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MARCH 2024 DECORATIVE & FINE ART SALE
Lot 112:
Dmitri Semenovich Stelletsky (Russian, Belarusian, French, 1875–1947), a project for an icon kiot in watercolor and graphite on paper, 1920. Signed lower right "STELLETSKI" and annotated in French Villa Wenden Cannes / 1920", with pencil annotations to the ribs. Framed, bears on the back a label annotated in Russian in the hand of Alexander Liapin dated 1970.
Provenance: Villa Wenden, Cannes, 1920; Alexandre Liapine Collection (1927-2011); Auction Auctie’s 28.10.2022 lot 97.
Note: The Villa Wenden in Cannes was built in 1889 on the order of Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia (1860-1922), Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin by her marriage, little daughter of Tsar Nicolas I and sister of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich Romanov (1861-1929) who stayed in Cannes during the winter seasons. In 1914, the painter Dmitri Stelletsky left Russia for France for good and settled in a small studio, which he nicknamed “Le Toit”, in La Napoule near Cannes. In emigration, he carried out numerous architectural and decorative projects as well as murals for the residences of the Russian, English or French aristocracy in Cannes and on the Cote d’Azur. On of the examples being the old fortified residence “Fanfarigoule”, bought in 1920 by the diplomat Sir Alan Johnstone and his wife. The present project could have been commissioned for the interiors of Villa Wenden by Grand Duchess Anastasia herself, or by her son and heir Louis Alexis de Wenden (1902-1976). But in 1923 the son-in-law of the Marshal, Mr. Grus-Gallieni, took possession of the estate and the project never saw the light of day.
21 x 15 in., (53.34 x 38.1 cm)
Condition: Good, no apparent signs of damage or restoration.
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