A Russian Porcelain Plate, Yusupov Manufactory, Arkhangel'skoe, 1826

the cavetto painted with blossoming pink roses on a leafy branch surrounded by buds after Pierre-Joseph Redouté, the border with a continuous stylized foliate wreath.

Christie's London, April 21, 1988, lot 145, illustrated

some rubbing to gilding and with minor scratches
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.

"Arkhangelskoe is not run for profit, but is a source of expense and joy..." -- Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov (1750-1831)

When Prince Nikolai Yusupov made the above famous statement about the luxurious estate outside Moscow that he purchased in 1810, it revealed much about the works produced at the Porcelain Atelier he established there. Designed to display his extensive art collection, Arkhangelskoe's treasures also served as inspiration for the artisans who painted porcelains. His library is known to have included all three volumes of Pierre-Joseph Redouté's (1759-1840) luxury volume Les Roses (Paris, 1817-1824). Redouté's study had its source in another grand estate where no expense was spared – Empress Joséphine's Malmaison. The Empress spent vast sums and hired the greatest experts to create gardens that were among the most beautiful and scientifically thorough in Europe. The rose garden at Malmaison was Redouté's primary source, although the artist and his collaborator, botanist Claude-Antoine Thory (1759-1827), also sought out additional varieties from various gardens and horticulturists around Paris.

Almost as soon as the publication was completed and Yusupov had acquired the full set of volumes, work was begun on a series of cabinet plates with copies after each type of rose. Between 1824 and 1827, painters at the Yusupov Porcelain Atelier completed at least two sets of the Rose Series plates; a first full set depicting the plates in all three albums was finished between 1824 and 1826. Between 1826 and 1827 most, and possibly all, of the designs were repeated. The first series bears only the inscription Archangelski in French or Russian and the date on the reverse, while the second includes the volume and page number from Redouté. Nadezhda Berezhnaya speculates that the second series was a special order intended as a gift for one of the erudite connoisseurs who populated Prince Yusupov's inner circle. On the Yusupov Porcelain Atelier and this series of plates, see N. Berezhnaya, Iusupovskii farfor. Izdeliia farforovogo zavedeniia kniazia N.B. Iusupova v Arkhangel'skom, Moscow, 2009, pp. 76-91, 224-239.