Карельский этюд (Скалы и утесы)
1918

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22817/lot/26/

Lot 26*

эстимейт £10,000 - 15,000

RUB 970,000 - 1.4 million

Sold for £ 10,000 (RUB 838,419) inc. premium

AUCTION 22817:

THE RUSSIAN SALE

2 Dec 2015 15:00 GMT

LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, SEATTLE

Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (Russian, 1874-1947)

Karelian study, from Ladoga series, 1918

signed with monogram and dated '1918' (lower left); with inscriptions and inventory numbers (on verso)

pencil and tempera on paper laid on board

19 x 38cm (7 1/2 x 14 15/16in).

FOOTNOTES

Provenance

Presented by the artist to Imogen Cunningham, a prominent photographer, San Francisco, circa 1921

Collection of Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976) and her husband, artist Roi George Partridge (1888-1984)

Presented by Imogen Cunningham to the family of the present owner, between 1921-1934

Thence by descent

Exhibited

Helsinki, Salon Strindberg, Nicholas Roerich, Taidenäyttely (Nicholas Roerich Art Exhibition), 1919, no. 118

New York, Kingor Galleries; Boston, Boston Art Club; Buffalo, Albright Art Gallery; Chicago, Art Institute; St Louis, City Art Museum; San Francisco, The Nicholas Roerich Exhibition, 1920–1921, no. 166

Among the inscriptions on verso, several are in Roerich's hand. Thus, the number "118" and "Этюд" refer to the exhibition in Helsinki, which the catalogue lists as "118. Skiss från Karelen" in Swedish, and "118. Karjalasta. (Harjoitelmia)" in Finnish. The inscription "To Imogen C. Partridge(?). N Roerich" is partly in the artist's hand (his signature and the starting "To").

The original label 'No 166 — Rocks and Cliffs — Ladoga Series — $200' refers to the 1920-1923 exhibition tour.

Literature

Nicholas Roerich, Taidenäyttely (Nicholas Roerich Art Exhibition), Salon Strindberg, Helsinki, 1919, p. 7, cat. no. 118

Christian Brinton, The Nicholas Roerich Exhibition, Redfield-Kendrick-Odell Company, Inc., New York, 1920, no. 166 (nos. 152–172, listed collectively as: Rocks and Cliffs — Ladoga Series)

We are grateful to Mr Gvido Trepša, Senior Researcher at the Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York, for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.