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283284 Los(e)/Seite
![WYNDHAM LEWIS [1882-1957]Augustus John, 1932, lithograph, 24/200, 37 x 27 cmOne of the ?30 Personalities and a Self Portrait](http://lot-images.atgmedia.com/SR/36760/2916369/183-2014102812105_468x382.jpg)
![WYNDHAM LEWIS [1882-1957]Dame Edith Evans, 1932, lithograph, 24/200, 37 x 27 cmOne of the ?30 Personalities and a Self Portr](http://lot-images.atgmedia.com/SR/36760/2916369/184-2014102812108_468x382.jpg)
![WYNDHAM LEWIS [1882-1957]Noel Coward, 1932, lithograph, 81/200, 37 x 27 cmOne of the ?30 Personalities and a Self Portrait?](http://lot-images.atgmedia.com/SR/36760/2916369/62-20141028121418_468x382.jpg)
![WYNDHAM LEWIS [1882-1957]Dame Rebecca West [Cicily Isobel Andrews], 1932, lithograph, 81/200, 37 x 27 cmOne of the ?30 Perso](http://lot-images.atgmedia.com/SR/36760/2916369/63-20141028121420_468x382.jpg)
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Daphne Charlton - Self Portrait oil on canvas executed circa 1933 12 x 10 in., 30.5 x 25.4 cm Daphne Charlton was a student at the Slade School of Art, as was Stanley Spencer, and her husband George taught there. The Charltons were introduced to Spencer in 1939 and from then on he often visited them at their Hampstead home. All three went on a painting holiday together in the summer of 1939 to Leonard Stanley, a remote village in Gloucestershire. During this stay Daphne Charlton painted Spencer`s portrait, and soon after their return to London Spencer produced a large scale portrait of her, which sits in the Tate collection, London.
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David Bomberg (1890-1957) - Portrait of Leslie Marr, 1953 oil on canvas, titled, signed and dated on the overlap, with an authentication inscription on the reverse by Lilian Bomberg 35 1/2 x 27 1/2 in., 90 x 70 cm Leslie Marr was a prominent member of the Borough Group of artists who studied under Bomberg at the Borough Polythechnic. Forming in 1947, the group held their first exhibition at the Archer Gallery in London and the following year a group of the same name was formed with Bomberg as its first President. Its aim was to promote a greater understanding of Bomberg`s ideas and teaching by presenting exhibitions of both his work and that of his students. Founder members included Lilian Bomberg, Cliff Holden, Edna Mann, Leslie Marr, Dorothy Mead, Dinora Mendleson, Dorothy Missen, Len Missen, and Peter Richmond. The Group had a permanent exhibition at Leslie Marr`s bookshop `The Bookworm` and, in addition, there were shows at the Archer Gallery. They also participated in the London County Council Embankment Exhibition and in 1949 showed at the Arcade Gallery and Brasenose College, Oxford. The Group was dissolved in 1951, reforming in 1953 as the Borough Bottega with aims and membership similar to those of the original group. IMPORTANT: This lot is sold subject to Artists Resale Rights, details of which can be found in our Terms and Conditions.
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Football interest to include Stiles N. `Soccer My Battlefield` signed by Nobby Stiles, Wheeler K. `Living for Kicks` signed by Denis Law, Stiles N. `Steppes to Wembley` signed by Bert Trautman, Milton A. Last of the Double Internationals. Also a portrait print signed by Arthur Milton and sixteen topical times coloured panel portraits.
Los 280
An early 19th century French gold portrait snuff box by Lefevre, the body clad in tortoiseshell, the cover inset with an oval miniature portrait of Louis XIV attributed to Jean Petitot within an octagonal gold cartouche with blue enamel lining, 86 x 49 x 21mm Some separation of the tortoiseshell cover from the gold frame at one end
Los 281
An early 19th century gold portrait snuff box, unmarked, the body tortoiseshell clad contained within leaf patterned borders, the glazed cover incorporating a miniature portrait of a Russian Nobleman circa 1720 attributed to Christian Friedrich Zincke, 41 x 35mm, the box 82 x 61 x 26mm, gross weight 165gm, cased
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A mid 19th century Meissen oval portrait plaque, painted with a lady in mourning seated by a purple curtain at a table, crossed swords marks, 21cm (8.25 in) high within matt gold frame. For a comparable image of Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, see the National Portrait Gallery photograph taken by John and Charles Watkins and published by Mason & Co
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Mary Lomax (British, 20th Century) Portrait of a young girl in striped dress, seated full length, reading at her desk signed lower left ""M Lomax"" oil on canvas 44 x 34cm (17 x 13in) Condition appears fine - gilt slip has slipped down under the frame. White bloom present across surface. Appears to be unvarnished. Hazing could be removed by surface cleaning. A few chips and losses to frame. Under glass.
