Bidspirit auction | Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011)

Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011) - Box “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. Palekh, Russia, 1992. Papier-mâché, egg tempera, raised gold, lacquer. 25 by 19 cm. Condition report: Minor signs of wear; abrasions to the edges; the box has been repaired. Provenance: From the personal working archive of the Golikov family. Created and preserved by Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov. A late work by Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov, one of the leading masters of the Palekh school, Honoured Artist of the RSFSR, and son of Ivan Ivanovich Golikov. The composition is based on Alexander Pushkin’s “Ruslan and Lyudmila” and is structured as a panoramic narrative. The upper section depicts the battle between Ruslan and Chernomor, while the central and lower areas incorporate architectural and narrative elements forming a multi-layered композиция. Figures and architecture are integrated into a complex pictorial structure. The palette combines насыщенные greens, ochres, and gold against a dark ground. Fine detailing is executed using raised gold and the traditional multi-layered tempera technique. Collecting & Investment Potential: Works by Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov are held in major museum collections and form part of the established canon of Palekh miniature painting. Large-scale Pushkin-themed works occupy a central place in the artist’s oeuvre. Late-period pieces of this complexity and provenance are rarely encountered on the market. A substantial Pushkin-themed work by Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov, combining scale and narrative complexity. Such works are rarely available and are typically secured at the point of first availability.