677 - Nicolai Malicheff, Elegant Upper-Class Lady Reading, watercolour c. 1900, mounted on a passepartout, in its original gilded frame

Nicolai Malicheff, Elegant Upper-Class Lady Reading, watercolour c. 1900, mounted on a passepartout, in its original gilded frame Nicolai Malicheff, also known as Nicolaï Malischeff, 1851 - ?, Russian painter and illustrator who lived and worked in the second half of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century; here: a refined interior featuring a woman reading, seated in an armchair wearing an elegant blue dress. In the background, frescoes and a large Chinese vase; a masterful watercolour, approx. 42 x 25 cm, signed on the left, below the painting, in the original gilded stucco passepartout; on the reverse, an old handwritten note of ownership: ‘Property of Georg Behrens, Frankfurt am Main...’ (presumably George Eduard Behrens (1890-1956), a famous Jewish banker from Hamburg. He owned a vast and valuable collection of paintings, which he had inherited from his father. During the Nazi era, he was persecuted; in 1938, in the wake of the November pogroms, he was mistreated and placed in ‘protective custody’. He was forced to sell his valuable paintings to ensure his survival and his escape. We have verified this work: It is not listed in the ‘Lost Art’ database)About the artist: Nicolai Malicheff was particularly renowned for his delicate depictions of elegantly dressed women from the upper classes. He worked extensively with watercolour, gouache and pencil drawings on paper or card. Some works were also executed as oil paintings. In addition to portraits, he captured scenes of Russian life. These include depictions of Cossacks (traditional mounted soldiers) and illustrations for classical Russian literature.