Bidspirit auction | Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011)

Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011) - Panel “The Demon”. Palekh, USSR, 1975. Papier-mâché, egg tempera, lacquer. 40 by 22.5 cm. Condition report: Good condition with traces of age. Localized wear, age-related lacquer irregularities, and minor surface losses are visible, consistent with the age of the work. The painted composition remains visually coherent and decoratively expressive. Provenance From the Golikov family collection (Palekh). Created and preserved within the artist’s personal archive. The monumental decorative panel The Demon belongs to one of the rarest and most philosophically charged groups of works by Nikolai Golikov, inspired by The Demon by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. The composition is vertically structured and unfolds as a mystical vision. In the upper section appears the flying Demon with outstretched red wings, suspended between heaven and earth. Below stands a female figure within a fantastical landscape of winding rivers, imaginary architecture, and decorative vegetation. Golikov interprets the literary figure not as a purely tragic Romantic hero, but as a symbol of spiritual solitude, wandering, and an unreal dreamlike world. Space dissolves into decorative abstraction characteristic of the Palekh tradition. This work demonstrates Golikov’s rare engagement with Symbolist and Romantic literary themes within Palekh lacquer art.  Especially remarkable is the image of the Demon himself. Hie figure is not aggressive, but tragically solitary and almost immaterial, seemingly dissolving into the black lacquer surface. Collecting & Investment Potential Works by Nikolai Golikov inspired by Russian literature and Romantic poetry are considerably rarer than his fairy-tale and folkloric compositions and are especially valued by collectors of Palekh art. Collectors particularly appreciate works in which Golikov merges Palekh traditions with the imagery of Russian Romantic literature, creating highly individual artistic statements. The Demon is a rare and emotionally powerful work by Nikolai Golikov, uniting the traditions of Palekh lacquer art with the poetic imagination of Russian Romanticism and Symbolist aesthetics.