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English School (early 19th Century) Portrait of Lady Augusta Greville, half length, seated inscribed lower right ""Augusta, Aug. 26 1811"" chalks, in a red leather case 24 x 18cm (9 x 7in) Provenance: Warwick Castle, formerly the seat of the Earls of Warwick Lady Augusta Greville, daughter of George, 2nd Earl of Warwick, married Heneage, 5th Earl of Aylesford. Case is rather wobbly but the image appears fine.
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Littlejohn (English, early 19th Century) Portrait miniature of Henry Kirke White, wearing a black coat and white stock, facing left signed and dated lower right ""Littlejohn 1806"" watercolour on paper, laid down, in an ornate gilt frame 9 x 7cm (4 x 3in) The present watercolour appears to be a hitherto unrecorded portrait of the Nottingham-born poet and humn writer Henry Kirke White (1785-1806), known to both Byron and Southey, and a graduate of St John`s College, Cambridge. The Nottingham City Museums and Galleries have an oil portrait of Henry Kirke White, aged about 20, painte4d by John Hoppner, whihc bears similarities. This watercolour ius dated 1806, the year that White sadly died of natural causes. A few likenesses of him are also known through engravings, including a book plate after Thomas Barber, published in 1807, showing the sitter in different attitudes. A `James Brock` (1796-1876) is recorded as a gamekeeper working at Rufford Abbey, Nottinghamshire, from 1835 to 1871, the estate was owned then by the Savile family. The main house is now owned by English Heritage. A paper label to the backboard is inscribed in ink ""for Mr James Brock"" . Discolouration to the background and foxing/staining damage to the right-hand corner.
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Anthony Stewart (Scottish, 1773-1846) Portrait miniature of Master Henry Leslie Pepys, aged 5, wearing a white gown with blue ribbons watercolour on ivory, in a round wooden frame 6cm (2in) The Hon. Henry Leslie Pepys (1830-1891) was a descendant of Samuel Pepys, and third son of the first Earl of Cottenham, Cambridge
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English School (19th Century) circle of Sir John Everett Millais Portrait of an aged gentleman, believed to be a model for artists of the late Victorian period, and a friend of Millais and Ansdell, as yet unidentified charcoal 66 x 51cm (26 x 20in) Provenance: Richard Ansdell and by descent.Dirt under the glass - image is clear and good - unsigned.
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F and P Knapton after Sir Anthony Van Dyck Portrait of the Earl of Warwick, Lord High Admiral, 1747 engraving framed with the original copper plate (2) 40 x 26cm (16 x 10in) Provenance: Warwick Castle, formerly the seat of the Earls of Warwick Some foxing to the print, copper plate is fine - framed together.
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An overdoor, with central shell decoration, and eagles on either side, from the Italian Room at Warwick Castle - originally part of the frame for a portrait of Lady Waldegrave, sight size 46 x 134cm, external size 80 x 170cm Provenance: Warwick Castle, formerly the seat of the Earls of Warwick This is half a frame - however gilding and condition look fine.
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Circle of Sir Peter Lely (British, 1618-1680) Portrait of a lady as a shepherdess, in a grey dress and pink cloak, with a red rose in her hair, and holding a huette oil on canvas 125 x 100cm (49 x 39in) Provenance: From a Cambridgeshire country house. Oil on a twill weave canvas, unlined. A few small, scattered paint losses, but otherwise in good condition. Two small holes along the bottom edge of the canvas with associated paint loss. Numerous scratches to surface, which could just be in the varnish rather than the paint layer. Varnish is yellowed and uneven with surface dirt.
