Bidspirit auction | Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011)

Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011) - Plaque “Battle”. Palekh, USSR, 1979. Papier-mâché, egg tempera, gold highlights, lacquer. 19 by 30 cm. Condition report: Well preserved. Minor traces of age, localized surface wear, and natural craquelure and lacquer irregularities consistent with the age of the work. Provenance From the Golikov family collection (Palekh). Created and preserved within the artist’s personal archive. The monumental composition Battle belongs among the most dynamic works created by Nikolai Golikov during the late 1970s. The plaque is conceived as a complex multi-figure scene filled with dramatic action unfolding within a stylized Palekh landscape. At the center of the composition is a powerful cavalry assault. Riders and horses are depicted in rapid movement: rearing horses, twisting figures, and diagonally directed weapons generate an intense rhythmic structure. The entire scene is infused with a sense of violent momentum and heroic confrontation. To the right appears a fantastic Old Russian architectural ensemble that reinforces the epic atmosphere of the composition. Space is treated symbolically and decoratively in accordance with Palekh miniature painting and Old Russian icon traditions. Despite its relatively intimate format, the plaque possesses an almost mural-like monumentality and reads as a heroic epic translated into the language of lacquer miniature painting. Golikov is particularly known for combining folk and heroic imagery with extraordinary decorative sophistication. In this work the artist achieves exceptional dynamism and compositional energy. Collecting & Investment Potential: Museum-quality works by Nikolai Golikov - especially large independent plaques and complex multi-figure compositions from the 1970s - are highly sought after among collectors of Russian lacquer miniature art. This work holds particular collecting importance due to its provenance from the artist’s family archive, the unusually large format for a Palekh plaque, the complexity and ambition of the composition, the clearly recognizable authorial style, strong state of preservation and the epic character of the subject matter. International collectors especially value Golikov’s works in which the synthesis of Old Russian artistic tradition, Palekh decorative aesthetics, and the artist’s highly personal visual language is most fully realized. Battle is an outstanding work by Nikolai Golikov, uniting epic power, virtuoso composition, and the refined decorative sophistication characteristic of the finest Palekh lacquer miniatures.