Ниже представлены лоты аукциона Кристи (Christie's), относящиеся к картинам Николая Рериха. Все лоты будут выставлены и распроданы весной 2007 года.
Лоты аукциона Кристи'с
1. Sanctuaries and Citadels (Святыни и Твердыни (цитадели), из одноименной серии)
2. Album leaf from the Sikkim Sketch Book (Сикким. Зарисовка)
3. Hills, Stage Design for Peer Gynt (Холмы, эскиз к Пер-Гюнту Ибсена)
4. Grand Canyon, Arizona (Большой каньон, штат Аризона)
5. Kanchenjunga. from the Himalayan series (Канченджунга, серия ГИМАЛАИ)
6. Study of Two Islands in Lake Ladoga (Этюд, два острова на Ладоге)
7. Gilgit Road, from the series Lakes and Gilgit Path (Гилгитский путь, из серии 'Озёра и Гилгитский путь')
8. Ledenetz Palace. (Леденец, выход Салтана)
9. Stone of the Leader (Надгробие (камень) Вождя)
Информация по лотам аукциона Кристи (Christie's)
1. Creator: Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Sanctuaries and Citadels, from the series Sanctuaries and Citadels
Estimate: 250,000 - 350,000
U.S. dollars
Saleroom Notice Please note the painting is signed with artist's monogram (lower left), on reverse: inscribed 'N51' , dated '1925' and signed with artist's monogram.
PROPERTY FROM A CONNECTICUT COLLECTION
Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Sanctuaries and Citadels, from the series Sanctuaries and Citadels
Signed with artist's monogram (lower left), on reverse: inscribed 'N51' , dated '1925' and signed with artist's monogram
Tempera on canvas laid on board
25? x 38? in. (65 x 98 cm.)
Painted in 1925
Provenance: Roerich Museum Collection, 1926-1935.
Louis Horch Collection, New York, circa 1935.
Collection of Lilias and Orville Prescott, circa 1950.
By descent to the present owner.
Literature: Roerich. Himalaya. Articles by F.Grant and others. New York: Brentano's Publishers, 1926, p. 200, illustrated on p. 28. Roerich Museum Catalogue. 8th ed. New York: Roerich Museum, 1930, p. 54, listed as "Little Tibet".
Post-lot Text: The Sanctuaries and Citadels series was created in August and September of 1925 while Nikolai Roerich and his companions were traveling in the Ladakh region of northern India. On August 8th the party left Gulmarg, Kashmir, for Leh, the capital of Ladakh (or Little Tibet, as it was also called). The journey took almost three weeks and the party passed numerous Buddhist monasteries, scattered along the way.
In Leh Nikolai Roerich stayed till September 19th, visiting nearby temples and monasteries, and working on the series that came to comprise twenty-seven paintings. These are mostly views of Ladakh Buddhist monasteries, among them Lamayuru, Spi-thug, Chigtan, Hemis, and Tik-tse, and also the Royal Palace in Leh and paintings of mountain scenery. Although depicting real places, the paintings in the series were not given distinct titles; in the words of the artist himself:
"One does not care to give to the local images any ethnographical or geographical character. Let them go as symbols: "Sanctuaries and Citadels." Let them by their general tone of heroism and attainment, themselves speak for this country." (Roerich. Himalaya. Articles by F. Grant and others. New York: Brentano's Publishers, 1926, p.169.)
The monastery shown in this painting is apparently that of Tik-tse, perched on a steep crag above the Indus River outside Leh.
Fig.1 Period photograph of the monastery Tik-tse, presumably depicted in the present lot.
2. Creator: Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Album leaf from the Sikkim Sketch Book
Estimate: 15,000 - 20,000
U.S. dollars
Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Album leaf from the Sikkim Sketch Book
pencil and watercolor on paper laid down on board
6 x 10? in (15.5 x 27 cm.)
Drawn circa 1928
Provenance: Roerich Museum Collection, 1928-1935.
Louis Horch Collection, New York, circa 1935.
Private Collection.
