257 Unseen Tarkovsky Polaroids to Be Auctioned at Bonhams London

Bonhams London will auction 257 previously unseen Polaroid photographs by Andrei Tarkovsky on October 6, during Frieze Week. The images, taken between 1979 and 1984, remained in the family archive until now. They form a sentimental exile diary and also served as preparatory studies for his film 'Nostalghia'. Tarkovsky, a Russian director who won the Golden Lion in 1962 for 'Ivan's Childhood' and the Critics' Prize at Cannes in 1969 for 'Andrei Rublev', developed strong ties with Italy, working with Michelangelo Antonioni, Claudio Abbado, and Tonino Guerra. He shot 'Nostalghia' in the Sienese countryside, particularly Bagno Vignoni, paying homage to Piero della Francesca. His work in Italy allowed him to stay for long periods until his definitive move to Europe in 1982, leaving his son in Moscow, in open conflict with the Russian government. In 1983, the film was released, and the municipality of Florence offered him hospitality while he worked on Abbado's 'Boris Godunov', a triumph at London's Covent Garden. Correspondence between François Mitterrand and Mikhail Gorbachev later allowed his son to leave Russia. Polaroids are unique, lacking negatives, making each a singular testament to a personal moment. Few have been sold at auction, exclusively since 2008.