ALVIN (RUSSIAN 20TH CENTURY)A Portrait of Mayakovskiy, 1964charcoal on paper59.5 x 43 cm (23 1/2 x 17 in.)signed and dated lower leftPROVENANCEAcquired directly from the family of the artist by Abram ChudnovskiyCollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
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![ADAM NIEMCZYC (POLISH 1914-?)Narzeczona Malarza [The Painter`s Fiancee], 1973mixed media on wood panel70 x 29.5 cm (27 1/2 x](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/1f190a61-2d64-4063-b62e-a773017b81eb/e019ed19-b7a1-465d-acd9-76ae114bb85a/468x382.jpg)
ADAM NIEMCZYC (POLISH 1914-?)Narzeczona Malarza [The Painter`s Fiancee], 1973mixed media on wood panel70 x 29.5 cm (27 1/2 x 11 5/8 in.)signed, dated, titled and inscribed on versoPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
JAN CYBIS (POLISH 1897-1972)Landscape, oil on canvas89.3 x 116 cm (35 1/8 x 45 3/4 in.)signed lower leftPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965Acquired by the above from the Desa Foreign Trade Company, March 4, 1964 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
ALEKSANDRA IOSIFOVNA LIGACHYOVA (RUSSIAN 1915-1993)Fire and Smoke. From the Series of Industrial Etudes, 1950soil on board35 x 49 cm (13 3/4 x 19 1/4 in.)PROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
A GROUP OF THREE COSTUME DESIGNS BY BORIS MATVEYEVICH DESNITSKIY (RUSSIAN 1903-1980)Ball Guests, 1932gouache on papereach approximately: 34 x 24 cm (13 3/8 x 9 1/2 in.)two signed and dated, one inscribedPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
ANNA GUNTNER (POLISH 1933-2013)Mongolfiere Brother`s Dream, oil on canvas60.5 x 50.5 cm (23 3/4 x 19 7/8 in.)signed on verso, titled on label affixed to versoPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
ZBIGNEW MAKOWSKI (POLISH B. 1930) Nucleus, 1963 oil on canvas 165 x 124.5 cm (65 x 49 in.) signed, titled and dated on verso PROVENANCE Collection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965 Acquired by the above from the Desa Foreign Trade Company, August 26, 1963EXHIBITED Exhibition of Z. Makowski`s works at the Kunstverein fuer die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Grabbenplatz Kunsthalle, Dusseldorf, 1973LOT NOTES Bart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
EARLY 20TH CENTURY RUSSIAN ARTISTCombine-Harvesters. A sketch for the Narkomzem, 1935gouache on paper34 x 49 cm (13 3/8 x 19 1/4 in.)signed and dated lower right; inscribed lower leftPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
YEVGENIY GRIGORYEVICH GAVRILKEVICH (RUSSIAN 1929-2004)New Apartment, 1958watercolor on paper33.5 x 59.5 cm (13 1/4 x 23 1/2 in.)signed and dated on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
![NIKOFOR [KRYNICA] (POLISH 1895-1968)Spa Village, gouache on paper18 x 25 cm (7 x 9 7/8 in.)signed and titled along lower edge](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/1f190a61-2d64-4063-b62e-a773017b81eb/11d94c8e-7aa6-4933-d43e-7d9e553dbb10/468x382.jpg)
NIKOFOR [KRYNICA] (POLISH 1895-1968)Spa Village, gouache on paper18 x 25 cm (7 x 9 7/8 in.)signed and titled along lower edgePROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
MIKHAIL MIKHAILOVICH TARKHANOV (RUSSIAN 1888-1962)The Runs of Ruins, 1935gouache on paper31 x 43.5 cm (12 1/4 x 17 1/8 in.)inscribed, titled and dated on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESMikhail Tarkhanov (1888-1962) was a Russian avant-garde graphic artist known for his abstract, water-based textured compositions. He graduated from the Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry in 1915, later enrolling at VKhUTEMAS, where he studied under Vasili Kandinsky and Vladimir Favorsky. From 1932 until his death, the exhibition of abstract art was banned, so he secretly pursued his abstract work while working officially for various Soviet institutions. He was able to exhibit his beautiful, unique compositions only a handful of times from 1919 to 1931, alongside artists such as Natan Altman, El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, and Alexander Rodchenko. Much of his oeuvre has remained unseen until the present. Tarkhanov`s works are included in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and at the Getty Center. This is a prime example of one of Tarkhanov`s intricate designs created by a carefully crafted oil-water medium.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
A PAIR OF WORKS BY KOROLYOV BORIS DANILOVICH (RUSSIAN 1885-1963)Male Nude Studies, charcoal on paper63 x 48 cm (24 3/4 x 18 7/8 in.) and 71 x 53 cm (28 x 20 7/8 in.)both signed lower rightPROVENANCEAcquired directly from the family of the artist by Abram ChudnovskiyCollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
