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20TH CENTURY RUSSIAN SCHOOL "Horse drawn Carriages", Oil painting on canvas, indistinctly signed, 45cm x 61cm, in ornate gilt frame

KANDINSKY WASSILY: (1866-1944) Russian Painter. A.L.S., `Kandinsky´, two pages, oblong 8vo, on two sheets, in pencil, Weimar, National Bauhaus, 27th September 1922, to Mr. St[ah]l, in German. Kandinsky expects his correspondent´s visit to his painting exhibition, and states `I would be pleased if you visit the room I have painted at the exhibition. Find attached an invitation to attend the vernissage of my collective exhibition in Stockholm. Expecting that I will meet in person some day, with respectful regards, your loyal Kaandinsky´. Folded. Small overall minor age wear, otherwise G  £800-1200   

RAKHIL [RACHEL] KOGAN (RUSSIAN 1912-1975) Etude for the Painting "Before the Storm", 1934 oil on canvas 51 x 68.5 cm (20 1/8 x 27 in.) signed, dated and titled on verso

OSCAR RABIN (RUSSIAN 1928-2018) Under the Bridge, 1986 mixed media and collage in paper 40 x 50 cm (15 3/4 x 19 5/8 in.) signed and dated lower right This painting will be included in the catalogue raisonne on the artist, in preparation by Marc Ivasilevitch.

DMITRIY KOSMIN (RUSSIAN 1925-2003) Still Life with Milk, 1973 oil on canvas 59.7 x 69 cm (23 1/2 x 27 1/8 in.) signed and dated lower right; signed, dated, titled and inscribed to Mrs. Nakamura from the author on verso LOT NOTESThis painting was dedicated to Yoko Nakamura, the director of Gekkoso Gallery in Tokyo. Ms. Nakamura visited the Soviet Union numerous times on buying trips, beginning in 1969, and exported paintings by the top Soviet artists of the day.

PETR GELLER (RUSSIAN 1862-1933) The Tsar Ivan IV and the Hermit Nicholas Salos (Episode of the Expedition of the Tsar Ivan, the Terrible, to Pskoff), 1894 oil on canvas 206 x 150 cm (81 1/8 x 59 in.) signed lower right PROVENANCECollection of Frank C. Havens (purchased at public auction in February, 1912)Collection of M.H. de Young (aqcuired from the above collection at auction in 1916)Gifted by the above to the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco, 1918 (item 43628)EXHIBITEDLouisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, 1904 (no. 60 in the catalogue of the Russian section)LITERATURECatalogue of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904, p. 12, no. 60"Masterpieces of Russian Art in America," Current Literature Vol. XXXIX, no. 6 (1905): 626-628 (the present lot illustrated on p. 627)Robert C. Williams, "America's Lost Russian Paintings: Frank C. Havens and the Russian Collection of the 1904 St. Louis Exposition", The Soviet and Post-Soviet Review 7, no. 1 (1980): 1-27LOT NOTESThe present lot is by a prominent Russian artist Petr Isaakovich Geller, who studied at Odessa Painting School and graduated the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts in 1883. Soon after his graduation, Geller conferred a degree of a first class artist for his painting Ivan the Terrible's Deathbed Conversion executed in 1886. Just a year later, in 1887, the artist’s first freestyle work Jewish Recruits Taking the Enlistment Oath was acquired by the Imperial Academy of Arts Museum. From that point Geller begins exhibiting his history and genre paintings yearly. The Tsar Ivan IV and the Hermit Nicholas Salos being offered in this auction was created by the artist in 1894 and is among Geller’s largest and most famous works. It depicts an episode of Ivan the Terrible’s expedition to Pskov in 1570. Having grown suspicious of the loyalty of the citizens of Novgorod and Pskov, Ivan the Terrible set out with his troops to these cities with a devastating campaign. As the Pskov Chronicler relates, the Tsar came... with great fierceness, like a roaring lion, to tear apart innocent people and to shed much blood. But when the Tsar entered the city, his wrath was considerably appeased by the attitude of Pskov inhabitants - each family knelt at the gate of their house, bearing the customary Russian symbols of welcome, bread and salt, to meet the Tsar. As legend has it, the Tsar put up at the Monastery of Pskov and there visited the hermit Nicholas, surnamed “Salos”. Instead of presenting the Tsar with bread and salt, the hermit approached Ivan with a threat of divine punishment, cursed at him and, most memorably, offered the Tsar a piece of raw meat. When Ivan voiced his disgust, stating that he doesn’t eat flesh during Lent, Nicholas allegedly retorted that the Tsar did a far worse thing in devouring the flesh of Christians. Startled by the encounter, Ivan the Terrible did not touch Pskov, left the people in peace, and instead returned to Moscow.This subject has been illustrated by many Russian artists, including Andrei Ryabushkin and Ivan Pelevin. Almost an identical but smaller copy of the present lot created two years later by Grigory Myasoedov in 1899, is currently in the collection of the Memorial Estate-Museum of N.A. Yaroshenko in Kislovodsk.The present lot was exhibited at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis in 1904. Due to Russo-Japanese War, Russia had officially withdrawn from St. Louis, but Edward Grunwaldt, a Russian fur merchant, councilor of the Commerce for the Ministry of Finance and member of the Russian Aid Organization Committee for the Exposition, was allowed to continue its program as a private individual. He subsequently arranged contracts with each of the contributing artists in which he guaranteed that he would either sell their wares or return them at his expense. The collection arrived to St. Louis piecemeal and late and had to be housed on the second floor of the Central Arts Palace. Despite the exhibition being massive and impressive, the Russian paintings did not result in either the anticipated major prizes or big sales. The entire collection was shipped to New York again in 1905, then to Canada by Grunwaldt’s lawyer and ultimately to San Francisco, where an Oakland developer Frank C. Havens bought it at public auction in February, 1912, as an “unclaimed merchandise” from U.S. Customs. However, in 1916 Havens fell into financial distress and had to sell his collection at auction to private buyers. The Tsar Ivan IV and the Hermit Nicholas Salos ended up in the collection of Michael Henry de Young, co-founder of the San Francisco Chronicle, who in 1918 gifted the work to the Fine Arts Building in Golden Gate Park, later renamed into the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum.Today, Geller’s work can be found in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum and other museum as well as private collections around the world.

