70. Icon on wood, "Holy Mother of God with Child (Krasnushka)", Russian school, second half of the 19th Century, originating from Queen Marie's collection, offered to Miss Lilian Mayer as a present, on the occasion of her visit at Cotroceni Palace in 1930, collection item
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70. Icon on wood, "Holy Mother of God with Child (Krasnushka)", Russian school, second half of the 19th Century, originating from Queen Marie's collection, offered to Miss Lilian Mayer as a present, on the occasion of her visit at Cotroceni Palace in 1930, collection item
Starting price:
EUR 450
Sold
EUR 2.500
tempera and silver foil on wood, 39 x 32 cm, 39 Ã 32 cm
After the First World War, Queen Marie of Romania met painter Lilian Mary Mayer (? – 1945), on recommendation from her younger sister, Victoria Melita, nicknamed Ducky by the family, with whom she had a close relationship all her life. The artist was famous within British aristocratic and artistic environments as a portrait painter of a great finesse, which brought her numerous private commissions. In the early 1930s, Lilian Mayer made a journey to Romania on the Queen's invitation, and accompanied her at the Cotroceni and Bran Castles. The Queen commissioned several decorations and sketches from her. As a sign of appreciation and as a souvenir of her visit, the Queen offered the artist this icon which was meant to serve as a reminder of her journey to an orthodox country on the River Danube. Just as before the First World War, Queen Elisabeth of Romania had discovered popular art, as well as the art inspired by Byzantium and illustrated by Romanian icons, after the Great Union, Queen Marie enriched the icons collection of the Royal House. Numerous items of this kind were decorating the interiors of the Royal residences in Bucharest, Sinaia and Balchik. On the icon's retro, one can find a paper label containing a text written in black ink, in English: "Taken from the wall of Cotroceni Palace by Her Majesty Queen Marie of Romania and offered to Miss Lilian Mayer on occasion of her visit [...] 1930".
Portraits by Lilian Mary Mayer can be found nowadays in numerous private collections, as well as in the National Portrait Gallery in London.
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