Exhibition "Masterpieces:
Russian art, old masters, modernists and African sculpture"

Within the walls of the Museum and Exhibition Complex of the Russian Academy of Arts, the Art Gallery (Prechistenka, 19), the exhibition "Masterpieces: Russian Art, Old Masters, Modernists and African Sculpture", organized by Sotheby’s auction house, will be held. The pre-auction exhibition of lots will combine the display of top lots of several auctions collected around the world.

The key work of the exhibition will be a painting by A. Rodchenko “Composition No. 95”, written in 1919 and which is one of the rare paintings of the famous constructivist artist, in private hands. In parallel with the top lot of Russian bidding in Moscow, several paintings by representatives of unofficial art or the so-called “second Russian avant-garde” from the famous collection of Jacob and Kenda Bar-Gera will be shown. These are the works of V. Weisberg, O. Tselkov, M. Schwartzman, G. Bruskin and others. Also on display will be a rare painting by Vladimir Stenberg, who, together with his brother George, is widely known for the posters they created for the plays and films of the first half of XX century.

For the first time in the framework of the pre-auction exhibition will be shown several works of African art. In total, three objects will be exhibited, two of which represent the art of the peoples of the Republic of the Congo and one from Gabon. It was the artworks of African masters that gave impetus to the development of modernism in Europe, because many artists were inspired by masks and totems that they purchased from French gallery owners. As in the early twentieth century, the art of the peoples of Africa has attracted the attention of collectors and representatives of the artistic elite in our time.

The paintings of artists of the old masters will be presented at the exhibition by the works of the artist of the school of Brugge, Ambrosius Benson, Peter Klas, Willem Drost, Sando Botticelli, Jean Honore Fragonard and Diego Velazquez.

The art of impressionists and modernists will be represented by the abstract work of Vasily Kandinsky and female portraits of Kes van Dongen and Jean Metzinger.

In total, the exhibition will show 38 items from different European and American collections, including several works of the jewelry house of K. Faberge.

The exhibition is open for visitors on November 3 from 12.00 to 22.00 (ticket office until 21.00). The visit is on admission tickets to the Art Gallery.