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Isaac Whood (British, 1689-1752) Portrait of a Cleric oil on canvas 70 x 60cm (27 x 23in) Provenance: From the collection of Peter Inskip, MBE, Trinity House, Cardington, Bedfordshire. Whood practised for many years as a portrait painter in Lincoln`s Inn Fields, London. His portraits of ladies were considered some of the best of the time. His great patron was John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, for whom he painted numerous portraits of members of the Spencer and Russell families, destined for Woburn Abbey; some of these were copied by Whood from other painters. At Cambridge there are portraits by Whood at Trinity College, including one of Isaac Barrow, and at Trinity Hall. There is a portrait of Archbishop William Wake by Whood at Lambeth Palace, painted in 1736 Lined canvas. Small tears which have occurred in original canvas but not lining. Varnish is degraded and very uneven. Some areas of retouching around the face. Dirty. One old repaired tear running vertically through his wig on the left-hand side. There is a small hole in his chest. Said to be signed but this is difficult to detect. A few small losses to the gilding and gesso
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English School (circa 1730) Portrait of a Child, full length, seated in blue, with her King Charles spaniel beside her, before a red curtain, in a parkland setting oil on canvas, in an English Maratta frame 126 x 100cm (49 x 39in) Provenance: Dalham Hall, Newmarket, Suffolk. Lined canvas. A few small, old areas of loss but the paint layer is stable. More than one campaign of retouching. Varnish layer is even and semi-matte. Frame in good condition.
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Manner of Jean Marc Nattier Portrait of Portrait of Comtesse Tassin oil on canvas, oval, unframed 70 x 55cm (27 x 21in) Maria Leszczynska, was a queen consort of France. She was a daughter of King Stanislaw Leszczynski of Poland (later Duke of Lorraine) and Catherine Opalinska. She married King Louis XV of France and was the grandmother of Louis XVI, Louis XVIII, and Charles X Lined canvas. Scratches and small dent in canvas at upper and lower edges which have been filled and retouched. A few light scratches and areas of abrasion. Drying cracks in darker paint passages. Localised areas of retouching. Thick, discoloured varnish layer. Indentations of bubble wrap present at left side. Unframed. 19th Century.
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English School (19th Century) Portrait of a Cleric oil on canvas, oval 73 x 61cm (28 x 24in) Unlined canvas. Undulations across canvas accentuated by dust. Small areas of damage with associated paint loss. Small losses at the junction of cracks. Old and degraded varnish no longer adequately saturating darker paint passages. Frame dusty with a few losses to gesso and gilding.
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Richard Thomas Moynan, RHA (Irish, 1856-1906) Portrait of the artist`s daughter, seated full length, in a turquoise dress, a doll at her feet signed upper left ""R T Moynan, RHA, 1891"" oil on canvas 51 x 41cm (20 x 16in) Provenance: Christie`s, London, Irish and Sporting Art, 8 May 2009, lot 16. Unlined canvas. Waxy looking patch on reverse at left hand side but no obvious signs of damage on front. Small area of flaking at bottom edge but otherwise paint layer in good condition. Varnish clear and glossy. Missing section of frame on the decoration to the middle of the upper edge. Cleaned at some stage. Old stretcher bar marks can be seen from the front.
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A double sided silhouette pendant circa 1840 together with a later Victorian miniature portrait and hairwork brooch, the first with an oval ornately carved yellow metal frame with hinged suspensory loop, containing back to back portraits of a fashionable young couple in painted black silhouette with gold brushwork detailing, length 6.2cm, currently suspended from a later 9ct gold ribbon brooch with bright cut decoration, Birmingham hallmark, width 3.4cm; together with an oval brooch with open mount formed of interwoven stems, containing a watercolour portrait of a young man with a blue bow necktie circa 1860, verso with glazed panel containing a curled hairwork composition with locks from at least two people, length 6.4cm; the two in a Collingwood case (2)
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Football interest to include Stiles N. `Soccer My Battlefield` signed by Nobby Stiles, Wheeler K. `Living for Kicks` signed by Denis Law, Stiles N. `Steppes to Wembley` signed by Bert Trautman, Milton A. Last of the Double Internationals. Also a portrait print signed by Arthur Milton and sixteen topical times coloured panel portraits.
