LONDON.- MacDougall�'s two day Russian Art Auction 27 and 30 May showed continued strength of the market, with �’13m raised in total, one of the specialist firm�'s best results ever. All top lots were sold, and several new world records were set.

Kuzma Petrov�-Vodkin�'s magnificent Still Life. Apples and Eggs, sold for �’2,318,100, making it the most expensive work by the artist ever to be sold at auction. The work was painted in 1921 and is one of the most important works by Petrov�-Vodkin to remain in private hands.

Two Female Figures (Venus) by Ignaty Nivinsky sold for �’465,900, significantly exceeding its pre�-sale estimate of �’260,000�- �’400,00 and setting a record price for this artist at auction. Another new auction record was set for Sergei Sudeikin, whose painting Porcelain Figures and Flowers sold for �’517,000.

Still Life with Azalea and Apples by Aleksandr Deineka, estimated at �’250,000�-300,000, sold for �’398,300, the highest ever result for this artist at auction.

The second most expensive work of the two day auction was Mikhail Larionov�'s early masterpiece Flowers on a Veranda, which sold for �’1,192,169, followed by Zinaida Serebriakova�'s Sleeping Nude (Katya), which changed hands for �’1,132,344, making it one of the top three highest prices achieved for Serebriakova at auction, along with Nude, which sold at MacDougall�'s in December 2009.

The inaugural auction of the Dimitri Bouchène collection, which took place on the 30th, was also a great success.