#59 • Important Icon of St. George The Dragon Killer w/Interesting Provenance

Part of June 2023 Premier Auction (live auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $425.00

Status: Sold

Category: Antiques

An important Russian Icon depicting the captivating scene of St. George and the Dragon, 18th century or earlier. Of significant interest is a signature on the back by a former owner of the work, the late sculptor Clarence Percival Dietsch (American, 1881-1961). Exhibits surface wear consummate with age, measures approximately 16" x 12".  Dietsch is noted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Rome, living there from 1906 to 1910, after which his travels took him back to New York from Napes in 1912. Following this voyage, his name again appeared in 1914 with the issuance of a Swiss passport. Shortly thereafter, he was presented with an honorable mention for exhibitions at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. Dietsch would go on to register for the World War I draft in New York on September 12, 1918, and was deployed shortly thereafter aboard the steamship Espagne, where he served as an instructor for soldiers blinded in battle in France. Following the war, Dietsch is noted as living in Connecticut, New York City, and eventually Palm Beach, FL, where he would live the rest of his days. He studied at the New York school of Art under William Merritt Chase and was also a student of Attilio Piccirilli.