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* SAMOKHVALOV, ALEXANDER (1894-1971) Fireworks. Vasilievsky Island . Oil on canvas, 95.5 by 70.5 cm. Executed in the 1950s. Provenance: Collection of the artist?s family. Private collection, Europe. Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by Maria Samokhvalova, the artist?s daughter. Authenticity has also been confirmed by the expert Yu. Rybakova. Fireworks. Vasilievsky Island was painted in 1944 on Alexander Samokhvalov?s return to Leningrad after his evacuation, at a time when the artist had enthusiastically embarked upon depictions of the city he loved. Apart from his canvasses, which are permeated with the pathos of victory and the urgent construction effort ? Leningrad Rises Again, Warriors Remember, Friends Meeting, ? the portrait he creates of the hero-city of his birth is a romantic one. The artist?s Leningrad of the 1940s and early 1950s is almost always eventful. He is interested not just in sketching views, but in the very pulse of life in the city. Sometimes he addresses the theme of Soviet public holidays ? Morning on 1st May, In the Park, ? but in his most inspired and lyrical work he prefers the everyday reality of his beloved Vasilievsky Island. Here, after all, on a side street called Tuchkov pereulok, was the studio that Samokhvalov had inherited after the death of the famous graphic artist Pavel Shellingovsky. Samokhvalov always took pride in this succession, feeling that the genius loci srought him close to one of the masters he most respected and held most dear. Fireworks. Vasilievsky Island is one of the canvasses he painted in the neighbourhood of his studio. There are several known compositions in the legacy left by Samokhvalov that have the title On Bolshoi Prospekt, Vasilievsky Island and in all probability Fireworks is a continuation of this subject. Samokhvalov uses a great many different gradations of hue, leading into one another and finding their place in the massive lilac and blue-grey buildings and chimneys of the thermal power plant, the glare in the sky and its blueness, the muted painting of the human figures, the red roof of the house and the broad, grey-brown expanse of the paved ground. All the objects and details of the urban scene ? the houses, tram lines, motor vehicle, street lamps and even passers by ? are, as it were, shrouded and seen through the haze of a special light that envelops them. This light that suffuses the picture lends a unity to all the colours within it. Samokhvalov?s close associate at the studio, Yuri Pimenov was right when he said: ?Samokhvalov was one of the best artists of that time ? his pictures had the rhythm of contemporary life??
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* LEBEDEV, VLADIMIR (1891-1967) Portrait of the Artist`s Wife, Ada Lazo , signed and dated 1958. Oil on canvas, laid on panel, 75 by 50.5 cm. Provenance: Collection of the artist?s wife, A.S. Lazo, Leningrad, until 1993. Thence by descent. Collection of A.A. Saltykova (Lazo), St Petersburg. Acquired directly from the above by the present owner. Private collection, Europe. Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by A.A. Lazo (inscription on the reverse). Authenticity has also been confirmed by the experts T. Levina and T. Mikhienko. Literature: V. Petrov, Vladimir Vasilievich Lebedev, 1891?1967, Leningrad, Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1972, p. 240, illustrated, incorrectly dated 1954; p. 266, listed under works from 1958. Vladimir Lebedev, perhaps one of the most striking painters of the Soviet era, is represented here by a remarkable portrait of his wife, Ada Lazo. Lebedev?s work travelled a long way from Constructivist compositions to Post-Impressionist portraits and sensitively rendered nudes. He was repeatedly accused of formalism, ?alien? bourgeois influences and an unwillingness to create genre paintings on Soviet themes. However, his talent was so great that his contemporaries could marvel at the diversity of his creative pursuits ? from the exploration of formal technique, to his study of female beauty and his work as a children?s book illustrator ? and even willingly overlook the shortcomings, by Soviet standards, of his behaviour. It was while working for the Soviet children?s book publisher, Detgiz, that Lebedev met Ada Lazo, daughter of the revolutionary hero, Sergei Lazo. Ada, the chief editor, had an excellent knowledge of literature and was a specialist in children?s book illustration. She was to become Lebedev?s wife, friend and muse of many years. Lebedev painted this portrait in his usual soft pastel tones. The restraint in the colour and mobility of the brushstrokes are reminiscent of early Renoir, whom the artist idolised and viewed as a source of inspiration. But meticulous respect for drawing is not always characteristic of the French Impressionists, whereas delicate emphasis of form is a particular hallmark of Lebedev?s style. At the same time, the colour accents of the yellow chiffon collar and the book in the sitter?s hand remind us of Lebedev?s refined taste as a colourist, his ability to manage the pictorial spot of colour, which sets the overall tone of a work.
