A small, awkward man squints from the numerous photographs that have survived. He began to lose sight while still in school. From the age of thirty he was already regularly in psychiatric hospitals. For the last thirty years of his 64, Yakovlev was almost blind by the standards of ordinary people. Books that he loved very much, friends read aloud to him, he himself could not. For a long time he even redrawn his own surname for signing from the sample so that it came out without errors. No workshop, no apartment of his own. Constantly under the care of caring people. It would seem, well, what could come out of the artist known outsider?

But fate had its own plans. Vladimir Igorevich Yakovlev (1934–1998) went down in the history of post-war art as an outstanding intuitionist and became one of the symbols of the “beautiful era”. The Soviet intelligentsia, and the families of many workers, warmed up with his drawings in the grayest and most “compromise” times. At some point, Yakovlev's drawings, like the portraits by Anatoly Zverev, became a kind of “passwords” — “friend or foe” signals in Moscow apartments. And quite deservedly it is gouache with a flower that adorns the second cover of the milestone two-volume book “Another Art. Moscow 1956–1976”.

It is believed that the flames of Yakovlev's talent were kindled by the sparks of the legendary 1957 Festival of Youth and Students. Four years after Stalin's death, the authorities lifted the veil of secrecy about what the free world lived on, and at the same time showed tachism and the achievements of abstract art. On a great emotional impulse, the 20-year-old photo retoucher from the Art publishing house took up his brush. Some things he came to on his own intuitively, and some things were shown to him by his artist friends. So, Valentin Vorobyov recalled that in the beginning Yakovlev was taught by Vasily Sitnikov, the “Lanternman”. A huge promotion of Yakovlev's work was conducted by his friend, artist Mikhail Grobman, whose collection contained more than a thousand of his works. In the mid-1960s, the news of his distinctive talent spread throughout Moscow among art lovers. Many learned about Yakovlev through apartment exhibitions, which daring collectors and artists arranged in their homes and workshops. And over time, there were important group and even personal exhibitions. Yakovlev's works were on display in the “Beekeeping” pavilion at VDNKh in 1975, then they were regularly exhibited in the halls of the city committee of graphic artists at 28, Malaya Gruzinskaya Street. Yakovlev's main exhibition was held in the Tretyakov Gallery in 1994. Fortunately, during his lifetime.

Many people wonder how Yakovlev could see and work with 90% loss of vision? Of course, Yakovlev saw. He only saw in his own way, intuitively, adjusting to physical limitations, with peripheral vision. Moreover, his ability to reconstruct the big picture in imagination was amazing. Artist Vladimir Yankilevsky told me how Yakovlev viewed his big picture. The little man for several minutes, burying himself at close range, studied the gigantic work inch by inch. Yankilevsky stood and wondered how he will understand the general idea, if he saw in fragments? And when Yakovlev finished and they began to discuss, it was amazing — the artist not only remembered the picture in all its details, but also deciphered its idea better than other sighted people.

Now about the legacy and the market situation.

The first and perhaps most important thing for any novice investor: it is absolutely impossible to buy works by Vladimir Yakovlev without the expertise of Valery Silaev. Whatever they tell you. Silaev's paper is a must. Other confirmations by friends and acquaintances, museums and even official handwriting expertise will not do. Yes, they can be useful as additional information about the origins of the work (what collection it came from, under what circumstances it was purchased, etc.). But in the final, you still need a paper with a rectangular stamp known to the whole market and a confident signature. And more importantly: if the work is sold with verbal confirmation from the expert (this is a normal practice), then after the purchase it is recommended to immediately put it in writing — it is wrong to save money on this.

What kinds of works are better to invest in?

According to experience, three factors primarily influence the liquidity and investment appeal of Yakovlev's works: (1) the theme (plot) combined with (2) a valuable period and (3) the technique. Exactly in that sequence.

Most appreciated are works made between the late 1950s and the 1970s. Even more broadly, up to the end of the eighties. It was the heyday of the artist's work. When the vision was a little better, and the disease had not yet deteriorated to an extreme degree, and parents were alive, and the inspiration visited often, and the conditions for creativity were well-established and conventionally comfortable. Why not the nineties? Yakovlev had some inspired works at that time, too. But the nineties in Yakovlev’s work are not easy to understand today even for people of expert level of knowledge. At that time around the artist appeared circles, students, and simply “leaning” people.  And it turned out that in some works of the 1990s it is difficult (and not even desirable) to determine what percentage of the drawing was made by Yakovlev, and where is the other hand. And there were even worse situations. A poorly seeing artist could have been slipped a work done “for Yakovlev” for confirmation and signature. “Volodya, do you remember I bought you? You forgot to sign, sign”. And he, out of the kindness of his soul, not expecting a catch, signed. In short, now and then there are works with Yakovlev's original confirming inscription on the back, with a genuine signature, but not real ones. The result is clear. Today it is possible to receive an expert opinion for the 1990s only on completely “ferro-concrete” works with verifiable provenance.

