Fine & Decorative Art Auction

Shapiro Auctions is pleased to announce its June 2nd sale of International & Russian Fine and Decorative Art. The June auction will feature over 400+ lots presenting a range of works from the 19th Century to Post-War and Contemporary across all media, which will be sure to please the tastes of even the most discerning collectors.

One of the key highlights for this auction is a work by Maurice Utrillo, “Le Moulin de la Galette,” estimated at $60,000-80,000. A classic example of the artist’s cityscapes, this painting has a Wally Findlay provenance and is accompanied by an original signed photo-certificate of authenticity, and is featured in “L’ouevre complet de Maurice Utrillo, catalogue raisonne, 1969. Another work with impressive provenance is “Paysage de Bretagne” by Robert Delaunay (est. $20,000-30,000,) who co-founded the Orphism movement, and is known for his experimental use of vibrant colors and shapes. “Paysage de Bretagne” was exhibited at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, as well as the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.

European Modernists command attention on June 2nd, with the likes of Domenico Gnoli and M.C. Escher. Gnoli was a truly brilliant Italian artist who died at the young age of 36 from cancer. The work on offer, “Fish Market” (est. 40,000-60,000,) is a 1960 still life that blends texture with surrealism, and was exhibited extensively and also shown in the film “Graphica” (1973,) which was dedicated to the artist’s life and work. Following a successful selling of two M.C. Escher prints in our March 7th sale, another edition number of the famous “Belvedere” print has made its way to Shapiro, with an estimate of $15,000-20,000. 

Expanding upon their repertoire of Polish and Eastern European works, Shapiro Auctions will be offering several works from these in-demand early 20th century and modern artists. Stanilsav Yulianovich captures the seasons of the year with two landscapes: one depicting a summery meadow view (est. $25,000-35,000,) and the other a chilly creek running through a snow-covered forest ($20,000-30,000.) Modern and contemporary artists like Aleksander Kobzdej (est. $4,000-6,000) and Bozenna Biskupska ($1,500-2,000) will also be available.

Also included in the sale are a selection of 19th century European works from names like Francisco Mireles Y Gallup (est. $10,000-15,000,) Pio Ricci (est. $5,000-7,000,) and Vincenzo Irolli (est. $3,000-5,000.) The sale also showcases an array of 19th-20th century American works, including paintings by John Koch (est. $3,000-5,000) and George Luks (est. $6,000-8,000,) a photograph by Ansel Adams (est. $2,000-3,000,) and two bronze sculptures by John Singer Sargent, each estimated at $10,000-15,000.

Asian art will be represented in this sale through the works of the three most important Vietnamese-French artists: Mai Trung Thu, Le Pho, and Vu Cao Dam. All three painters were members of the École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine in Hanoi. “Mère et enfant” by Le Pho (est. $30,000-40,000,) shows the two figures enveloped in a vibrant garden rendered in the artist’s signature Post-Impressionist approach. Mai Thu’s “Une Fille Avec L’Echarpe Jaune” showcases the artist’s exemplary use of color on silk (est. $32,000-38,000,) while two works by Vu Cao Dam with Wally Findlay provenances display his affinity for poetic figures on delicate backgrounds (est. $22,000-28,000 each.)

Expanding upon the Asian fine art facet of the June 2nd auction is a rare drawing from 1996 by one of the most celebrated contemporary Thai artists, Charlemchai Kositpipat, titled “Thippayasathan Nai Chit (Heavenly Place of the Mind)” (est. $18,000-25,000.) The drawing shows a temple nestled in a forest landscape with waterfalls by a river, rendered in white crayon and pencil on black paper. While this temple was drawn from the artist’s imagination, the intricate and fantastical architecture soon manifested itself in the Wat Rong Khun complex in 1997, and became known as the White Temple, which is now one of Thailand’s biggest attractions. With its baroque bridges and buildings, “Thippayasathan Nai Chit” is both a unique document of the artist’s thought process and a striking standalone piece. Shapiro Auctions currently holds the record for achieving the highest known price for Kositpipat in the West in our March 7, 2018 auction, and is proud to offer this unique and important work in June.