NIKOLAI STEPANOVICH TROSHIN (RUSSIAN 1897-1990)Portrait of a Woman, 1931gouache on paper64 x 44 cm (25 1/4 x 17 3/8 in.)signed and dated lower rightPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESNikolai Troshin was an important painter, theatre director, poster designer, and Chief Artist and designer for influential avant-garde journals such as "USSR under Construction". Having studied at Penza Art Insitute under Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov and N. Petrov from 1913-1918, Troshin later moved to Moscow where he studied with Ilya Mashkov from 1918-1920. He actively exhibited since 1918, and personal exhibitions of Troshin's works were held in Moscow and other cities in Russia through the time of his passing. Troshin's paintings can be found in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Museum, State Russian Musuem, and many other museums in Russia.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
IGOR IVANOVICH YERSHOV (RUSSIAN 1916-1985)Ship Sailing Away, 1929watercolor on paper32 x 42 cm (12 5/8 x 16 1/2 in.)signed and dated lower rightPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESIgor Yershov was a Russian painter and graphic designer. He was born into an artistic family; his father Ivan Yershov was an opera singer with the Imperial Marinskiy Theatre and his mother was both a singer and a professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1932, Yershov began his studies at the academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Amongst his professors were I. Brodsky and I. Bilibin. His studies were interrupted by the Second World War when he was evacuated to Tashkent. Yershov graduated from the Academy in 1947, presenting lithographs for A. Pushkin`s Bronze Horseman. In 1949, a jubilee edition of Pushkin`s works was published with illustrations by the artist. From the 1950s onwards, he worked mainly as an illustrator of children`s books. At least two generations of Russian children grew up reading Khorovod with Yershov`s illustrations. His illustrations for the Russian folk tales by Charles Perrault and Aleksandr Pushkin were very popular: The tale of the Golden Cockerel (1957-1960), A tale of the Fisherman and his wife (1956-57), Russian fairy-tales (1957-1960). Yershov`s works can be found in the collections of a number of Russian museums including the State Russian Museum and Museum of A.S. Pushkin and in museums and private collections in both France and England.This painting is from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
NIKOLAI NIKOLAIEVICH GRIGORYEV (RUSSIAN 1901-1979)Mining Camps in Armenia, watercolor on paper31 x 51.5 cm (12 1/4 x 20 1/4 in.)signed lower right; inscribed and titled on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
JOZEF WILKON (POLISH B. 1930)Incursion, 1963gouache on paper28.5 x 34 cm (11 3/4 x 13 3/8 in.)signed and dated lower rightPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965Acquired by the above from the Desa Foreign Trade Company, December 10, 1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
ANDRZEJ PIETSCH (POLISH 1932-2010)View of Krakow, 1965etching on papersize of plate: 36.5 x 104 cm (14 3/8 x 41 in.)signed, dated, titled and inscribed in pencil along the lower marginPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965Gift from the artist to the above LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
NIKOLAI STEPANOVICH TROSHIN (RUSSIAN 1897-1990)Konchezero, Karelia, 1935gouache on paper50 x 64 cm (19 5/8 x 25 1/4 in.)signed and dated lower rightPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESNikolai Troshin was an important painter, theatre director, poster designer, and Chief Artist and designer for influential avant-garde journals such as "USSR under Construction". Having studied at Penza Art Insitute under Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov and N. Petrov from 1913-1918, Troshin later moved to Moscow where he studied with Ilya Mashkov from 1918-1920. He actively exhibited since 1918, and personal exhibitions of Troshin's works were held in Moscow and other cities in Russia through the time of his passing. Troshin's paintings can be found in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Museum, State Russian Musuem, and many other museums in Russia.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
ALEKSANDER KOBZDEJ (POLISH 1920-1973)Urodziny II, 1963oil on canvas100 x 80 cm (39 3/8 x 31 1/2 in.)signed and dated lower right; further signed, dated and titled on versoPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
OLGA KONSTANTINOVNA DEINEKO (RUSSIAN 1897-1970)Sukhumi, 1930gouache on paper36 x 27 cm (14 1/8 x 10 5/8 in.)signed with initials and dated lower right; titled, signed and further dated on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESOlga Deineko was born in Ukraine and studied at VKhUTEMAS under Ilya Mashkov. She worked as a graphic artist and designer, and was a member of Society of Revolutionary Poster Designers. The wife of Nikolai Troshin, she was also well known as childrens book illustrator in the late 1920s and early 1930s.This painting is from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
