructed on the basis of several surviving icons by Emelianov. Loman’s son Yuri (1906-1988) survived the times or terror, successfully adjusted to communist rule and towards the end of his life penned a biography, “Memories of the Empress’ Godson”. The Society for the Renaissance of Artistic Rus of which Loman was instrumental, ceased its activities in October 1917. Loman perished (was shot) during the terror of 1918 and by 1928 the old icons from the Feodorovsky Cathedral had been dispersed, some made their way to the Russian Museum, while others, including some painted by Emelianov went to the State Museum of the History of Religion. Others, like the offered lot, thankfully found safe haven elsewhere and after decades of silently preaching in places far removed from the splendor of Tsarskoe Selo, are now being enjoyed by a new generation of enthusiasts who have come to appreciate the true geniuses of those artisans who created a unique Russian style that has now risen from the ash heap of history to reign again in splendor."
A LARGE AND IMPOSING RUSSIAN ICON OF THE THEODORE MOTHER OF GOD WITH RELATED SCENES, CIRCA 1913. At center a standard depiction of the Theodore Mother of God surrounded by 16 scenes relating to the "life" of the icon. They include, St. Theodore Stratelates bringing the icon to Kostroma, Prince Vasily of Kostroma finding the icon hanging in a tree, the icon being transferred to the church, the icon surviving a devastating fire, a man healed of palsy before the icon, victory of the Tartar enemy by the icon’s intercession, and others. Finely painted and clearly drawing on 17th century iconography for inspiration of the type promulgated by the revival of pre-Petrine aesthetic traditions which gained popularity in the first part of the 20th century. The entire image overlaid with a finely crafted silvered metal repousse riza with attached haloes and champlevé enamel title and narrative plaques and with shaded enamel corners, each bearing spurious marks. In the early 17th century the original Feodorvskaya icon was carried by the deputation which implored young Mikhail Romanov to become Tsar of Russia, and it was used to bless him upon his ascension to the throne. It thus became the patron of the House of Romanov, subsequently it was frequently produced around the time of the Romanov tercentenary in 1913. The style of iconography also closes mirrors that of noted court iconographers Emelianov. (See lot 199). 28 inches x 22.5 inches (71.1 x 56.5 cm).
A VERY FINE RUSSIAN ICON OF THE RESURRECTION WITH FEASTS, PALEKH, CIRCA 1825. A finely painted icon depicting the Resurrection and Descent into Hades in the large central reserve and surrounded by 16 smaller images depicting the major Church feast days each rendered in miniature and the corners painted with the four Evangelists. The overall style and pallet clearly reflect those icons which were produced in Palekh in the first half of the 19th century. Overlaid with a heavy silver gilt repousse and chased riza, hallmarked St. Petersburg, dated 1829, indistinguishable markers mark and 84 silver standard. In an excellent state of original preservation. 14.25 inches x 12 inches (36.3 x 30 cm).
A LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE RUSSIAN ICON OF THE HOLY FACE, PALEKH SCHOOL, CIRCA 1890. A striking image executed in egg tempera utilizing an overlaying cross hatching technique which through the buildup of successive layers produces a somewhat three dimensional effect as often found on higher quality icons of the period. At center the face of Christ is shown as it was miraculously transferred to a cloth and held aloft by two opposing angels that stand above characteristic Palekh-style clouds beneath them. The large thick wood panel gilded, ornately and heavily incised with intricate patterns in the Pan Slavic taste and the borders painted in faux enameling. The left border painted with an image of the Holy Martyr Paraskeva and the right border painted with the Holy Archangel Gabriel. Above the face of Christ are two decorative medallions with gilt inscriptions abbreviating the name Jesus Christ. On the lower margin within a rectangular cartouche with rounded corners a gilt inscription rendered in Old Church Slavonic identifying the subject as the "Not-by-Hands-Made Image". An interesting story explains the traditional origin of this icon type. In New Testament times King Abgar of the Syrian city of Edessa is said to have fallen ill and sent his court artist Ananias to sketch an image of Christ. So great were the stories of Christ’s healing power, Abgar believed if only he could see an image of Jesus, he too could be healed. In his quest to draw near Christ so as to render his image, Ananias was kept at a distance because of the large crowds. However, knowing this, Christ sought out Ananias in the crowd and pressed a cloth to his own face, miraculously imprinting it with his image and telling Ananias to take the cloth to his king, Abgar. Ananias did as he was told, and upon seeing the cloth, Abgar was healed but retained a slight touch of his former illness until Thaddeus, a disciple of Christ, came and baptized him. Because the image appeared miraculously and was not painted, it is called "The Not Made by Hands Image." It is also sometimes referred to as the "first icon" or "true image". As such it is also related etymologically to the Roman Catholic story of Veronica’s veil. Indeed the name Veronica is derived from the two words, vera (true) and icon (image), meaning true image. The two saints depicted on the borders could very well represent the recipients of this icon, perhaps on their (Paraskeva and Gabriel’s) wedding day. It is this subject matter which was emblazoned on regimental standards and as such lead many a Russian army into battle. It is also often found above the entrance to Eastern Orthodox churches and shrines. An exquisite icon in an excellent state of preservation. 21.1 inches x 17.4 inches (53.5 x 44.3 cm).
A RUSSIAN ICON OF THE ARCHANGEL MIKHAIL WITH SAINTS, FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY. At center a full length image of the winged captain of the heavenly armies. Immediate above him is an image of the Descent Into Hades, and further up still God the Father. On either side of Mikhail a gathering of 26 saints some identifiable by the inscriptions others by their appearance such as St. Christopher the Dog-Headed (lower right) as well as St. Maria of Egypt, St. Sergie Radonezh, Evgeniy, the Three Hierarchs, Sts. Cosmas and Damien and others. The borders painted with the donor saints, all monastics, Simeon the Stylite, John, Daniel and Longinus. 14 inches x 12 inches (35.5 x 30.6 cm).
A RUSSIAN ICON OF THE NATIVITY, CIRCLE OF MIKHAIL NESTEROV, CIRCA 1890. Here the Virgin Mary, Joseph and the infant Christ are shown at the mouth of a cave, and in the foreground shepherds pay homage to the newborn king. In the distant sky the star of Bethlehem shines, silhouetting the palm trees depicted at right. The gold-leafed borders ornately incised and the lower central margin inscribed with the title ROZHDESTVO KHRISTOVO – the Birth of Christ. The edge of the icon faintly inscribed in Cyrillic, Mikhail Nesterov. The size and shape of the panel would suggest that the icon was once possibly part of a festival row in a small iconostasis, perhaps a private chapel. 13.25 inches x 19.25 (34 x 49 cm).The offered icon is an ideal example of the new style of Neo-Byzantine and Neo-Slavic iconography that emerged and entered the scene at the end of the 19th century, of the type cultivated at the famous Abramstevo Art Colony. One of the first great internationally acclaimed displays of such iconography were the icons created for the Cathedral of St. Vladimir in Kiev, executed by both Mikhail Nesterov and Victor Vasnestov and later the Church of the Spilt Blood in St. Petersburg. Our icon breaks from all the well-established and traditional old styles of iconography and as such was considered by some iconophiles as heretical. However, the style was an overwhelming success with consumers and subsequently continued to grow in popularity.
