Tuesday 08 July 2025 at 15h00
La Salle , 20, rue Drouot 75009 Paris
Old and modern books
Russian literature
-What is Russian literature?: Russian literature is a major part of the world’s literary heritage, renowned for its philosophical depth, exploration of existential questions and psychological realism. It really emerged in the 18th century, but it was in the 19th century, the golden age of Russian literature, that it reached its peak.
The early 19th century was marked by Alexander Pushkin, often considered the father of modern Russian literature. With his works like Eugene Onegin, he lays the foundations of the Russian literary language. Next, Nicholas Gogol explores the grotesque and the absurd in tales such as Dead Souls, while Ivan Turgenev, with Peres et Fils, introduces social and political tensions that deeply mark Russia.
Literary realism flourished with two giants: Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Leon Tolstoy. Dostoyevsky, through works such as Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, delves into the torments of the human soul, exploring guilt, faith, and free will. Tolstoy, in monumental novels such as War and Peace and Anna Karenina, painted social frescoes while questioning the great moral and existential issues.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Anton Chekhov distinguished himself in novelization and theatre, notably with works such as La Cerisaie and Oncle Vania, where he excelled in the representation of unspoken words and the human condition. Russian literature then evolved with the avant-garde and modernism, embodied by authors such as Vladimir Mayakovsky and Andrei Platonov, before plunging into socialist realism under the Soviet regime.
Today, Russian literature continues to influence and inspire through its thematic richness, human complexity, and universal reach.
- What is the value of Russian literature on the art market? What is the value of a Russian book? Its value, as often for art objects depends on a multiplicity of criteria; the writer (there are Pushkin and others...), his title (some are more demanded than others), his publication date (first edition, publication during his lifetime), its rarity on the market and in libraries, its state of conservation. In addition, a final element that is not found every time but can stimulate buyers: provenance.
Who can give an estimate? A auctioneer assisted by a union-owned Russian art expert remains the best formula. For several years, the Cazo study has been collaborating with Ekaterina NikolaevaTendil, an expert in Russian art and a member of the SFEP (French Union of Professional Experts in Art Objects)
- How to sell, and especially how to sell your Russian goldsmithery: address a CP who will organize an auction creating real competition between buyers, but who must also have a full-fledged Russian specialty with the assistance of a expert, preferably Russian, better understanding of Cyrillic but also Russian culture and history.
The fact that a study already has this “Russian Art” specialty means that it has built up, over the years and as sales are organized, a solid customer database both nationally and internationally, customers who subscribe to our newsletter, who rate and look forward to our sales dates to bid.
If you would like to meet us for a first contact, an estimate request or photo, you can contact us by phone at + 33 1 45 55 18 66 or by email: contact@cazoparis.com
Looking forward to meeting you
Wilfrid CAZO
Auctioneer/Auctioneer
-What is Russian literature?: Russian literature is a major part of the world’s literary heritage, renowned for its philosophical depth, exploration of existential questions and psychological realism. It really emerged in the 18th century, but it was in the 19th century, the golden age of Russian literature, that it reached its peak.
The early 19th century was marked by Alexander Pushkin, often considered the father of modern Russian literature. With his works like Eugene Onegin, he lays the foundations of the Russian literary language. Next, Nicholas Gogol explores the grotesque and the absurd in tales such as Dead Souls, while Ivan Turgenev, with Peres et Fils, introduces social and political tensions that deeply mark Russia.
Literary realism flourished with two giants: Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Leon Tolstoy. Dostoyevsky, through works such as Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, delves into the torments of the human soul, exploring guilt, faith, and free will. Tolstoy, in monumental novels such as War and Peace and Anna Karenina, painted social frescoes while questioning the great moral and existential issues.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Anton Chekhov distinguished himself in novelization and theatre, notably with works such as La Cerisaie and Oncle Vania, where he excelled in the representation of unspoken words and the human condition. Russian literature then evolved with the avant-garde and modernism, embodied by authors such as Vladimir Mayakovsky and Andrei Platonov, before plunging into socialist realism under the Soviet regime.
Today, Russian literature continues to influence and inspire through its thematic richness, human complexity, and universal reach.
- What is the value of Russian literature on the art market? What is the value of a Russian book? Its value, as often for art objects depends on a multiplicity of criteria; the writer (there are Pushkin and others...), his title (some are more demanded than others), his publication date (first edition, publication during his lifetime), its rarity on the market and in libraries, its state of conservation. In addition, a final element that is not found every time but can stimulate buyers: provenance.
Who can give an estimate? A auctioneer assisted by a union-owned Russian art expert remains the best formula. For several years, the Cazo study has been collaborating with Ekaterina NikolaevaTendil, an expert in Russian art and a member of the SFEP (French Union of Professional Experts in Art Objects)
- How to sell, and especially how to sell your Russian goldsmithery: address a CP who will organize an auction creating real competition between buyers, but who must also have a full-fledged Russian specialty with the assistance of a expert, preferably Russian, better understanding of Cyrillic but also Russian culture and history.
The fact that a study already has this “Russian Art” specialty means that it has built up, over the years and as sales are organized, a solid customer database both nationally and internationally, customers who subscribe to our newsletter, who rate and look forward to our sales dates to bid.
If you would like to meet us for a first contact, an estimate request or photo, you can contact us by phone at + 33 1 45 55 18 66 or by email: contact@cazoparis.com
Looking forward to meeting you
Wilfrid CAZO
Auctioneer/Auctioneer
![[NIJINSKY]
BARBIER George (1882-1932) - Autographe
Designs...](https://cdn.drouot.com/d/image/lot?size=phare&path=226/144230/ea3d523f3765d7dd6c1e5eeca53cb878)
