Antiques Trade Gazette 19


to Russian riches


Above: Gulf of Salerno by Hercules Brabazon Brabazon, c.1890, 10¼ x 8 in (26 x 21cm) watercolour – in excess of £3000 from an exhibition of Brabazon’s work at the Tricycle Theatre.


Brabazon takes centre stage


Anna Brady reports


The hero of Kiev sets a record on King Street


THE top lot at Christie’s (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) Russian art sale on November 28 was, like the Bonhams stars, a monumental depiction of a scene from the New Testament. Similarly, it was also consigned by an American institution, in this case the Brooklyn Museum in New York. Crucifixion by the Romans by Vasily


RUSSIAN ART SALES IN LONDON AT A GLANCE


No of lots


Russian Art Christie’s


Important Russian Art Sotheby’s


Benois Collection Sotheby’s


Russian Paintings Sotheby’s


Russian Works of Art, Fabergé and Icons Sotheby’s


The Russian Sale Bonhams


Important Russian Art MacDougall’s


Russian Classic and Contemporary Art MacDougall’s


Russian Icons and Works of Art MacDougall’s


28/11/11 28/11/11 29/11/11 29/11/11 29/11/11 30/11/11 1/12/11 1/12/11 1/12/11 370 30


127 166 253 297 112


276 104


Hammer total


£11.4m £4.67m £1.61m £2.1m £2.42m £8.09m £7.09m


£1.92m £638,100


Sold in lots


65% 67%


100% 42% 64% 53% 41%


33% 46%


Sold in money


63%


75% 100% 52% 75% 77% N/A


N/A N/A


Vereshchagin (1842-1904) was a large oil on canvas from 1887, but despite its ostensibly religious subject, it was in fact part of a trilogy of works which outlined the artist’s views on capital punishment. The other two works were the smaller


Blowing from Guns in British India and Hanging in Russia – the latter can be found in the State Museum of Russian Political History in St Petersburg. The Brooklyn Museum was given


Crucifixion by the Romans in 1899 but, as it had been kept in storage for around 80 years, the museum’s trustees decided to sell it to benefit its acquisition fund. The vast 9ft 11in x 13ft 2in (3.01 x


4.01m) painting was executed in the artist’s specially designed rotating studio in Paris where he produced a number of such over-size canvasses. It arrived at Christie’s with a large


amount of surface dirt but was in decent underlying condition other than some fraying at the edges. Its size presented


continued on page 20


THIS week’s exhibition is a little out of the ordinary – a selling show staged by a collector to raise funds for a theatre has had its Arts Council funding cut, as a result of which the director announced he would be standing down after 27 years. Step in philanthropist and art collector


Al Weil, a keen admirer of his local Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, North West London, who has donated around 35 paintings by Hercules Brabazon Brabazon (1821-1906). “Ideally, I want the director, Nicolas


Kent, to stay on, but the main thing is to keep the theatre alive and kicking as vigorously as it ever has,” says 89-year- old Mr Weil who has been collecting Brabazon’s work since the 1960s when he bought two works for £10 each on his first visit to Portobello Market. Brabazon, the archetypal Victorian


gentleman painter, travelled extensively throughout the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa as well as throughout the UK, painting scores of watercolours recording his travels. However, he wasn’t widely known as


a painter until his first exhibition with the New English Art Club at the age of 70. It is hoped that the watercolours in


this show will raise around £100,000 for Tricycle, with prices for individual works starting at around £3000. The works will be displayed at the


Tricycle Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road, from December 14 until January 7, when they move to Pym’s Gallery at 9 Mount Street in Mayfair, where they will be exhibited from January 11 to February 8. During this time, offers can be made on any of the works and any paintings which remain unsold will be offered at auction, details of which to be confirmed. Contact 020 7328 1000 www.tricycle.co.uk Contact 020 7629 2020 www.pymsgallery.com


galleries@ antiquestradegazette.com


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