4 June 2014 Russian Art Auctions
4 June 2014
* 593. A SOVIET PORCELAIN VASE "FLOWERS"
DESIGN BY ALEXEI VOROBIEVSKY, STATE PORCELAIN MANUFACTORY, DATED 1937
Height 40 cm.
10,000–15,000 GBP
Bulbous body, painted with stylized blue and purple flowers on white background, with gilt
rim; signed and dated under base “A. Vorobievsky. Dekabr 1937 g.” and titled “Tsvety” in Cyrillic.
Alexei Vorobievsky (1906–1992) was a Soviet painter on porcelain, who was recognized in his own lifetime as “a poet on porcelain”.Vorobievsky began his career in 1926 at the State Porcelain Manufactory, where for the first two years he worked under the creative leadership of Sergei Chekhonin. Vorobievsky considered Chekhonin and Ivan Mikhailov (head of the art school for talented orphans in Pavlovsk) as his two teachers. Vorobievsky
was a very talented artist and in the first year at the State Manufactory, two of his vases were recognised at an International exhibition in Milan. His creations were very popular and were acquired by museums, public institutions and private collections. The Hermitage alone has over 1,500 of his works.
Interestingly, the artist only represented two seasons – winter and spring – he never painted summer and autumn. His dream was to become a theatre designer, and this desire is reflected in his art: his style can be characterized as vivid, elegant and highly decorative. Vorobievsky never depicted reality – his flowers do not have any analogy to nature and he disliked symmetry, further more his decorations always vary, be it in terms of colour or shape. The present lot “Flowers” is a representative example of the artist’s floral designs and which demonstrates a certain naivity and harmony of depiction – the individual style Vorobievsky was famous for.
Notes on symbols:
* Indicates 5% Import Duty Charge applies.
Ω Indicates 20% Import Duty Charge applies.
§ Indicates Artist's Resale Right applies.
† Indicates Standard VAT scheme applies, and the rate of 20% VAT will be charged on both hammer price and premium.