ALEXANDER TYSHLER (RUSSIAN 1898-1980) Cosmos, 1976 oil on canvas 75 x 75 cm (29 1/2 x 29 1/2 in.) signed and dated lower right PROVENANCEAcquired directly from the artist by Mikhail ChemiakinAcquired from the above by the present ownerEXHIBITEDForbidden Art: The Postwar Russian Avant-Garde, February 1998-April 2002The exhibition traveled to:Pasadena, ArtCenter College of Design, Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery, February 22 - May 3, 1998Moscow, The State Tretyakov Gallery, May 15 - June 15, 1999St. Petersburg, The State Russian Museum, February 12 - April 4, 1999Oxford, Ohio, Miami University Art Museum, November 2 - December 12, 1999Brighton, Massachusetts, Boston College, McMullen Museum of Art, October 15 - December 10, 2000Gainesville, University of Florida, Samuel P. Harm Museum of Art, April 12 - July 3, 2005Laramie, University of Wyoming Art Museum, September 8 - November 18, 2007St. Peter, Gustavus Adolphus College, Hillstrom Museum of Art, September 3 - November 10, 20088LITERATUREForbidden Art: The Postwar Russian Avant-Garde (Los Angeles, New York: Curatorial Assistance, Distributed Art Publishers, 1998), ex. cat., p. 232 (illustrated) RELATED LITERATUREMIHAIL CHEMIAKIN (New York: Mosaic Press, 1986). Vol. I: Russian Period, Paris Period, p. 36, showing Chemiakin and Tyshler with a fragment of a painting from the same series of three works as the present lot

DAVID SHTERENBERG (RUSSIAN 1881-1948) Still Life with Wine Bottle, Glass and Fruit, oil on canvas 70 x 60.9 cm (27 9/16 x 24 in.) signed lower right PROVENANCECollection of Carol Robinson (probably acquired directly from the artist circa 1925)Private collection by descent from the aboveJames D. Julia Auctions, Fairfield, Maine, August 25-27, 2004, lot 116Acquired at the above by the present ownerEXPERTISEAccompanied by an authenticity certificate from the Tretyakov Gallery signed by Yulia Rybakova, 2012. (Copy available upon request)LITERATUREG. D. Gloss, Music and the Moderns: The Life and Work of Carol Robinson (Metuchen: Scarecrow Press, 1993), p. 89, 257LOT NOTESThe present work comes from the collection of renowned American pianist and teacher Carol Robinson. She was an avid participant of the Parisian avant-garde scene, and counted among her milieu many artists and authors, such as Fernand Léger, Cocteau, Hemingway, Tchelitchew, Grosz and Terechkovitch. As documented in Robinson's biography, her impressive art collection comprised many works by such illustrious acquaintances, most gifted by the artists themselves. Robinson and Shterenberg met at a Parisian salon likely in 1925 or 1927, at which point this work (referred to in the biography as Still Life) entered Robinson's collection, where it would remain for several decades.By the 1920s, Shterenberg, who had lived in Paris for over a decade in 1906-1917, returned to Moscow in the pursuit of possibilities offered by the new communist state. These opportunities – to direct, for example, major international exhibitions of Soviet art and to display his own works — brought Shterenberg back to Paris at various points in the 1920s (Mikhail P. Lazarev, David Shterenberg, Painter and Era: the Artist's Path, (Moscow: Galaktika, 1992), pp. 174-200). He would continue his association with the Parisian avant-garde, including its primary actors, such as Picasso, Modigliani, Chagall and Kees van Dongen. Despite his involvement with proponents of Cubism and Fauvism, Shternberg did not follow any particular school or faction, preferring instead a syncretic approach.The present work is part of Shterenberg's most important and well-known genre: the still life. His fascination with materiality and the artist's role as its mediator made still lives the ideal vehicle through which to realize objects' essence. Here, the sharply tilted tabletop is populated by an empty wine bottle, delicate etched glass, brilliantly red strawberries, pear and apple in a basket and, finally, an oblong melon — all precariously teetering on the surface, yet modelled with all the gravity of real weighty objects. The painting surface — here striated and resembling wood grain, there scraped, revealing the plain weave of the canvas — is, too, both strikingly formalistic and suggestive of a somatic connection to the objects. Shternberg's powerful composition and perspective, coupled with his deft, detailed handling of the paint, create a layered vision that rewards attentive inspection.

