AFTER THE MODEL BY EVGENII LANCERAY, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Details

A BRONZE GROUP OF AN OPRICHNIK (PRINCE VIAZEMSKY)
AFTER THE MODEL BY EVGENII LANCERAY, LATE 19TH CENTURY
On an oval naturalistic base, cast as a warrior wearing chain mail and a helmet, with a shield strapped to his back and a sword, axe, bow and arrows at his sides, seated on an animal skin, holding the reins of his horse, on an ebonised wood plinth, signed and dated in Russian 'MADE [by] E. LANSERE 1875' with the Cyrillic foundry mark 'F. CHOPIN' and a Finance Ministry stamp for 1875
15 in. (38.1 cm.) high, without plinth

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 20% on the buyer's premium.

Brought to you by

Anna Belousova

abelousova@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2254

Lot Essay

The present lot is one of a pair of bronzes portraying characters from the historical novel Prince Serebryany by Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy. The heroine, Elena, marries Boyar Morozov in order to escape the attentions of Prince Viazemsky. Morozov then accuses Viazemsky of kidnapping Elena, while Viazemsky claims she went with him willingly. In the scene depicted by Lanceray, Tsar Ivan the Terrible resolves the dispute by ordering the two men to fight in single combat. The present figure is taken directly from Tolstoy's novel.
For a similar model, see G. Sudbury, et al., Evgueni Alexandrovich Lanceray: le sculpteur russe du cheval, Paris, 2006, p. 129. Also see Christie's, London, 29 November 2010, lot 444.

More from Important Russian Art

View All