"JOHN STEUART CURRY(American 1897-1946)The First Snow- 1930Oil on canvasSigned and dated lower right “John Steuart Curry 1930”25.25 inches x 31 inchesProvenance:Acquired directly from the artist by Dr. Wellwood Nesbit of Madison, Wisconsin.Thence by descent through the family to the present owner Mrs. Kathy Doll (granddaughter of Dr. and Mrs. Genevieve Nesbit).Literature:The Lakeside Press Galleries, Chicago, Illinois, "Catalog of a Loan Exhibition of Drawings and Paintings by John Steuart Curry", March 1st to April 28th 1939, page 11 (unillustrated).Laurence E. Schmeckebier, John Steuart Curry’s Pageant of America, American Artists Group, New York, 1943, page 129, 133 and 134 and illustrated as Figure 80. (This lot is accompanied by a copy of both of these publications).Exhibited:The Lakeside Press Galleries, Chicago, Illinois "A Loan Exhibition of Drawings and Paintings by John Steuart Curry, March 1-April 29, 1939 as Item 10.The offered lot features an oil painting created by John Steuart Curry (American 1897-1946) in 1930 during a transitional period in the artist’s career. The painting, First Snow depicts a quiet and still winter residential view from his home and studio in Westport, Connecticut. Like the following lot, the offered painting was acquired directly from the artist by Dr. Wellwood and Mrs. Genevieve Nesbit whom Curry had become acquainted through his friendship with fellow Regionalist artist Grant Wood, a childhood friend of Genevieve Nesbit.Born and raised in Kansas, Curry became interested in art at an early age. Before finishing high school, Curry briefly enrolled in art programs at the Kansas City Art Institute and the Art Institute of Chicago. Years later, he finished his education at Geneva College, a Presbyterian school in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Curry’s art and educational pursuits continued to move him farther away from his family’s farm in Dunavent, Kansas. In 1919, Curry moved from Pennsylvania to Leonia, New Jersey to begin his illustration career. From 1921-1926, Curry worked as a freelance illustrator for publications such as Boy`s Life, Country Gentleman and the Saturday Evening Post under the artistic mentorship of Harvey Dunn (American 1884-1952) who was revered for his renderings of scenes from the American West. Both Harvey and Curry shared an interest and respect for uniquely American subjects and sought to create art accessible to the common man.In 1923, Curry married Clara Derrick. A year later, after living in Greenwich Village, New York for less than a year, the couple moved to Westport, Connecticut where Curry purchased a home and studio at Otter Ponds by the Saugatuck River. The move to Westport marks a decided shift in Curry’s career. In the mid-1920s, after losing commercial illustration jobs, Curry decided to stop working as a professional illustrator and refocus his efforts solely on painting. As Curry underwent this change, the couple’s finances suffered. With the hopes of improving his draftsmanship and elevating his paintings, Curry traveled to Europe in 1926 for 8 months to study under the Russian artist Basil Schoukhaieff in Paris. The trip was funded by an affluent banker and art collector Seward Prosser who loaned Curry $1,500 and additionally provided a job for Clara at the Bankers’ Trust Company in Paris for additional income.Curry returned to Westport in June of 1927 determined to prove himself as an artist. Fortunately, Prosser’s investment and Curry’s hard work paid off. By 1928, Curry finished his painting Baptism in Kansas for the Corcoran Gallery, Washington D.C. and in turn, gained national recognition in the art world. Two years later in 1930 (the same year the offered lot was executed), Curry received his first one-man show through the Whitney Studio Club. Despite the strides Curry made professionally, the late 1920s and early 1930s were especially difficult times for the artist emotionally. Curry’s distance from his family and the Midwestern subjects wore on his spirit and resulted in a general unhappiness toward life. Some art critics on the East Coast claimed that Curry “painted life…with a homesick brush”. Continuing this line of thought, the artist’s biographer Lawrence Schmeckebier wrote “Curry’s father had often comforted him in his despondency by offering to give him land out in Kansas and some stock to start life over again.” Perhaps in the hopes of changing his emotional state, Curry returned home to the Midwest. In the summer of 1929, Curry spent six weeks on his family’s farm in Kansas to revive his inspiration. Some writers support the significance of this trip by referring to it as a pilgrimage. The respite proved to be motivating and helped spur his development of key subjects in the coming year. Taken within the context of Curry’s intense focus on his career and his despondence with the Northeast the offered lot, First Snow, provides a unique and personal glimpse into Curry’s perspective in 1930. The offered painting