Now, in terms of plots and techniques, in descending order of investment attractiveness:

1. Painting with main themes. We are talking about such subjects as cats with a bird in their teeth (an impression of Picasso's work), portraits of the wind (pointillism), flowers and some others. Every appearance of some Yakovlev's “A Cat with a Bird”, and even in oil, is a real event for the art market and a true fortune for collectors. These oils can cost the equivalent of $ 20,000 or more. Recall that Yakovlev rarely worked in oil. At home, the smell of solvents interfered, so that many paintings were made in other people's workshops, on a visit. His painting is, in principle, a rarity. 100% investment option.
    
2. “Nervous” graphics. It's about what is called “unusual Yakovlev” — “non-commercial” graphics on unpopular subjects. That is, not a decorative mass flower, not a “soft” portrait, not a landscape, but something exotic: a bird, an eye, an imaginary bride, some exotic flower. It would seem that “nervous” subjects are less liquid, not everyone understands them, especially beginners. The potential customer audience is shrinking. But on the other hand, knowledgeable people are ready to fight hard for “nervous” works and pay serious money even for the graphics — $ 8,000–10,000. And in our practice, the real demand for such works actually exceeds the demand for “soft” plots.
    
3. Graphics on popular subjects (flowers, landscapes, still lifes). It has always been in high demand. Ever since the 1960s, both physicists and lyricists considered it good form to keep Yakovlev's flower on the wall at home. And even more than one. In the diaries of Mikhail Grobman you can even read that in the mid-1960s they cost about 15 rubles. That is, in today's money, 20,000 rubles at wage parity. Now these gouaches cost 250,000–500,000 rubles. Such works are in great demand. “Soft” themes are highly liquid — they attract both novice collectors and simply buyers of good gifts.
    
4. Portraits. Yakovlev's portraits are not quite portraits in the usual sense. The crosses and distorted faces woven into them are all for a reason. Experienced people who buy them know a lot about it. But for the mass buyer, this material is difficult, not decorative. Therefore, in general, portraits are less liquid. Yakovlev’s portrait gouaches cost in the region of 150,000–200,000 rubles. Sometimes more.
    
5. Hospital drawings. These are, as a rule, pencil graphics on small (less than A4) pieces of paper from notebooks or on album and exercise book sheets. These drawings are called hospital drawings because Yakovlev usually made them in psycho-neurological boarding institutions during an aggravation of mental illness. These institutions did not have special conditions for painting — he painted on whatever they brought, so the paint would not fly around. Yakovlev made those drawings in various states. In packs from hospitals, there are both calm, inspired flowers, and abstractions interspersed with texts — “screams”. And sometimes there is confusion. Thus, in one of the series a psychiatrist I know identified the characteristic features of catatonia. In general, Yakovlev's hospital drawings have survived in the thousands. However, it cannot be said that they can be bought at any time. The market with them is now thick, now empty. But they are not in short supply. Such graphics are inexpensive:10,000–20,000 rubles per sheet at retail. This material is for connoisseurs. But not investment. Moreover, in terms of liquidity (simplicity and speed of sale), they are noticeably inferior to the easel graphics, that Yakovlev made at home and occasionally on his visits.

One more point. In normal cases, the price ratio between painting and graphics, that is, between paintings and drawings, can reach 5–7 times. Yes, with a comparable size, quality, etc. But with Yakovlev, according to my observations, this price difference is smaller. His large gouaches are only 2–3 times cheaper than paintings. A painting can cost $ 20,000, and a special emotional gouache can cost $ 10,000, easyly. So there is a difference, but it is not gigantic.

That is, perhaps, all of the basics.

But in the end, it is useful to repeat the rule of prudent allocation of the investment budget. It's simple: quality is more important than quantity. With the money allocated for the purchase of paintings, it is better to buy one thing, but the best — with the main theme, a valuable period, and oil. If you have $ 20,000, it’s better to wait until a sturdy painting with proven authenticity comes into view. In other words, one painting “A Cat with a Bird” is definitely better than 150 hospital drawings.

Vladimir Bogdanov, art market specialist, ArtSale.info auction

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