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* UDALTZOVA, NADEZHDA (1886-1961) Nude . Oil on canvas, 108.5 by 83.5 cm. Executed in the 1930s. Provenance: Private collection, Europe. Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by the expert Yu. Rybakova. Exhibited: Vechnaya zagadka, Novyi Manezh, Moscow, 23 August?13 September 2006, No. 85. Aleksandr Drevin i Nadezhda Udal?tsova, Dom Naschokina Gallery, Moscow, 24 January?23 March 2008. Literature: Exhibition catalogue, Vechnaya zagadka, Moscow, 2006, p. 59, illustrated; p. 142, No. 85, listed. Exhibition catalogue, Aleksandr Drevin i Nadezhda Udal?tsova, Moscow, Virtual Gallery, 2008, p. 82, illustrated and listed. Nude is a picture by Nadezhda Udaltzova, an artist whose name stands alongside those of Kazimir Malevich, Vladimir Tatlin, Olga Rozanova and Lyubov Popova in the history of Russian art. This work postdates Udaltzova?s period of avant-garde experimentation, Cubist decomposition and her part in the Suprematist movement. She had instead returned to figurative painting, using Post-Impressionist forms and seeing her main object as working with colour. The then officious demands for ?thematic pictures? and accusations of ?formalism?, which arose in the 1930s drastically limited the scope of activity by the criticised artists, but simultaneously greatly enlarged the role of private aspects of creativity. The result for Udaltzova was the creation in the 1930s of a long series of portraits and self-portraits, landscapes in Altai and Armenia, floral still-lifes, genre pictures and nudes. Udaltzova?s pictures of the naked human form, often of imposing size, are far more than technical studies. These are finished, stand-alone paintings, valuable for their deep, almost psychological qualities as portraits. This depiction of a naked woman with a scarf around her neck is a fine example. The large and beautiful figure of the model seems to emerge from a neutral space, although the colour relationships between the graded background, and the warm body, render figure and space inseparable. This work is an absolutely individual portrait, with its own particular mood. The melancholy of the model, ?the exhaustion of being?, expressed in her gaze and the apparently minimalist colour palette, are redeemed by the consummate artistry of the technique and by ?incidental? colour inclusions. A continuous line, sometimes tense and sometimes free-flowing, encircles the bare arms of the model, her hands locked together behind her head, the silhouette of her shoulders and the hips. The result is a harmonious balance between linear and rhythmic ease, on the one hand, and a palpable density of mass, on the other.