SIMKHA SIMKHOVITCH (RUSSIAN 1893-1949) Girl in Pink (Portrait of the Artist's Daughter), circa 1941 oil on canvas board 50.8 x 40.5 cm (20 x 15 7/8 in.) signed lower left PROVENANCEJanet Marqusee Fine Arts Ltd., New YorkDoyle, New York, May 9, 2012, lot 85LOT NOTESThis painting was used as the cover illustration for the 1990 publication of the novel Allegra Maud Goldman, written by Edith Konecky.

AFRIKA [SERGEY BUGAEV] (RUSSIAN B.1966) Destructible Painting (Here), 1988 oil on oxidized steel 114 x 52 cm (44 7/8 x 20 1/2 in.) signed and dated lower right PROVENANCEStuart Levy Gallery, New York (label on stretcher)Acquired from the above by the Readers' Digest Association, 1991Acquired by the present owner from the RDA Estate sale, 2011EXHIBITEDNew York, Paul Judelson Arts, The First North American Exhibition of the Friends of the Mayakovsky Club, 1989Africa, January 15, 1992-June 13, 1993The exhibition traveled to:Los Angeles, Fisher Gallery, University of Southern California, January 15 - February 22, 1992Queens, New York, Queens Museum of Art, April 23 - June 14, 1992Columbus, Wehnex Center for the Arts, Ohio State University, April 2 - June 13, 1993LITERATURELouis Grachos, editor, Afrika, (Los Angeles: Fisher Gallery, 1991), ex. cat., p. 13 (illustrated) and p. 71 (installation view)

SACHA MOLDOVAN (RUSSIAN 1901-1982) Still Life with Dried Flowers and Persimmons, 1959 oil on canvas 97 x 46 cm (38 1/4 x 18 1/8 in.) signed lower left; signed and dated on verso LOT NOTESSacha Moldovan was born into a Jewish family in Kishinev, Moldova in 1901. Emigrating to the United States around 1915, Moldovan lived with his family on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, helping to support his family by working numerous jobs, while visiting museums and studying art at nights. After studying art at Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design in New York, he left in 1922-23 for Paris, where he met a fellow Jewish artist and émigré from Russia with whom he would maintain a life-long friendship, Chaim Soutine. Moldovan lived and worked in Paris for numerous years, where he developed his trademark style of thick outlines and masterful impasto painting. He exhibited widely at the Salons and various galleries in Paris before World War II, returning to the United States before the war and continuing an active and successful career as a painter.

OSCAR RABIN (RUSSIAN 1928-2018) Violin in the City, 1978 coloured chalk, coloured pencil and gouache on paper 37.4 x 53.7 cm (14 3/4 x 21 1/8 in.) signed and dated lower right; titled and numbered 1000 on verso PROVENANCEChristie's, London, November 26, 2008, lot 453This painting will be included in the catalogue raisonne on the artist, in preparation by Marc Ivasilevitch.

OSCAR RABIN (RUSSIAN 1928-2018) La Vierge, 2010 mixed media on paper 41 x 56.5 cm (16 1/8 x 22 1/4 in.) signed and dated twice lower right This painting will be included in the catalogue raisonne on the artist, in preparation by Marc Ivasilevitch.

ANDREY BELLOLI (RUSSIAN 1821-1881) The Young Countesses Novosiltsev (Apraksine) oil on canvas 42 x 32 cm (16 9/16 x 12 5/8 in.) signed lower right PROVENANCECollection of a St. Petersburg family, prior to 1917Thence by descent to the parents of the present owner on the occasion of their marriage, 1950LOT NOTESFor a portrait of the countesses with their siblings and mother, Ekaterina Ivanovna Novosilteva-Apraksine, see the painting by celebrated portraitist Karl Wilhelm Bardou (Russian-German 1757-1867), executed circa 1830, in the collection of the Orlov Museum of Fine Arts (ref. image 1)

OSCAR RABIN (RUSSIAN 1928-2018) Eau de vie, 1982 oil on canvas 46 x 55 cm (18 1/8 x 21 5/8 in.) signed and dated lower right This painting will be included in the catalogue raisonne on the artist, in preparation by Marc Ivasilevitch.

OSCAR RABIN (RUSSIAN 1928-2018) Brittney's Perversions, 2010 mixed media and collage in paper 32 x 47 cm (12 5/8 x 18 1/2 in.) signed and dated lower right This painting will be included in the catalogue raisonne on the artist, in preparation by Marc Ivasilevitch.

Inna Alexeyevna SHIROKOVA: Russian lacquer work artists painting, oil on canvas, signed and dated 1972, 100 x 80 cm, framed

Limited Edition, artist hand signed. Certificate of Authenticity.A rare limited edition color lithograph, ARTIST & EIFFEL TOWER, hand signed by Russian-French artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985), an early modernist associated with several major artistic styles who worked in a wide range of artistic formats, including painting, drawings, stained glass, ceramics, and fine art prints. Certificate of Authenticity and Certificate of Appraisal. Presented in a decorative linen matte and a gilt wooden frame. Art 19.25"H x 16"W. Artist: Marc Chagall Issued: 1979 Dimensions: 32.5"H x 29"W, framed Edition Number: 39 Edition Size: 50 Country of Origin: France