MIKHAIL MIKHAILOVICH TARKHANOV (RUSSIAN 1888-1962)Book Cover Design with Roosters, mixed media on wooden boardsoverall, when open: 21.8 x 37.4 cm (8 5/8 x 14 1/2 in.)PROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESMikhail Tarkhanov (1888-1962) was a Russian avant-garde graphic artist known for his abstract, water-based textured compositions. He graduated from the Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry in 1915, later enrolling at VKhUTEMAS, where he studied under Vasili Kandinsky and Vladimir Favorsky. From 1932 until his death, the exhibition of abstract art was banned, so he secretly pursued his abstract work while working officially for various Soviet institutions. He was able to exhibit his beautiful, unique compositions only a handful of times from 1919 to 1931, alongside artists such as Natan Altman, El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, and Alexander Rodchenko. Much of his oeuvre has remained unseen until the present. Tarkhanov`s works are included in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and at the Getty Center. This is a prime example of one of Tarkhanov`s intricate designs created by a carefully crafted oil-water medium.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
MIKHAIL MIKHAILOVICH TARKHANOV (RUSSIAN 1888-1962)Floral Motif, gouache on paper43 x 29.6 cm (16 7/8 x 11 3/4 in.)PROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESMikhail Tarkhanov (1888-1962) was a Russian avant-garde graphic artist known for his abstract, water-based textured compositions. He graduated from the Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry in 1915, later enrolling at VKhUTEMAS, where he studied under Vasili Kandinsky and Vladimir Favorsky. From 1932 until his death, the exhibition of abstract art was banned, so he secretly pursued his abstract work while working officially for various Soviet institutions. He was able to exhibit his beautiful, unique compositions only a handful of times from 1919 to 1931, alongside artists such as Natan Altman, El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, and Alexander Rodchenko. Much of his oeuvre has remained unseen until the present. Tarkhanov`s works are included in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and at the Getty Center. This is a prime example of one of Tarkhanov`s intricate designs created by a carefully crafted oil-water medium.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
MIKHAIL MIKHAILOVICH TARKHANOV (RUSSIAN 1888-1962)Monochrome Composition, mixed media on paper23 x 30.5 cm (9 x 12 in.)PROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESMikhail Tarkhanov (1888-1962) was a Russian avant-garde graphic artist known for his abstract, water-based textured compositions. He graduated from the Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry in 1915, later enrolling at VKhUTEMAS, where he studied under Vasili Kandinsky and Vladimir Favorsky. From 1932 until his death, the exhibition of abstract art was banned, so he secretly pursued his abstract work while working officially for various Soviet institutions. He was able to exhibit his beautiful, unique compositions only a handful of times from 1919 to 1931, alongside artists such as Natan Altman, El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, and Alexander Rodchenko. Much of his oeuvre has remained unseen until the present. Tarkhanov`s works are included in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and at the Getty Center. This is a prime example of one of Tarkhanov`s intricate designs created by a carefully crafted oil-water medium.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
KAJETAN SOSNOWSKI (POLISH 1913-1987)Untitled No. 1515, 1965oil on canvas95.5 x 125.5 cm (37 5/8 x 49 3/8 in.)signed and dated lower right; signed, dated and inscribed on versoPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965Acquired by the above from the Desa Foreign Trade Company, June 15, 1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
ADAM NIEMCZYC (POLISH 1914-?)Ucella`s Wife, 1962mixed media on wood panel29 x 13.2 cm (11 3/8 x 15 1/4 in.)signed, dated and titled on versoPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
