Lot 0008
Russian Bronze Composition by Vasiliy Grachev
Estimate: 6000-8000€
Vasily Grachev. Peasants’ Sleigh on the Winter Road
Bronze, 17 × 33.5 × 17 cm
Cast by C. Woerffel Foundry, St. Petersburg
Late 19th century
This rare bronze composition by Vasily Grachev depicts a lively winter scene of peasants riding a sleigh along a rugged road. The dynamic pose of the horse, the expressive gestures of the driver, and the detailed rendering of clothing and sleigh bring to life the rhythm of rural Russia in the 19th century. Grachev often collaborated with the renowned Woerffel foundry in St. Petersburg, whose fine castings helped preserve the precision and vitality of his models.
Vasily Grachev (1831–1905):
Born into a family of state peasants, Grachev was apprenticed as a boy to the court craftsman Andreev in St. Petersburg, where he trained in chasing for six years. He later worked for prominent silversmiths, including I. S. Sazikov. Sculpture became his true vocation, though he pursued it largely as a self-taught artist.
Grachev created wax models for major Russian manufacturers such as C. F. Woerffel, P. A. Ovchinnikov, and I. P. Khlebnikov, whose workshops produced his works in both bronze and silver. In 1885 he established his own studio in St. Petersburg. That same year he exhibited at the Artistic and Industrial Exhibition in the city, where his composition At the Watering Place was awarded a silver medal.
Starting price: 4000€
Estimate: 6000-8000€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€
Related Lots
-
Lot 0010
Evgeny Lanceray. Pair of Russian Bronze Candlesticks
Estimate: 1000-1500€
Lot 0010
Evgeny Lanceray. Pair of Russian Bronze Candlesticks
Estimate: 1000-1500€Evgeny Lanceray. Ice Cream Vendor and Fish Seller (from the series of Russian Types)
Bronze candlesticks. Dimensions: H. 19.5 cm and 18.5 cm
Russia, late 19th centuryThese two bronze candlesticks depict lively figures of a fish seller and an ice cream vendor, part of Evgeny Lanceray’s celebrated series of Russian tipazhi (types). Each figure balances a tub on his head, transformed into a functional candleholder.
The candlesticks originally belonged to a larger desk set created in the mid-1870s, consisting of around thirty small figures that served as match holders, ashtrays, candlesticks, a bell, a paper press, and other objects. Thematically, the set reflects the broader trend of Russian art at the time—its fascination with folk life and everyday characters. The artistic roots of this approach go back to the famous 1817 publication The Magic Lantern, or a Display of St. Petersburg Street Vendors, Artisans and Other Common Tradesmen, Depicted True to Life in Their Dress and Shown in Conversation.
The desk set was repeatedly cast at the F. Chopin foundry in St. Petersburg. While a complete example has not survived, individual pieces are now preserved in the collections of the State Historical Museum (Moscow) and the State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg). For further reference see: L. N. Goncharova, Russian Artistic Bronze of the 19th Century, Moscow, 2001, pp. 67–68, 112.
Starting price: 800€
Estimate: 1000-1500€
Hammer Price: 1300€ -
Lot 0009
Bronze Sculpture of “Don César De Bazan” by Emile PICAULT (1833-1915)
Estimate: 5000-6000€
Lot 0009
Bronze Sculpture of “Don César De Bazan” by Emile PICAULT (1833-1915)
Estimate: 5000-6000€Émile Louis Picault (1833–1915)
Don César de Bazan
France, late 19th century
Bronze with double patina, signed “E. Picault”
Height: 86 cm.
This dynamic bronze sculpture by Émile Louis Picault portrays Don César de Bazan, the dashing nobleman and soldier from the 1872 opera Don César de Bazan by Jules Massenet, a character also found in Victor Hugo’s play Ruy Blas. Picault captures the quintessential romantic hero — bold, proud, and slightly defiant — frozen mid-gesture with sword in hand and cloak flowing in motion. The piece reflects the artist’s fascination with themes of honor, individuality, and chivalric elegance.Executed with a double patina, the sculpture demonstrates Picault’s technical virtuosity in bronze casting, contrasting warm and dark tones to emphasize both the richness of costume and the expressiveness of the figure’s face.
