“The attention of connoisseurs will be attracted by the rare work of Boris Kustodiev” – Kommersant FM

Kommersant FM columnist Dmitry Butkevich talks about why Boris Kustodiev’s “Skating at Night” will be the pearl of the winter auction.

On December 15, trading will close for the final annual auction of the ARTinvestment portal. Among the auction lots are the first names of Russian art: Alexander Benois, Alexander Bogomazov, David Burliuk, Nikolai Dubovskoy, Konstantin Korovin.

But the greatest attention of connoisseurs will undoubtedly be attracted by the rare work of Boris Kustodiev “Riding at Night”. It was painted in 1916, during the heyday of the artist’s work. It can be called rare for at least two reasons. Firstly, it is almost two meters in size – 89.2 by 196.3 cm. Secondly, it has a very unusual plot. These are not cab drivers, not beautiful Russian merchant women, not peasant festivities for which Kustodiev is famous. Here are noble ladies and gentlemen riding around the pond in open carriages on a summer night. On the far bank of the reservoir, the silhouettes of horse-drawn carts are barely visible, enclosing the composition of the canvas.

Here’s what Egor Molchanov, head of the auction house ARTinvestment, says: “Boris Kustodiev is one of the most sought-after Russian artists, for whose works collectors are willing to pay millions of dollars. He is among the top 20 most expensive Russian painters. Given the unusual subject matter, date of creation and impressive size, the work is of interest to both collectors and investors. As you know, masterpieces always rise in price faster than ordinary works, so for those who are looking for where to invest their free funds, this is the chance of the year.”

As for record sales of Kustodiev’s works, they were noted in the early 2010s. This is the “Carrier” from 1923, which was sold at Christie’s auction in 2012 for $7 million. And the “Portrait of Irina Kustodieva”, painted in 1911, its size is 107 by 81.5 cm. This canvas was sold in 2011 at MacDougall’s auction for $3 million. And I also remember how Kustodiev with his “Nude in an Interior” received the “first Russian million” at Christie’s in 2005. But there was a completely different story.