The three auctions took place on June 28th, 29th, and 30th, 2023, at Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo.

The auctions featured three catalogues that included paintings from old masters to contemporary art, an extensive collection of stage designs and costume sketches by artists such as Leon Bakst, Benois, and Nicholas Roerich. The collections also included silverware, fine jewellery, rare books (including rare and lifetime editions), and autographs.

Our lots attracted attention from local Monegasque and international bidders who placed their bids in the room, online, and by telephone. The bidding for Isaac Levitan's painting 'Flooded Field, Savinskaya Sloboda' (lot 187) exceeded the estimated price and sold for 104,000* euros. Lot 222, 'Attack of Circassians' by Franz Roubaud, fetched 117,000* euros.

95% (32 out of 34 lots) of the collection of sketches by Alexandre Benois were successfully sold, exceeding the estimates. Among the other sold highlights, 'Costume Design for Jane Marnac' by Leon Bakst (lot 50) fetched 26,600* euros. The sketches of Alexandre Benois, such as the 'Costume Design for A Lady of Society' (lot 24) and the 'Costume Design for A Coachman' (lot 21), both for the ballet 'Petrushka', were sold for 2,990 euros each. Lot 1, 'Set design for a throne room for 'Tsarevich Alexei' by Alexander Benois, was sold for 8,160* euros. Lot 17, Nicholas Roerich's 'Costume Design for Khan Konchak, performed by Fedor Shaliapin in the opera 'Prince Igor' by Borodin,' was sold for 11,050* euros.
Lot 113, ‘The banks of the Nile’ by Felix Ziem fetched 11,028* euros.

The sculpture 'Wild Kong with barrel' (lot 151) by the contemporary artist Richard Orlinski achieved 12,400* euros in the Fine Art section.

Lot 429, a set of four lithographs titled 'The series 'Les Arts': Poetry, Dance, Painting, and Music,' executed by Alphonse Mucha from the Art Nouveau section, fetched 40,300* euros, more than double the estimate.

The remarkable selection of Art Nouveau lots included original lithographs by Mucha, vintage Secession posters, lithographs by Henri Toulouse Lautrec, and Art Nouveau vases. A vintage poster designed for the opening of the café-chantant 'Le Divan Japonais' (lot 443) by Henri Toulouse Lautrec fetched 10,400* euros.

The highlights of the jewellery section were two opulent 'Dome' rings: a cocktail ring with sapphires (lot 608 bis) was sold for 17,810* euros, while a diamonds and coral ring (lot 612 bis) fetched 11,700* euros.

The summer auction showed excellent results among the rare books, autographs, and lifetime editions. Lot 796, Alexander Pushkin's 'Poems in 4 parts, Part 1-2', 1829 - the first edition of the poet's collected poems, fetched 15,525* euros. Lot 797, 'Eugene Onegin, a novel in Verse', 1837 - the last lifetime edition of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), published shortly before the poet's duel, doubled its estimate and sold for 7,582* euros.

Vladimir Mayakovsky's 'For the Voice; Book Constructor,' 1923, in the publisher's cover and book design by El Lissitzky (lot 856), was realized for 2,435* euros.

Hermitage Fine Art Monaco is happy to accept new consignments, including the categories of fine art (19th century, modern and post-war art), design, Art Nouveau & Art Deco, collectable wines, signed jewellery, watches, rare books and lifetime editions, and autographs. Additionally, we accept consignments of collector's cars, vintage archival pieces of clothing, Hermes and Chanel handbags, and pieces of Haute Couture from brands such as Dior (John Galliano Era), Thierry Mugler, Cristobal Balenciaga, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld, Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs, and 1990s and 2000s Jean Paul Gaultier.