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Nicolai Fechin Paintings

The Fechin House and Parsons Galleries are located within easy walking distance in the Downtown Taos Historic District.

 Parsons invites you to visit.

"Mexican Grandma"
"Mexican Grandma"After 1936
"The little Russian Girl"
SOLD"The little Russian Girl"Oil on canvas24.7 × 16.2cm
"Portrait of the artist’s father"
SOLD "Portrait of the artist’s father"Oil on canvas,64 x 37cm
"Portrait of Marucia, a Russian singer"
SOLD"Portrait of Marucia, a Russian singer"Oil on Canvas,  24.1" x 20"ca. 1930–1939
"Portrait of a Young Girl"
SOLD"Portrait of a Young Girl"Oil on Canvas8.5" x 6"
"Indian Girl"
SOLD"Indian Girl"ca. 1927 - 1933
"Girl in a orange Dress"
SOLD"Girl in a orange Dress"Oil on Canvas
"Portrait of Shelia Wardell"
SOLD"Portrait of Shelia Wardell"20" x 16"
"Eucalyptus Grove"
SOLD"Eucalyptus Grove"20" x 16"
Watercolor
SOLDWatercolor
Watercolor
SOLDWatercolor
"Native American Necklace"
SOLD"Native American Necklace"Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 41cm
"Sheila Wardell"
"Sheila Wardell"
Philosopher"
"Philosopher"Charcoal, 15" x 10"1920
"Old Pueblo Man"
SOLD"Old Pueblo Man"
"Laughing Man with Mustache"
SOLD"Laughing Man with Mustache"
"Laughing Boy"
SOLD"Laughing Boy"
"Mexican Girl"
"Mexican Girl"
https://goo.gl/photos/pEFiLNEaJVeYb5Zc6
"Head, Indian Girl"
SOLD"Head, Indian Girl"
"Boy in a Straw Hat"
"Boy in a Straw Hat" Pencil on paper, 10.5" x 8.25"
"Mexican Man"
"Mexican Man"
"Eya"
SOLD"Eya"
"Portrait of Florence"
SOLD"Portrait of Florence"
"Portrait of Alene von Harringa"
"Portrait of Alene von Harringa"Charcoal on paper, 16" x 12"
"Young Woman"
SOLD"Young Woman"
His daughter Eya said  "He loved the place (Taos). He had found an American 'home'. He said the Taos mountains reminded him of the beauty he had seen in Siberia. He painted with fervor."The Fechin House, Fechin Institute and Parsons Galleries are all within easy walking distance in Downtown Historic Taos.  Parsons invites you to visit.

Nicolai Fechin's Art and Life in Taos

"Everything he touches comes alive!"

Nicolai Fechin was born in Kazan, Russia, where he spent his youth attending the Kazan Art School. His father was a gilder, woodcarver and icon maker, and Nicolai continued in his family's artistic tradition, going on to become an accomplished painter, woodcarver, sculptor, and draftsman.

Nicolai Fechin in Taos studio

Nicolai Fechin in Taos studio

Painting remained Fechin's primary artistic pursuit throughout his life and today he is recognized mostly for his portraits.

As an art student Nicolai garnered many accolades, including an invitation to his first international exhibition in 1910 at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, and a gold medal prize at the Prix de Rome. It was during this time that his work first caught the eye of the American public, which would later prove important as Fechin eventually sought help in immigrating to the United States in 1923 after weathering the Bolshevik Revolution in his homeland.

Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai, assisted by American collectors W.S. Stimmel and Jack R. Hunter, settled in New York with his wife and young daughter, where a teaching career at the New York Academy of Art awaited the artist. The family would move again just a few years later in 1927, when Nicolai contracted tuberculosis and, with the encouragement from his friends Mabel Dodge and John Young Hunter, sought out the healing climate of Taos, New Mexico.

Nicolai Fechin in Taos

Nicolai Fechin in Taos

It was in Taos where Nicolai designed and built his masterpiece of a homestead, with beautiful carved details reminiscent of Russia yet perfectly blended with the native pueblo architecture of New Mexico. The home still stands as a museum today, donated by his daughter Eya in 1981.   The home is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. (The Fechin House, Fechin Institute and Parsons Galleries are all within easy walking distance in Downtown historic Taos.  Parsons invites you to visit.)

Fechin House

Fechin House by Archinia

Although he joined many other notable artists of his time in crafting new lives in Taos, New Mexico, it must be emphasized that the international success and recognition that was bestowed upon Nicolai could not be rivaled. After divorcing his wife in 1933, Fechin moved to Santa Monica where he set off on more worldly adventures, sketching and painting the peoples of Bali, Java, Mexico, and Japan before his passing in 1955.

Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin

The Importance of the Special Quality of Light in Taos:

The high desert and mountain light is brighter in Taos, enabling artists to better "see" the details and shades of colors.

"The first step for the artist (is) to learn to see these primary colors and to distinguish them separately one from the other."

- Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin

His daughter Eya said  "He loved the place (Taos). He had found an American 'home'. He said the Taos mountains reminded him of the beauty he had seen in Siberia. He painted with fervor."  "New Mexico encouraged him to paint landscapes. Like all the Taos artists, he appreciated the light of Taos."  -Eya Fechin

Nicolai Fechin's daughter "Eya"
Fechin's daughter "Eya"

"All the great Taos Artists were awe struck with the Light”.  Victor Higgins said Taos captured him "because of the light.  There is the best light to be found anywhere. There is more color in the landscape and the people than elsewhere."  Barbara Latham, Taos painter of brilliant joy and insight, said:  “I had lived under the brilliant western sky all summer, but I had never experienced such brilliance."  Blumenschein said of Taos, "The sky about was clear clean blue with sharp moving clouds. The color, the reflective character of the landscape, the drama of the vast spaces, the superb beauty and severity of the hills, stirred me deeply." "I was receiving...the first great unforgettable inspiration of my life." 

Taos light needs to be seen to be experienced.  Parsons invites you to visit the Galleries to see Taos Light.

"Fortunate indeed is the collector or museum that has a painting done during this period of Fechin's continued growth."

- Northridge biography

Nicolai Fechin 1920s

Nicolai Fechin Landscape Paintings

The Art Works that Fechin created in Taos, are thought to be among his best.His Art seems to capture the life of his subjects.Fechin's Drawing Technique in Taos, his palette, his unique methods of layering colors rather than mixing them, his juxtaposition of colors, his fading from realism to abstraction and back again, all reveal his deep appreciation of both the Native American Indian Peoples and the Life of our planet.Fechin's portraits from Taos, his renditions of the Native American Indians and his visions of the high desert New Mexico landscape, are believed to be some of his greatest works.
Nicolai Fechin Taos Landscape - "Mountain in Winter"

Nicolai Fechin Taos Landscape - "Mountain in Winter"

Nicolai Fechin Portraits

Fechin, the Russian-American Artist, achieved the highest honors and recognition across two continents during his lifetime.Later, his fame would expand worldwide.After creating several large historical master pieces in St.Petersburg,in 1904 portraits became increasingly more important for him.
Nicolai Fechin 1909

Nicolai Fechin 1909

Fechin said, "A brush is a painters only weapon. With it he must attack the canvas without hesitation.

He is the boss, not his material."

He was commissioned to paint Lenin (in 1918), Karl Marx, Frieda Lawrence, Willa Cather,

Mabel Dodge Luhan, artist Eleanora Kissel, W.L. Clark, John Burnham, Ralph Van Vechten, Duane Van Vechten, Lillian Gish, and

Oliver Perry as well as American Generals, including Douglas MacArthur.

"Head Portrait of old Man"

"Head Portrait of old Man"

While he lived and worked in Taos, Fechin's palette changed, brightening with his appreciation and growing love. He used different backgrounds (even cottage cheese and rabbit skin glue) to achieve high gloss or matte to underlie his colors. He reduced the oil content of his paints. His palette included Lead or Zinc White (which he used with caution to minimize cracking), Yellow Orche, Cadmium Yellow, Vandike Brown, Burnt Sienna, Mineral (Maganese) Violet, Rose Madder, Emerald Green, Ivory Black, Mussini Sunproof Rose, Cerulean Blue and Ultramarine Blue.  He did not varnish his paintings.

"Portrait of the artist’s father"

"Portrait of the artist’s father"

"He felt particularly close to the Indians and his greatest American works were of Indians," Fechin's daughter and only child, Eya

said.  "He thought Pueblo Indians possessed the same spirit as well as other qualities of the Tartars of his homeland. He always painted his Indians as they were, never creating artificial scenes with non authentic props."

Nicolai Fechin Indian Portrait "Young Native American Boy"

"Young Native American Boy"

"Head, Indian Man"  Nicolai Fechin Indian Portrait

"Head, Indian Man" 

Fechin also achieved much deserved, world wide recognition for his landscapes.

"Cabin in the Woods"  - Nicolai Fechin landscape

"Cabin in the Woods"

“He would begin by looking at an empty canvas.  He would look at it and say, ‘This is a beautiful space and the only job of the

artist is to fill that space in with harmony and balance.’  - Eya Fechin

Eya, Fechin's daughter, grew from, “being my mother's little girl... to my father's closest friend."

