Lot

3430

SERGE POLIAKOFF

In PostWar & Contemporary (A197)

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Zürich
SERGE POLIAKOFF
(Moscow 1900–1969 Paris)
Composition abstraite. 1962.
Oil on canvas.
Monogrammed lower right: S.P., also signed twice on the reverse: Serge Poliakoff.
41 × 33 cm.

This work is recorded in the Archives Serge Poliakoff, Paris, under the archive number: 962096. We thank Thaddée Poliakoff for his kind support. Provenance: - Galleria des Naviglio, Venice. - Galerie Ariel, Paris. - Galerie St. Léger, Geneva - Drouot, Paris, auction 28 March 1983, p. 45. - Sotheby's, London, auction 27 June 1985, p. 507. - Galerie Koller, Zurich, auction 29 November 1985, lot 5160. - Purchased from the above Auction, since then private collection Switzerland. Exhibition: Venice 1969, Serge Poliakoff. Naviglio Venezia, 30 August – September (with ill.). Literature: Poliakoff, Alexis: Serge Poliakoff. Catalogue Raisonné, Volume III, 1959 – 1962, no. 62-67 (with ill. p. 309). "How strange it is, both in life and in art: man looks far away, while, what he is looking for, is right next to him." Serge Poliakoff. After an adventurous arrival in Paris, Moscow-born Serge Poliakoff began his studies in painting. From 1929 he was enrolled at the Académie Frochot and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. In 1935 he went to London for two years and attended first the Chelsea School of Art, and then the Slade School of Art, before settling in Paris. At first Serge Poliakoff would vary the academic traditions, preferring representational motifs - houses, trees, depictions of figures. Long after completing his studies at the Académie Frochot, he painted the present work on paper, "4 heures et quart", in 1940. Perhaps as a reminder of the intensive painting lessons he took at the Paris school. A colourful homage to his first years in France. Serge Poliakoff's first abstract painting was created in 1938 and exhibited at the Paris gallery Le Niveau. From then on, abstraction became more and more prevalent, until the artist turned away from figurative painting altogether. By the end of the 1940s, Serge Poliakoff had found his unmistakable style: Interlocking components combine to form an often intensely coloured structure. Blue, red, yellow, black, white, green - asymmetrical planes of luminous primary colours congregate close together and seem loosely and randomly, almost organically, drawn to one another. His compositions have the appearance of having been created without a strict preliminary design, yet Serge Poliakoff worked with a very clear, recognisable framework of basic lines and axes on which his canvases were structured. Extending from the corners or the middle of the lateral edges, the forms meet in the centre of the picture support. On these axes he loosely and intuitively placed the cell-like colour planes next to each other. Agile and energised, the dynamic forms in his paintings are carefully interlocked in the centre of the composition. As in the work offered here, "Composition Abstraite", the white plane can be read as a stabilising element which lends the painting its central gravity. Stepping a little closer to the painting, a multitude of different tones can be discerned in the colours within a colour plane. The colour nuances overlap from deep dark blue to bright light blue. To achieve this, Poliakoff mixed pure pigments, which he prepared himself with a binding agent. To obtain a somewhat granular surface, he also mixed grains of sand into the colours. While in the 1940s the colour palette of his works was dominated by grey and brown tones, Poliakoff began to use brighter colours in the 1950s. In his mature late work there are also some almost monochrome compositions. As in the painting presented here from 1962, the artist succeeded in imparting a strong inner luminosity in his works, confronting the viewer with a clear compositional certainty, great artistic experience and mastery of the different pigments.
SERGE POLIAKOFF
(Moskau 1900–1969 Paris)
Composition abstraite. 1962.
Öl auf Leinwand.
Unten rechts monogrammiert: S.P., sowie verso zweimal signiert: Serge Poliakoff.
41 × 33 cm.

