Bidspirit auction | Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011)

Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011) - Transfer Drawing (Tracing) for the Casket “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. Palekh, USSR, 1960s. Tracing paper, ink, pen 14 by 10 cm. Condition report: Signs of handling; yellowing; rust-like staining; creases along the edges. Provenance: From the family archive of the Golikov dynasty. Original transfer drawing by Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov, used to transfer the composition onto a lacquer surface. Preserved as part of the artist’s working materials. An exceptionally rare technical artifact documenting a crucial stage in the creation of Palekh lacquer miniatures. This tracing represents a finalized linear composition prepared for direct transfer onto the object’s surface. Unlike preliminary sketches, it is a precise working template, free from exploratory lines. The composition, based on Ruslan and Lyudmila, features a central mounted figure, spatial rhythm defined by stylized landscape forms and clouds and a dynamic diagonal movement across the surface. Executed in ink, the drawing reflects absolute precision. This medium does not allow correction, and each line represents a final decision. Despite its small scale, the sheet demonstrates exceptional clarity, compositional unity and refined control of line. Such materials were purely functional and rarely preserved. Collecting & Investment Potential: Original transfer tracings by Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov are among the rarest surviving elements of an artist’s practice. They are valued for documenting the final stage of composition, direct connection to the making of lacquer works and their role as primary workshop materials. Examples of this kind are seldom encountered and are highly significant for institutional and scholarly collections. This working original is where a drawing becomes an object.