Eya Fechin 1946

Eya Fechin 1946

Nicolai Fechin House

About the Nicolai Fechin House, Eya said, "The house is the masterpiece of the collection. It really has to be looked at that way.” But after suffering terribly from his divorce, Fechin stopped building.  The Fechin House in Taos, New Mexico is the only home he ever built.  It was beautifully repaired by Taos Pueblo Indian Joe Martinez.  The Fechin House and studio are open to the public.

The Fechin House and Parsons Galleries are all located within walking distance in the Downtown Taos Historic District.

Parsons invites you to visit.

Nicolai Fechin House

Nicolai Fechin House photo by Bill Johnson

Eya Fechin

Fechin's Daughter,  Eya Fechin

Nicolai Fechin's Wife

Alexandra Belkovich In Taos, ca. 1928

(from Forrest Fenn Archive)

Alexandra Belkovich

Alexandra Belkovich

One of the greatest influences on Fechin's life was his beautiful wife, Alexandra Belkovitch (1893 - 1983),

the daughter of the director of the Kazan School of Art, whom he married when she was still 16.  She authored "March of the

Past".  In his deep love, Nicolai named her "Tinka", an abbreviation Katinka.  She said, "A great artist he is!  Everything he touches comes alive!"

Fechin Self Portrait
Alexandra's grave

Alexandra's grave

at the Fechin House with her garden in Taos

Frank Waters, who was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in literature, said of Fechin's Paintings,

"How they shout and sing! No man... has his intensity of color. Few can equal his masterful draftsmanship.

Whatever his subject, Fechin’s work is stamped with his immediately recognizable style."

"Fechin" he said, "had more talent than the next fifty artists combined."

.............................................................

Parsons does not offer Nicolai Fechin reproductions or commercial copies of prints of Nicolai Fechin,

because no print or photograph can compare to the real Art Work.

Parsons invites you to visit the Galleries in person to see the unmatched beauty of the real Art Works.

Parsons Galleries and the Fechin House are within easy walking distance.

Please call for current inventory or any questions.

............................................................

Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin Quotes

Nicolai Fechin's Technique, Art and Life, and Painting Secrets:

Nicolai Fechin "Self Portrait"

Nicolai Fechin "Self Portrait"

Fechin explains the source of lasting value in Art:

"A high degree of expertise in technique has always had, and always will have, a predominate place in art.

 The subject, in itself, has value only according to the mode of the day. Tomorrow it will be superseded by a new fashion or fad.

With the passing of time, the subject loses much of its meaning. But the fine execution of that subject retains its value.”

- Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin

Fechin demonstrates the diffence between Technique and Truth:

"Technique should be considered only as a means to an end but never as the end itself. To me, technique should be unlimited,

fed by a constant growth in ability and understanding. It must never be mere virtuosity but an endless accumulation of qualities

and wisdom."  - Nicolai Fechin

Novelty needs a purpose:

"The appearance of a truly new idea in art is always valuable,

but only when it aims at fulfilling itself in an accomplished piece of work."  - Nicolai Fechin

Fechin Watercolor

Fechin Watercolor

Fechin worked to encourage beginning artists:

"All creation is personal and belongs to you alone. The teacher must not touch this. His main reason for existence is to see that the work of the student is well thought out and constructively organized."  - Nicolai Fechin

"Female Nude"

"Female Nude"

The importance of practice and experience:

“No one can teach you how to paint and how to draw except you yourself. You cannot learn how to paint by watching a well-trained master painting, until you yourself, have learned how to paint with some understanding first. Only by the path of much practice and experience can mature results be reached.”  - Nicolai Fechin

"Tree Trunk"

"Tree Trunk"

"The beginner is always tempted to take the path of least resistance. He usually takes as his model the reproductions of some

fashionable painter and copies them, believing that by doing so he acquires knowledge. Such a beginning is unsound, because it

starts with the end product of the original work- the finished results of an artist’s long and patient toil. Superficially absorbing the

final expression, the student bypasses the process of attaining these results and does not comprehend at all the work of creating."

"Oversimplification, as well as any book instruction on how to paint, are very inadequate and often very dangerous.  This should be kept in mind whenever reading about any technique of painting!"