SOLOMON SAMSONOVICH BOIM (RUSSIAN 1899-1978)A Young Sailor Marshalling the Ships. Design for a Cover of Barvinok Magazine, 1952watercolor on paper25.8 x 22 cm (10 1/8 x 8 5/8 in.)signed with initials and dated lower left; signed and inscribed Barvinok No 7 on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESSolomon Boim is known mostly for his works in graphic techniques: watercolor, gouache, drawing, engraving, and posters (Agitplakat). From 1926 on he participated in hundreds of exhibitions at home and abroad. Boim studied at Vkhutemas (the famous school of Russian Avant-garde art which later became Vkhutein) from 1922 through 1929, under such prominent Russian artists as Nikolay Kupreyanov and Piotr Lvov. In later years, Boim was an illustrator of childrens' and other books for "Detgiz" and other publishers, and became the Official Artist of the Soviet Baltic Fleet, often painting Nahimovtsy (Nahimov cadets) and other young people. Boim's paintings of cities, Soviet life, children and students, are exemplary works of Socialist realism, and capture an especially optimistic period in Soviet art.This painting is from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
LEOKADIA PLONKOWA (POLISH 20TH CENTURY)St. Peter, 1963mixed media on glass41.5 x 33.5 cm (16 3/8 x 13 1/4 in.)PROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965Acquired by the above from the Desa Foreign Trade Company, October 16, 1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
MIKHAIL MIKHAILOVICH TARKHANOV (RUSSIAN 1888-1962)The Runs of Ruins II, gouache on paper30 x 42.5 cm (11 7/8 x 16 3/4 in.)titled and inscribed on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESMikhail Tarkhanov (1888-1962) was a Russian avant-garde graphic artist known for his abstract, water-based textured compositions. He graduated from the Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry in 1915, later enrolling at VKhUTEMAS, where he studied under Vasili Kandinsky and Vladimir Favorsky. From 1932 until his death, the exhibition of abstract art was banned, so he secretly pursued his abstract work while working officially for various Soviet institutions. He was able to exhibit his beautiful, unique compositions only a handful of times from 1919 to 1931, alongside artists such as Natan Altman, El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, and Alexander Rodchenko. Much of his oeuvre has remained unseen until the present. Tarkhanov`s works are included in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and at the Getty Center. This is a prime example of one of Tarkhanov`s intricate designs created by a carefully crafted oil-water medium.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
FRANCISZKA THEMERSON (POLISH 1907-1988)I Looked Homeward I Saw No Angel, 1958oil on canvas56 x 46 cm (22 x 18 1/8 in.)signed lower right; artist`s label on versoPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
NIKOLAI STEPANOVICH TROSHIN (RUSSIAN 1897-1990)At the Factory, 1930India ink on paper70 x 52 cm (27 1/2 x 20 1/2 in.)signed with initials and dated lower rightPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESNikolai Troshin was an important painter, theatre director, poster designer, and Chief Artist and designer for influential avant-garde journals such as "USSR under Construction". Having studied at Penza Art Insitute under Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov and N. Petrov from 1913-1918, Troshin later moved to Moscow where he studied with Ilya Mashkov from 1918-1920. He actively exhibited since 1918, and personal exhibitions of Troshin's works were held in Moscow and other cities in Russia through the time of his passing. Troshin's paintings can be found in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Museum, State Russian Musuem, and many other museums in Russia.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
IGOR IVANOVICH YERSHOV (RUSSIAN 1916-1985)The Roofs of Saint Petersburg, 1929India ink and watercolor on paper28.2 x 36 cm (11 1/8 x 14 1/8 in.)signed and dated lower rightPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESIgor Yershov was a Russian painter and graphic designer. He was born into an artistic family; his father Ivan Yershov was an opera singer with the Imperial Marinskiy Theatre and his mother was both a singer and a professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1932, Yershov began his studies at the academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Amongst his professors were I. Brodsky and I. Bilibin. His studies were interrupted by the Second World War when he was evacuated to Tashkent. Yershov graduated from the Academy in 1947, presenting lithographs for A. Pushkin`s Bronze Horseman. In 1949, a jubilee edition of Pushkin`s works was published with illustrations by the artist. From the 1950s onwards, he worked mainly as an illustrator of children`s books. At least two generations of Russian children grew up reading Khorovod with Yershov`s illustrations. His illustrations for the Russian folk tales by Charles Perrault and Aleksandr Pushkin were very popular: The tale of the Golden Cockerel (1957-1960), A tale of the Fisherman and his wife (1956-57), Russian fairy-tales (1957-1960). Yershov`s works can be found in the collections of a number of Russian museums including the State Russian Museum and Museum of A.S. Pushkin and in museums and private collections in both France and England.This painting is from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