Roerich Museum Catalogue. 8th ed. New York: Roerich Museum, 1930,
No. 948.
3. Creator: Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Hills, Stage Design for Peer Gynt, drama by H. Ibsen
Estimate: 25,000 - 35,000
U.S. dollars
Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Hills, Stage Design for Peer Gynt, drama by H. Ibsen
signed in Cyrillic with artist's monogram (lower left)
pencil, gouache and watercolor on paper
9 x 5? in. (22.9 x 14.6 cm.)
Drawn in 1912
Provenance: Roerich Museum, circa 1926-1935.
Collection of Louis Horch, New York.
Gift of Nettie Horch to the present owner.
Literature: Probably in Rerikh. Tekst Yu.K.Baltrushaitisa i dr. Petrograd, 1916, p. 221, listed as Kholmy.
Roerich. Himalaya. Articles by F.Grant and others. New York: Brentano's Publishers, 1926, p. 192, probably listed as Hills, Variant. Settings for Peer Gynt.
Roerich Museum Catalogue. 8th ed. New York: Roerich Museum, 1930,
No. 448, listed as Sketch to Peer Gynt.
Post-lot Text: In addition to being one of Diaghilev's leading stage designers during the early years of the Ballets Russes, Roerich carried out commissions for Konstantin Stanislavskii at the Moscow Art Theatre. In 1912, he designed the sets and costumes for the Art Theater production of Peer Gynt, a play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Fourteen stage designs were commissioned for the play; however Roerich executed many more additional drawings. The theatrical sets were designed in a fantastic, highly stylized manner befitting the heroic pathos of Ibsen's play. The current drawing combined two scenes executed by the artist separately in a number of known stage designs: Solveig's house and hills with stone marker. It is most likely the scene from the final act of the play. Leonid Andreev, well-known Russian writer, commented: "The hut, nestled in the towering pines of the icy winter kingdom, appears to be an oasis of human warmth. Like Peer Gynt and his ever faithful Solveig, Man and his wife try to shut out the frightening, sinful outer world in order to set up their own, well sheltered nest."
4. Creator: Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Estimate: 300,000 - 400,000
U.S. dollars
Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Tempera on canvas
19? x 29? in. (50.5 x 76 cm.)
Painted circa 1921
Provenance: Roerich Museum Collection, 1924-1935.
Louis Horch Collection, New York, circa 1935.
By descent to the present owner.
Roerich Museum Catalogue. 8th ed. New York: Roerich Museum, 1930, No. 206.
Post-lot Text: Shortly after arriving to the USA Roerich embarked on the trip to New Mexico and Arizona. The present painting is one of the several views of the Grand Canyon made by Roerich in the summer of 1921 while he traveled in the southwest of the United States. One of the seven natural wonders of the world, Grand Canyon of Arizona, left a deep and lasting impression on the artist. The painting is probably depicting an Isis Temple, large pyramidal intricately eroded rock formation famous for its spectacular colors at sunrise. Named after the Egyptian goddess, the natural temple has an elevation of seven thousand twenty-eight feet and is formed as a spiral. Ever-changing daylight colors the mountain in a variety of brilliant hues: from light pink to deep lapis blue.
In his "List of Paintings, 1917-1924" there are several entries that might correspond to this painting: Arizona, Studies of Arizona (three paintings), and Blue Temples, Canyon (two paintings).
5. Creator: Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Kanchenjunga. from the Himalayan series
Estimate: 100,000 - 150,000
U.S. dollars
Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Kanchenjunga. from the Himalayan series
signed with artist's monogram (lower left)
Tempera on canvas laid on board
11? x 15? in. (29.5 x 40 cm.)
Painted in 1924
Provenance: Roerich Museum Collection, 1924-1935.
Louis Horch Collection, New York, circa 1935.
Charlie Posusta Collection, New York.
Purchased from above by present owner, circa 1982.
Nicholas Roerich, List of Paintings 1917-1924. MS, Nicholas Roerich Museum archive, No. 73.
Roerich. Himalaya. Articles by F.Grant and others. New York: Brentano's Publishers, 1926, p. 200.
