PETR IVANOVICH KELIN | New Jerusalem

The Antonín Hrabě Collection, Moscow and Slaný

V.Fiala, Russkaya zhivopis' v sobraniyakh Chekhoslovakii, Leningrad: Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1974, p.82, no.133 listed

The board has been laid down on panel and there is a minor loss to the top right corner. There is fine but pronounced craquelure throughout with some associated paint loss in places. There are abrasions along the edges. There is a layer of light surface dirt. UV light reveals retouching to the sky and to the water in the foreground. Held in a silver painted wooden frame. Unexamined out of frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The collection of Antonin Hrabě (1856-1940) encompassed a broad range of Russian art works dating from the end of the 19^th and beginning of the 20^th centuries. Collected over the course of the 40 years he lived in Moscow, items from his collection can now be found in the National Gallery in Prague, as well as in numerous private collections. Born in Slaný in what is now the Czech Republic, Hrabě moved to Moscow in the 1870s to take up work as an apprentice to the widow of a framer specialising in gilt frames. With time he came to own several factories and shops producing and selling office stationary and art materials, as well as a commercial art gallery in the vicinity of the Kremlin. It was this work as an art dealer which brought him into contact with leading Russian artists, many of whom, such as Vasily Polenov, Isaak Levitan and Dmitry Marten, he went on to represent.

For many years Hrabě held the position of chairman of the Czechoslovakian Association, representing the interests of the Czech population living in Russia. On 20 August 1914, he was part of a delegation who was received by Tsar Nicholas II. Then under Austro-Hungarian rule, the Czech diaspora wanted to fight alongside Russia in the First World War in exchange for help in gaining their independence. During the audience, the Tsar promised the Czechs assistance in the creation of their own national government, an agreement which consequently prevented Russia and Austria-Hungary reaching a separate peace deal during the war, but nevertheless laid the foundation for the creation of the Czechoslovakian state.

Following the October Revolution of 1917, Hrabě and his wife left Moscow for their hometown of Slaný, taking the majority of their collection with them. In 1920, many items of Russian art from their collection were exhibited at the Topičův Salon in Prague.