RUSSIA - ZVENIGORODSKOI COLLECTIONSTASOV (VLADIMIR VASILEVICH) Livre du livre Les Emaux Byzantins [Istoriia Knigi Vizantiskiia Emali A.V. Zvenigorodskago], FIRST EDITION, LIMITED TO 100 COPIES, this copy numbered '71', text in French, lithographed title printed in red and black, limitation leaf printed in gilt and black, 6 plates (2 chromolithographed), printed tissue guards, blue and gilt printed decorative endpapers, publisher's white pictorial cloth blocked in gilt and black, spine similarly decorated, page edges richly ornamented in red and gilt, 4to (302 x 200mm.), St. Petersburg, 1898Footnotes:A VERY FINE COPY of a beautifully presented work by Vladimir Stasov (1824–1906), director of the art department at the Imperial Public Library and a member of the Russian Archaeological Society, celebrating the catalogue of Zvenigorodskoi's exceptional collection of Byzantine enamels (published in 1892, see previous lot).Provenance: Byzantine Library of Panos A. Zamvakellis, author of Introduction To Byzantine Painting (1985), bookplate.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: •• Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A Napoleonic battle scene pencil on paper, framed, 33 x 44cm; together with a folio of pencil drawings and watercolours relating to the battle, on twelve sheets, double-sided, some inscribed and annotated in pencil in English and a few in Russian (13)Footnote: Provenance: Sotheby's, Sussex, 20 May 1991, lot 324 Alexander Ivanovich Sauerweid was born in the Dutchy of Courland in the Baltic region - the present-day Latvia. When Courtland was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1795, his family fled to Germany. He trained at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts between 1806 and 1812. One of his early commissions was a series of horse portraits for Napoleon. Following his travels to Paris and London, he finally settled in St Petersburg in 1814, where he was invited by Czar Alexander I to paint portraits of Russian soldiers and their uniforms. He specialised in battle painting and taught at the Imperial Academy, of which he was made an honorary member in 1827. His paintings were praised for their sense of documentary accuracy and were displayed in Imperial Palaces.

Framed watercolour and gouache painting of a Russian folk scene by Elena Khmeleva (exhibited at Artists of Russia Exhibition Springwood House Hindhead Surrey) 58 cm x 47.5 cm (size including frame)

Vladimir Beilin (Russian, 20th C.) "Soyuz-Apollo Docking in Space" Watercolor. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day of Issue Maximum Card for the Russia Soyuz-Apollo stamp issued May 29, 1992. Its announced goal was to test a docking system designed for use in space rescue missions. But to the people of the United States and Soviet Union, the Soyuz-Apollo joint mission meant much more. First small warming trend in the Cold War, the mission began on July 15, 1975, with the launches of Soyuz and Apollo spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and Cape Canaveral just a few hours apart. The two craft took two days to maneuver into position for docking 140 miles above the surface of the Earth. Then, in an intricate series of rocket thrusts, the Apollo docking module successfully latched onto the Soyuz. In awkward Russian, astronaut Tom Stafford exulted "We have succeeded!" His Soviet counterpart Alexei Leonov responded in English "Good show!" In the festive atmosphere that followed, astronauts Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton greeted cosmonauts Leonov and Valery Kubasov with the first "handshake in space" and even shared a friendly meal of borscht aboard Soyuz. Image Size: 8.5 x 12 in. Overall Size: 10.25 x 15 in. Unframed. (B13800)

Brian Sanders (British, B. 1937) "Battle of Kursk" Oil on Canvas. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting originally appeared on the Republic of the Marshall Islands 29¢ Battle of Kursk 1943 Se-tenant Pair issued July 5, 1993. Soviet Russia ... the nation Adolf Hitler considered Germany's most deadly enemy. In 1941, the fascist dictator launched Operation Barbarossa -- the German invasion of Russia. For two years, Hitler's war machine relentlessly hammered at the Soviet Union. But in early 1943, with the Soviet victory at Stalingrad, the tide turned. Enraged over this ruinous defeat, Hitler ordered a counterattack against Russian forces at Kursk and dispatched a massive Panzer force to the city. His trump cards were Germany's fearful new armored weapons -- the Tiger and Panther tanks. Soviet forces, recently victorious at Stalingrad, were well-prepared for the vengeful German onslaught at Kursk, with a strong defensive perimeter and numerical superiority in both armor and men. On July 5, the battle began with a German pincer movement from the north and south. The Germans suffered great losses of both men and machinery but made little progress. A week later, the Russians initiated a counteroffensive which ultimately forced the enemy to retreat. More than two million soldiers and 6,000 tanks were engaged at Kursk, considered the greatest tank battle of the war. Image Size: 14.25 x 34.25 in. Overall Size: 18.25 x 38.5 in. Unframed. (B14235 / B14236)

Paul Calle (1928 - 2010) and Chris Calle (B. 1961) "1940's - State of War Becomes Global" Signed lower right. Mixed Media on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting originally appeared on the Republic of the Marshall Islands The 20th Century series 60c State of Warfare Becomes Global stamp issued November 16, 1998. On June 22, 1941, more than three million German troops crossed the Russian border in a deliberate betrayal of the 1939 non-aggression pact between Hitler and Stalin. Six months later, on Sunday, December 7, 1941, without warning, hundreds of Japanese planes attacked America's Pacific Fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor. The Arizona was completely destroyed with a loss of more than 1,100 men. Torpedo bombers sank the Oklahoma, California, Nevada and West Virginia, and damaged the Maryland, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. The following day, President Roosevelt declared December 7 to be "a date which will live in infamy." That same day Congress declared war on Japan, and Germany and Italy responded with declarations of war on America. By the end of the month, World War II had become global, with 38 nations involved, including 10 on the Axis side. Image Size: 11 x 14 in. Overall Size: 13 x 22 in. Unframed. (B16240 / B16241)

