Evgeny Lanceray (1848-1886), A Russian Bronze: Svyatoslav on the Way to Tsargrad

Estimate

80,000 - 100,000 USD

bidding is closed

Description

the front of the base with a plaque inscribed in Cyrillic reading "We would rather fall in battle than bring shame on Russia's lands / Svyatoslav, on the road to Tsargrad in 970," inscribed with signature and with the mark of the Shtange foundry
Length 21 in.
53.3 cm

gilded, the prince of Kievan Rus shown astride a tense and wind-blown steed gesturing with his sword while rallying his troops

Literature

"E.A. Lansere," Niva 1886, no. 16, p. 418

L.P. Shaposhnikova, Skulptura XVIII-nachalo XX veka, Leningrad, 1988, p. 94, nos. 660-662

I.M. Shmidt, Russkaia skulptura vtoroi poloviny XIX-nachala XX veka, Moscow, 1989, pp. 49, 52-53

Gosudarstvennaia Tretiakovskaia galereia, katalog sobraniia: Skulptura XVIII-XIX vekov, Moscow, 2000, pp. 58, 192-193.

N.R. Levinson and L.N. Goncharova, Russkaia khudozhestvennaia bronza (reprint), Moscow, 2001, pp. 113, 189, no. 53.

G.W. Sudbury, Evgueni Alexandrovitch Lanceray, 1848-1886, Lausanne, 2006, pp. 82-83, 165-166

Condition

overall good condition
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

This was one of the last works Lanceray completed before his untimely death and his masterful handling of the patriotic warrior astride a fiery steed has been viewed as a fitting summation of his illustrious career. Svyatoslav I (ca. 942-972), son of Igor and Olga of Kiev, is primarily remembered for his successful military campaigns in eastern and southern Europe, which resulted in the expansion of Kievan Rus' into the largest state in Europe. Although he was ultimately unsuccessful in taking Tsargrad (the Slavonic name for Constantinople), his heroic deeds and success in acquiring Byzantine lands attracted the attention of Russian artists during the Russo-Turkish Wars of 1768-1774 and 1877-1878. Thus it was a natural gift for a Russian officer and there is some evidence that casts of this bronze were presented to successful military leaders or regiments. It is known that the Kiev Hussars, the heroes of the Battle of Katzbach, were presented with this patriotic sculpture by one of their brother regiments.