Painting from the Collection of Mikhail Baryshnikov to Highlight Sotheby’s Sale of Russian Art

NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s 12 April 2011 auction of Russian Art in New York will feature a painting that Mikhail Baryshnikov donated to the Baryshnikov Arts Center, so that they may offer it at auction. The full proceeds from the sale of Petr Petrovich Vereshchagin’s View of St. Petersburg, one of the most magnificent cityscapes by the artist ever to appear at auction (est. $300/500,000), will go to benefit the Center’s work. The painting will be on view in Sotheby’s York Avenue Galleries beginning 7 April alongside the full sale exhibition.

The Baryshnikov Arts Center is the realization of a long-held vision by artistic director Mikhail Baryshnikov, who sought to build an arts center to serve as a thriving creative laboratory and performance space for multidisciplinary artists from around the world. Located in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, BAC comprises four studios, a studio theater, and the newly renovated 238-seat Jerome Robbins Theater. BAC’s programs include presentations of contemporary, innovative work at affordable ticket prices, as well as artist-centered activity that fosters creative exploration. BAC, a nonprofit 501(c)3 public charity, serves 500 artists, and more than 20,000 audience members annually.

Vereshchagin was a graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts in the early 19th century, when the city’s majestic skyline was a particularly popular subject for young artists. His panoramic and dazzling View of St. Petersburg is one of his most accomplished canvases of the period, showcasing his ability to capture painstaking detail and render atmospheric depth through perspective. Vereshchagin rendered images of the metropolis from many angles and in every condition; a substantial number of these variations now hang in the State Russian Museum.

The 12 April auction will also feature paintings by important artists including Boris Grigoriev, Nicholas Roerich and Ivan Aivazovsky. The works of art on offer are led by An Important and Rare Micromosaic Table by Gioacchino Barberi after Alexander Orlovski Made for the Russian Court 1830-33, which depicts one of the key Russian victories in the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-29 (est. $400/600,000). Beyond its artistry and remarkable construction, Sotheby’s intensive research into the history of the table suggests that it was made for Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia from 1825-55, or a member of his court

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