- Nicolai Fechin

"Profiles"

"Profiles"

"My way of drawing and painting can be taught only through direct visual perception and it is almost impossible to describe it. An

attitude toward painting and a few technical fundamentals can be discussed, however- but always with a warning not to take my

observations in an overly literal or rigidly set manner..." -Nicolai Fechin

"Figure Detail"

"Figure Detail"

Value in Art comes from creative ideas:

"Before defining his own field of work, it is essential for the beginner to acquire a great a variety of knowledge as possible. The

more consummate his technique, the easier it will be for him to free himself from all dependence upon a subject. What an artist

fills his canvas with is not so important. What is important is how he does it. It is sad if an artist becomes a slave to the object he

seeks to portray. He must be able to deal with it according to his own point of view. In other words, the portrayed object must

serve as nothing more than an excuse to fill his canvas. Only then does his work acquire value for an artist, when it passes

through the filter of his creative idea. Therefore, a beginner must always avoid the conventional, whether it is color, line or, above

all of course, in the choice of the subject itself." -Nicolai Fechin

"Portrait of a Woman"

"Portrait of a Woman"

Fechin outlines his secrets to creating colors:

"Any standardization is negative in its meaning. If conventional shades and colors are used, the ability to see them in reality is lost. It is essential that the artist should regard every new painting as an entirely special world of color, light, form and line. Every new canvas is a completely new challenge" - Nicolai Fechin

"Native American Necklace"

"Native American Necklace"

Fechin on the importance of learning to "see":

"As a matter of fact an artist has to deal with only three basic colors: red, blue, yellow (all the rest are combinations of these

fundamental colors). Everyone knows this, but few pay attention to the fact. Thus the first step for the artist to learn to see these

primary colors and to distinguish them separately one from the other." -Nicolai Fechin

"Indian Girl"

"Indian Girl"

Fechin explains how he builds colors:

"The beginner usually endeavors laboriously and literally to match colors he sees (or those he imagines) by mixing endlessly the

paints on his palette, and the results are dirty and dead. Everything which is alive reflects color and every reflection is a vibration.

Hence, if one wishes to produce this living vibration one must resort to the use of pure basic colors and “build” with them in such a

manner as to give this living effect and vibrancy."  -Nicolai Fechin

"For my own work, I do not like to use medium. This dissolves the paints too much. The pigments mix together and cannot retain

their individual distinctiveness and thus again lose much of their fresh intensity."  - Nicolai Fechin

"Portrait of Shelia Wardell"

"Portrait of Shelia Wardell"

Fechin explains some differences between Novelty and Art:

“Artists and critics compete with each other in their endeavors to destroy the traditional approach to the fundamental principles

required for the careful technical execution of any work. In their mad pursuit of novelty, they do not have enough time for a

conscientious development of their ideas and, as a result, they have had to make legitimate that which I would call “illiteracy” in

the arts."  - Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin

“Concept or rendition: which is more important? That is a basic question in art. In the first case it is frequently said: “Not badly

conceived but poorly executed!” Such evaluation is no credit to an artist. On the contrary, fine workmanship makes one forgive

even triviality. In such cases it is said: “Stupid, but devilishly well executed!”  - Nicolai Fechin

"Portrait of a Girl"

"Portrait of a Girl"

Fechin shows how all parts work together:

"The artist must never forget that he is dealing with the entire canvas, and not with any one section of it. Regardless of what he sets out to paint , the problem remains one and the same. With his own creative originality, he must fill in his canvas and make of it an organic whole. There must not be any particularly favored spot in the painting..."

"The little Russian Girl"

"The little Russian Girl"

Fechin explains the training of a Master Artist:

"An artist should work every day with what is at hand"  ". . . It is necessary to exercise the hand and the eye the same way it is

necessary for a musician to exercise every day his hearing and his hands." (Fechin, The Builder, 1982)  - Nicolai Fechin

"Hand"

"Hand"

Fechin reminds us of the powers of creativity:

"I have been asked which of the arts I consider most important. For me, no one particular art is greater than another. I can only

say this; when you find yourself in the presence of creativeness…take off your hat."  - Nicolai Fechin

Fechin the Prodigy:

Nicolai Fechin as a student

Nicolai Fechin as a student

Fechin's fame has spread world wide to all continents.

He was a genius from youth, a child prodigy who never stopped growing.

He was enrolled at the Art School of Kazan at the age of 13.

He achieved the highest recognition and art awards while he lived.

Nicolai Fechin 1940s
Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin Artist Portrait

Nicolai Fechin

Nicolai Fechin

Fechin worked with stiff brushes, palette knives and even his fingers (he contracted lead poisoning that way).

His radiant, living effect was created by using multiple layers of paint over different back ground medias.

"Also for myself, I do not like to use medium. This dissolves the paints too much.

The pigments mix up together, do not retain their individual distinctness and thus again lose much of their fresh intensity."