Two Russian icons, oil/tempera on panel, the larger depicting Christ and the Resurrection, 34.5 x 26cm (af), the smaller featuring four panels including Madonna and Child, 26.5 x 20.3cm, and a Romanian school devotional painting depicting the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, with stamped label verso, 36 x 27cm, framed (all af) (3).Provenance: formerly in a French chalet.Additional InformationFirst icon has surface losses in numerous places including to centre section to the lower left of Christ, the smaller with several areas of losses including to the lower left panel upper section. The last item appears to have suffered from heat damage as there is damage to the paint. All are very dirty with heavy wear and tear. The two icons with historic worm throughout the panels and both feature sliding wedges to the reverse. The frame of the third item also has historic worm.

Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (Russian, 1874–1947)Old Chapel in Valdai CountyTitled [in Cyrillic] "Watchtower in Pskov" on original Louisiana Purchase Exposition label verso, oil on panel12 x 16 in. (30.5 x 40.6cm)Executed in 1903.PROVENANCE:Private Collection, California.EXHBITED:"The Louisiana Purchase Exposition" (also known as the "Saint Louis World's Fair"), Saint Louis, Missouri, April 30-December 1, 1904, no. 65 (per original label verso).NOTE:Nicholas Roerich is a towering figure in Russian painting of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During his storied career, he was also an archaeologist, poet, lawyer, and philosopher who widely travelled-living in his native Russia, Finland, England, India, and America. He also achieved fame as a theater set designer, was a devout follower of mysticism, and was an ardent advocate for the preservation of cultural heritage, objects, institutions, and monuments. Begun as a private initiative, he is credited with developing proposals establishing what became known as the 'Roerich Pact:' an inter-American treaty signed into law in 1935 to protect cultural property in times of war.Born in St. Petersburg, Russia to an upper middle class family, Roerich showed an early aptitude for drawing and enrolled in the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1893. He later directed the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts. Considered a Russian Symbolist, he studied with the landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi. Said to have executed over seven thousand works during his lifetime, he was inspired by "historic sources: folklore, legends, and ancient monuments. But greater emphasis is placed by him on intuition and the penetration into the spirit of the Past" (M.S. Nanjunda Rao, Nicolas Roerich, New Delhi, 1992). In Russia, Roerich completed monumental paintings, church mosaics and frescoes. In 1903, when the present work was painted, Roerich and his wife Helena embarked on a forty city tour of ancient Russian cities.As noted in Nicholas Roerich, A Quest & A Legacy (Manju Kak, ed., New Delhi, 2013, pp. 11-12), the artist's work may be divided into three periods: his Russian period, his Theatrical Phase, and his Mountain Phase, the third following his arrival in Bombay in 1923. The present work was likely painted during the first of these phases and is part of a series of nearly seventy works referred to as the 'Architectural Studies' from his travels though old Russian towns. As Kak notes, "The deep patriotic-nationalistic roots of Roerich led to his search for Russia's pagan beginnings and folklore and they were the subject of his earlier paintings" (Kak, op. cit., pp. 192).Painted with rich applications of dark-toned impasto, the present work depicts an old chapel, its cupola apparently adorned with a cross, framed by the surrounding forest, invoking a spiritual, mystical ambience.

An antique late 19th / early 20th century oil on canvas painting of an early 18th Century Russian gentleman in tradition court regalia / clothing. Depicted wearing a red cloak, with fur edges and a silver interlocking chain fastener, atop a presumed military tunic. Unsigned. Reputedly commissioned by the vendor's family in the early 20th century. Framed. Total size approx; 90cm x 73cm. 

Alexander Dimitreivich SOFRONOFF (1901-1948) Russian, oil on canvas 21" x 28", of a river with trees. Sofronoff was an anti-bolshevik who fled Russia in 1922 to Manchuria then went to China in 1931 before settling in Ceylon in 1936 where he greatly influenced Sri Lankan painting

Original vintage WWI propaganda poster: La Grande Guerre - La prise de Przemysl (Text translates as: The Great War - The capture of Przemysl). Woodcut print with hand colouring through stencils by Eduardo Garcia Benito (1891-1981) featuring Russian soldiers walking in the snow. Przemysl was a fortified town on the Austro-Hungarian border with Russia (in present day Poland, 125 miles east of Kraków). The siege was the longest of the war, beginning on 24 September and ending on 22 March 1915 (with a brief cessation in October). It was a major defeat for Austria-Hungary. The text on the print expressed the view of many, that the fall of the garrison would give Russia access into Hungary. Print no. 53bis from the 2nd series La Grande Guerre. Published by Tolmer & Co. Eduardo Benito was a Spanish fashion illustrator and painter, noted for his Vogue covers of the 1920s and 1930s. He studied at the Mignon studio, and later trained under Daniel Vierge. In 1912 he moved to Paris, he later spent 15 years painting Vogue covers. Among Benito's subjects as a portrait painter were Alfonso XIII of Spain, Paul Poiret, and the Chinese Royal family. Also in 1912, he won a scholarship to study at L’École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Very good condition, fold in top left corner, small tears, foxing and staining in margins. Country: France, year of printing: 1915, designer: Eduardo Garcia Benito, size (cm): 32x40.5 (Horizontal)

