Niko Pirosmani’s work sold at 2 230 000 GBP at Sotheby’s
Niko Pirosmani’s work sold at 2 230 000 GBP at Sotheby’s

The painting “Georgian Woman Wearing a Lechaki” by Niko Pirosmani, Georgian primitivist painter, was sold at 2 230 000 GBP at Sotheby’s auction today.

The initial price of the painting was 500 000 – 700 000 GBP.  According to the website of the auction, the painting is from the collection of Stefan Zweig, the well-known Austrian writer. The Austrian author Stefan Zweig was introduced to the works of Niko Pirosmani in 1928 during a visit to Moscow for the centenary celebrations of the birth of Leo Tolstoy.

The painting was presented in the Russian section, though it was indicated that Pirosmani was a Georgian painter. Sotheby’s does not have a separate section for Georgian art.

Sotheby’s is the world’s fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation, with 90 locations in 40 countries. It is one of the largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewelry, real estate, and collectibles. Sotheby’s operation is divided into three segments: auction, finance, and dealer.