Russian Art from before the Revolution

Rich Selection of Fabergé

Among the highlights at this summer's Russian auction in Bredgade are 20 figures, picture frames, silver pieces with enamel and jewellery from the jeweller Fabergé in St. Petersburg. There is for instance a silver figure from 1908-17 depicting an elk with large antlers. The workmaster is Julius Rappoport, and the elk was purchased by one of the expatriate Danes who worked for the Great Northern Telegraph Company in Russia in the 1920s.

Fabergé had its heyday during a period where photography was a relatively new phenomenon, and beautiful picture frames were among the jeweller’s specialties. Included in the auction are several copies, for instance, a gilt-silver frame with blue translucent enamel of by the workmaster Mikhail Perchin, who was employed by Fabergé in the late 1800s.

Opulence and Eminent Craftsmanship

Fabergé was founded in 1885 in St. Petersburg by the goldsmith Peter Carl Fabergé. The company quickly became an international success and synonymous with opulence, quality and eminent craftsmanship. In the year 1900, Fabergé employed 300 artisans, and the first store in London opened in 1903. Part of the success was due to the illustrious jeweller being a major supplier of the Russian court. The court enjoyed lavishing themselves and their palaces with the finest and most precious jewels and ornaments. Moreover, they often resorted to Fabergé, when they had to give gifts to other royal families around the world. The First World War and especially the Russian Revolution had devastating consequences for the company, but today the items of Fabergé from before 1917 are among the most cherished collectibles for dedicated collectors worldwide.

Fine Art from Russia

The auction also includes wonderful examples of fine art from Russia, for instance, artwork by the landscape painter Aleksei Petrovich Bogolyubov. He completed his education at the Art Academy in St. Petersburg with a gold medal in 1853, and he worked for several years as a painter in the Russian navy. The auction presents one of his coastal motifs from St. Petersburg, which has belonged to the Dane Johan Poul Quaade, who was stationed in Russia in the early 1900s by the Great Northern Telegraph Company.

Yusopov’s Silver Plate

A silver plate made by the master Alexandre Gueyton in Paris in the years 1843-1863 has also made its way to the auction. It has belonged to Prince Nikolai and Princess Tatiana Yusopov - grandparents of Felix Yusopov, who murdered the mystic Gregory Rasputin in St. Petersburg in 1916. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Danish civil engineer Hakon Stephan Kaarsberg acquired the plate, while he worked in Russia for the engineering company Christiani & Nielsen.

Auction: Thursday 4 June 2 pm in Bredgade 33 in Copenhagen
Preview: 28 May – 1 June at the same address

See the entire Russian selection for the auction in Bredgade

Read more about the auction and download the catalogues

Read about bidding

More Treasures at the Online Auction

Thursday 11 June at 5 pm we follow up on the auction in Bredgade with a Russian online auction, and here you can also find a rich selection of paintings, silver works, collectibles, icons and jewellery. The preview will take place from Saturday 30 May and until the auction day, respectively at Sundkrogsgade 30 in Copenhagen's Nordhavn and on Søren Frichs Vej 34 D in Aarhus. You can already join the bidding right now!

See the entire selection for the online auction 1524