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* GRIGORIEV, BORIS (1886-1939) Portrait of Selma Alexander , signed. Oil on canvas, 91.5 by 71 cm. Provenance: Collection of Selma Alexander, Los Angeles. Bequest from the above to the present owner, c. 1982. Private collection, Australia. Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by the expert T. Galeeva. Exhibited: Paintings and Watercolours by Boris Grigoriev, Marie Sterner Gallery, New York, 17?29 April 1933. Literature: A. Klevitsky, ?Amerika? Borisa Grigorieva?, Novyi zhurnal, No. 231, 2003, mentioned in the text. The Portrait of Selma Alexander, offered here for auction, is an outstanding example of the work by Boris Grigoriev, who in the 1920?1930s had a reputation in Europe and the USA as a master of the ?Russian theme? and as a brilliant portrait painter. He was always attracted to human mysteries and the inner life of his sitters, which is why he focused primarily on their faces, expressive details and psychological characteristics. The sitter is depicted full-length, wearing an evening gown and expensive jewellery. The delicate figure appears to be simultaneously seated on a golden covered sofa but also standing elegantly, reminiscent of Renoir?s Jeanne Samary. The stylish Selma Alexander, clad in a scarlet dress with embroidered white flowers and wearing tiny turquoise shoes, conjures up an image of a precious toy in a glittering wrapping. The free brushstrokes, complex textural surfaces and resonant bright colours of the work signal a shift in the painterly approach of the artist, who back in the 1920s, gravitated heavily towards Neoclassicism, with its precision of form and clarity of line. Presumably, the new traits evident in this portrait are connected both with the general changes in the artist?s style but also with the status of his model ?a society lady, then married to a well-known cultural figure in New York, the highly successful businessman, philanthropist and collector, Vladimir Bashkirov (1885?1969). Moreover, Selma Alexander sponsored an exhibition of Grigoriev?s paintings and watercolours in New York from the 17?29 April 1933 in the Marie Sterner Gallery. This show was an important milestone for the artist, as the gallery owner, Marie Sterner, was a keen supporter and promoter of modernism in the USA, having worked with such artists as George Bellows, Arthur Bowen Davies, Elie Nadelman, Marcel Duchamp, John Sloan and others. Besides, it was Grigoriev?s first exhibition in the USA after an eight-year hiatus (in the 1920s, he used to exhibit in the New Gallery). The artist exhibited 18 paintings and 30 watercolours, amongst which, the present lot. It is stylistically similar to another portrait included in the exhibition, that of Anna Robene, who was also a patron of the artists and whom he also depicted full-length and wearing a white dress. In the aftermath of the exhibition, Grigoriev?s interaction with Bashkirov and Selma peaked, as evidenced by his numerous letters to the couple written in 1933?1934. In addition to the portrait of Selma, Grigoriev also painted her husband. More crucially, Bashkirov acquired a few of Grigoriev?s works for his private collection of Russian art, part of which is now in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Among them were Fishermen (1922), Portrait of the President of Czechoslovakia TomáÅ¡ Masaryk (1932), Still Life (1932) and others. Upon Grigoriev?s return from the USA, his friendship with the Bashkirovs grew even stronger. Bashkirov?s suppor
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* KUSTODIEV, BORIS (1878-1927) Girl with a Cup (Portrait of Maria Shostakovich) , signed and dated 1922. Pencil and crayon on paper, 17 by 16.5 cm (image size). Provenance: Private collection, USA. Exhibited: Posmertnaya vystavka proizvedenii B. M. Kustodieva, The State Russian Museum, Leningrad, 1928. Literature: Exhibition catalogue, Katalog posmertnoi vystavki proizvedenii B. M. Kustodieva, Moscow, Glaviskusstvo-Glavnauka, 1929, listed. M. Etkind, Boris Kustodiev, Moscow, Sovetskii khudozhnik, 1982, p. 282, No. 1295, listed. Related literature: For another version of this work, see: M. Etkind, Boris Kustodiev, Moscow, Sovetskii khudozhnik, 1982, p. 202, No. 530, listed. Boris Kustodiev?s delicate, lyrical watercolours and drawings will enrich any, even the most exclusive collection. It is not without reason that such collectors as Isaak Brodsky, Feodor Notgaft, Petr Kornilov, Boris Suris and many others prided themselves on the works they owned by this illustrious member of the World of Art group. The portrait of Maria, the sister of the great composer Dmitri Shostakovich, is another version of the well-known oil painting, which is also in a private collection. The image of the girl is reminiscent of the artist?s celebrated paintings of merchants? wives drinking tea, which were popular amongst his admirers and brought Kustodiev considerable recognition at exhibitions. This artist?s drawings are distinguished by a striking feeling of moderation and taste. The delicate, indistinct colour is not the dominant element here, being utterly and completely subordinate to the elegance of the elemental graphite line.