Émile Louis Picault, born in Paris in 1833, was among the most prolific sculptors of the 19th century, creating over 500 models throughout his long career. A frequent exhibitor at the Salon des Beaux-Arts from 1863 onward, Picault specialized in allegorical, patriotic, and mythological subjects. His works, notable for their meticulous detail and vitality, exemplify the moral and aesthetic ideals of the Belle Époque.
Starting price: 4000€
Estimate: 5000-6000€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€ -
Lot 0007
Huge Bronze St. George Slaying the Dragon Signed by the Artist “Emile Picault
Estimate: 6000-7000€
Lot 0007
Huge Bronze St. George Slaying the Dragon Signed by the Artist “Emile Picault
Estimate: 6000-7000€Émile Louis Picault (1833–1915)
St. George Slaying the Dragon
France, late 19th century
Bronze, signed “E. Picault”
Height: 78 cmThis monumental bronze by Émile Louis Picault depicts St. George, the Christian knight and dragon-slayer, standing triumphantly over the defeated beast. The sculpture captures the hero at rest after battle — his pose calm and resolute, his gaze lowered in quiet reflection. The finely rendered armor, detailed sword, and naturalistic anatomy reveal Picault’s exceptional skill in modeling bronze with both strength and grace.
A leading figure of 19th-century French sculpture, Picault was renowned for his allegorical and patriotic subjects as well as mythological heroes. Trained in Paris, he began exhibiting at the Salon des Beaux-Arts in 1863 and went on to produce more than 500 models during his prolific career. His works often explored virtues such as courage, honor, and diligence, rendered with expressive energy and precise craftsmanship.
Examples of his work can be found in major French museums, including:
Chambéry (Le Semeur d’idées, 45 cm)
Clermont-Ferrand (Hébé, 93 cm)
Maubeuge (Le Devoir, Honor Patria, 45 cm)
Troyes (La Famille, joies et peines)
Starting price: 5000€
Estimate: 6000-7000€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€ -
Lot 0006
Nikolai Liberich. A Russian bronze “Lying boar”
Estimate: 1200-1500€
Lot 0006
Nikolai Liberich. A Russian bronze “Lying boar”
Estimate: 1200-1500€Nikolai Liberich. Lying Boar paperweight.
Model circa 1866
Bronze, casting, chasing
Dimensions: 5.5 × 20.5 × 17.5 cm
St. Petersburg, 1870s–1880sThis finely detailed bronze sculpture depicts a wild boar lying on the ground, rendered with naturalistic accuracy and careful attention to the animal’s anatomy and textured fur.
Exhibitions: A comparable piece was exhibited at the State Russian Museum in Nikolai Liberich. Sculpture and Graphics from the Collections of A. G. Egorov and K. V. Zhuromsky (2011).
Publications: A comparable work was published in the book by A. Egorov and K. Zhuromsky Nikolai Liberich. Sculpture and Graphics (p. 220).Nikolai Ivanovich Liberich (1828–1883)
Born into a civil servant’s family, Liberich first served in the Life Guards Dragoon and Hussar Regiments, retiring with the rank of colonel. He later studied sculpture at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg under P. K. Klodt, and in 1861 he was awarded the title of Academician.Liberich became renowned for his numerous hunting, military, and genre scenes, as well as his highly naturalistic animal models. Many of his works were produced for leading bronze and silver manufacturers in St. Petersburg, including A. I. Sokolov, P. A. Ovchinnikov, and I. S. Sazikov. His sculptures were repeatedly shown at the exhibitions of the Imperial Academy of Arts, as well as at major international expositions, including the World’s Fairs in London (1872), Paris (1878), and Antwerp (1885).
Starting price: 800€
Estimate: 1200-1500€
Hammer Price: 1300€