MEYER MOISEYEVICH AKSELROD (RUSSIAN 1902-1970)Concert, 1954gouache on board37 x 54.5 cm (14 1/2 x 21 1/2 in.)signed, titled and dated on verso; an authenticating inscription by artist`s daughter, Yelena Akselrod, on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
MIKHAIL MIKHAILOVICH TARKHANOV (RUSSIAN 1888-1962)Ostankino Park, 1927gouache on paper25.5 x 38.5 cm (9 7/8 x 15 1/8 in.)signed with monogram and dated lower right; titled, signed and dated on mountPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESMikhail Tarkhanov (1888-1962) was a Russian avant-garde graphic artist known for his abstract, water-based textured compositions. He graduated from the Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry in 1915, later enrolling at VKhUTEMAS, where he studied under Vasili Kandinsky and Vladimir Favorsky. From 1932 until his death, the exhibition of abstract art was banned, so he secretly pursued his abstract work while working officially for various Soviet institutions. He was able to exhibit his beautiful, unique compositions only a handful of times from 1919 to 1931, alongside artists such as Natan Altman, El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, and Alexander Rodchenko. Much of his oeuvre has remained unseen until the present. Tarkhanov`s works are included in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and at the Getty Center. This is a prime example of one of Tarkhanov`s intricate designs created by a carefully crafted oil-water medium.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
ANNA GUNTNER (POLISH 1933-2013)Architect`s Dream, oil on canvas60.2 x 80.5 cm (23 3/4 x 31 3/4 in.)signed on versoPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965Acquired by the above from the Desa Foreign Trade Company, April 10, 1964 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
ANNA GUNTNER (POLISH 1933-2013)Gothic Inspiration, 1961oil on canvas60.1 x 60.2 cm (23 5/8 x 23 3/4 in.)signed on verso; titled and dated on exhibition label affixed to stretcherPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965Acquired by the above from the Desa Foreign Trade Company, November 23, 1964EXHIBITEDFestival of Contemporary Polish Painting, Szczecin, Warsaw, 1962 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
AN ILLUSTRATION FOR ZELITE, A LATVIAN CHILDREN`S MAGAZINEThe Opposites, gouache on paper30.5 x 45.5 cm (12 x 17 7/8 in.)inscribed on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
ADAM NIEMCZYC (POLISH 1914-?)David and Bathsheba, 1964mixed media on wood panel80 x 34.7 cm (31 1/2 x 13 5/8 in.)signed, dated, titled and inscribed on versoPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965Acquired by the above from the Desa Foreign Trade Company, October 7, 1964 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
NIKOLAI STEPANOVICH TROSHIN (RUSSIAN 1897-1990)The Railways, 1930gouache on paper36 x 54 cm (14 1/8 x 21 1/4 in.)signed and dated lower leftPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESNikolai Troshin was an important painter, theatre director, poster designer, and Chief Artist and designer for influential avant-garde journals such as "USSR under Construction". Having studied at Penza Art Insitute under Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov and N. Petrov from 1913-1918, Troshin later moved to Moscow where he studied with Ilya Mashkov from 1918-1920. He actively exhibited since 1918, and personal exhibitions of Troshin's works were held in Moscow and other cities in Russia through the time of his passing. Troshin's paintings can be found in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Museum, State Russian Musuem, and many other museums in Russia.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
ISMAIL HUSEIN AKHUNDOV (AZERBAIJANI 1907-1969)Designs for a Demonstration, mixed media on paperoverall: 27.5 x 57.5 cm (14 3/4 x 22 5/8 in.)inscribed on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
