Lot 0018
Fedor Kovshenkov. Rare Russian bust of Emperor Alexander I
Estimate: 2500-3000€
Bust of Emperor Alexander I
Russian Empire, St. Petersburg, 1827
Author: Fedor Ivanovich Kovshenkov (1785–1850)
Bronze, casting, patination
Dimensions: 19.5 x 8.5 x 8.5 cm.
This finely executed bust of Emperor Alexander I was created by Fedor Kovshenkov, a master bronzeworker who had once been a serf. In 1822, the Emperor himself recognized Kovshenkov’s talent and freed him from serfdom, appointing him as a bronze master during the construction of the Kazan Cathedral.
In 1826, as an expression of gratitude, Kovshenkov produced his first bust of Alexander I, and he returned to this theme multiple times throughout his career. Several examples in bronze and cast iron are preserved today in the State Russian Museum, alongside his busts of Emperor Nicholas I and Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. A comparable piece is held in the State Literary-Memorial and Natural Museum-Reserve of Alexander Pushkin “Boldino” in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
Fedor Ivanovich Kovshenkov (1785–1850)
Originally a serf, Kovshenkov’s exceptional skill in bronze chasing brought him to the attention of Emperor Alexander I, who liberated him. He went on to create portrait busts of members of the imperial family and other distinguished figures, establishing his reputation within the St. Petersburg artistic milieu of the first half of the 19th century.
Starting price: 2000€
Estimate: 2500-3000€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€
Related Lots
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Lot 0019
Russian Wood Composition “Cossack on a Horse”
Estimate: 500-600€
Lot 0019
Russian Wood Composition “Cossack on a Horse”
Estimate: 500-600€Cossack on Horseback
Russia (Danzig [Gdańsk], then part of the Russian Empire), late 19th century
Wood, metal
Dimensions: 21.5 × 16 × 7 cm
Inscribed: “А. Ханыковъ. Данцигъ”A finely carved wooden composition depicting a Cossack horseman, holding a lance and seated on a spirited mount. The sculpture bears a dedication to Alexander Vladimirovich Khanykov (1825–1853) — a noted Russian revolutionary and member of the Petrashevsky Circle, an intellectual and reformist movement in mid-19th century St. Petersburg.
Khanykov, a volunteer student at the St. Petersburg University, was an active participant in the philosophical and political circles of Mikhail Petrashevsky and Nikolai Kashkin. A passionate advocate of Charles Fourier’s socialist ideas, Khanykov delivered a public speech in memory of Fourier on April 7, 1849. That same year, he was arrested in connection with the Petrashevsky case, sentenced to death (later commuted to exile as a private in the Orenburg line battalions).
In exile, Khanykov initiated a secret Russo–Polish–Ukrainian circle, which likely included the poet Taras Shevchenko, also serving in Orenburg. Members of the group held political discussions, wrote satirical pamphlets against the imperial government, and circulated banned literature on economics, geography, and history. Khanykov also compiled a clandestine manuscript on world history praising popular sovereignty and the ideals of the French Revolution of 1789 and 1848, expressing sympathy for Christian socialism.
This wooden sculpture — created in Danzig (now Gdańsk) — appears to be a commemorative or symbolic representation of Khanykov’s revolutionary courage and his association with the frontier and Cossack imagery.
Starting price: 400€
Estimate: 500-600€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€ -
Lot 0020
Émile Picault. Bronze Sculpture “The Fencer”
Estimate: 2000-2500€
Lot 0020
Émile Picault. Bronze Sculpture “The Fencer”
Estimate: 2000-2500€Émile Louis Picault (1833–1915)
The Fencer (Le Tireur)
France, late 19th century
Patinated bronze, signed “E. Picault”
Height: 72 cmAn exceptional bronze sculpture by Émile Louis Picault, one of France’s most prolific and celebrated 19th-century sculptors. The Fencer (Le Tireur) depicts a duelist captured in a moment of poised triumph, raising his sword aloft in salute or victory. The figure’s dynamic anatomy, tense musculature, and richly modeled costume reflect Picault’s masterful balance between Neoclassical idealism and the Romantic fascination with heroism and individuality.
The bronze is finished in a deep brown patina with superb surface detailing. Foundry marks confirm its 19th-century origin. This composition belongs to Picault’s series of martial and allegorical works, which celebrate discipline, courage, and the dignity of human effort — recurring themes throughout his oeuvre.
Émile Louis Picault studied under Louis Royer and exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon from 1863 to 1909. His works, numbering over five hundred models, are represented in museum collections including Chambéry, Clermont-Ferrand, Maubeuge, and Troyes.
Starting price: 1500€
Estimate: 2000-2500€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€ -
Lot 0017
Séraphin Soudbinine. Bust of Alexander Petrovich Izvolsky
Estimate: 12000-15000€
Lot 0017
Séraphin Soudbinine. Bust of Alexander Petrovich Izvolsky
Estimate: 12000-15000€Séraphin Soudbinine. Bust of Alexander Petrovich Izvolsky
Patinated bronze on marble base
Signed and dated on the bronze: Soudbinine 1912
Dimensions: 16 x 10.5 x 10 cm.
Comparable cast: Musée d’Orsay, Paris (inv. no. JP 143 S, Buste d’homme)This expressive bronze bust depicts Alexander Petrovich Izvolsky (1856–1919), a Russian statesman and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1906 to 1910 and later as Ambassador to France. The vigorous modeling and textured surface reflect Soudbinine’s transition from his early theatrical background to a mature sculptural language, marked by psychological depth and vitality.
Séraphin Soudbinine (born Serafim Nikolaevich Sudbinin) was born in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, in 1867. Originally an actor at the Moscow Art Theatre, he turned to sculpture after 1904, studying in Paris with Léon Bérard, Léopold-Sinaïeff Bernstein, and Jean-Antoine Injalbert. Supported by patron Savva Morozov, he quickly gained recognition for his portrait work.
Soudbinine’s sculptures were shown in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Paris, Berlin, Venice, and New York. He created portraits of prominent figures including Maxim Gorky, Fyodor Chaliapin, and Anna Pavlova. After the Russian Revolution, he remained in Paris, later working in ceramics. His works are held in major collections such as the Musée d’Orsay (Paris), the State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg), and the Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow).
Soudbinine died in Paris in 1944.
Starting price: 10000€
Estimate: 12000-15000€
Hammer Price: 12000€ -
Lot 0016
Antique Bronze Sculpture of Musketeer by Auguste Joseph CARRIER (1800-1875)
Estimate: 4000-5000€
Lot 0016
Antique Bronze Sculpture of Musketeer by Auguste Joseph CARRIER (1800-1875)
Estimate: 4000-5000€Auguste Joseph Carrier (1800–1875)
The Musketeer
France, 19th century
Patinated bronze on black stone baseHeight with the stone: 79,5 cm.
Height without the stone: 72 cm.
This finely modeled bronze by Auguste Joseph Carrier depicts a musketeer, elegantly dressed in Renaissance attire, captured in a moment of composed confidence. The figure’s detailed costume — complete with plumed hat, cloak, and sword — reflects the romantic fascination with chivalric and historical themes that characterized 19th-century French sculpture.The sculpture rests on a black stone base showing minor age-related cracks, which do not detract from its strong aesthetic presence.
Auguste Joseph Carrier (1800–1875) was a French sculptor and painter, active during the mid-19th century. His works, often allegorical or historical in subject, reveal the refined academic tradition of French art during this era.
Starting price: 3000€
Estimate: 4000-5000€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€