Provenance: The Ove Andersen Collection.

Ove Andersen had a great passion for Russian icons and the unique art form they represent. Ove Andersen was first introduced to the beautiful icons shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, when he was one of the first Danish entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity for trade during the subsequent brief period when Russia wanted to approach the West and sought openness. During Ove Andersen's many journeys to the East, he came into contact with many Russians, and through well-developed friendships he managed to establish ties to private Russian icon collectors and local dealers who made it possible for him to collect this unique series of works.

The collection was begun around 1990 and at its peak (in 2007) contained 80 high quality icons.