DALLAS, TX.- Heritage Auctions presents Imperial Fabergé & Russian Works of Art, to be held Dec. 17, showcasing masterworks of Russian Imperial-period fine and decorative arts.

Following Heritage’s December 16 auction of Imperial Porcelain & Russian Works of Art from the Collection of A La Vieille Russie, this second sale continues a historic week devoted to the legacy of Russian art, design and cultural heritage.

“This auction reflects the full scope of Russian artistic imagination across several centuries; from the opulence of Fabergé and the Imperial Porcelain Factory to the daring modernism of Grigoriev,” says Nick Nicholson, Heritage’s Director of Russian Works of Art. “Seen together, these works illuminate the many transformations of Russian art and its continual renewal in response to cultural change, marked by its enduring brilliance.”

The auction juxtaposes rediscovered paintings by Boris Grigoriev and Dmitry Levitsky with extraordinary Fabergé creations of royal provenance, a rare ecclesiastical masterpiece and Imperial porcelain of remarkable scale and rarity.

Paintings of Power and Poise: Grigoriev and Levitsky

At the forefront of the fine art offering are three major rediscoveries by Boris Grigoriev (1886–1939), each unseen publicly for nearly a century and descending directly from the Roosevelt family. Among them is Toilers of the Fields (circa 1920), from Grigoriev’s seminal Raseya series, a haunting vision of a Revolution-torn Russia that remains one of his defining achievements.

Equally significant are two works from Grigoriev’s period of exile: Portrait of Gladys Roosevelt Dick (1922), depicting the pioneering gallerist and patron who helped champion his art in America, and Portrait of an Actress (Lydia Koreneva) (1924), painted from life during the actress’s celebrated U.S. tour. Together, these works shed light on Grigoriev’s engagement with the transatlantic modernist movement and the transformative role of two Roosevelt sisters, Gladys Roosevelt Dick and Jean Schermerhorn Roosevelt, in shaping the artistic landscape of interwar New York.

The sale also features a refined 18th-century portrait attributed to Dmitry Levitsky (1735–1822), portraying Mavra Borisovna Strugovshchikova. This elegant image, rendered with Levitsky’s hallmark grace and clarity, embodies the height of neoclassical portraiture during Russia’s Imperial Enlightenment.

Imperial Fabergé: Provenance and Perfection

The auction's Fabergé selection reinforces Heritage's leadership in the field of Imperial decorative arts. Foremost among them is an Imperial Fabergé gilt silver and translucent pink guilloché enameled picture frame, purchased by Emperor Nicholas II in 1907 and descended through Grand Duke George Mikhailovich and Princess Nina Georgievna Chavchavadze. The sale also includes an exquisite pillbox with a newly discovered Imperial provenance, two well-documented clocks by Henrik Wigström, a delicate miniature frame and a British Royal Presentation Cigarette Case made for King George V, each distinguished by impeccable craftsmanship and illustrious provenance.

Objects of Devotion and Splendor

Among the auction's monumental offerings is a Russian cloisonné enameled gilt silver liturgical tabernacle with pyx, created circa 1910 by ecclesiastical silversmith Dmitry Shelaputin. Commanding in scale and artistry, this exceptional work embodies the spiritual and material opulence of late Imperial ecclesiastical design.

Equally striking is a pair of monumental porcelain vases from the Imperial Porcelain Factory, St. Petersburg, period of Nicholas II (1894–1917). Painted by Nikolai Samokish and Ivan Engodurov after designs by F. Jürgensen, these vases exemplify the union of national romanticism and academic precision at the dawn of the twentieth century. Recent research reveals they were presented as a gift from the Imperial Porcelain Factory to Nicholas II himself.

A Tradition of Excellence

Since launching its Russian Works of Art department in 2024, Heritage has achieved record-breaking auctions exceeding $10 million and has set new world records for Fabergé, Khlebnikov and Kurlyukov, solidifying its reputation as the U.S. market leader in Russian Works of art due to its scholarship, provenance research and global presentation.

"This sale reflects the extraordinary depth of Russian artistic heritage and Heritage's commitment to preserving and celebrating it on an international stage," says Nicholson. "From Fabergé's elegance to Grigoriev's modern vision, these works embody centuries of imagination and mastery. It's a privilege to bring them together for collectors worldwide."