Iurii Pavlovich Annenkov (1889-1974) and Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok (1880-1921) - photo 1

Iurii Pavlovich Annenkov (1889-1974) and Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok (1880-1921)

Starting price
£ 24 000
Auction dateClassic
30.07.2020 00:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 381312
Lot 104 | Iurii Pavlovich Annenkov (1889-1974) and Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok (1880-1921)
ANNENKOV, Iurii Pavlovich (1889-1974, illustrator), and Aleksandr Aleksandrovich BLOK (1880-1921, author). Dvenadtsat. [The Twelve.] St Petersburg: Alkonost, 1918.

Unique copy of the rare first edition, containing an additional original dedicatory drawing by Annenkov portraying Il’ia Ionov, the official who had commissioned the book. Only 300 copies of this publication were printed, this is number 219, initialled by Annenkov in red ink. Dvenadtsat is one of the most important poems in Russian, one of the first artistic responses to the October Revolution, and this first separate edition combining Blok’s text with Annenkov’s art is a masterpiece of book illustration. RBH and ABPC record only two other copies of this edition having sold at auction (both Christie’s), one of which in a modern binding without the wrappers. The dedicatee of this exceptional copy, editor, poet and critic Il'ia Ionov, was president of the publications department of the Petrograd Soviet, and from 1919 to 1923 head of the Petrograd branch of Gosizdat (State Publishing). A keen appreciator of visual arts (he acquired a collection during a trip to Germany with Grigori Zinoviev), as a government officer he strictly adhered to party lines. Maksim Gorky, whose editions of World Literature were closed down by the zealous official, described him as ‘an incurable individualist’. And perhaps this sketch, though undoubtedly a tribute, portraying a self-assured Ionov walking briskly through the city with a shaft of papers under his arm, subtly draws attention to his aloof persona. MoMA, The Russian Avant-Garde Book, 170.

Folio (320 x 245mm). With additional original drawing in black ink on thin paper (210 x 135mm) tipped in and glued at gutter, portraying Ionov and with illustrator’s dedication and monogram (paper lightly foxed). Complete with 15 full-page illustrations and 9 vignettes by Annenkov, all printed on thick laid paper (occasional negligible soiling). Original illustrated wrappers printed in red and black (top half of spine worn with discreet repairs, edges lightly worn, a little dusted). Provenance: Iurii Annenkov (drawing dedicated to:) – Il’ia Ionov (‘To the head of the Petrograd Gosizdat, Ionov, with thanks. I[urii] A[nnenkov]).
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.07.2020 – 30.07.2020
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.