Dmitri Semenovich Stelletsky

Acquired directly from the artist by the mother of the present owner in 1942

Paris, Galerie Devambez, Exposition russe d'art ancien et moderne, 10 - 28 December 1921
New York, Grand Central Palace, Russian Art Exhibition, 1924
Pittsburgh, Carnegie Institute, 25th Annual International Exhibition of Paintings, 14 October - 5 December 1926
Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, Tour of European Paintings from the 25th International Exhibition, 4 January - 14 February 1927; Chicago, The Chicago Art Institute, 7 March - 18 April 1927

Exhibition catalogue Exposition russe d'art ancien et moderne, Paris: Helikon, 1921, p.30 listed as Le chasseur (Sokolnitchij)
Exhibition catalogue 25th Annual International Exhibition of Paintings, Pittsburgh: Carnegie Institute, 1926, no.300 listed

Structural Condition The canvas is unlined and is securely attached to what appears to be the artist's original fixed wooden stretcher. This is ensuring a relatively even and stable structural support. There are ten lightweight patched repairs on the reverse of the canvas which have been toned to make their appearance less visually distracting. The repairs appear stable but there are undulations and minor distortions associated to these areas. There is a slightly raised horizontal line running through the upper centre of the composition which is entirely stable. The reverse of the canvas is inscribed by the artist and there are several labels adhered to the reverse of the stretcher. Paint Surface The paint surface has an uneven and discoloured varnish layer. There are a few scattered drip marks including below the hind legs of the left hand dog and above the hawk. There is a pattern of slightly raised craquelure throughout the green and pale pigments of the sky. This appears stable. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows a discoloured and degraded varnish layer. Inspection under ultra-violet light also shows scattered retouchings associated to the repairs visible on the reverse, the most significant of which are: 1) a horizontal line of retouching with associated spots which is approximately 20 cm in length running through the mane of the horse, 2) a horizontal line of retouching which is approximately 26 cm in length running between the lower part of the horse's hind legs, 3) a horizontal retouching with small associated spots above the horse's head, 4) small spots and lines of retouching within the upper left quadrant of the sky, and 5) a few small retouchings towards the upper right corner of the composition.
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Painted around 1921, the present lot shows Stelletsky at the height of his career in emigration. The subject of the hunt reflects his fascination with everyday courtly life in medieval Russia. Stelletsky also borrows directly from Russian medieval illuminated manuscripts and icons in his artistic approach, appropriating their earth tones, heavy outlining, and flatness. This devotion to medieval art, however, is far from imitative. Stelletsky breathes new life into older artistic traditions through the sharp juxtapositions of light and shade and strong diagonal of the hunter’s outstretched arm and forward-thrusting leg. This dynamism and sophisticated handling make this lot a prime example of his signature style, rendered all the more striking through the large size of the canvas.

The Hunter was exhibited extensively throughout the 1920s, and most notably at the renowned Exhibition of Russian Art at the Grand Central Palace in New York in 1924. The exhibition, whose catalogue appendix included Stelletsky’s contributions, represented the artist’s debut in the United States. The Hunter was one of two works that were then lent to the 1926 International Exhibition of Paintings at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, which subsequently travelled to Cleveland and Chicago. The painting had been first exhibited in Paris in 1921 at the ambitious exhibition of Russian art from the eighteenth century to the present day organised by Georgii Lukomskii at the Devambez Gallery. The fact that an entire room of the exhibition was devoted to Stelletsky’s work reflects his high artistic standing in Russian émigré circles at this time.

Russian-themed works like The Hunter represented Stelletsky’s permanent attachment to his homeland while in emigration. The present lot was painted in a period of uncertainty when Stelletsky sought to return to Russia after living in France since the outbreak of the First World War. In 1922 he wrote to Ilya Ostroukhov, the former director of the Tretyakov Gallery and renowned icon collector, requesting his help in obtaining work in Moscow. Yet this never materialised, and the artist was forced to live out the rest of his days in France until his death in 1947.