Russian Pictures

Alexis de Tiesenhausen

International Department Head
London, King Street

In a career spanning almost twenty-five years, Alexis de Tiesenhausen has pioneered Christie's Russian art sales in Geneva, New York, and London. Always a leader in his field, this Christie's veteran has been involved with the successful sale of some of the most significant Russian Works of Art ever to appear at auction including: The Kazan Collection of Fabergé (New York, 1997, $4 million); the Di Portanova Collection of Fabergé, Russian Works of Art & Objects of Vertu (New York, 2000, $3,276,869), the Fabergé Imperial Winter Egg (sold twice: New York, 2002, $9,579,500; and Geneva, 1994, 7,263,500 CHF), the Russian Field Marshal's Baton (New York, 2004, $903,500) and last but not least the Rothschild Fabergé Egg (London, 2007, £8,980,500). A devoted militarist and Fabergé expert, Alexis wrote the foreword to The Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs by Tatiana Fabergé, Lynette Proler and Valentin Skurlov (1997) and is the co-editor of The Preobrazhensky Regiment during the First World War and the Civil War due to be published in 2009. As International Head of the Russian Department, Alexis is responsible for high-level business-getting for all sale sites.

Of Russian parentage, Alexis was born in Paris and attended the Institute de Sciences Politiques before going on to study law at The Paris University.

Sarah Mansfield

Department Head
London, King Street

Having joined Christie's as a graduate trainee in 2004, Sarah Mansfield swiftly established herself as a key member of the international team and became a specialist in Russian Pictures in 2005. Primarily responsible for the Important Russian Pictures catalogue and business getting in Europe, Sarah was appointed Department Head, King Street, in 2008.

Since joining the Russian Department Sarah has contributed to the phenomenal success of the Russian Art sales in London and New York, and has been instrumental in achieving many world record prices, including Abram Arkhipov’s At the market (London, 2006, £512,000), Ivan Aivazovskii’s American Shipping off the Rock of Gibraltar (London, 2007, £2,708,000) and The Somov Collection (London, 2007, £6,320,150).

Having lived and worked in Russia, Sarah graduated from University College, Oxford, with Joint Honours in Russian and English Literature.

Gower Williams

Department Head
London, South Kensington

With fourteen years of experience as a picture specialist at Christie's, Gower was appointed Head of the newly-formed Russian department at South Kensington in early 2008. Gower joined Christie’s in 1994 as a specialist in the Modern British Art department at South Kensington, before going on to head these sales in 1997. In 2000, he accepted the new challenge of heading the Impressionist & Modern sales at South Kensington. Gower has a long-standing interest in Russian art and will develop the Russian sales at South Kensington in conjunction with his colleagues at King Street and in New York.

Alexander Barylski

Specialist
New York

Alex Barylski entered Christie's in January 2009 as an Associate Specialist Trainee and joined the Russian Art department after rotations in the Silver, Porcelain and Interiors departments. Alex works with both Russian Pictures and Russian Works of Art.

Prior to Christie's, Alex graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Music and received a J.D. from Harvard Law School, after which he practiced commercial litigation, including art law, at a large New York City law firm.

Nicolas Kaenzig

Specialist
Paris

Nicholas has been a member of the Christie’s team for over 10 years, specialising in Russian Pictures and Works of Art since 2005.Highlights of his career include the sale of the Somov Collection in 2007 which totaled over £6 million.

Nicholas studied History of Art and has a Masters Degree in Law.

Evelyn Heathcoat Amory

Specialist
London, King Street

Evelyn Heathcoat Amory joined Christie’s in January 2009 as an Associate Specialist Trainee. After completing placements in English furniture, Victorian & British Impressionist Pictures and the Finance department, Evelyn joined the Russian department in the Autumn of 2009 assuming responsibility for researching and cataloguing Russian pictures for both King Street and South Kensington.

Evelyn, who graduated with a first in Russian and Politics from the University of Leeds, has travelled extensively in Russia and has lived and worked in Moscow.