Rating and value of Russian Orientalist paintings by Alexander Iacovleff

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Cote et valeur de l'artiste Alexandre Iacovleff  

Icovleff is a Russian-born painter who is relatively unknown to the general public. He left behind a unique artistic repertoire characteristic of Russian realism. This legacy consists of paintings that are predominantly oil on canvas. Today, prices for his works are skyrocketing under auctioneers' hammers.

His paintings and other works are particularly prized, especially by European, Russian and American buyers, and the prices at which they sell on the art market range from €30 to €3,696,000, a considerable delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Iacovleff's works.

In 2007, the oil-on-canvas Portrait of Vasilii Shukhaev sold for €3,696,000, against an estimate of €740,000 to €890,000, more than two million above the high estimate.

Works by Alexandre Iacovleff on the auction market have had a very strong upside potential since the 2000s, being relatively rare and extremely sought-after.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique of the artist Alexandre Iacovleff  

Alexandre Iacovleff is above all a neoclassicist. He painted landscapes and portraits, using iconographic programs inspired by his travels in Asia and Africa.

His preferred medium remains oil on canvas, although he also produces drawings and prints. His drawings include many sanguines, which are indisputably the most highly-prized.

Like painters such as Delacroix and Ingres in France, he used traditional painting techniques and academic canons to create orientalist representations.

Alexandre Iacovleff, a major figure among Russian orientalists   

Alexander Evgenevich Iacovleff, (also spelled Alexander JACOVLEFF - Alexander JAKOWLEFF - Alexander IAKOVLEV - Aleksandr Evgenevic YAKOVLEV - Alexandre YACOVLEV - Alexander YAKOVLEV) (1887 - 1938) was a Russian painter born in Saint Petersburg.

He came from a military family, and after secondary school studied in Dimitri Kardovski's studio at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts.  

He joined the Mir Iksousstva artists' association, which also included painters Alexandre Benoit and Serge de Diaghilev. He began his personal career drawing for Russian magazines, which explains the large production of drawings circulating on the art market.

After obtaining a scholarship, he lived in Spain and then Italy, where he studied the great masters and became familiar with the trend towards Orientalism, very much in vogue in 19th-century Western Europe.

He then traveled to China and Japan, where he had the opportunity to depict daily life in the Far East, and even to use pictorial techniques specific to Chinese and especially Japanese traditions.

In 1920, with the outbreak of revolution in Russia in 1917, he settled permanently in Paris, where he rubbed shoulders with Russian artists commonly associated with the École de Paris. He was soon exhibiting in France and the United States.

In 1924, he became the official painter for the Croisière Noire, an automobile expedition that crossed the African continent from north to south, from Algeria to Madagascar. This journey provided him with a wide range of inspirations, for which he became renowned as a painter of Orientalist subjects.

After traveling to Abyssinia with Henri de Rothschild, he became the official painter of the Croisière Jaune, which crossed Asia from Lebanon to China. Here too, his output was substantial, focusing on the people he met on his voyage.

Back in Paris, he designed the sets for Paul Valéry's ballet Sémiramis, staged at the Opéra Garnier. On the strength of his success, he was offered a teaching position at the Boston School of Art and moved to the United States.

In 1937, he returned to Paris, where he died of stomach cancer. 

Focus on Les gymnastes, Alexandre Iacovleff

Alexandre Iacovleff presents us with a dynamic, intense scene in his painting The Gymnasts. The artist captures a moment of movement and physical strength, in a hushed, almost monastic atmosphere, at the heart of a vaulted interior reminiscent of the architecture of ancient baths or gymnasiums.

The figures, muscular and in action, are painted with precise, powerful gestures. They are depicted in full exercise, holding clubs, their bodies taut with effort.

Their posture exudes discipline, concentration and a certain degree of mastery of their body art. The red hues of the loincloths contrast with the cold, earthy walls, reinforcing the impression of human warmth in this austere environment.

The architectural background, with its arches and vaults, frames the scene and lends a solemn depth to the whole. It creates an atmosphere both sacred and mysterious, where the body is given pride of place, almost as an object of worship.

The shadows and play of light on the walls accentuate this impression, emphasizing the gymnasts' muscularity while softening the contours of the space.

What particularly attracts attention is the balance Iacovleff achieves between the dynamism of the moving figures and the stability of the architectural setting.

We feel the strength of the bodies, but also the serenity of the space around them. The contrast between the agitation of the physical exercises and the calm of the room creates a fascinating tension in the work.

The artist's color palette, dominated by ochres, browns and greens, evokes a warm, archaic atmosphere. Oriental and Mediterranean influences are evident, typical of Iacovleff's interest in exploring distant cultures and traditions.

With Les gymnastes, Iacovleff transports us to a world where physical effort is sublimated by an almost spiritual atmosphere, creating a subtle dialogue between the human body and architectural space.

It's a work that, through its intensity, calls out and fascinates, highlighting the beauty of the human form in motion.

Alexandre Iacovleff's works on show in Les Sables d'Olonne

Roubtzoff and Iacovleff, Russia's two Orientalist Alexanders

Russian Orientalist painters of the early 20th century, such as Alexandre Iacovleff and Alexandre Roubtzoff, captured the exoticism and beauty of faraway lands, particularly those of the Orient and North Africa, with an eye that was both curious and respectful.

Alexandre Iacovleff, a great explorer, traveled throughout Asia and Africa, observing and sketching the daily lives of the peoples he met. His works are characterized by a direct, almost documentary approach, but always imbued with poetry.

His travels can be seen in the meticulous details and atmospheres he paints, particularly in scenes like The Gymnasts, where the movement and precision of the body recall his particular attention to human anatomy.

Even if the subject seems far from the Orient, we find the mystical, sober atmosphere typical of his depictions of faraway lands.

Alexandre Roubtzoff has chosen to settle in Tunisia, a country that has left a deep impression on him. His paintings are bathed in the brilliant light of the Maghreb. He captures the daily life of the inhabitants with an obvious gentleness and warmth.

His market scenes, shady alleyways and desert landscapes are luminous and full of life, without being idealized. Light becomes almost a character in his canvases, reflecting the simple beauty of the moments he immortalizes.

Whereas Iacovleff was a nomad, always on the move, seeking to discover and understand, Roubtzoff was rooted in the Orient, taking the time to capture the essence of this vibrant daily life.

Together, they represent two different, yet complementary, approaches to Russian Orientalism: a vision imbued with both curiosity and sensitivity, which eschews clichés to offer a sincere immersion in the cultural richness of these lands.

Iacovleff's imprint on his period 

Alexandre Iacovleff left his mark on his era in Russia, France and Europe, although the general public doesn't remember much about him today.

Nevertheless, his technical mastery and personal history are of interest to collectors: his works are highly sought-after on the auction market. He immortalized many peoples and landscapes.

His participation in the Croisière Jaune and the Croisière Noire enabled him to immortalize on canvas some of the most important maritime expeditions of his time - which helped build his reputation and high standing on the art market.

He is also one of the great Russian landscape painters, including Constantin Westchiloff and Constantin Korovine.

Recognizing the signature of Alexandre Iacovleff   

Alexander Iacovleff's paintings are often signed at the bottom. He signs with his first and last name, often in a dark tone; sometimes with the town where he painted the picture, or the date.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a painting by Alexandre Iacovleff or one based on the artist's work, don't hesitate to ask for a free estimate using the form on our website.

A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it.

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