FINE ART AUCTION - APRIL 25^th, 6.30 pm

Among the highlights of the sale are the following rarest artworks:

• Masterpiece by Felix Vallotton, Femme nue,1907, which was exhibited in Tretyakov Gallery, in 1908 at the first exhibition of the famous series «Golden Fleece Salon».
  
• Kalmakoff Nicolas (1872-1955), Dionysos,1908. Born to a Russian general and an Italian opera singer. Nicolas Kalmakoff was well-known in St. Petersburg in the early 1900s.
  
• Notre Dame de Paris. View from the bridge Tournelle, painted by Albert-Marie Lebourg (1849-1928) in 1879.
  
• Homer'sIlliad, the love story between Helen and Paris that led to the Trojan War, painted by Abraham Louis Rudolph Ducros (1748-1810). The interior and furniture of the painting are inspired by the mural paintings of Pompeii.
  

RUSSIAN ART AUCTION - APRIL 26th, 1.00 pm and 4.00 pm, APRIL 27^th, 5.00 pm

Highlights of the Russian art auction to be held on 26th April will include significant paintings by Konstantin Korovin, Yuliy Klever, Johann W.G. Barth, Vladimir Ammon and Karl Geftler, marvellous drawings by Alexandre Benois, Leon Bakst, Yury Annenkov and Lev Borodulin's remarkable private collection of Fine Art.

The Russian Art auction is dedicated to 2 capitals, Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, and will present paintings and drawings, books, manuscripts, photographs that are associated with two symbols of Russia and its history such as:

Views of St Petersburg and Moscow, both XIX cenutires; View of Neva by Karl Geftler from Nicholas II collection; a rare book about Tsarskoe Selo and a watercolour of Gatschina Palace by Alexandre Benois; aquatints with St. Petersburg views by John Augustus Atkinson and Michel-Francois Damame-Demartrais; lithographs of Winter Palace & Imperial Palace and photographs of Moscow views from the end of the XIXth Century by the Italian photographer Giuseppe Datsario. As well as the rarest Russian Imperial Kovsh, a present from Peter I the Great and Ivan V to customs officer in 1693.


On 26^thApril, Hermitage Fine Art will also present:

• Rare documents with autographs of Russian Tsars Peter I, Catherine II, Pavel I, Nicholas I, Alexander II.
  
• Autographs of mystic and contradictory advisor and family doctor of Russian tsar Nicholas II, Grigory Rasputin.
  
• Wonderful Russian ballet and music programmes with prima ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya, the unique material of the Russian poet, dancer and librettist Boris Kochno about the Russian Ballet Seasons in 1933 in Monte Carlo and Paris, a rare snapshot of the legendary Serge Lifar in the guise of a faun from the Vaslav Nijinsky ballet «The Afternoon of a Faun» with his autograph.
  
• Translation of Alexander Pushkin's novel in verse «Eugene Onegin» in French. Manuscript.
  
• BALMONT, Konstantin Dmitrievich (1867-1942) [Collection of poems]. Autograph in brown ink with the author's correction of some lines (ink or pencil).

Interesting collection of Russian rare books:

• Description of the celebration that took place in February 1626, by Beketov Platon.
  
• Detailed description of the solemn order of the successful entry into the ruling city of Moscow and the most sacred coronation of the Her Majesty Elizabeth Petrovna.
  
• The first edition "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", released in 1800 by A.I. Musin-Pushkin, N.N. Bantysh Kamensky and A.F. Malinowski. Iroic song about the march to the Polovtsy of the Prince of Novagorod-Seversk, Igor Svyatoslavich, written in ancient Russian at the end of the XII th Century.

In the photography section will be presented:

• Rare photos of the first cosmonaut of the planet Yuri Gagarin, regarding his main flights.
  
• Original photographs of famous Soviet photographers - by Alexander Rodchenko, Lev Borodulin, Alexander Grinberg.

MANUSCRIPTS AND RARE BOOKS AUCTION - APRIL 27th, 2.00 pm

The 27th of April will start with the sale of International Rare books and Manuscripts.

Hermitage Fine Art will exhibit a selection of truly unique historical materials coming from all over the world, from the XVI Century to the present day. A large section of autographs and letters of famous politicians, writers, painters, musicians, cultural and literary figures, scientists, photographs and autographs of world celebrities.

The most captivating items of the auctions are:

• Commentary of the Marengo Battle from the library of Napoleon from St. Helene, written by General Alexandre Berthier, War Minister, commander under the immediate orders of the First Consul; and accompanied by indicative maps pertaining to the different troop movements, geometrically noted by the geographer-engineers of the General Depository of War, under the direction General Sanson, Engineer Inspector.
  
• Love correspondence between Tsar Alexandre II and Katia Dolgorukaya –Twelve erotic letters written in French with explicit details about their relationships, where they used their own word code "bingerle", which refers to carnal love.
  
• Letters of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, politician and diplomat, master of political intrigues.
  
• Official documents with autographs of French Kings Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, letters of Napoleon family members.
  
• Letters of French writers Charles Baudelaire and François René de Chateaubriand.
  
• Signed autographed letter of Military, Russian Statesman, favourite of Catherine II, Grigori Potemkin. 1789-1791.
  
• Signed autograph letter from famous British admiral Horatio Nelson to Alleyne Fitzherberg, dated 22 May, 1801.
  
• Autographed signed letter of Russian and French biologist, winner of the Nobel Prize in the field of physiology and medicine Ilya Metchnikov.
  
• Beautiful photographed portrait of Mata Hari, French spy, famous courtesan and dancer, during her journey in Monaco sent to a friend, thanking for her precious care.
  
• Business card with autographed compliments of Richard Norris WILLIAMS, 1891-1968, American tennis player, survived after the Titanic's shipwreck in 1912.
  
• Autograph of John Ronald Tolkien on the typescript letters, his correspondence with his Italian translator about his work, The Hobbit.
  
• Signed passport of Wallis Spencer-Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, Spouse of Prince Edward.
  
• Collection of Autographs of worldwide know composers and conductors like Richard Strauss, Giacomo Puccini, Igor Stravinsky, singer Pauline Viardot.

CARTIER OBJECTS OF VERTU - APRIL 27th, 4.30 pm

A unique collection of fine jewellery, clocks and accessories from the Art Deco period of one of the most Luxurious Jewellery Brand – Cartier, will be auction on April 27^th at 4.30 pm.