Rating and value of Russian paintings by Mikhail Guermacheff

If you own a work by or based on the work of artist Mikhail Guermacheff and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will be happy to advise you.

Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its value on today's market. Then, if you wish to sell your work, we will guide you towards the best possible means of obtaining the best possible price.

Artist's rating and value

Mikhail Guermacheff's work is uncommon and quite highly rated on the auction market. His works are of interest to collectors and art lovers, particularly those who appreciate 20th-century Russian painting.

His work is currently on the rise on the art market, and the prices at which his works sell on the art market range from €200 to €135,000, at the moment, a considerable delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to the artist's work. 

The most sought-after pieces are landscape paintings. A work by Guermacheff can fetch thousands of euros at auction, such as his painting Le Kremlin sous la neige, which sold for €135,000 in 2008, whereas its estimate was between €40,000 and €50,000.  

Order of value from the most basic to the most prestigious

Mikhail Guermacheff's style and technique

Mikhail Guermacheff belongs to the École de Paris group, like other artists (Michel Kikoine, Alessio Isupoff, Nicolas de Staël) who immigrated from Russia to Paris, although this term is far too broad to give a precise definition of his work.

He joined the ranks of Russian realist artists, producing mainly oils on canvas. Guermacheff worked extensively on the representation of light, drawing inspiration in particular from snowy landscapes.

The life of Mikhail Guermacheff    

Mikhail Markanovich Guermacheff (1867-1930) was a Russian painter associated with the École de Paris. Born in Kharkov, in the Russian Empire, he received his artistic training at the Moscow School of Fine Arts, where he specialized in landscape painting and mastered the techniques of the Russian realists.

He took part in various Salons, notably in Moscow and St Petersburg, where he exhibited his work.

After the revolution of 1917, Guermacheff, like many of his contemporaries, had to leave his native country. He settled in France, where he exhibited his work at the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées and at the Salon de la Société nationale des Beaux-Arts.

His works, marked by the Russian realism of his early years, depict a luminous, idealized country, contrasting with the revolutionary upheavals of the 20th century. They express a discreet nostalgia for the last moments of the Russian Empire, particularly in his famous depictions of the snow-covered Kremlin.

Guermacheff died in Paris in 1930. 

Understanding Russian realism in painting

Russian Realism in painting, the predominant movement in 19th-century Russia, is characterized by its desire to faithfully depict everyday life, landscapes and rural scenes of the Russian Empire, with particular emphasis on the use of light.

Influenced by the social and political ideals of the time, this artistic movement sought to reflect reality without embellishment, capturing the harshness of peasant life and the striking contrasts between different social classes.

Russian realist artists such as Ilia RépineVassili Perov and Ivan Chichkine, played an essential role in the emergence of this style, favoring a narrative and often critical approach in their works.

Russian realist painting is characterized by meticulous attention to detail, a sober color palette and natural light that lends the paintings an atmosphere both tangible and poignant.

By depicting the vast expanses of the Russian countryside or the dignified portraits of workers and peasants, these artists immortalized a changing world, while expressing a deep attachment to their native land, thus marking the history of Russian art.

Many artists, such as Constantin Korovine and Nikolai Sapunov also produced landscape paintings without protagonists or portraits. Those by Korovine, who notably produced Views of Paris, are today highly prized on the auction market.

Focus on a landscape by Guermacheff (early 20th century)

Here, Guermacheff invites us to discover a peaceful winter scene in which the elements blend harmoniously. The artist did not date his paintings, and little documentary information is available on most of his landscapes, making it impossible to give them a precise title.

In this work, snow covers the entire landscape in a soft white, bringing a sense of calm and serenity. The subtle hues, from the blue of the sky to the red of the roofs, bring a touch of warmth to this cold landscape.

The traces left in the snow tell a discreet story, guiding our gaze through the painting. The artist hints at the crackling of the ground and the freshness of the air. The trees, with their bare branches, stand like sentinels, their shadows stretching delicately across the snowy ground.

Every detail, from the wooden houses to the shadows, seems designed to create a tranquil, balanced atmosphere.

Here, Guermacheff captures the essence of a simple yet beautiful moment, where nature and architecture coexist in perfect harmony. The result is a gentle visual melody, where light and color play together to soothe the spirit.

This work, which hints at human presence without actually depicting it, is characteristic of the Russian landscapes produced by the artist during his career, and is also characteristic of Russian realist paintings of the early 20th century.

Guermacheff thus follows in the creative footsteps of his predecessors, producing an outstanding work that combines many elements of Russian realism.  

Understanding Germacheff's Russian realism through Répine

The creative context of twentieth-century Russian realism

At the beginning of the 20th century, Russian realist painting continued to depict everyday life with touching sincerity. The artists of this period were deeply rooted in the tradition of realism, inherited from the great masters of the previous century.

They set out to depict scenes of rural life, the vast and often austere landscapes of the countryside, and the living conditions of workers and peasants.

It's not just a question of depicting reality, but of understanding and sharing it, with particular attention to the details that reveal the beauty and harshness of this existence.

Yet these artists do not work in a vacuum. Their times were marked by profound social and political upheaval.

As Russia headed towards the 1917 Revolution, social tensions and aspirations for a better world became increasingly acute. In this climate, pictorial realism began to evolve.

The works become progressively more engaged, capturing not only what is, but also what could be. The painters seek to express the hopes, frustrations and struggles of the Russian people, at a time when history is on the brink of turning.

After the Revolution, art in Russia took a new direction. Realism did not disappear, but was transformed by the demands of the new Soviet state.

What emerges is socialist realism, a style in which artists are called upon to glorify the proletariat, exalt labor and promote the ideals of the Communist regime.

Art thus became a propaganda tool, while retaining the techniques and attention to detail that characterized pre-Revolutionary realism.

Russian realist painting at the beginning of the 20th century thus reflects a period of transition, when artists, while remaining faithful to a tradition of faithful representation of the world, began to grasp the currents of change running through their society.

It's a time when art echoes a changing world, when every brushstroke recounts both the present and the hopes of a still uncertain future.

Mikhail Guermacheff's imprint on his period

Mikhail Guermacheff is not a well-known painter, either in his lifetime or today. His paintings of landscapes and other compositions are, however, popular with collectors and have a certain success at auction.

Some of his works are exhibited in museums in France, but private collectors play a major role in preserving his work.   

His signature

Not all Mikhail Guermacheff's works are signed. It is also possible that the work is a copy or that the inscription has faded over time, which is why expert appraisal is essential.

Appraising your property

If you own a work by Mikhail Guermacheff, feel free to request a free appraisal by filling in our online form.

A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you to provide an estimate of the market value of your work.

If you are considering selling your work, our specialists will also guide you through the various alternatives available to obtain the best possible price, taking into account market trends and the specific features of each work.