Rubens & Record Sales Growth in Russian Art; Malevich, Lissitzky, & Altmann

By James Nicholls – JN Investment art

Rubens and His Legacy – The Royal Academy, London.
A few days ago I went to see the exhibition. I enjoyed it so much that I will be going back a number of times. Rubens and His Legacy brings together masterpieces produced during his lifetime, as well as major works by great artists who were influenced by him in the generations that followed. We see the influence of Rubens in the prints of Picasso and Rembrandt, in the portraiture of Van Dyck, in the hunting scenes and devotional works of Delacroix, and in the landscapes of Constable and Gainsborough. It is a far reaching and remarkable legacy.

In London on any day, one can always enjoy such a diversity and wealth of art, from street art to many of the greatest masterpieces in the world.

Kazimir Malevich: Revolutionary of Russian Art – The Tate Modern
Last year (July-October), the Tate Modern achieved major success with the exhibition of works by Malevich (1879-1935), the art theoretician and pioneer of geometric abstract art. Together with his friend, the equally famous Russian artist; El Lissitzky (1890-1941), they were the originators of the avant-garde, Suprematist movement. They created works they called ‘Proun’s.’

We are most privileged at this time as to have the exclusive mandates to sell a rare painting by Malevich and another by Lissitzky.

Record sales growth in Russian Art
Frances Asquith, Head of the Russian Pictures Department at Sotheby’s states;
“When it comes to the Russian avant garde, there’s no question that artists such as, El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, Natalia Goncharova and Wassily Kandinsky appeal to Western buyers as much as to Russian buyers. Russians are investing in their national culture. The tradition of major collectors is back.”

Sarah Mansfield, the Head of the Russian Art Department at Christie’s in London, agrees:

“Over the last few seasons Christie’s has witnessed some fantastic prices for the innovative, brightly coloured works of the 1910s by the Russian avant garde.”
(Source: Russia Beyond the Headlines)

Alexandre Altmann – outstanding representative of pre-revolutionary wave expatriate Russian painters.
Altmann (1878-1932) was born in a village near Kiev. To develop his gift in art and in search of opportunities, at the age of 20 left his homeland for Vienna and then on to Paris. The critics acknowledged that his impressionistic works were spectacular, decorative with a sense of freedom in everything he did.

Starting to invest in art
Even though we provide a complete circle of service to all our clients who wish to buy and sell artwork of a diverse range of artistic genres.

We enjoy helping people start to invest in art, especially people who never collected before. You can start as little as from £4,000 buying something you enjoy and ideally that will increase in value over the coming years, while you enjoy it hanging on the wall. It is about buying right and certain principles we assist all our clients with. In the last few days I have been been asked by 3 different people under 30 years of age, for recommendations as to what  to invest in first.

At the Rubens and His Legacy exhibition at the Royal Academy, we noticed the extraordinary number of young people there. I was discussing with my son the researched fact that; more people in the UK visit art galleries and museums than attend Premier League football matches!

If we can assist you in any way, for an appointment to view the art, or for any information, do contact me; james@jn-investment-art.com or call: + 44 (0) 779 355 6204

Best wishes
James Nicholls

Note: James is the Investment Art Expert for British Airways & International Art Editor of The Player Bookazine