François Birbaum (1872-1947)
François Birbaum (1872-1947)
François Birbaum (1872-1947)
2 More
François Birbaum (1872-1947)
5 More
These lots have been imported from outside the EU … Read more PROPERTY OF A LADY
FRANÇOIS BIRBAUM (1872-1947)

Mountainous landscape; and Haystacks

Details
FRANÇOIS BIRBAUM (1872-1947)
Mountainous landscape; and Haystacks
both signed 'FBirbaum' (lower right)
pastel on paper laid on board
the first 9 ¾ x 13 ¾ in. (24.9 x 34.9 cm.); the second 9 ¾ x 13 in. (25 x 33.1 cm.)
(2)
Provenance
Tatiana Fabergé (1930-2020), great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920).
Bequeathed by the above to the present owner.
Special notice
These lots have been imported from outside the EU or, if the UK has withdrawn from the EU without an agreed transition deal, from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Brought to you by

Margo Oganesian
Margo Oganesian Head of Department, Fabergé and Russian Works of Art

Lot Essay

Born Franz Birbaum in Fribourg, the young Birbaum left for St Petersburg at the age of 14, alongside a number of Swiss nationals heading to Russia. There, Birbaum would go on to study drawing and miniature painting at the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts. Not long afterwards, at age 23, Birbaum became the main designer, and eventually the chief workmaster of the Fabergé firm.
In 1990 Birbaum's manuscript 'Gemstone carving, jewellery and gold and silverwork of the House of Fabergé' was discovered by Dr Valentin Skurlov in the papers of the Academician A.E. Fersman. This work shed a completely new light on the Fabergé firm, revealing new information on its day-to-day running and creations.
Birbaum’s clear artistic vision, demand for high-quality workmanship and inventive design revolutionised the firm’s approach and output, making Fabergé an international name. Birbaum wrote that he had been involved in designing and realising around half of the Imperial eggs, among the most exquisite, renowned and innovative objets d'art ever executed, and had even discussed in French the details of these orders directly with Emperor Nicholas II.
However, shortly after the Russian revolution and the death of his wife, Birbaum was imprisoned and interrogated by the Soviet secret police. Upon his return to Switzerland, Birbaum was destitute and took on the name of François Birbaum. Around this time, Birbaum began executing pastel landscapes, drawing inspiration from the mountain ranges of the Rhône valley, most likely depicted in the present lot. Birbaum exhibited a number of times in the late 1920s in Aigle, Fribourg and the surrounding regions, but his fame never recovered. Birbaum died in obscurity in 1947, and recognition of his many outstanding contributions to the world of applied art was lost.
For further information, see E.A. Kohler, François Birbaum, Fribourg, 1997.

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