Small Russian religious oil painting on porcelain 7.5 x 12cm

Ace of Aces Erich Hartmann signed WW2 Robert Taylor print. 36 x 24 inches. Only 1250 issued. Eric Hartmann became the world's top-scoring fighter pilot, achieving 352 aerial victories during World War II, a feat that is never likely to be surpassed. Flying the legendary Messerschmitt Me109, Hartmann was invincible in the air, achieving his phenomenal success during no fewer than 1400 combat missions. His tactics were simple: Get in so close to your opponent that you cannot miss. This required supreme courage and flying skill but was not without its hazards: of the 16 times he was brought down, 8 of these were caused by flying debris from the aircraft he had just destroyed. Robert Taylor's beautiful painting depicts Erich Hartmann, Ace of Aces, leading a swarm of Me109Gs as they half-roll into attack, high over the Russian front. This print has gone on to become one of the most highly desired in the world, and is sold at tremendous value in the rare occasion it appears on the secondary market! Each print in the edition is individually signed by the greatest fighter Ace in history: Oberst ERICH HARTMANN KC WITH OAK LEAVES, SWORDS AND DIAMONDS. Condition report foxing to borders couple tough to see on main image. All autographs are genuine hand signed and come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99.

Clara Ivanovna Kalinicheva (Russian 1933-1999) Landscape with a Red Cat Signed, titled and inscribed to verso Oil on board, executed in the 1960s 35.6 x 73.5cmProvenance: Acquired from the artist's family in 2010; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani ArtLiterature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 248, 250-251 (illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century.Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Evgeny Spiridonovich Logvinenko (Russian b.1944) Sunrise on the Black Sea Signed and dated 1983, and further signed, dated, titled and inscribed to verso Oil on board 22.5 x 35.4cm Unframed Together with Boris Nikolaevich Bezikovich (Russian 1917-1980), Edge of a Forest, signed, dated 1948, titled and inscribed to verso, oil on canvas, 11.8 x 29.3cm, unframed and unstretched (2) Provenance: Each acquired from Moscow private collections by the present owner, 2007 and 2009; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Literature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 239-241. 270-271 (illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Ivan Yegorovich Bazanov (Russian b. 1946) Narrow Street Flickering; Memorial House of the Painter E.V. Nagaievskaya Two, each signed and further signed, titled, dated 2002 and 2003, and inscribed to verso Each oil on canvas 22 x 14cm; 15 x 20cm The latter unframed (2) Provenance: Both acquired from a Moscow private collection by the current owner, 2009; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Literature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 233-237 (both illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Evgeny Davidovich Redko (Russian 1924-2004) Autumn Evening Signed, titled, dated 1980s and inscribed to verso Oil on board 34.7 x 46.7cm Provenance: Acquired by the present owner from the artist's family, 2006; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Literature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 354-355 (illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Evgeny Davidovich Redko (Russian 1924-2004) Wide Space Signed, dated 1980s, titled and inscribed to verso Oil on board 28.5 x 37.9cm Provenance: Acquired by the present owner from the artist's family, 2006; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Literature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 340-341 (illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Evgeny Davidovich Redko (Russian 1924-2004) The School Girl; Work in Spring; Fog in Winter Three, each signed and titled to verso Each oil on card Largest 36 x 48cm; Smallest 11.7 x 11.7cm Two unframed (3) Provenance: All acquired from the artist's family by the current owner, 2006; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Literature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 344-345, 349 (all illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Kim Nikolaevich Britov (Russian 1925-2010) Spring Twilight Signed, and further signed, dated 2007, titled and inscribed to verso Oil on canvas board 33 x 45.8cm Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist's estate by the current owner, 2010; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Igor Nikolaevich Avramenko (Russian b.1964) Sunset on the Caspian Sea; Street scene Each signed with initials Mixed media 40.7 x 46.8cm; 49.9 x 39.8cm Both unframed Together with A. Makhonin (Russian 20th Century), Still life with lilacs in a vase, signed and dated 1953, oil on card, 36.7 x 32.8cm, unframed (3) Provenance: Avramenkos with Seasons of the Year Gallery, Moscow, 2008, where acquired by the current owner; Makhonin acquired from a Moscow private collection; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Literature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 226-227, 230-231, 274-275 (all illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Evgeny Fiodorovich Karasiov (Russian 1926-1997) On the Volga Signed, dated 1957, and titled to verso Oil on card 13 x 18.6cm Together with Dmitriy Gavrilovich Leskin (Russian 1928-2008), Academicheskaya Dacha, signed and indistinctly titled and inscribed to verso, oil on cardboard, 10.2 x 15.4cm (2) Provenance: Karasiov acquired by the current owner from Seasons of the Year Gallery, Moscow, 2005; Leskin acquired by the current owner from a private collection; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Literature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 252, 258-259, 264, 266-267 (both illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Phikret Mamedovich Kashimov (Azerbaijani b.1948) Moon Song Signed with monogram, and further signed, inscribed and dated 1991 to verso Oil on canvas 96 x 172cm Unframed and unstretched Provenance: A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Sergei Nikolaievich Andriyaka (Russian b. 1943) Fir trees in the snow; Autumn trees Two, both signed, one dated 2010, the other 2004 Both watercolour 68.2 x 51.2cm; 74.6 x 53.2cm (2) Provenance: Both acquired from the artist by the current owner; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Literature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 216-217, 220-221 (both illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Sergei Nikolaievich Andriyaka (Russian b. 1943) Flooded forest; Landscape with buildings amongst trees; Landscape with a path running alongside a forest Three, each signed and variously dated 2008, 2004, and 2007, and extensively inscribed to backing boards Each watercolour 11.2 x 16.6cm; 11 x 17.4cm; 10 x 17.8cm (3) Provenance: Each acquired directly from the artist by the present owner; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Literature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 214-215, 218 (each illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Sergei Petrovich Tkachev (Russian b.1922) Pasture Signed, and further signed, dated 1980, titled and inscribed to verso Oil on board 48 x 59.7cm Provenance: A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Yuri Krotov (Russian b.1964) In the Garden Signed, and further signed and titled to verso Oil on canvas 73 x 50cm Unframed Provenance: A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Natta Konysheva (Russian b.1935) Sergei's Birthday; The Circus Two, the latter signed, and each signed, titled and dated 1999 and 2000 to verso The former oil on canvas, the latter oil on board 46.3 x 84.6cm; 39.3 x 58.9cm (2) Provenance: Each acquired directly from the artist's estate by the present owner, c. 2010; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Emin Mamedov (Russian 20th Century) Still life with a vase Inscribed to verso Oil on canvas 90.5 x 70cm Unframed Together with Breezhatyk (Russian 20th Century), Mother and Child, signed and dated 98, oil on canvas, 80.2 x 50.3cm, unframed (2) Provenance: A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Pavel Alexandrovich Radimov (Russian 1887-1967) Village landscape Oil on cardboard Inscribed and numbered 025624 to verso 27.8 x 44.7cm Unframed Provenance: Acquired from the artist's family by the current owner c.2007-2008; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Literature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 329-331 (illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

