SALE 2162
Russian Art
New York
24 April 2009
Lot 319: Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947)
Description: Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947)
Dzong
numbered 'N 16' (on the reverse)
tempera on canvas laid down on board
12 x 16 in. (30.5 x 40.6 cm.)
Provenance: The collection of Louis and Nettie Horch, New York.
The Estate of Ralph Harris Houston.
Acquired from the above, circa 1994.
Notes: VARIOUS PROPERTIES
From 1925 to 1928 Nicholas Roerich led an expedition into Tibet in search of the legendary kingdom of 'Shambhala', from which he believed a new era of peace and enlightenment would emerge. During his travels, he visited a succession of dzongs, fortified Buddhist monasteries, which served as the religious and administrative centers of their communities.
Typically for Roerich, Dzong depicts an idealized structure. As Yevgeny Matochkin notes, 'Roerich's monasteries are not only amazing architectural pieces, but also a focus of fortitude and the embodiment of people's spiritual growth, which can be compared with the firmness of the rocks. The artist's strongholds are the abodes of righteous men and truth seekers, and the materialized symbols of the unity of the terrestrial and the heavenly.' (Y. Matochkin, Nicholas Roerich: Album and Catalogue, Samara, 2008, p. 447.)
We are grateful to Gvido Trepsa and The Roerich Museum, New York, for their assistance with the cataloguing of the present lot.
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2009/russian-art-n08586/lot.4.html
RUSSIAN ART
02 NOVEMBER 2009 | 10:00 AM EST
NEW YORK
4
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, CALIFORNIA
Estimate 60,000 — 80,000 USD
LOT SOLD. 122,500 USD
Nicholas Roerich
1874-1947
RUSSIAN
DZONG
numbered N16 and incorrectly labeled #870 Dzong at Evening (on the reverse)
tempera on canvas mounted on board
12 by 16 in.
30.5 by 40.5 cm
We would like to thank Gvido Trepša, Senior Researcher, Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York, for assistance in cataloguing the present lot.
PROVENANCE
Collection of Louis and Nettie Horch, New York (acquired directly from the artist)
Estate of Ralph Harris Houston
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner, circa 1994
EXHIBITED
New York, Roerich Museum (permanent collection) until 1935
LITERATURE
Roerich Museum Catalogue, New York, 1930, no. 847 (labeled 870 incorrectly on the reverse)