Fechin tried to portray truth. His masterworks teach us to "see".

"Manuelita - with Intense Gaze"

"Manuelita - with Intense Gaze"  Nicolai Fechin Portrait

Nicolai Fechin Across Two Continents

Russia can not forget her prodigal son.

In 1976, Eya returned his ashes for burial in Kazan Russia.

Today the largest collection of his Art is at the Fechin Center in Kazan.

The Center honored him with a retrospective in 1881, marking the hundredth anniversary of his birth.

The Kazan Art School, Russia's premiere art school for more than 120 years,

has been renamed The Fechin Art School.

Fechin's great teachers of art and truth, Repin and Malyavin, were Russian.

Fechin Art School in Kazan
Fechin Art School in Kazan

Yet, Fechin never returned to his beloved homeland.

But, in his heart, he never left.  He said,

“One comfort is that fate has divided my life between two great people.”

Concerning his love and admiration for America, he said,

“There is peace and freedom in their country. One can work, paint whatever one likes."

Fechin was awarded his American citizenship in 1931.

Nicolai Fechin
Nicolai Fechin
Fechin's Grave
Fechin's Graveby Dmartyn80

Fechin's Highest Auction Prices

"The Little Cowboy"

"BEARING AWAY THE BRIDE" Price $3,330,500

"BEARING AWAY THE BRIDE"

"Portrait of Mademoiselle Podbelskaya" Price $3,296,950

"Portrait of Mademoiselle Podbelskaya"

"Mrs. Fechin and Daughter" 1922 Price $2,252,360

"Nude" Price $1,947,530

"Tonita"

"Tonita" Price $1,105,000

"The Wood Engraver, W.G. Watt, A.N.A."

"The Wood Engraver, W.G. Watt, A.N.A." Price $1,092,500

 "Indian Girl with Sunflowers"

"Indian Girl with Sunflowers" Price $1,080,000

"FRIENDS"

"FRIENDS" Price $993,000

"TEA IN SANTA MONICA (PORTRAIT OF MRS. KRAG)"

"TEA IN SANTA MONICA (PORTRAIT OF MRS. KRAG)" Price: $909,000

"PORTRAIT OF DUANE"

"PORTRAIT OF DUANE"  50.00" x 40.00"   1926 Oil / Canvas Price:   $902,500

"NUDE WOMAN"

"NUDE WOMAN"  30.00" x 25.25"  1923  Oil / Canvas  Price:     $872,500

"Portrait of Kate"  30.00" x 25.00"  1926 Oil / Canvas  Price:    $586,260

"Lolita"

"Lolita"  20.00" x 18.00"  Oil / Canvas Price:   $555,750

"RUSSIAN GIRL"

"RUSSIAN GIRL"  15.08" x 12.09"  Oil / Canvas  Price:  $540,480

 "MY GARDENER'S BABY"

"MY GARDENER'S BABY"  19.88" x 15.25"    1928-29  Oil / Canvas Price:     $485,000

"Lillian Gish as Romola"

"Lillian Gish as Romola"   49.20" x 45.20"   1925  Oil / Canvas Price:     $464,000

"The Drum Player"

"The Drum Player"  32.25" x 19.25"  Oil / Canvas  Price:   $460,500

 "STILL LIFE - KETTLE #2"

"STILL LIFE - KETTLE #2"      24.00" x 20.00"  Oil / Canvas   Price:     $431,250

"AT HOME IN NEW YORK"

"AT HOME IN NEW YORK"    18.00" x 22.00"  1924 Oil / Canvas on board  Price:     $413,000

"Antonio Triana as a Gypsy"

"Antonio Triana as a Gypsy"  23.88" x 19.88"  Oil / Canvas  Price:     $392,500

"Still Life with Grapefruit"

"Still Life with Grapefruit"   24.13" x 28.13"  Oil / Canvas   Price:     $384,000

Fechin Art and Paintings Recent Sales Prices:

"Tonita"

"Tonita" $1,105,000  Oil on canvas 10/24/2007

"Friends"

"Friends"  $993,000  Oil on canvas   05/21/2008

"The Little Cowboy"

"The Little Cowboy"  Oil on canvas  $10,817,000    12/02/2010

"BEARING AWAY THE BRIDE"

"BEARING AWAY THE BRIDE"  Oil on Canvas  $3,330,500   11/01/2011

"Portrait of Mademoiselle Podbelskaya"

"Portrait of Mademoiselle Podbelskaya"   $3,295,714   11/26/2012

"Nude"

"Nude"  Oil on canvas  $1,947,530  11/25/2013

"REBECCA SALSBURY JAMES"

"REBECCA SALSBURY JAMES"  Oil on canvas $125,000 05/16/2016

"PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG WOMAN"

"PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG WOMAN"  Oil on Canvas  $100,000   06/09/2016

"Portrait of a Woman with Yellow Head Wrap"

"Portrait of a Woman with Yellow Head Wrap"  Oil on canvas  $46,130  02/19/2017

Fechin's Art prices have risen steadily. Please contact the Gallery for the latest prices and current inventory. 

