Bidspirit auction | Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011)

Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011) - Plaque “The Mistress of the Copper Mountain”. Sketch. Palekh, USSR, 1982. Papier-mâché, egg tempera, gold highlights, lacquer. 33 by 13 cm. Condition report: Well preserved. Minor traces of age and light surface wear consistent with the age of the work. The painted surface and lacquer remain in very good condition. Provenance: From the Golikov family collection (Palekh). Created and preserved within the artist’s personal archive. A rare decorative sketch by Nikolai Golikov inspired by the image of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain - one of the central characters from the Ural tales collected in The Malachite Box by Pavel Petrovich Bazhov. The composition is conceived vertically, resembling a precious ornamental panel. At the center appears the mysterious female figure of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain, emerging from a fantastical world of minerals, flowers, and subterranean forms. The entire pictorial space is immersed in a decorative vortex of vegetal and crystalline motifs. Particularly striking is the brilliant color palette: vivid greens, reds, oranges, blues, and golds contrast dramatically against the deep black lacquer background. The sketch possesses an unusual degree of artistic liberty and can almost be perceived as an independent decorative abstraction while remaining rooted in the traditions of Palekh miniature painting. The work vividly demonstrates the highly individual style of Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov, in which Palekh traditions merge with an almost modernist understanding of decorative composition. In works such as this, Golikov reveals himself not only as a master lacquer miniature painter, but also as an exceptional colorist and creator of sophisticated decorative compositions. Collecting & Investment Potential Sketches by Nikolai Golikov, especially those connected with literary and folkloric themes, are particularly rare within the market for Russian lacquer miniature art. This work holds strong collecting importance due to its provenance from the artist’s personal archive, the rare format, its experimental decorative character, its connection to Ural folklore and Bazhov’s tales, the distinctly recognizable authorial style and its exceptional decorative quality. Such works are especially valued by advanced collectors and museum-level collections focusing on unique preparatory works and the evolution of individual artistic styles within twentieth-century Palekh art. The Mistress of the Copper Mountain is a rare and exceptionally decorative sketch by Nikolai Golikov, uniting the traditions of Palekh miniature painting with ornamental fantasy and brilliant chromatic expression.