The first auction of Russian + International Art of the year at Gene Shapiro Auctions will take place on Saturday February 16th, 2013 in New York City. The sale will be comprised of over 500 lots of fine and decorative art from the 17th to 21st century with a focus on the works of modern and contemporary Russian artists. As always, the auction will feature a spectacular selection of icons, bronzes, militaria, books, antique porcelain and enamels that will satisfy every taste.

The auction will feature over sixty antique Russian icons and religious works of art, including a monumental 19th century calendar icon depicting the descent into Hell and the Resurrection of Christ surrounded by church feasts (lot 14, estimate $23,000-27,000). Another highlight of the sale is a spectacular icon of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker ornamented by a gilt silver oklad intricately covered with cloisonne enamel and pearls (lot 47, estimate $30,00-40,000). A delicate miniature Art Nouveau icon of a Guardian Angel by Fabergé in a gold and enamel case will be among the items included in the sale (lot 244, estimate $35,000-45,000).

Works by Russian, Polish, and Romanian modern and contemporary artists will form a major component of the sale, with pieces by Aleksandr Shevchenko, Kyrill Zdanevich, Jean Pougny, Yuri Pimenov, Robert Falk, Corneliu Baba, Eugene Rukhin, Lydia Masterkova, Alfred Lenica, Dmitriy Krasnopevtsev, Vasily Sitnikov, Oscar Rabin and Anatoly Zverev among others. The sale will feature a number of Suprematist works by UNOVIS artists Ilya Chashnik and Nicolai Suetin (lots 115 to 122). Two works by the late Russian master of Nonconformist art, Dmitry Plavinsky, including a hypnotic oil painting of an owl (lot 171, estimate $12,000-15,000) and a large preparatory drawing for the major mixed media work, Sign Over Delphi (lot 172, $3,000-4,000), will be included in the sale. A group of five original drawings by Ilya Kabakov, V Okno Glyadashiy Arhipov, [Arhipov Looking out the Window] series, from the 10 Personnagey [10 Characters] group illustrated in Jean-Hubert Martin and Claudia Jolles' book, Ilya Kabakov: Okno (lot 165, estimate: $20,000-30,000).

Collectors of 19th century art will not be disappointed by the spectacular selection of paintings from a large variety of important artists including Konstantin Makovsky, Ilya Galkin, Vasily Vereschagin, Vladimir Makovsky, Lev Lagorio, Yuly Klever and Nicolai Nevrev. One of the highlights will be a beautiful portrait of a young Woman with a Parasol, by Valentin Serov, potentially depicting Andrei Bely's mystical muse, Margarita Kirillovna Morozova (lot 67, estimate $200,000-300,000). Among the offerings will also be a self-portrait by Leonid Pasternak, the grandfather of the poet and novelist, Boris Paternak (lot 96, estimate $8,000-12,000), acquired from the family of the artist.

As usual, there will be a selection of rare and masterfully executed bronzes by Russian and European masters such as Evgeniy Alexandrovich Lanceray, Albert Moritz Wolf, Vassili Grachev. Marius Jean Antoine Mercie, Henri Honore Plé and Prince Paul Troubetzkoy. The sale will take place at 10 am on February 16th, at the auction house's Upper East Side gallery at 506 East 74 Street, New York, NY, with a weeklong preview beginning on Saturday, February 9th. The gallery will be open for viewing daily from 10 am to 6 pm, as well as by appointment.