ID 195582
Lot 48* | VRUBEL, MIKHAIL (1856–1910). Volkhova
Estimate value
£ 80 000 – 120 000
Earthenware with lustre glazes, height 41.5 cm.
Provenance: Icons, Russian Pictures and Works of Art, Sotheby’s London, 24 November 1992, lot 36.
Private collection, Europe.
Related literature: For similar works, see Ia Peterburg Liubliu. Russkii muzei v Moskve, St Petersburg, Palace Editions, p. 104, illustrated and listed.
Il Simbolismo russo. Sergej Djagilev e l’Età d’argento nell’arte, Milano, Electra, 1992, p. 143, No. 101, illustrated in black and white; p. 201, listed.
Volkhova belongs to Mikhail Vrubel’s famous series of sculptures inspired by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera Sadko. The artist first tackled this folk story in 1897, after marrying the opera singer Nadezhda Zabela (1868–1913), one of the most brilliant sopranos of her time. The artist became a great admirer of Sadko, since the part of the Sea Princess Volkhova, sung by Zabela in the 1896 production of the opera, came to be the pinnacle of her career.
The image of the Sea Princess Volkhova, created by Zabela, who would appear on stage with her hair loose and intertwined with seaweed, and wearing a costume made from a design by Vrubel, in turn, inspired the artist to create a number of works. In 1898, he painted the pictures The Sea Princess (State Russian Museum) and The Sea King’s Farewell to Princess Volkhova (State Tretyakov Gallery) and, in 1899, he reproduced his favourite musical image in majolica. There are different versions of this sculpture, which is coated with reducing glazes in the brown-to-ochre range with a golden, magenta-copper, dark purple, opal-pink and olive sheen. It was the abundance of the colour choices and the endless variety of purely pictorial effects that attracted Vrubel to majolica.
In the version presented for auction, one of the most successful variants of this topic, the iridescent mother-of-pearl surface resembles a shell, and the whole figure of Volkhova gives the impression that she is ethereal and dream-like. The Sea Princess appears before us, with her unfastened hair seeming to flow along her body together with the water and wearing a kokoshnik crown on her head. Her pose is unconstrained, as she looks thoughtfully at the viewer, supporting her cheek with one hand, and her elbow with the other. This makes the ironic sadness that the artist has put into the princess’s beautiful face, with its large, pensive eyes, all the more striking and pronounced. The possibility of “fusing” different paints makes the surface of the sculpture similar to semi-precious stones. The sculpture’s apparent resemblance to Nadezhda Zabela makes it a kind of portrait of the singer in one of her best opera roles.
Address of auction |
MacDougall Arts Ltd. 63 New Cavendish St. W1G 7LP London United Kingdom | |
---|---|---|
Preview |
| |
Phone | +44 20 7389 8160 | |
Phone | +7 495 799 4683 | |
Fax | +44 (0) 20 7389 8170 | |
Conditions of purchase | Conditions of purchase | |
Shipping |
Postal service Courier service pickup by yourself | |
Payment methods |
Wire Transfer |
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.