3 June 2015 Russian Art Auctions
3 June 2015
68. BOGDANOV-BELSKY, NIKOLAI (1868-1945)
Portrait of Maria Emelianova, signed with a monogram.
Oil on canvas, 101 by 69.5 cm.
40,000-60,000 GBP
Executed c. 1921–1925.
Provenance: Private collection, Latvia.
Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by the expert V. Petrov.
Authenticity certificate from the expert N. Lapidus.
The work will be included in the monograph on Bogdanov-Belsky being prepared by A. Kuznetsov.
Nikolai Bogdanov-Belsky emigrated to Latvia from post-revolutionary Russia in 1921 and settled in Riga. His first personal exhibition in the Latvian capital, which opened on 8 December 1921, proved to be very popular and attracted the attention of wealthy patrons of the arts. Businessman Vasily Emelianov, the owner of the largest cinema in Riga, was one of the initial clients to approach Bogdanov-Belsky with a commission to paint a portrait of his wife, Maria Emelianova. The present lot was the first from the series of four portraits of one of the most beautiful women in Riga, executed by Bogdanov-Belsky in the 1920s–1930s.
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.