Los 17
* GRIGORIEV, BORIS (1886-1939) Portrait of Selma Alexander , signed. Oil on canvas, 91.5 by 71 cm. Provenance: Collection of Selma Alexander, Los Angeles. Bequest from the above to the present owner, c. 1982. Private collection, Australia. Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by the expert T. Galeeva. Exhibited: Paintings and Watercolours by Boris Grigoriev, Marie Sterner Gallery, New York, 17–29 April 1933. Literature: A. Klevitsky, “Amerika” Borisa Grigorieva”, Novyi zhurnal, No. 231, 2003, mentioned in the text. The Portrait of Selma Alexander, offered here for auction, is an outstanding example of the work by Boris Grigoriev, who in the 1920–1930s had a reputation in Europe and the USA as a master of the “Russian theme” and as a brilliant portrait painter. He was always attracted to human mysteries and the inner life of his sitters, which is why he focused primarily on their faces, expressive details and psychological characteristics. The sitter is depicted full-length, wearing an evening gown and expensive jewellery. The delicate figure appears to be simultaneously seated on a golden covered sofa but also standing elegantly, reminiscent of RenoirÂ’s Jeanne Samary. The stylish Selma Alexander, clad in a scarlet dress with embroidered white flowers and wearing tiny turquoise shoes, conjures up an image of a precious toy in a glittering wrapping. The free brushstrokes, complex textural surfaces and resonant bright colours of the work signal a shift in the painterly approach of the artist, who back in the 1920s, gravitated heavily towards Neoclassicism, with its precision of form and clarity of line. Presumably, the new traits evident in this portrait are connected both with the general changes in the artistÂ’s style but also with the status of his model –a society lady, then married to a well-known cultural figure in New York, the highly successful businessman, philanthropist and collector, Vladimir Bashkirov (1885–1969). Moreover, Selma Alexander sponsored an exhibition of GrigorievÂ’s paintings and watercolours in New York from the 17–29 April 1933 in the Marie Sterner Gallery. This show was an important milestone for the artist, as the gallery owner, Marie Sterner, was a keen supporter and promoter of modernism in the USA, having worked with such artists as George Bellows, Arthur Bowen Davies, Elie Nadelman, Marcel Duchamp, John Sloan and others. Besides, it was GrigorievÂ’s first exhibition in the USA after an eight-year hiatus (in the 1920s, he used to exhibit in the New Gallery). The artist exhibited 18 paintings and 30 watercolours, amongst which, the present lot. It is stylistically similar to another portrait included in the exhibition, that of Anna Robene, who was also a patron of the artists and whom he also depicted full-length and wearing a white dress. In the aftermath of the exhibition, GrigorievÂ’s interaction with Bashkirov and Selma peaked, as evidenced by his numerous letters to the couple written in 1933–1934. In addition to the portrait of Selma, Grigoriev also painted her husband. More crucially, Bashkirov acquired a few of GrigorievÂ’s works for his private collection of Russian art, part of which is now in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Among them were Fishermen (1922), Portrait of the President of Czechoslovakia TomáÅ¡ Masaryk (1932), Still Life (1932) and others. Upon GrigorievÂ’s return from the USA, his friendship with the Bashkirovs grew even stronger. BashkirovÂ’s support, both financial and emotional, was essential to the artist at that time. In one of his letters to Bashkirov, written in his typically emotional manner, Grigoriev confides: “When I think of you, my heart shrinks –you are so far away. Not seeing you has become a great concern for me; honestly, it is hard. I hope you received my letter sent from the ship – as I travelled home, I was thinking more of you than of my home. My gratitude to you has no bounds, and this extends to your charming wife whom I remember fondly, please kiss her hands from me.” In 1933–1934, Grigoriev frequently invited Bashkirov and his wife to visit him in France at Cagnes-sur-Mer, but it seems the meeting never took place. In the mid-1930s, BashkirovÂ’s family circumstances changed when he left Selma for another woman. However, his correspondence with Grigoriev continued until the latterÂ’s death in 1939. The workÂ’s provenance is impeccable. After the 1933 exhibition, the portrait was displayed in SelmaÂ’s home in Los Angeles, where it was spotted by the present owner. Delighted by the impression it made on him, Selma exclaimed: “IÂ’ll bequeath it to you when my time comes!” And she kept her promise. In 1982, the Portrait of Selma Alexander made its way to Australia and became part of her close friend and future biographerÂ’s collection and where it has remained until now. Dr Tamara Galeeva, art historian.
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