breaks from more traditional examples where Curry depicts the homeland and instead focuses on the artist’s distance from his Midwestern subjects and family and his life in Connecticut. In the painting, two leaf barren icy trees frame the reflection of two homes in the Saugatuck River which remain clear and motionless despite a small group of waterfowl enjoying a brisk swim. Curry’s thoughtful composition of this work is vital as it solicits an emotional response of solitude and even loneliness. No other figures are present as the crisp morning begins. This scene and the self-reflective state that stems from it can be read as a slice of Curry’s daily life at that time. By depicting this view in such a still and austere manner, Curry establishes intimacy and allows the audience to see this particular setting from his perspective as an outsider. In so doing, Curry generates the necessary environment for the audience to empathize with his internal state of discontent. First Snow illustrates Curry’s ability to, as Schmeckebier wrote of the artist, “express moods that vary from the utter physical abandon…to a quiet spiritual, almost romantic dreaming or even yearning.” Curry’s longing to return to the Midwest, his family and his rural subjects is evident in this interesting view across the water from his home and studio in Westport, Connecticut. Life would get harder for Curry as America sank into the Great Depression after the market crash of 1929. Soon thereafter, his wife Clara passed away from heart complications in 1932. After her sudden death, he worked in a small studio in New York City. However, Curry’s troubles did not last for long. In 1934, he married Kathleen Shepherd and returned to Westport with a renewed enthusiasm for his work. As the financial struggles of Depression Era artists were alleviated through Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s public art initiatives promulgated through the New Deal, Curry gained a commission to paint the murals for the Kansas State Capital Building in Topeka. Following this project, Curry became the first Artist in Residence at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1936. The Artist in Residence program at the University was the first in the country and was made possible, in large part, by this painting’s original owner Dr. Wellwood Nesbit. Dr. Nesbit and his wife, Genevieve were great supporters of the arts and close friends with Regionalist art icon Grant Wood who grew-up and attended school with Dr. Nesbit’s wife Genevieve in her native Iowa. Through their relationship with Wood, the Nesbits also became friends with Curry and Thomas Hart Benton. Using his position at the Medical School at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and being a staunch supporter of the arts, Dr. Nesbit helped bring the Artist in Residence position, which Curry first held, to fruition. Indeed the same year that Curry was inducted as the first Artist in Residence on campus, his good friend Grant Wood was granted an honorary degree from the University, once again, through the influence and commitment of Dr. Nesbit. In fact, when Wood came to Madison to accept the honor, he declined an invitation to stay in the University President’s home and chose instead to stay with his good friends, the Nesbits."
A RARE COPY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AS PREPARED BY ST. ALEXIS, METROPOLITAN OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA. PHOTO TYPE EDITION BY LEONTIUS, METROPOLITAN OF MOSCOW, MOSCOW UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1892. Complete with all pages and retaining the as issued vintage replica cover of the original, overlaid with a profusion of seed pearls and further embellished with cloisonné enameled decorative plaques set with paste stones on both front and back, additionally cloisonné enameled clasps, and on the spine champlevé enamel title plaques. 9.25 inches x 7 inches (23.5 x 17.5 cm). The offered lot represents a true and faithful copy of Metropolitan Saint Alexis of Moscow’s (1296-1378) handwritten copy of the New Testament as translated from the original Greek into common Russian. The volume is comprised of 182 pages, of which 173 are printed from photographs of the original Slavonic handwritten pages as inscribed by Alexis and are bound in a faithful replica of the Gospel’s present covers. In the preface written by Metropolitan Leontius (1891-1893), a brief history of the origins of the original as well as his reasons for producing the copy is provided, and it is mentioned that the first copy was placed on the grave of St. Sergiy of Radonezh who was a close associate of Saint Alexis. It is not known exactly how many copies of this book were produced or for whom. However, judging by the elaborate covers and expensive printing process, one can surmise that such copies were produced in limited numbers and intended as special gifts from Metropolitan Leontius, perhaps to his brothers in the Episcopacy.