Roerich Museum Catalogue. 8th ed. New York: Roerich Museum, 1930., No. 525.
Post-lot Text: The present painting is from the Himalayan series, and is one of the numerous views of Kanchenjunga. Roerich painted the famous mountain about a dozen times in the year 1924 alone, and continued to come back to this subject many times during his life. Each view of Kanchenjunga is distinctly different and unique. Roerich arrived in India at the end of 1923 and spent most of 1924 in Darjeeling, traveling extensively in the vicinity and in neighboring Sikkim. From now on mountains became the central theme in his creative work; however, the mountain scenes from 1924 (about eighty all in all) are easily distinguished by their vigor, freshness, and spontaneity.
6. Creator: Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Study of Two Islands in Lake Ladoga
Estimate: 80,000 - 130,000
U.S. dollars
Lot Description Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Study of Two Islands in Lake Ladoga
Tempera on board
11? x 19? in. (29 x 49 cm.)
Painted in 1918
Provenance: Roerich Museum Collection, 1926-1935.
Louis Horch Collection, New York, circa 1935.
By descent to the present owner.
Roerich Museum Catalogue. 8th ed. New York: Roerich Museum, 1930, No. 431.
7. Creator: Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Gilgit Road, from the series Lakes and Gilgit Path
Estimate: 300,000 - 400,000
U.S. dollars
Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Gilgit Road, from the series Lakes and Gilgit Path
signed with the artist's monogram (lower left), On reverse: signed with his monogram and dated '1925', and inscribed 'N 21'
Tempera on canvas laid on board
25? x 38? in. (65.5 x 98 cm.)
Painted in 1925
Provenance: Roerich Museum Collection, 1926-1935.
Louis Horch Collection, New York, circa 1935.
Charlie Posusta Collection, New York.
Acquired from above by the present owner, circa 1985.
Literature: Roerich. Himalaya. Articles by F.Grant and others. New York: Brentano's Publishers, 1926. p. 200, illustrated p. 146.
Roerich Museum Catalogue. 8th ed. New York: Roerich Museum, 1930.
No. 561, illustrated p. 52.
Post-lot Text: Gilgit Path is one of twelve paintings (four of which are sketches) from the Lakes and Gilgit Path series. The series was completed in the first half of 1925 whilst Roerich was staying in Srinagar, present-day Kashmir. He arrived there in the late spring to prepare for an expedition which he later led through Ladakh and over Karakoram passes into Chinese Turkestan. The start of the expedition was delayed by British authorities who refused to let Roerich into Ladakh leaving him to explore the beautiful Srinagar area famous for its water-mountain landscapes. Among the paintings completed in Srinagar there are three paintings entitled Gilgit Road, and here is what the artist himself says:
"On the northeast of Lake Vular the mountains converge. In this pass there is a kind of conviction. The village, Bandapur, has quite an individual character, and when you reach the post road you can understand the importance of the site. Here, to the mountains, turns the road to Gilgit. You pass up to the first ascent and watch the windings of the rising path. Upon the peak of the very summit is the first night camp. Then on, the path lies first along the very edge where the snow still gleams white as a narrow strip, afterwards sinking far down into a new gateway. Gilgit and Chitral are especially guarded. If the road towards Ladak is difficult, then Gilgit and Chitral are always under special forbiddance. Violet and purple rocks; and the snow peaks are blue. Each turbaned rider draws one's attention - is he not perhaps from the north? Each pack of loaded ponies draws your eye after them. A significant corner!" (Roerich. Himalaya, Ibid, p.133)
Before leaving for Ladakh, Roerich sent the Lakes and Gilgit Path series, along with other works painted in 1925, to the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York which financed his travels in India and Central Asia and which by that time housed more than six hundred of the artist's works. At present, most of the paintings from this series are in private collections in the United States.