Das vorliegende Werk ist im Archives Serge Poliakoff, Paris, unter der Archivnummer: 962096, verzeichnet. Wir danken Thaddée Poliakoff für seine freundliche Unterstützung. Provenienz: - Galleria des Naviglio, Venedig. - Galerie Ariel, Paris. - Galerie St. Léger, Genf. - Drouot, Paris, Auktion 28. März 1983, S. 45. - Sotheby's, London, Auktion 27. Juni 1985, S. 507. - Galerie Koller, Zürich, Auktion 29. November 1985, Los 5160. - Bei obiger Auktion erworben, seitdem Privatsammlung Schweiz. Ausstellung: Venedig 1969, Serge Poliakoff. Naviglio Venezia, 30. August – September (mit Abb.). Literatur: Poliakoff, Alexis: Serge Poliakoff. Catalogue Raisonné, Volume III. 1959 – 1962, Nr. 62-67 (mit Abb. S. 309). „Wie seltsam ist es doch, sowohl im Leben als auch in der Kunst: der Mensch schaut weit weg, während das was er sucht, direkt neben ihm steht.“ Serge Poliakoff. Zu Beginn variiert Serge Poliakoff die akademischen Traditionen und bevorzugt gegenständliche Motive – Häuser, Bäume, Figurendarstellungen. Lange nach seinem Studium an der Académie Frochot, malt er 1940, die vorliegende Papierarbeit „4 heures et quart“ (Los 3401). Vielleicht als Erinnerung an den konzentrierten Malunterricht an der Pariser Schule. Eine bunte Hommage an seine ersten Jahre in Frankreich. Das erste abstrakte Gemälde von Serge Poliakoff entsteht 1938 und wird in der Pariser Galerie Le Niveau ausgestellt. Seitdem setzt sich die Abstraktion immer mehr durch, bis sich der Künstler von der figürlichen Malerei vollkommen abwendet. Ende der 1940er Jahren hat er seinen unverwechselbaren Stil gefunden: Ineinandergreifende Bausteine, die sich zu einem oft stark farbigen Formengebilde zusammenfügen. Blau, Rot, Gelb, Schwarz, Weiss, Grün – asymmetrische Flächen aus leuchtkräftigen Primärfarben sammeln sich eng aufeinander und scheinen locker und zufällig, ja fast organisch, von einander angezogen zu sein. Seine Kompositionen scheinen ohne strengen Vorentwurf entstanden zu sein, jedoch arbeitet Serge Poliakoff mit einem sehr klaren, wiedererkennbaren Gerüst an Grundlinien und Achsen, die seine Leinwände strukturieren. Von den Ecken oder der Mitte der Seitenränder aus treffen sich die Formen im Zentrum des Bildträgers. Auf diesen Achsen setzt er locker und intuitiv die zellenartigen Farbflächen nebeneinander. Beweglich und mit Spannung fügen sich in seine Gemälde die dynamischen Formen in den Mittelpunkt der Komposition sorgsam ineinander verschränkt ein. Wie das hier angebotene Werk „Composition Abstraite“ lässt sich das weisse Feld als stabilisierendes Element lesen und verleiht dem Bild eine zentrale Schwerkraft. Tritt man dem Gemälde etwas näher, lassen sich in den Farben eine Vielzahl an unterschiedlichen Tönen in einem Farbfeld erkennen. Von tiefem Dunkelblau bis ins leuchtende Hellblau überlappen sich die Farbnuancen. Dafür mischt er reine Pigmente, die er mit Bindemittel selbst zubereitet. Um eine etwas granulöse Oberfläche zu erhalten, mischt er auch Sandkörner den Farben unter. Während in den 1940er Jahren die Farbpalette seiner Werke eher von Grau- und Brauntönen bestimmt war, beginnt Poliakoff in den 1950er Jahren auch leuchtendere Farben einzusetzen. Im reifen Spätwerk finden sich auch monochrome Kompositionen. Wie bei dem vorliegenden Gemälde aus dem Jahr 1962, schafft es der Künstler in seinen Werken, eine starke innere Leuchtkraft mitzuteilen und den Betrachter mit der offensichtlichen kompositorischen Sicherheit und grossen künstlerischen Erfahrung und Handhabung der unterschiedlichen Pigmente zu konfrontieren.
SERGE POLIAKOFF
(Moscow 1900–1969 Paris)
Composition abstraite. 1962.
Oil on canvas.
Monogrammed lower right: S.P., also signed twice on the reverse: Serge Poliakoff.
41 × 33 cm.