A PAIR OF WORKS BY MIKHAIL MIKHAILOVICH TARKHANOV (RUSSIAN 1888-1962)Linear Compositions, a) Red, 1932gouache on paper36.8 x 52 cm (14 1/2 x 20 1/2 in.)dated on versob) Black, 1933gouache on paper29.5 x 52 cm (11 5/8 x 20 1/2 in.)signed and dated on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESMikhail Tarkhanov (1888-1962) was a Russian avant-garde graphic artist known for his abstract, water-based textured compositions. He graduated from the Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry in 1915, later enrolling at VKhUTEMAS, where he studied under Vasili Kandinsky and Vladimir Favorsky. From 1932 until his death, the exhibition of abstract art was banned, so he secretly pursued his abstract work while working officially for various Soviet institutions. He was able to exhibit his beautiful, unique compositions only a handful of times from 1919 to 1931, alongside artists such as Natan Altman, El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, and Alexander Rodchenko. Much of his oeuvre has remained unseen until the present. Tarkhanov`s works are included in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and at the Getty Center. This is a prime example of one of Tarkhanov`s intricate designs created by a carefully crafted oil-water medium.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
IGOR IVANOVICH YERSHOV (RUSSIAN 1916-1985)The Mine, 1931India ink on paper35 x 49 cm (13 3/4 x 19 1/4 in.)signed twice and dated lower right; titled and inscribed on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESIgor Yershov was a Russian painter and graphic designer. He was born into an artistic family; his father Ivan Yershov was an opera singer with the Imperial Marinskiy Theatre and his mother was both a singer and a professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1932, Yershov began his studies at the academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Amongst his professors were I. Brodsky and I. Bilibin. His studies were interrupted by the Second World War when he was evacuated to Tashkent. Yershov graduated from the Academy in 1947, presenting lithographs for A. Pushkin`s Bronze Horseman. In 1949, a jubilee edition of Pushkin`s works was published with illustrations by the artist. From the 1950s onwards, he worked mainly as an illustrator of children`s books. At least two generations of Russian children grew up reading Khorovod with Yershov`s illustrations. His illustrations for the Russian folk tales by Charles Perrault and Aleksandr Pushkin were very popular: The tale of the Golden Cockerel (1957-1960), A tale of the Fisherman and his wife (1956-57), Russian fairy-tales (1957-1960). Yershov`s works can be found in the collections of a number of Russian museums including the State Russian Museum and Museum of A.S. Pushkin and in museums and private collections in both France and England.This painting is from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
MARIA VYACHESLAVOVNA RAUBE-GORCHILINA (RUSSIAN 1900-1979)Under the Palm Trees, watercolor and gouache on paper44 x 30 cm (17 1/4 x 11 7/8 in.)PROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
GEORGIY SEMYONOVICH VEREISKIY (RUSSIAN 1886-1962)Haying Time, oil on board27 x 36 cm (10 5/8 x 14 1/8 in.)PROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
![ZBIGNEW MAKOWSKI (POLISH B. 1930)Intro Vocat, 1978gouache on paper27.7 x 37.5 cm (10 7/8 x 14 3/4 in.) [sight]signed, dated a](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/1f190a61-2d64-4063-b62e-a773017b81eb/4af1e499-7cf3-4655-9a50-9245b851b3b8/468x382.jpg)
ZBIGNEW MAKOWSKI (POLISH B. 1930)Intro Vocat, 1978gouache on paper27.7 x 37.5 cm (10 7/8 x 14 3/4 in.) [sight]signed, dated and titled upper leftPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965Acquired by the above from the Desa Foreign Trade Company, May 9, 1973 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
NIKOLAI ANTONOVICH MATSEDONSKY (RUSSIAN 1911-1981)Fete galante, 1936gouache on paper32 x 44 cm (12 5/8 x 17 1/4 in.)inscribed and dated on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESNikolai Matsedonsky was a Soviet Avant-garde painter, graphic artist and sculptor known primarily for his stage and costume designs. After graduating from VKhUTEMAS in 1932, he was employed as a stage manager by the Kamerny Theater in Moscow.This painting is from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
RASPOPOV GENNADIY DMITRIYEVICH (RUSSIAN 1930-1989)Five Costume Designs, watercolor and pencil on paper21.5 x 41.5 cm (8 1/2 x 16 3/8 in.)PROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
ALEKSANDER KOBZDEJ (POLISH 1920-1973)Urodziny I, 1963oil on canvas99 x 80 cm (39 3/8 x 31 1/2 in.)signed and dated lower right; further signed, dated and titled on versoPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
A PAIR OF WORKS BY NIKOLAI STEPANOVICH TROSHIN (RUSSIAN 1897-1990)Haymaking, oil on paper boardeach: 18 x 27.5 cm (7 1/8 x 10 7/8 in.)inscribed on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESNikolai Troshin was an important painter, theatre director, poster designer, and Chief Artist and designer for influential avant-garde journals such as "USSR under Construction". Having studied at Penza Art Insitute under Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov and N. Petrov from 1913-1918, Troshin later moved to Moscow where he studied with Ilya Mashkov from 1918-1920. He actively exhibited since 1918, and personal exhibitions of Troshin's works were held in Moscow and other cities in Russia through the time of his passing. Troshin's paintings can be found in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Museum, State Russian Musuem, and many other museums in Russia.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