8. Creator: Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Ledenetz Palace. Drop-curtain for Rimskii-Korsakov's opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan
Estimate: 80,000 - 120,000
U.S. dollars
Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Ledenetz Palace. Drop-curtain for Rimskii-Korsakov's opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan
signed with the artist's monogram and dated 1919 (lower right)
tempera on canvas
14 x 20 in. (35.5 x 51 cm.)
Painted in 1919
Provenance: Roerich Museum Collection, 1921-1935.
Louis Horch Collection, New York, circa 1935.
By descent to the present owner.
Nicholas Roerich, List of Paintings 1917-1924. MS. Nicholas Roerich Museum Archive, No. 111 or 112.
The Nicholas Roerich Exhibition. With Introduction and Catalogue of the Paintings by Christian Brinton. 1920-1921-1922. New York: Redfield-Kendrick-Odell Company, 1921, No. 94.
Roerich. Himalaya. Articles by F.Grant and others. New York: Brentano's Publishers, 1926, p. 197.
Roerich Museum Catalogue. 8th ed. New York: Roerich Museum, 1930, No. 94.
Exhibited: Nicholas Roerich. Spells of Russia: Catalogue. The Goupil Gallery, London, 1920, No. 169.
The Nicholas Roerich exhibition, 1920, 1921, 1922, Catalogue of the Paintings by Christian Brinton, 1921, No. 94.
Post-lot Text: Nikolai Roerich came to London in July 1919 and collaborated on several productions for the Royal Opera House, among them N. Rimskii-Korsakov's opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan. About a dozen stage designs and curtain sketches were completed for that production. Due to financial difficulties, the opera was never produced. Roerich always regretted that his stage designs were never realized. The artist noted that he attempted to give the Saltan somewhat of "an Indian tonality. The fairy-tale itself has an oriental flavor, besides, at that time we were already dreaming of going to India."
9. Creator: Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Stone of the Leader
Estimate: 100,000 - 150,000
U.S. dollars
Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947)
Stone of the Leader
Signed with the artist's monogram and dated '1918' (lower left)
tempera on board
17? x 24? in. (43 x 61 cm.)
Painted in 1918
Provenance: Roerich Museum Collection, 1924-1935.
Louis Horch Collection, New York, circa 1935.
Private collection.
Literature: Nicholas Roerich, List of Paintings 1917-1924. MS, Nicholas Roerich Museum Archive, No. 21, listed as Kamen' vozhdya (Stone of the Chieftain).
The Nicholas Roerich Exhibition. With Introduction and Catalogue of the Paintings by Christian Brinton. 1920-1921-1922. New York: Redfield-Kendrick-Odell Company, 1921, No. 79, listed as The Giant's Grave.
Roerich. Himalaya. Articles by F.Grant and others. New York: Brentano's Publishers, 1926, p. 196, listed as Stone of the Leader. Roerich Museum Catalogue. 8th ed. New York: Roerich Museum, 1930, No. 79, listed as The Giant's Grave.
Exhibited: Nicholas Rorich Separatutstallning. 10-30 November 1918. Gummesons Konsthall, Stockholm, No. 38.
Nicholas Rorich, Maleriudstilling fra 10. Januar. Kunstdl. Henry Schou, Ovenlyssalen, Bredgade 34, No. 38.
Nicholas Roerich, Salon Strindberg, Konstutstallning, 1919, No. 38.
Nicholas Roerich. Spells of Russia: Catalogue. The Goupil Gallery, London, 1920, No. 50, listed as The Giant's Grave.
Nicholas Roerich. Spells of Russia: Catalogue. The Public Art Gallery, Worthing, 1920, No. 122, listed as The Giant's Grave.
The Nicholas Roerich exhibition, 1920, 1921, 1922, Catalogue of the Paintings by Christian Brinton, 1921, No. 79.
Post-lot Text: The present lot is one of the many Lake Ladoga scenes, painted by Nicholas Roerich in 1917-1918, while staying in Karelia. At one point the original title was translated into English as The Giant's Grave, but later, in his List of Paintings 1917-1924, the artist crossed out Grobnitsa (The Grave) and kept the original title Kamen' vozhdya - Stone of the Leader (or Chieftain).