Leonid Vasilievich Markov (Russian 1926-1988) Still life with a vase of roses Signed and titled to verso Oil on board 41.8 x 23.4cm Unframed Provenance: Acquired from the artist's family by the current owner, 2010; A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art Literature: Natalia Alexandrova and Olga Polyanskaya, Beyond the Boundaries of Socialist Realism (Unicorn Press, 2015), pp. 276-277 (illustrated) Lots 237-261 A Private Collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani Art This privately owned collection of Soviet, Russian and Azerbaijani art illustrates some of the most interesting aesthetic developments in the art of the former USSR in the 20th century. Stalin died in 1953, an event which led to a remarkable sequence of events in the Soviet art world. Over the course of the next decade, Nikita Khrushchev would release prisoners from labour camps, deliver a speech which denounced Stalin and authorise far greater freedom of artistic and personal expression. This period gradually became known as "The Thaw" and, in 1960, the All-Russian Union of Artists was organized, a body to which many of these artists in this group belonged. This was also the moment when the extraordinary holdings of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the Hermitage and Tretyakov became available for study by the artistic community. The effect was immediately felt and there is a generation of artists from 1960 onwards who echo the style, composition and aesthetic of the French forebears. Andriyaka (lots 247-249) Britov (lot 243), Redko (lots 240-242), Karasiov (lot 245) and, perhaps most importantly Sergei Tkachev (lot 252) exemplify this dynamic. The Socialist Realist style is captured by Redko (lots 240-242) with workers in the fields and the village landscapes of Radimov (lot 258) and Vasin (lot 254). However, the period after the Thaw was an exciting and febrile time when scientists, workers and engineers became the heroes of painting. From these economic and sociological changes, a style of painting known as "The Severe" was born. Obrosov was a leading pioneer of the Severe (lot 259). As an artist, he has received retrospective shows in the State Russian Museum and his work is held by the Tretyakov and other major institutions, yet he remains largely unknown in the West. The same could be said for many of the artists represented in this group, often carefully selected from the artists' studios. The Azerbaijani School is represented by a single, almost mystical composition (lot 246) which recalls the style of Chagall who, it must be remembered, was born in Belarus which was part of the USSR at the time. The group also contains a number of works by important female painters, for example, Natta Konysheva (lot 255) and Kalinicheva (lot 237) who has often too simply been regarded as Mrs Viktor Popkov, the famous Severe artist. Many of these artists were teachers as well as practitioners and they willingly bore the responsibility for moulding the aesthetic styles of the current contemporary artists in Russia. This collection shines a much needed spotlight on undervalued and largely unrecognised talent.

A 20th Century Russian oil painting, depicting Russian figures throughout, 59cm x 87cm

A LARGE OIL ON CANVAS RUSSIAN STYLE PAINTING of the Holy Family with the Dove of the Holy Spirit and God above in a heavy gilt frame

Russian School mixed media painting, abstract study, indistinctly signed, 13.5ins x 15.5ins

A RELIGIOUS 20TH CENTURY ICON "Madonna and Child" in the Russian manner, gilded highlights, Oil painting on tin, applied to a wooden back, 33cm x 28cm

Oil Painting - Iconic Figure on a timber panel, Russian, possibly early 19th C, 41cm 31cm

Russian School, 20th century, River scene, initialled and dated '87, titled in Cyrillic script on verso, oil on board, 32 x 36cm, 12.5 x 14.25in.Condition report: The painting is in very good, original condition with no obvious faults to report. The painting is framed but not glazed. The frame has some scuffs and scratches commensurate with age.

