Amazing portraits up for auction

Not one but two amazing portraits are up for auction in Copenhagen, June 2nd 2021, as part of the Bruun-Rasmussen´s Russian auctions. The infamous Gregorij Rasputin (1869–1916) by Danish artist Theodora Krarup (1862 – 1941) signed 1915, just months before Rasputin´s murder. The Danish artist lived in Petersburg for several years. She painted three portraits of Rasputin. On auction are Rasputin as “a holy man” (picture) and Rasputin depicted as “a peasant”. A third portrait was bought by The State Central Museum of Contemporary Russian History and was signed as early as 1914. The portraits have great historic value, not only because of the Romanov´s tragic history, but because Rasputin himself posed as model. Theodora Krarup in her memoirs tells us the fascinating story of her friendship with Rasputin and the Finnish general-consul Otto Auer who later (in 1927) bought the two portraits and Rasputin´s black silk shirt . See more at the Bruun-Rasmussen auction homepage