28 Nov 2018 Important Russian Art Auctions, at Asia House

28 November 2018

Artist Index / Full Catalogue


Portrait of a Moroccan Woman

69. YAKOBI, VALERY (1834–1902)

Portrait of a Moroccan Woman, signed, inscribed “Tanger” and dated 1880.

Oil on canvas, 67 by 55 cm.
35,000-50,000 GBP


Provenance: A gift from the artist to a great grandmother of the present owner, France.
Thence by descent.
Private collection, France.

Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by the expert V. Petrov.

Portrait of a Moroccan Woman was presented by Valery Yakobi to a French-Italian aristocrat as a token of deep appreciation and gratitude for her emotional and financial support of the artist while he was living abroad after his forced resignation from the position of professor at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg. She was his closest friend between 1891 and until Yakobi’s death in 1902, keeping him company in Nice, where the artist mostly stayed during this period, and on his frequent travels to Algiers and Morocco – both countries being a source of endless inspiration for the artist in his later years.


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.