Ilya Ivanovich Baikov (1768-1838), in double-breasted loden green coat with gilt buttons, wearing the badges of the Imperial Russian Order of St. Anne (3rd class), the bronze medal for the Campaign of 1812 with the ribbon of St. Anne and, around his neck, two presentation medals for Zeal from Tsar Alexander I, long red hair and grey beard

Details

JOSIF JOSIFOVICH DE VIVIEN DE CHÂTEAUBRUN (RUSSIAN, 1793-1852)
Ilya Ivanovich Baikov (1768-1838), in double-breasted loden green coat with gilt buttons, wearing the badges of the Imperial Russian Order of St. Anne (3rd class), the bronze medal for the Campaign of 1812 with the ribbon of St. Anne and, around his neck, two presentation medals for Zeal from Tsar Alexander I, long red hair and grey beard
signed 'J. de Vivien' (mid left)
on ivory
oval, 3 1/8 in. (80 mm.) high, rectangular ormolu frame with shell spandrels

Provenance

The Collection of Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich Romanov (1859-1919), in 1906.
George Hess Collection, Berlin; (+) Sotheby's, London, 27 June 1977, lot 48.
With Edwin Bucher, Trogen.

Literature

Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich Romanov, Russkie portrety [...], St. Petersburg, 1905-1909, II, no. 121, illustrated.
L. R. Schidlof, The Miniature in Europe, Graz, 1964, II, p. 856 (as 'very good').

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Ilya (Elias) Ivanovich Baikov was Coachman in Ordinary to Tsar Alexander I of Russia. It was also Baikov who drove Tsar Alexander's coffin during the funeral convoy from Taganrog to Tsarskoye Selo, from 29 December 1825.
Miniatures by Josif de Vivien are very rare. For detailed biographical information and illustration of another miniature by his hand, see S. Podstanitskiy, Portretnaya Miniatiura, Moscow, 2007, pp. 143, 202-203.
A reduced version of this miniature, unsigned, is in the Moscow Kremlin, illustrated in L. M. Frolova, The Armoury in the Moscow Kremlin. Portrait Miniatures of the 18th and 19th centuries, Moscow, 1985, fig. 8 (tentatively attributed to Rockstuhl and described as 'one of the most interesting miniatures').

More from Important Portrait Miniatures and Gold Boxes

View All