A Fall of Fine Art

From 7-8 November, Shapiro Auctions is holding a two-day auction of important works of art, comprising more than 700 lots of paintings, drawings, sculpture, jewellery, silver and decorative arts. The first day of the auction is dedicated to the fine arts, and includes important paintings and drawings by listed artists. The second day of the auction is replete with fine jewellery, Western and Russian bronzes, porcelain vases, antique silver and enamel pieces, and fine Estate furniture. 

One of the most important and rare lots on offer in the auction is Evgeny Alexandrovich Lanceray’s 'Arabic Horse Games'. Lanceray (1848-1886) was known as the pre-eminent sculptor of horses of his day, both in Russia and abroad, and influenced other sculptors, such as Frederic Remington. The present lot was the largest bronze grouping, as well as the most expensive, in his career. Comprised of four distinct horsemen, with their weapons raised in the air in a fantasia style, the sculpture is imposing and breathtaking, measuring 68 x 102 cm. This model has rarely appeared at auction, apparently only three times over the past ten years, with the auction record set in 2013 at $482,500.

Another highlight of the sale, exceptional in its rarity and Baroque emotiveness, is Veil of Veronica by Francisco de Zurbaran (1598-1664). Zurbaran, known as the 'Spanish Caravaggio' due to his masterful use of chiaroscuro, was known to have painted a number of paintings of this subject in his lifetime. This version has an extensive provenance, and was in the collection of Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, as of 1959, then to Knoedler Galleries in New York by 1974. It is fresh to the market and powerful in its size and intensity. 

The auction includes four works by Vietnamese Impressionist masters Le Pho and two by Vu Cao Dam, all with Findlay Gallery provenance. Both of these artists are highly collectable in Vietnam and their prices in the secondary market continue to grow steadily over time. In the same vein, on offer are the best works of the Russian futurist artist David Burliuk (1882-1967). Over ten of his works are included in the auction, all with impeccable provenance, including the Collection of Joseph Hirshhorn, and the Collection of Ella Jaffe Friedus, a close friend and collector of Burliuk.

The works of Abraham Manievich (1883-1942) are also impressionistic, but in a different way than the style of Vu Cao Dam and Le Pho. Manievich, a Ukrainian Jewish émigré to America, is known for his colourful and symbolic landscapes. In a manner reminiscent of Oskar Kokoschka and Marc Chagall, Manievich’s landscapes and townscapes are imbued with emotion that emanates onto the viewer, achieved through their dynamic and lyrical brushwork and masterful use of colour. There are two early works by the artist, one dating to his Kiev period, and the other painted when he was living in the Bronx and Westchester portions of New York, Boston Post Road, c. 1923 and Autumn, Kiev, 1918.

Two rare and desirable American lots in this sale include a a rare Tiffany Studios leaded glass, bronze 'Russian' table lamp from 1910, and an American seven-piece silver service by S. Kirk & Son, Baltimore, from the mid 19th century. Paintings and drawings by American artists in the sale include works by artists such as Guy Wiggins, Robert Phillipp, Wolf Kahn, Rockwell Kent, Walt Kuhn, Ivan Olinsky and more.

Russian and Polish contemporary art is another specialty that the auction house has developed over many years. On the Russian side, the November sales have a very full offering of works by 'non-conformist' and conceptual Russian artists, such as Evgeny Rukhin, Mikhail Chemiakin, Ernest Neizvestny, Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Ilya Kabakov, Oleg Tselkov, Leonid Purygin and more. Several large and important works by Purygin are included in the sale, including a triptych entitled Moloch, which was originally sold at the seminal first auction of Sotheby’s held in the Soviet Union in 1988, as well as a masterful canvas painting of his daughter entitled Dunya Ballerina.

Isidor Kaufmann (1853-1921) is one of the most highly celebrated artists of the 19th century, known for his incredible attention to detail and exceptionally realistic portraits and scenes of Jewish life in Central and Eastern Europe. Here is his portrait of a Hungarian Rabbi with Prayer Shawl. Exhibiting Kaufmann’s deft and remarkably precise style, the painting resonates with the gravity and regal qualities of the sitter. It was included in the 1995 exhibition at the Vienna Jewish Museum dedicated to the artist.

 The November auctions at Shapiro also feature a large variety of signed jewellery pieces, as well as diamond, gold and precious stone jewellery. This includes pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., Harry Winston and Cartier, in addition to Faberge and Russian jewellery. Of special note is an eight-karat diamond ring with GIA certificate and a gold and enamel woven bracelet made by Angela Cummings for Tiffany.

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