Louvre Acquires Rare Fabergé Triptych From Imperial Russia

The Louvre Museum recently acquired a 19th triptych created by the House of Fabergé and presented as a gift to Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra for the birth of their first child. The Russian artwork will be one of the centerpieces of a new wing in the Louve dedicated to Byzantine Art and Eastern Christianity that will open in 2027.

The triptych depicts layers of Russian Christian Orthodox symbolism in a creation made with paint, gems, pearls and organic material from Russia.

The historic artwork was acquired by the Société des Amis du Louvre (Society of Friends of the Louvre), for €2.2 million ($2.5 million) and donated to the Louvre. The French organization exists to “enrich” the collections of the Louvre and to acquire, for donation, objects of artistic, archaeological or historical value. The acquisition was announced publicly in April.

The seller was A La Vieille Russie, a well-known New York-based art and antiques dealer. The multi-generational family-owned firm was founded in 1851 in Kyiv then moved to Paris before ending up in its current home in New York in the 1930s. It is a leading dealer and international expert in the works of Carl Fabergé (1846 – 1920), who was also a client.

A ‘Story of Friendship’

Sébastien Fumaroli, deputy director of the Friends of the Louvre, said the acquisition took about two years to complete.

“This acquisition is the story of a friendship,” Fumaroli said by email. “The Louvre bought its first Russian icons in the 1950s from the New York gallery A La Vieille Russie. In memory of this legacy, the director of the Byzantium Arts Department, Maximilien Durand, visited Mark Schaffer, the (New York) gallery founder’s grandson, at the (TEFAF) Maastricht fair two years ago. I met him again in New York where the triptych was kept in the private collection of the gallery and was not for sale. Both Schaffer and Durand quickly understood that the triptych could become an iconic work of the new department…. By offering the triptych to the museum’s new department, The Friends of the Louvre have allowed the history of the collection of Russian icons in the Louvre to continue.”

He added, “What marks the exceptional value of this work is its prestigious provenance perfectly identified. We can follow the history of this work day-by-day through archival documents….What is moving in this work is its original brilliance perfectly preserved beyond the torments of 20th century history, as if we were coming into contact with a world that has disappeared.”

Mark Schaffer explained that his grandfather, Alexandre Schaffer, acquired the triptych in 1930-1931 at a time when the Soviet government was selling off its imperial collections to raise funds for its young government, to rid itself of its Imperial past and to suppress religion. Alexander Schaffer acquired the Imperial icon directly from the government-sanctioned office, known as Antiquariat, set up to sell art to the West. He was one of only a few persons who were allowed to purchase items from this dedicated office.

“It’s been in our collection ever since,” Mark Schaffer said. “My grandfather acquired it as part of the active efforts of the young Soviet Union to sell off imperial items.”

When speaking about the triptych’s current home at the Louve, he said, “I can’t think of a better home for this piece.”

The triptych appeared in public in New York once, as part an exhibition by Alexander Schaffer of the Imperial Russian Treasures at the Rockefeller Center in 1934. It was titled, “Collection of Authentic Art Treasures,” which presented more than 250 works by Carl Fabergé. Other than that, it has remained in the gallery’s private collection.

An Important Work of Art and a Piece of Russian History

The triptych was created in 1895 by Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903), a craftsman of the House of Fabergé. He was responsible for the workmanship of the iconic imperial Easter eggs until his death in 1903. The triptych was presented as a gift in 1895 by the Saint Petersburg aristocracy to Nicholas II and Alexandra for the birth of their first child, Grand Duchess Olga.

Both Mark Schaffer and Fumaroli said the triptych was typical of the kind of extravagant gift that a Russian Tsar would receive to mark an important occasion. But even by such a high standard this triptych is special as a work of art and a piece of history.

The shape of the triptych evokes the silhouette of a Russian Orthodox church with an onion-shaped dome, as explained by a statement by the Department of Byzantine and Christian Arts in the Orient Louvre Museum. The body of the triptych is made of Karelian birch wood, a rare species native to a region in northwest Russia.

“Its fresh butter color, with pearly reflections, is particularly appreciated in the field of Russian decorative arts of the late 19th century,” the Louvre’s Byzantine department said in its statement. “It was often used in the production of triptychs for the imperial family in the Art Nouveau style by artists of the time.”

The face of the triptych has an oil painting. On the central panel, the iconography is divided into two registers. In the lower part, the two “chosen saints” of the imperial couple stand, Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra (4th century), and Saint Alexandra, the legendary wife of the Emperor Diocletian. A bust is depicted Saint Olga. The paintings are executed on an ochre-brown background. The slender figures wear precious garments, enhanced with cabochons and pearls, and adorned with ornaments.

Fumaroli said that the range of colors used and the miniature character of the ornamental details “reflects the renewal of the art of the traditional icon by using ‘Modern’ forms, characteristic of the Modern Style under Nicholas II. The dark character of this painting contrasts with the brightness of the ornament. When unfolded, it takes the form of a traditional church. The painting of this triptych was made by an artist from the Mstera cooperative, a production center for folklore of ancient Russia.”

The triptych is set in a silver and gilt mount, enhanced with colored enamel, precious stones, emeralds, rubies and sapphires and pearls, the Byzantium department said in its statement. A golden lattice on a light blue background forms the frame of the figures of the evangelists on the shutters, while arabesques in the Modern style (which is how Russians referred to Art Nouveau at the time). It emphasize the architectural structure of the object.

Fumaroli said bringing this Russian Imperial triptych to the Louvre is in line with its overall mission of bringing important objects to the museum for the benefit of the public.

“The Fabergé Imperial Triptych is a jewel. It corresponds to a time when the icon, under the reign of Nicholas II, is no longer only an art of devotion but becomes an art of contemplation. It is an imperial treasure that belongs to the history of the European courts which is added to the many precious art objects offered by the Friends of the Louvre to the contemplation of the Louvre visitors.”