A PAIR OF RUSSIAN SILVER-GILT AND CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL SERVING SPOONS, MOSCOW, CIRCA 1890. The first with almond shaped bowl enameled with stylized birds amidst strapwork and geometric forms on a stippled gilt ground, the handle also enameled in cloisonné, hallmarked Moscow, dated 1888, Cyrillic makers mark "IS" probably for Ivan Sazikov, and 84 silver standard, length 8 inches (20 cm). The second with large domed circular bowl with cloisonné medallion center surrounded by flowerheads and bands of bellflowers and beaded edging, the flat shaped handle similarly decorated on both sides, hallmarked Moscow, circa 1890, makers mark "GK" for Gustav Klingert and 84 silver standard, length 7.25 inches (18.4 cm).
A PAIR OF ENGLISH CAMEO GLASS TRUMPET VASES, LATE 19TH CENTURY. In citron colored glass overlaid with white opaque on an acid finish, carved with prunus branches, raised on gilt metal stands. The first marked "Webb" in cameo on pontil set in a Meriden silverplate foliate form pedestal. The second set within a finely cast gilt tripod pedestal with reticulated palmettes. Height 7 inches (18 cm).
AN INTERESTING ENGLISH GOTHIC STYLE CARVED IVORY TRIPTYCH, 19TH CENTURY. This finely carved triptych would appear to be based on the mural painting in the Chichester Cathedral, Chichester, England, West Sussex by Lambert Barnard (1485-1567) as commissioned by Bishop Robert Sherburne in the first part of the 16th century, and later reproduced in print (1807). It depicts the 7th century Wessex King Caedwalla, shown at right on the central panel wearing crown and holding a scepter, confirming rights and territories to Bishop Saint Wilfrid, depicted at left with halo and tonsure and on the same arched central panel. The left wing depicts the Bishop’s entourage, holding his mitre and crosier and the right wing depicts the king’s attendants. Carved in high relief with good proportions, perspective and detailing and later set in a hinged wooden frame with solid back. Height of ivory 12.25 inches (30.5 cm). Overall dimensions 13.6 x 8.75 inches (open) (34.4 x 22 cm).
Two China Trade Watercolour Views, late 18th/early 19th century, en grisaille heightened with colour, one of fortifications, with merchandising punts, houses on stilts etc., inscribed in Chinese and also faintly in pencil `...Hong-...Che-Kiang`, the other depicting buildings over a torrent in a mountainous setting, inscribed in Chinese and also faintly in pencil `...-Po Kan, a Padre House`, the first with tears, the second repaired, 37 x 50cm, framed (2) Both stuck down. Both with tears and stains. Second with large repair to the top left.
A pair of Arita Imari petal-shaped Saucer Dishes, 18th century, painted in coloured enamels, iron-red, gilt and underglaze blue, with prunus branches within panelled borders with flowers and various diaper bands, six-character mark of Jiajing within a double ring, each with tiny chips on the rim, 24.5cm, and an Arita Imari Saucer Dish, 18th century, painted in coloured enamels, iron-red, gilt and underglaze blue with openwork cash border, the centre with flowering chrysanthemum branches, the rim damaged and reglued, 29.5cm The first saucer dishes are in a pattern copied at Worcester c.1765-70, for an example of which see Ayers, Impey & Mallet: `Porcelain for Palaces`, no 350.
REEL: Ex Hardy Museum display Hardy The Silex No.2 casting reel, 4.25" diameter, wide drum model, twin ivory handles and brake lever knob, 3 screw drum latch, internally stamped "PW Percy Walsh", smooth brass foot, filed to toes, interesting early factory repair consisting of a brass outer ring, riveted to the front frame, which developed a hairline fracture alongside casting trigger pillar, with Hardy museum information tag. Note: 1911-1922, initially 37 shillings 6d, first improvement to original.