Igor Pavlovich Rubinsky (Russian, 1919-95), "Harbour on the Kamchatka Peninsula", signed, dated 1988 and titled in Cyrillic script on verso, oil on board, 39 x 59cm, 15.25 x 23.25in.Condition report: The painting is in very good, original condition with no obvious faults to report. The painting is framed but not glazed.

Sonia Handford (1925-2010): 'Fruits for Africa', oil on canvas, signed lower right, H 92 x W 92 cm. Provenance: The artist's daughter. Note: Born to Russian Jewish parents who settled in England in the early 1900s, Sonia Handford was educated at Clapham County Girls' Grammar School, and later at Wimbledon School of Art (1942-1945) under Lionel Ellis (1903-1988) where she received the 'Painting with Merit' award. She travelled widely during her life, beginning with France, Spain, Italy and Greece and later to Egypt, Russia, and the U.S.A. and exhibited at Wandsworth Town Hall (1963), Moriarty's Wine Bar, West Hampstead (1989) and Shaftesbury Arts Centre (2004). She also had an extensive teaching career at Sydenham School for Girls, Whitechapel Art Gallery, Balls Park College of Education, St. Albans School for Boys and Hampstead Comprehensive. Major influences on her work include: Picasso, Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Cezanne and Van Gogh

Original vintage travel advertising poster published by the Swiss Federal Railways - Switzerland invites you - featuring a colourful design by Swiss graphic designer and painter Alois Carigiet (1902-1985) depicting a yellow straw hat decorated with flowers. Printed in Switzerland by Wolfsberg. Alois Carigiet (30 August 1902 – 1 August 1985) was a Swiss graphic designer, painter, and illustrator. He may be known best for six children's picture books set in the Alps, A Bell for Ursli and its sequels, written by Selina Chönz, and three that he wrote himself. In 1966 he received the inaugural Hans Christian Andersen Medal for children's illustrators. After having completed his apprenticeship, Carigiet sought work in Zurich and started a job as a practical trainee with Max Dalang's advertisement agency in 1923, where he soon learned the techniques of graphic design and was hired as a regular employee. After having won several competitions and having gained a reputation, Carigiet opened his own graphic atelier in Zurich in 1927, employing up to six people at times, due to the constantly large volume of orders his business received. Carigiet created numerous commercial and political advertisement posters, festive decorations, educational posters and murals for schools, illustrations and satirical caricatures for the print media, as well as magazine covers for periodicals such as Schweizer Spiegel and SBB-Revue.[6] Important work in the 1930s included a diorama for the Swiss Pavilion at the Paris International world fair in 1937, and set designs, murals and the official posters for the "Landi", the Swiss national exposition held in Zurich in 1939. Though he had never studied visual arts in the academic sense, Carigiet's early graphic design was already strongly influenced by contemporary artists, such as El Lissitzky, whose use of photomontage in a poster announcing the exhibition of Russian avant-garde artists in Zurich, in 1928, inspired the design of a political campaign poster for Zurich's mayor Emil Klöti. In the early 1930s Carigiet traveled to Paris, Munich, Vienna, and Salzburg where he became acquainted with the art movement Neue Sachlichkeit, as reflected in painted scenes of Paris in Das rote Haus am Montmartre (watercolor) and of Ascona in Haus und Garten in Ascona (oil painting on cardboard), both created in 1935. Contemporary expressionism had an influence on his work as well, including his commercial artwork. For example, the display of red horses and a green cow on posters for the OLMA, Switzerland’s annual national agricultural fair, in 1946 and 1952 received acclaim from art critics and questions from more conservative farmers, to which he succinctly replied that the cow was green because it had eaten grass. Carigiet's paintings increasingly depicted everyday motifs from his home canton Graubünden and occasionally Zurich, but also from further trips to France, Spain, and Lapland in the mid-1930s. Carigiet always held a keen interest in the theatre, and had already worked in costume design in the late 1920s. With the help of art critic Jakob Rudolf Welti, he was commissioned as costume and stage designer for the Stadttheater Zürich performance of La belle Hélène in an adaptation by Max Werner Lenz, and created design work for three other programs at the Stadttheater as well. Carigiet was one of the founding members of the influential Cabaret Cornichon, a satirical cabaret program staged in the restaurant "zum Hirschen" in Zurich which would become one of the most significant political cabarets of German-speaking Switzerland during Germany's Nazi regime. Carigiet designed the Cabaret's logo, a grinning cornichon (gherkin) with a carrot-nose, and from 1935 to 1946 he created often parodistic costume and set designs for ten of the Cornichon’s programs, including a heavily decorated barrel organ used by his brother Zarli who was also a member of the Cabaret's ensemble.Year of printing: 1937, country of printing: Switzerland, designer: Alois Carigiet, dimensions (cm): 102x64. Fair condition, repaired tears in margins, creases and cracks.

A contemporary oil painting of the Bacino, Venice, in the manner of Canaletto by a Russian artist, unsigned, 29 x 49 cm

A LARGE OIL ON CANVAS RUSSIAN STYLE PAINTING of the Holy Family with the Dove of the Holy Spirit and God above in a heavy gilt frame