Parsons does not offer Nicolai Fechin reproductions, because no reproduction can compare to the real paintings. 

Parsons invites you to visit the Galleries to experience the unmatched beauty of the real art.

Nicolai Fechin's art continues to rise in value.

Fechin's Mentors, Teachers and Students:

- Across Two Continents -

His ‎Pedagogy and Career in Russia and America

Fechin trained Peter Kotov (1889-1953), who then went on to teach Sergei Bongart (1918–1985).  Bongart then taught Don Sahli.

Fechin studied under Filipp Malyavin (1896-1940), who showed him use of bold, masculine and wide, nervous brush strokes, and

the use of his fingers to enhance the texture the paints.

He was taught by Ilya Repin from 1900 to 1909 at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg.  Fechin said that Repin

"valued everything more or less original in the student. ... He not only saw the work of the artist, but his soul as well.”

Repin wanted his students' art to show the unvarnished reality of Russian life and to direct attention to social evils.

Repin taught Fechin to always focus on truth and morality, not novelty and aesthetics.

Fechin's Art teaches us to "see".

Fechin's body of work forever changed the world's perception of the life, culture and dignity of indigenous peoples,

and the very Earth itself.

Ilya Repin  Self-Portrait

Ilya Repin  Self-Portrait

(State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg)

Filipp Malyavin (1896-1940)

Filipp Malyavin (1896-1940)  "Self-Portrait"

Peter Kotov (1889-1953)

Peter Kotov (1889-1953)

Sergei Bongart (1918–1985)

Sergei Bongart (1918–1985)

Don Sahli

Don Sahli

Nicolai Fechin "Self-Portrait"

Nicolai Fechin "Self-Portrait"

Nicolai Fechin Museum Collections Online

Nude

Nude. 1916-1917 (?) Oil on canvas. Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan

portrait-of-varya-adoratskaya

Portrait of Varya Adoratskaya, 1914, Oil on Canvas, From the collection of Museum of Fine Arts of Tatarstan

Portrait of Nadezhda Mikhailovna Sapozhnikova

Portrait of Varya Adoratskaya, 1914, Oil on Canvas, From the collection of Museum of Fine Arts of Tatarstan

Katenka

Katenka, 1912, Oil on canvas, From the collection of Museum of Fine Arts of Tatarstan

For Hire

For Hire, 1900, Oil on canvas, From the collection of Museum of Fine Arts of Tatarstan

The Green Necklace

The Green Necklace, 1933, Oil on canvas, From the collection of Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum

Self-portrait

The Green Necklace, 1933, Oil on canvas, From the collection of Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum

Portrait of Alexandra Fechina

Portrait of Alexandra Fechina. 1927-1933 Oil on canvas. Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum

 Portrait of David Burliuk

Portrait of David Burliuk. 1923, Oil on canvas. New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

"Bearing Away the Bride"

"The Little Cowboy"

"Portrait of Mademoiselle Podbelskaya"

"Lady in Pink"

"Madam Sapojnikoff"

"Portrait" Study

"Portrait of Abramychev"

"Portrait of a Young Woman"

"Nude Figure"

Art Institute of Chicago

"Nude Figure, 1911"

"Portrait of My Father, 1912"

"Portrait of Miss Sapojnikoff, 1908"

"Lady in Pink (Portrait of Natalia Podbelskaya), 1912"

Frye Free Public Art Museum

"Boris Karloff"

Fechin Paintings

Nicolai Fechin said, “No one can teach you how to paint and how to draw except you yourself.

You cannot learn how to paint by watching a well-trained master painting,

until you yourself have learned how to paint with some understanding first.

Only by the path of much practice and experience can mature results be reached.”