FIRST DAY COVERS: Collection of approx. 120 Izaak Walton 1st day covers, all post stamped 1983, Izaak Walton Tercentenary 16th. Jan, 1983, Stafford, with 15.5p leaping salmon stamp, the cover printed Isaak Walton`s Cottage with pull out information leaflet relating to Walton`s life, ideal dealer lot for selling at approx. £2.50 each.
An interesting family collection of medals, comprising: Great War trio to Lieutenant Roland Goodyear M.G.C., K.I.A. April 1918, 1914-15 Star (4850 Pte R. Goodyear L’Pool R.), British War Medal and Victory Medal, tribute scroll (Sunderland); and the WWII group to his son 95937 Lieutenant Morice Goodyear R.A., who was captured by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore, 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, 1939-45 War Medal and Territorial Efficiency Decoration (1951), first three mounted for wearing, fourth cased, and with corresponding mounted miniatures; together with a small quantity of commemorative medals and with research.
The impressive double Military Cross group to Brigadier Claude Frederick Forestier-Walker R.A., C.B.E. (Military) cased, M.C. and Bar (reverse engraved ‘Right Section 65th Howrs C.F. Forestier-Walker 2nd Lieut R.F.A. Potijze Ypres 24.5.15’), 1914-15 Star (2 Lieut R.F.A.), British War Medal and Victory Medal with oak leaves (Major), mounted for wearing, 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, 1939-45 War Medal with oak leaf, 1953 Coronation Medal, together with a quantity of research. The recipient arrived in France on the 9th May 1915. The first award of the M.C. was gazetted on 14th January 1916, and the second, given for his courage in rescuing men from the effects of a gas shell attack at Willerval, on 17th September 1917. He was also twice mentioned in despatches. The award of the C.B.E. was for his services in command of the military liaison HQ in Yugoslavia. He had previously been awarded the O.B.E. for service with the B.E.F. in France 1940.
A group of eight Goss cottages comprising the house at Lichfield in which Dr Samuel Johnson was born, model of the ancient chapel of St Nicholas, St Ives, Cornwall, model of Miss Ellen Terry's farm near Tenterden, model of Shakespeare's house, model of Wordsworth's birthplace, Cockermouth, the first and last Post Office in England, Charles Dickens house, Gad's Hill and Ann Hathaway's cottage, also an unmarked bisque cottage "The Old Curiosity Shop", marked to the reverse "Published by Hy Jones & Co, London" (9). CONDITION REPORT: Shakespeare's House: minor paint on right upright. Chapel: minor losses to cross. Rest appear good with no further obvious signs of faults, damage or restoration. Ellen Terry House is missing a chimney
A Royal Worcester quarter lobed vase painted with roses, unsigned, Hadley's shape 278, date code for 1913, height 9cm. CONDITION REPORT: Is very dirty from a household of a heavy smoker and in need of a very good clean. Hard to tell if restored due to the amount of tar. First hand inspection recommended. Drops of paint on it and a big splodge of paint on the inner rim. Some rubbing to decoration.
A Continental tinted bisque porcelain figure group, impressed no.3271, height 33cm, also a Continental porcelain two section sweetmeat dish with central figure of a standing gent and floral encrusted decoration, height 24cm (2). CONDITION REPORT: Both are very dirty from a household of a heavy smoker and in need of a very good clean. Hard to tell if restored due to the amount of tar on them. First hand inspection recommended. Figure group: she has paint on her hat and a firing crack around her feet, also several cracks to the left leg of the male. Male: central figure has lost two fingers and losses to flowerheads.
An early 20th century Continental porcelain figure group depicting two children riding upon a horse, their father and young sister beside them, impressed number verso, height 27.5cm. CONDITION REPORT: Both are very dirty from a household of a heavy smoker and in need of a very good clean. Hard to tell if restored due to the amount of tar on them. First hand inspection recommended. Impressed number to back is hard to make out, possibly 3426.
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