This work is recorded in the Archives Serge Poliakoff, Paris, under the archive number: 962096. We thank Thaddée Poliakoff for his kind support. Provenance: - Galleria des Naviglio, Venice. - Galerie Ariel, Paris. - Galerie St. Léger, Geneva - Drouot, Paris, auction 28 March 1983, p. 45. - Sotheby's, London, auction 27 June 1985, p. 507. - Galerie Koller, Zurich, auction 29 November 1985, lot 5160. - Purchased from the above Auction, since then private collection Switzerland. Exhibition: Venice 1969, Serge Poliakoff. Naviglio Venezia, 30 August – September (with ill.). Literature: Poliakoff, Alexis: Serge Poliakoff. Catalogue Raisonné, Volume III, 1959 – 1962, no. 62-67 (with ill. p. 309). "How strange it is, both in life and in art: man looks far away, while, what he is looking for, is right next to him." Serge Poliakoff. After an adventurous arrival in Paris, Moscow-born Serge Poliakoff began his studies in painting. From 1929 he was enrolled at the Académie Frochot and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. In 1935 he went to London for two years and attended first the Chelsea School of Art, and then the Slade School of Art, before settling in Paris. At first Serge Poliakoff would vary the academic traditions, preferring representational motifs - houses, trees, depictions of figures. Long after completing his studies at the Académie Frochot, he painted the present work on paper, "4 heures et quart", in 1940. Perhaps as a reminder of the intensive painting lessons he took at the Paris school. A colourful homage to his first years in France. Serge Poliakoff's first abstract painting was created in 1938 and exhibited at the Paris gallery Le Niveau. From then on, abstraction became more and more prevalent, until the artist turned away from figurative painting altogether. By the end of the 1940s, Serge Poliakoff had found his unmistakable style: Interlocking components combine to form an often intensely coloured structure. Blue, red, yellow, black, white, green - asymmetrical planes of luminous primary colours congregate close together and seem loosely and randomly, almost organically, drawn to one another. His compositions have the appearance of having been created without a strict preliminary design, yet Serge Poliakoff worked with a very clear, recognisable framework of basic lines and axes on which his canvases were structured. Extending from the corners or the middle of the lateral edges, the forms meet in the centre of the picture support. On these axes he loosely and intuitively placed the cell-like colour planes next to each other. Agile and energised, the dynamic forms in his paintings are carefully interlocked in the centre of the composition. As in the work offered here, "Composition Abstraite", the white plane can be read as a stabilising element which lends the painting its central gravity. Stepping a little closer to the painting, a multitude of different tones can be discerned in the colours within a colour plane. The colour nuances overlap from deep dark blue to bright light blue. To achieve this, Poliakoff mixed pure pigments, which he prepared himself with a binding agent. To obtain a somewhat granular surface, he also mixed grains of sand into the colours. While in the 1940s the colour palette of his works was dominated by grey and brown tones, Poliakoff began to use brighter colours in the 1950s. In his mature late work there are also some almost monochrome compositions. As in the painting presented here from 1962, the artist succeeded in imparting a strong inner luminosity in his works, confronting the viewer with a clear compositional certainty, great artistic experience and mastery of the different pigments.
SERGE POLIAKOFF
(Moskau 1900–1969 Paris)
Composition abstraite. 1962.
Öl auf Leinwand.
Unten rechts monogrammiert: S.P., sowie verso zweimal signiert: Serge Poliakoff.
41 × 33 cm.