"Portrait of the artist’s father"
SOLD"Portrait of the artist’s father" Framed Oil on canvas, 64 x 37cm
"Portrait of Alene von Harringa"
"Portrait of Alene von Harringa" Framed
Portrait of Shelia Wardell"
SOLD"Portrait of Shelia Wardell" Framed20" x 16" 
"Native American Necklace"
SOLD"Native American Necklace" Framed Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 41cm
"Portrait of a Young Girl"
SOLD"Portrait of a Young Girl" Framed  8.5" x 6", oil
"The little Russian Girl"
SOLD "The little Russian Girl"  Framed Oil on canvas, 24.7 × 16.2cm
Watercolor
SOLDWatercolor  Framed
Watercolor
SOLDWatercolor  Framed
"Russian Singer"
 SOLD"Russian Singer" Framed
"Young Girl"
SOLD"Young Girl" Framed
"Laughing Man with Mustache"
 SOLD"Laughing Man with Mustache" Framed
"Old Pueblo Man"
SOLD"Old Pueblo Man" Framed
"Sheila Wardell"
SOLD"Sheila Wardell" Framed
"Head, Indian Girl"
SOLD"Head, Indian Girl"  Framed

Fechin's Prints

"Hand"
"Hand"
"Hands"
"Hands"
"Figure Detail"
"Figure Detail"
"Profiles"
"Profiles"
"Portrait of a Woman"
"Portrait of a Woman"
"Male Nude"

"Male Nude"

"Girl with an earring from Bali"
"Girl with an earring from Bali"After 1938
"Female Nude"
"Female Nude"
"Old Balinese Man"

"Old Balinese Man"

"Mexican Grandma"

"Mexican Grandma"

"Head, Indian Man"

"Head, Indian Man"

"Mexican Man"

"Mexican Man"

"Philosopher"

"Philosopher"

"Eya"

"Eya"

"Head of Boy"

"Head of Boy"

"Woman"

"Woman"

"Portrait of a Boy"

"Portrait of a Boy"

"Laughing Man with Mustache"

"Laughing Man with Mustache"

"Balinese Elder"

"Balinese Elder"

"Head Portrait of old Man"

"Head Portrait of old Man"

"Manuelita - with Intense Gaze"
"Manuelita - with Intense Gaze"After 1938
"Young Native American Boy"
"Young Native American Boy"
"Self Portrait"
"Self Portrait"
"Portrait of a Man"
"Portrait of a Man"
"Tree Trunk"
"Tree Trunk"
"Portrait of a Girl"
"Portrait of a Girl"
"Feet"
"Feet"

Fechin's Charcoals

Fechin painted with his charcoals (obtained from J. M. Paillard Co., Paris), sometimes holding them like a brush.  And he spared no effort to obtain the highest quality handmade paper from China.  Fechin's special paper was sometimes delivered by his friend Milan Rupert.  Other times he purchased it from Chinese dealers.  The qualities and uniqueness of each sheet of paper delighted Fechin. His masterworks could only have been created with this special paper. The paper's thinness imposed its own discipline, but the results are magnificent. Fechin's realism is beyond photography. The radiant bright highlights were produced with an eraser or sometimes white chalk, other times the unique paper was left empty. These Art Works must be seen in person to be truly experienced.  Fechin's charcoals were very thin, but he sharpened them even more,  making them so thin he had to make pecial holders for them.  But the precision, craftsmanship, realism and results are unequaled.


"Taos Pueblo"
"Taos Pueblo"
"Mountain in Winter"
"Mountain in Winter"
"Frank Waters"
SOLD"Frank Waters"17" x 12 1/5"
"Cabin in the Woods"
SOLD"Cabin in the Woods"
"Indian Girl with Lean-To"
SOLD"Indian Girl with Lean-To"

Fechin Signature Examples

Fechin began to sign his name in English soon after he arrived in the West.

Although he knew his signature was important, he felt his works of art best expressed himself.

Yet, every Fechin signature is a complete individual work of art in itself.

In Fechin's art, every brush stroke is saturated with his genius.

He said, "With his own creative originality, (the artist) must fill in his canvas and make of it an organic whole.

There must not be any particularly favored spot in the painting..."

For educational purposes, Parsons presents some signature examples.

Fechin Signature
Fechin Signature
Fechin Signature
Fechin Signature
Fechin Signature
Fechin Signature
Fechin Signature
Fechin Signature
Fechin Signature
Fechin Signature

Authentic signatures are only a part of certifying Traditional Fine Art.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Nicolai Fechin Paintings include:

"Portrait of the Artist’s Wife" 1925 

"Portrait of Varya Adoratskaya" 

"Still Life Daisies" 

"Spring in the Steppe" 

"The Corn Dancer" 

"Beaver Dam" 

"Friends" 

"Madame Sapojnikova" 

"Nude Figure" 1911 

"Seated Nude" Oil on Canvas, c. 1950 

"Mexican in a Cowboy Hat" Charcoal on Paper 

"Lady in Pink" (Portrait of Natalia Podbelskaya) 