OLGA KONSTANTINOVNA DEINEKO (RUSSIAN 1897-1970)The Train Conductor, 1934India ink and pencil on paper53.5 x 39 cm (21 x 15 3/8 in.)signed and dated lower rightPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESOlga Deineko was born in Ukraine and studied at VKhUTEMAS under Ilya Mashkov. She worked as a graphic artist and designer, and was a member of Society of Revolutionary Poster Designers. The wife of Nikolai Troshin, she was also well known as childrens book illustrator in the late 1920s and early 1930s.This painting is from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
MIKHAIL MIKHAILOVICH TARKHANOV (RUSSIAN 1888-1962)Composition in Black and White, gouache on paper24 x 34 cm (9 1/2 x 13 3/8 in.)PROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESMikhail Tarkhanov (1888-1962) was a Russian avant-garde graphic artist known for his abstract, water-based textured compositions. He graduated from the Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry in 1915, later enrolling at VKhUTEMAS, where he studied under Vasili Kandinsky and Vladimir Favorsky. From 1932 until his death, the exhibition of abstract art was banned, so he secretly pursued his abstract work while working officially for various Soviet institutions. He was able to exhibit his beautiful, unique compositions only a handful of times from 1919 to 1931, alongside artists such as Natan Altman, El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, and Alexander Rodchenko. Much of his oeuvre has remained unseen until the present. Tarkhanov`s works are included in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and at the Getty Center. This is a prime example of one of Tarkhanov`s intricate designs created by a carefully crafted oil-water medium.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
VSEVOLOD SAKHNOVSKIY (RUSSIAN 1903-198?)Stage Design, oil on paper36 x 56 cm (14 1/8 x 22 in.)inscribed on versoPROVENANCEAcquired directly from the family of the artist by Abram ChudnovskiyCollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESVsevolod Sakhnovsky actively participated in the Blue Blouse, an influential agitprop thatre troupe. He mainly worked on theatrical stage and costume designs. He also created numerous playbills and posters for the Blue Blouse performances, and extensively worked on designs of group`s printed production. When the Blue Blouse publications were discontinued, they were replaced by a similar magazine called Small Forms, to which Sakhnovsky contributed many of his works.This painting is from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
ALEKSANDRA IOSIFOVNA LIGACHYOVA (RUSSIAN 1915-1993)At the Factory. From the Series of Industrial Etudes, 1950soil on board34.5 x 48.5 cm (13 1/2 x 19 1/8 in.)signed and titled on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
ZBIGNEW MAKOWSKI (POLISH B. 1930) Old Garden, 1962 mixed media on wood 166.5 x 16 x 5 cm (65 1/2 x 6 1/4 x 2 in.) signed, dated, titled and inscribed on verso PROVENANCE Collection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965 EXHIBITED Exhibition of Z. Makowski`s works at the Kunstverein fuer die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Grabbenplatz Kunsthalle, Dusseldorf, 1973 LOT NOTES Bart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
LEOKADIA PLONKOWA (POLISH 20TH CENTURY)St. Joseph with the Christ Child, 1963mixed media on glass36.3 x 31.3 cm (14 1/4 x 12 1/4 in.)possibly signed upper leftPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965Acquired by the above from the Desa Foreign Trade Company, October 16, 1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
ALEKSANDRA IOSIFOVNA LIGACHYOVA (RUSSIAN 1915-1993)A Rushing Tip Truck. From the Series of Industrial Etudes, 1950soil on board35 x 47.5 cm (13 3/4 x 18 3/4 in.)PROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
MEYER MOISEYEVICH AKSELROD (RUSSIAN 1902-1970)Double-sided Landscape with a Windmill en plein air , gouache on paper32 x 43.5 cm (12 5/8 x 17 1/8 in.)PROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
PORFIRIY MARKOVICH LEBEDEV (RUSSIAN 1882-1974)Knyazevo. Kolka the Stableman, 1942oil on paper37.5 x 23.5 cm (14 3/4 x 9 1/4 in.)signed, dated and titled lower centerPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESViktor Kholodkov (1948-2015) fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
