Works of Soviet artists went under the hammer for a million euros

Works by Soviet nonconformist artists from the collection of Swiss journalist Eric A. Peschler (1922-2005) were sold at an online auction by British house Bonhams for a total of about €1 million, the auction house said.

The auction, titled “The Eric A. Peshler Collection: Nonconformist Art of the Soviet Era,” took place from September 25 to October 5 in an online format. All the works presented were purchased directly from artists in Moscow from the late 1950s until the collapse of the USSR.

The most expensive lot was the painting Logie Grisha Bruskin (1986), sold for €254.4 thousand - three times higher than its estimated value of €60-80 thousand. Two more works by Bruskin - Esquisse pour le Leksikon fondamental and Alefbet - went under the hammer for €152.8 thousand and €76.6 thousand, respectively.

Three still lifes of Dmitry Krasnopevtsev were realized as follows: “Still life with wood and jugs” – for €63.9 thousand, “Still life with a broken vase” – for €53.7 thousand, “Still life with glass bottles and cans” – for €43.5 thousand.

In addition, under the hammer went paintings “Composition: two paintings” by Eduard Steinberg for €41 thousand and “Literary dispute” by Viktor Pivovarov for €25.6 thousand.

Daria Khristova, Head of Russian Art at Bonhams, said: The Peshler collection is a testament to resistance, intellectual independence and the enduring power of creative freedom.

Previously bought for $30 from the “dark corner” picture sold at auction for $ 1.35 million. It has been found to be the work of Gertrude Abercrombie's The Crumbs of Alderman Merriam (1951).

In May, the auction house “Litfond” sold the painting by Alexei Savrasov “Summer landscape” for 29 million rubles. Also sold works by Vasily Perepletchikov “Evening after a thunderstorm” for 1.1 million rubles. at an initial rate of 260 thousand rubles. and a graphic sheet of Peter Konchalovsky “Oaks in Abramtsevo” (1920) for 1 million rubles.