Nikolai Vladimirovich Remisoff, 1887-1979

The Collection of Akim Tamirov, USA

Zhar-ptitsa, Prague, November 1921, No.2, illustrated p.7

The sheet appears in overall good condition and may be hung as is. Held in a modern painted wood frame and under glass. Unexamined out of frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Nikolai Remisoff-Vasiliev, as he was known before emigration, was an active participant of the World of Art exhibitions in the early 1910s. He founded the influential political journal Satyricon, where he published drawings under his nom de plume Re-Mi. Fearing persecution by the Bolsheviks over his cartoons, he fled Russia, arriving in Paris in 1920. A core member of the Russian émigré community there, he was made chief designer alongside Sudeikin for Nikita Balieff's Chauve souris theatre company. It was here that he met Akim Tamirov, and the two became life-long friends.   The theme of the traditional Russian tavern is one which has inspired a great number of Russian artists, notably Boris Kustodiev in his 1916 work Moscow Tavern. The offered work is one of the earliest, dated versions of a tavern interior executed in 1921 and 1922. These were widely exhibited and published and Remisoff also incorporated the image into his stage designs for the Chauve souris production of The Brothers Zaitsev. In 1924 Remisoff left Balieff's company to open a Russian-themed nightclub, Club Petrouchka, whose walls he decorated with murals depicting scenes from a Russian tavern. The venture was short-lived since the building was consumed by fire a year later.