Das vorliegende Werk ist im Archives Serge Poliakoff, Paris, unter der Archivnummer: 962096, verzeichnet. Wir danken Thaddée Poliakoff für seine freundliche Unterstützung. Provenienz: - Galleria des Naviglio, Venedig. - Galerie Ariel, Paris. - Galerie St. Léger, Genf. - Drouot, Paris, Auktion 28. März 1983, S. 45. - Sotheby's, London, Auktion 27. Juni 1985, S. 507. - Galerie Koller, Zürich, Auktion 29. November 1985, Los 5160. - Bei obiger Auktion erworben, seitdem Privatsammlung Schweiz. Ausstellung: Venedig 1969, Serge Poliakoff. Naviglio Venezia, 30. August – September (mit Abb.). Literatur: Poliakoff, Alexis: Serge Poliakoff. Catalogue Raisonné, Volume III. 1959 – 1962, Nr. 62-67 (mit Abb. S. 309). „Wie seltsam ist es doch, sowohl im Leben als auch in der Kunst: der Mensch schaut weit weg, während das was er sucht, direkt neben ihm steht.“ Serge Poliakoff. Zu Beginn variiert Serge Poliakoff die akademischen Traditionen und bevorzugt gegenständliche Motive – Häuser, Bäume, Figurendarstellungen. Lange nach seinem Studium an der Académie Frochot, malt er 1940, die vorliegende Papierarbeit „4 heures et quart“ (Los 3401). Vielleicht als Erinnerung an den konzentrierten Malunterricht an der Pariser Schule. Eine bunte Hommage an seine ersten Jahre in Frankreich. Das erste abstrakte Gemälde von Serge Poliakoff entsteht 1938 und wird in der Pariser Galerie Le Niveau ausgestellt. Seitdem setzt sich die Abstraktion immer mehr durch, bis sich der Künstler von der figürlichen Malerei vollkommen abwendet. Ende der 1940er Jahren hat er seinen unverwechselbaren Stil gefunden: Ineinandergreifende Bausteine, die sich zu einem oft stark farbigen Formengebilde zusammenfügen. Blau, Rot, Gelb, Schwarz, Weiss, Grün – asymmetrische Flächen aus leuchtkräftigen Primärfarben sammeln sich eng aufeinander und scheinen locker und zufällig, ja fast organisch, von einander angezogen zu sein. Seine Kompositionen scheinen ohne strengen Vorentwurf entstanden zu sein, jedoch arbeitet Serge Poliakoff mit einem sehr klaren, wiedererkennbaren Gerüst an Grundlinien und Achsen, die seine Leinwände strukturieren. Von den Ecken oder der Mitte der Seitenränder aus treffen sich die Formen im Zentrum des Bildträgers. Auf diesen Achsen setzt er locker und intuitiv die zellenartigen Farbflächen nebeneinander. Beweglich und mit Spannung fügen sich in seine Gemälde die dynamischen Formen in den Mittelpunkt der Komposition sorgsam ineinander verschränkt ein. Wie das hier angebotene Werk „Composition Abstraite“ lässt sich das weisse Feld als stabilisierendes Element lesen und verleiht dem Bild eine zentrale Schwerkraft. Tritt man dem Gemälde etwas näher, lassen sich in den Farben eine Vielzahl an unterschiedlichen Tönen in einem Farbfeld erkennen. Von tiefem Dunkelblau bis ins leuchtende Hellblau überlappen sich die Farbnuancen. Dafür mischt er reine Pigmente, die er mit Bindemittel selbst zubereitet. Um eine etwas granulöse Oberfläche zu erhalten, mischt er auch Sandkörner den Farben unter. Während in den 1940er Jahren die Farbpalette seiner Werke eher von Grau- und Brauntönen bestimmt war, beginnt Poliakoff in den 1950er Jahren auch leuchtendere Farben einzusetzen. Im reifen Spätwerk finden sich auch monochrome Kompositionen. Wie bei dem vorliegenden Gemälde aus dem Jahr 1962, schafft es der Künstler in seinen Werken, eine starke innere Leuchtkraft mitzuteilen und den Betrachter mit der offensichtlichen kompositorischen Sicherheit und grossen künstlerischen Erfahrung und Handhabung der unterschiedlichen Pigmente zu konfrontieren.

PostWar & Contemporary (A197)

Sale Date(s)

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(i) the description of the item in the auction catalogue was supported by the view of a specialist or by the prevailing view of specialists, or if the description in the auction catalogue suggested that differences of opinion exist in this respect;
(ii) the forgery was not identifiable as such at the time of the successful bid in accordance with the current state of research and with the generally acknowledged and usual methods, or only with disproportionate effort;
(iii) the forgery (in Koller’s careful view) was produced before 1880; or
(iv) the purchase item is a painting, watercolour, a drawing or sculpture which according to the details set out in the auction catalogue should have been created prior to 1880.

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6. Auction

6.1 Koller may initiate the auctioning of an item below the minimum selling price agreed upon with the Seller. A bid placed at an auction is a binding offer. The bidder shall remain bound by his bid until this is either outbid or rejected by Koller. Double bids shall immediately be called once again; in case of doubt, the auction management shall decide.

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Each Purchaser shall be personally liable for the bid placed by him. Proof of the power of representation may be requested from persons bidding as agents for a third party or as an organ of a corporate body. The agent shall be jointly and severally liable with his principal for the fulfilment of all obligations.

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