"Portrait of a Young Woman" 1912, oil on canvas 

"Girl in Purple Dress" 

"Indian Girl with Pottery" 

"Pietro" 

"Portrait of Mr. Gorson" 

"Ella Young" 

"Standing Nude" 

"Spring in the Steppe" (1913) 

"Girl Holding Peaches" 

"Bearing off the Bride" 

"The Philosopher" 

"Reading the Newspaper, the Artist's Father" 

"Taos, Flowers In Henry Sharp's Yard'

"Juan"

"Russian Landscape, Village Of Hope, Kazan Province"

"The Chicken House"

"Head Of Mexican Man"

"Nikki Rupert"

"La Abuela (The Grandmother)"

"Girl In Green Blouse"

"Russian Lady"

"Indian Boy In Blue"

"Mother And Child (Alexandra Belkovitch Fechin & Eya Fechin Branham)"  c. 1917

"Mexican Boy"

"Winter Scene (Snow Fell On The Mountains At Taos)"

"Girl With Orange Shawl"

"Eya, My Daughter"

"Lola (Mrs. Triano), Spanish Dancer"

"Daffodils"

"Joe With Drum"

"Adobe House"

"Wood Carriers (Two Donkeys In Forest)"

"Indian Corn"

"The Indian Dancers"

"Black And White Cow"

"Old Adobe And Chickens"

"Cow And Calf"

"Eya"

"Self-Portrait"

“Coral Beads”  portrait of Alexandra Belkovitch painted in 1910

"Alexandra on the Volga" 1912

Nicolai Fechin Museum Collections:

Anschutz Collection 

Arizona State University Art Museum 

Art Institute of Chicago 

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center 

Corcoran Gallery, Washington DC 

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art 

Fechin Center in Kazan 

Frye Art Museum

Figge Art Museum

Great Plains Art Museum 

Harmsen Western Art Collection

Harvard University Art Museums

Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, Leningrad

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Kazan Museum 

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art 

Museum of Art at Brigham Young University 

Museum of New Mexico 

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum 

National Cowboy Hall of Fame

National Portrait Gallery

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum 

Phoenix Art Museum

Rockwell Museum of Western Art

Roswell Museum and Art Center 

San Diego Museum of Art

Smithsonian American Art Museum 

Springville Museum of Art 

Stark Museum of Art 

The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 

The University of Arizona Museum of Art

Tucson Museum of Art 

USC Fisher Gallery 

Vanderveer Spratlen Collection 

William Foxley Collection-Western 

Woolaroc Museum 

Nicolai Fechin Exhibitions: 

Art Institute of Chicago 

California State Fair, 1927 

Carmel Art Association 

Charles Russell Art Show 

Corcoran Gallery, Washington DC 

Foundation of Western Artists, 1936 (medal of honor) 

Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939, 1940 

Imperial Academy of FA, Petrograd, 1908 (1st prize) 

International Glass Palace, Munich, 1909 (gold medal) 

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1930

LACMA, 1935 (1st prize) 

Maxwell Gallery (San Francisco), 1968 

National Academy of Design, 1924 (Proctor prize)

Oakland Art Gallery, 1939

Panama Pacific Exhibition of 1915 

Stendahl Gallery (Los Angeles), 1925, 1930s-1940s

Nicolai Fechin Books, References and further information:

Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940"

Nicolai Fechin: Across Two Continents, Amy Scott, Gerald Peters Gallery. Edition

Fechin: The Builder, Eya Fechin, Santa Fe: Blue Feather Press, 1982 Eya Fechin with Moses Porter

Nicolai Fechin  Harold McCracken, 1961 The Hammer Galleries

Nicolai Fechin  Mary N. Balcomb, 1975 Northland Press

Nicolai Fechin - Persimmon Hill vol. 8 #3 various, 1978 The Cowboy Hall of Fame

SAMUELS' Encyclopedia of ARTISTS of THE AMERICAN WEST,

Peggy and Harold Samuels, 1985, Castle Publishing

The Vadeboncoeur Collection of Knowledge Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. 1998

Fechin, Alexandra. March of the Past. Santa Fe: Writers' Editions, Rydal Press, 1937

Waters, Frank. "Nicolai Fechin," Arizona Highways, February, 1952

Contact Parsons for Fechin paintings value

Parsons is where to sell Fechin paintings

Parsons: Fechin painting buyer

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by  Robert Parsons

and   Ashley Rolshoven

131 BENT STREET • TAOS, NEW MEXICO 875711-575-751-0159 •  FAX 1-575-758-8698Email: parsons@parsonsart.com