The works sold were Purmale's "Saturday Night Movie" (2005-2009,120 x 160 cm, canvas/oil) and Ritums Ivanovs "Frame 05" (2002, 150x185 cm, canvas/acrylic). Starting price was set at 8 000 - 12 000 GBP.
The idea of the unprecedented event to show Latvian art to a wider audience came from Joanna Vickery, Sotheby's Senior Director and Sotheby's most experienced expert in Russian art, She has been with the company for over 11 years and since joining turned the Russian Department into the most successful in the field worldwide. Some time ago when visiting international art fair "Art Moscow" in Russia she was surprised about the high quality artistic expression of Latvian artists and with confidence she predicted the success of fulfilling her idea in real life.
In december Vickery sent Dr. Alla Rosenfeld to visit Riga Gallery in Latvia. Rosenfeld was appointed Vice President of Russian Paintings Department at Sotheby's in October 2006 and she has served as Curator of Russian and Soviet Nonconformist Art at the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University since 1992. Dr. Rosenfeld is the author of books and catalogues and knows Latvian art well. Also her opinion was that the works of Latvian painters are of high value.
Participation at Sotheby's auction is a serious step for the international development of Latvian art market. It is a well-known fact that Sotheby's is the main actor on world art market and such names as Damien Hirst, Gerhard Richter and Mark Rothko boosted their careers off from the point of participating in one of the auctions.
Sotheby's auctions are at the centre of attention for art collectors, enterpreneurs and researchers. The event was widely discussed and brought out in mass media all over the world. It is exactly in these auctions where the price of art, set by auction professionals and accepted by collectors, notifies the quality of art sold.
Sotheby's also issues catalogues on auctions, which are then sent to art collectors and research pros.
In Sotheby's catalogue of June 2009, the Riga Gallery collection paintings of Purmale and Ivanovs were published.