Other noteworthy lots from the East include an ink drawing by the former Ambassador of the Republic of China, Hu Shi Xi (est. $1,000-2,000.) Hu Shi Xi was ambassador in Canada, as well as an executive chief of embassies in many Spanish-speaking countries such as Spain, Cuba, Argentina, and others. In addition to his diplomatic skills, Hu Shi Xi was a gifted artist, and exhibited his works in public exhibitions and diplomatic soirees. Also on offer from this collection is a set of three Asian medals and a pendant belonging to Hu Shi Xi (est. $1,500-2,000,) as well as a set of 6 Latin American medals awarded to him ($1,000-2,000.) There is also a pair of Brazilian orders awarded to his brother, Dr. Victor Chi-tsai Hoo, who was also a dignitary from the Republic of China, who later became Undersecretary General. 

Shapiro Auctions is known for their expertise in the field of Russian fine art, and this sale puts their knowledge to the forefront with the wide selection of stylistic periods being offered on June 2nd. The shining star of the Russian art portion of the sale is a work by Nikolai Roerich, “Tulola, Sketch for Ladoga Series,” 1918, which was part of the collection of the Roerich Museum in New York from 1923-1935. Depicting an expansive, almost aerial view of a landscape broken down to its essential blocks of blue, green, and earth tones, this work is estimated at $180,000-250,000. 

Accompanying the Nikolai Roerich is the acclaimed post-impressionist, Konstantin Gorbotov, with his painting of the Volga river. “The Volga” (est. $50,000-70,000) was exhibited at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh in their “25th Annual International Exhibition of Paintings” in 1926. Representing the 19th century is a work by Nikolai Nevrev, one of The Wanderers whose painting of a bereaved widow is estimated at $25,000-35,000.

Shapiro Auctions has the pleasure of offering nine rare and important Ukrainian works of Socialist Realist art from the Jurii Maniichuk and Rose Brady Collection. Jurii Maniichuk (1955-2009,) was a Ukrainian-born American lawyer who amassed over 150 works (primarily from artists or their heirs) while working in Kiev as a legal consultant for the World Bank in the 1990s, and bringing them back to the U.S. in 1999. With Ukraine’s newfound independence from the USSR in 1991, Socialist Realism fell out of favor, and Maniichuk made it his mission to preserve the works for future study. As part of that effort, his widow, Rose Brady, now the collection’s owner, lent nearly half of the collection long-term to the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York (2012-2018,) and select works have also been featured at the Brooklyn Museum (“Russian Modern,” 2011-2016,) and been exhibited in Florida. On offer from this collection are artists like Viola Pushkarova ($3,000-5,000,) Zoya Lerman ($1,000-2,000,) Natalia Korobova ($1,000-2,000,) and Yuri Zorko ($1,000-2,000.)

This sale provides an excellent opportunity to build upon your collection of Soviet Socialist Realist works from the 1920s–1960s with names like Vasily Vikulov (est. $8,000-12,000,) Andrei Tutunov (est. $3,000-5,000,) Victor Tsigal (est. $2,000-3,000,) and Nikita Fedosov (est. $3,000-4,000,) many of which are at no reserve.

Shapiro Auctions is known for their specialty in the Russian Non-conformist movement, and the selection in the June 2nd sale is sure to entice with a small collection of rare and early works by the famous Oleg Tselkov and Mikhail Chemiakin. Oleg Tselkov’s multi-colored “Portrait” (est. $40,000-60,000) made in 1960, is a rare example of the artist’s early style and a portent of his later pieces, while his “Portrait of Ruben Seysian” (est. $25,000-35,000) stands out because unlike his other pieces, it is named. Seysian was a professor and researcher of semiconductors, and his face is obscured by deep shadows and a draped curtain, his occupation revealed only by the copper nails positioned throughout the composition. Six works from Mikhail Chemiakin, dated from 1961-1971, shows the progression of the artist’s style from when he was 18-28 years old. His “Portrait of Philosopher Pokrovsky” (est. $20,000-25,000,) commands attention with the bright red background and the imposing figure of Pokrovsky leaning into the viewer.

The International & Russian Fine and Decorative Art Auction is truly international in scope, with artists as varied as the Iranian master Mahmoud Farschian, whose rare gouache and watercolor painting was confirmed by the artist himself (est. $10,000-15,000.) The Argentinian-Italian Surrealist, Vito Campanella, mesmerizes by transforming musicians into instruments and invokes Renaissance painting with “Il Concertino Rinascentista” (est. $15,000-20,000.) Topping off the sale is several works of Russian and European decorative art, including silver, gold, enamel, porcelain, jewelry, and Fabergé.