NIKOLAI STEPANOVICH TROSHIN (RUSSIAN 1897-1990)Red Square. Lenin`s Mausoleum Covered in Frost, 1946graphite on paper44 x 60.5 cm (17 1/4 x 23 3/4 in.)signed and dated lower rightPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESNikolai Troshin was an important painter, theatre director, poster designer, and Chief Artist and designer for influential avant-garde journals such as "USSR under Construction". Having studied at Penza Art Insitute under Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov and N. Petrov from 1913-1918, Troshin later moved to Moscow where he studied with Ilya Mashkov from 1918-1920. He actively exhibited since 1918, and personal exhibitions of Troshin's works were held in Moscow and other cities in Russia through the time of his passing. Troshin's paintings can be found in the permanent collections of the Tretyakov Museum, State Russian Musuem, and many other museums in Russia.This work comes from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
SOLOMON SAMSONOVICH BOIM (RUSSIAN 1899-1978)Sending a Model Ship Afloat. Design for a Cover of Druzhniye Rebyata Magazine, 1953watercolor on paperoverall: 32 x 22 cm (12 5/8 x 8 5/8 in.)signed with initials and dated lower left; signed and inscribed on versoPROVENANCECollection of Viktor Kholodkov LOT NOTESSolomon Boim is known mostly for his works in graphic techniques: watercolor, gouache, drawing, engraving, and posters (Agitplakat). From 1926 on he participated in hundreds of exhibitions at home and abroad. Boim studied at Vkhutemas (the famous school of Russian Avant-garde art which later became Vkhutein) from 1922 through 1929, under such prominent Russian artists as Nikolay Kupreyanov and Piotr Lvov. In later years, Boim was an illustrator of childrens' and other books for "Detgiz" and other publishers, and became the Official Artist of the Soviet Baltic Fleet, often painting Nahimovtsy (Nahimov cadets) and other young people. Boim's paintings of cities, Soviet life, children and students, are exemplary works of Socialist realism, and capture an especially optimistic period in Soviet art.This painting is from the collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948-2015), who fulfilled his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia by devoting his life to collecting and dealing of prominent works of Russian graphic art of the first half of the 20th century. The dedicated collector acquired a multitude of books and artworks throughout decades, meticulously labeling and archiving every single item. Many came directly from the most preeminent artists of the time, as well as from their families and estates. He also possessed a vast number of drawings from the famous collection of another avant-garde enthusiast, Nikolai Khardzhiev. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Viktor continued his work as a Soviet art dealer and critic, actively publishing various articles and contributing to several major Russian avant-garde exhibitions across the U.S., such as the 1991 Russia Under Fire in the 40s on the West Coast and the 1992 Guggenheim exhibition The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde. Kholodkov also contributed to the archives of the biggest American institutions. His sophisticated selection of over 2000 Russian sheet music covers was acquired by The Library of Congress, and an extensive amount of material related to VKhUTEMAS is now at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
JOZEF WILKON (POLISH B. 1930)Demons (For Tracy), 1963mixed media on paper16 x 12 cm (6 1/4 x 4 3/4 in.) signed, dated and inscribed upper rightPROVENANCECollection of Bart N. Stephens, Cultural Attache of the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, 1963-1965 LOT NOTESBart N. Stephens spent several decades as a cultural affairs officer in Europe and Asia, during which time he was stationed in post-War Warsaw as a Cultural Attache for some years during the 60s. As Stephens writes in his essay Where Shall We Hang It? Notes on Collecting Polish Art, it was in Warsaw which had arisen Phoenix-like from the war`s inferno, [that he and his wife, an artist herself,] first became involved in the art scene and began collecting original art. [Discovering] an alive, talented, and varied community of artists in Poland. Coming into contact with the works by, and often with the artists themselves, Jan Cybis, Aleksander Kobzdej, and many other leading figures of the 1960s and 70s, Stephens at times found himself bidding on the same works as the Museum of Modern Art (as in the case of Nucleus by Zbignew Makowski). Polish painting was then seen as the ``new frontier`` of European art, with many foreign dealers waking up to its allure, and at times buying the contents of an artist`s studio outright. The Stephens collection thus presents a mid-century capsule of some of PolandÍs greatest modernists, with many of the works being eventually exhibited or included in European and American publications and exhibitions.
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