Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov

The canvas has been striplined. The paint surface is slightly dirty and there is some ingrained dirt in the creases of the impasto. Some fine craquelure can be seen where paint has been applied most thickly. UV light reveals spots of retouching to the edge of the canvas and a few minor spots elsewhere. Held in a modern moulded gold-painted plaster 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."

Alexander Gerasimov was a prominent contributor to Socialist Realism and one of the leading artists to champion a style known as Heroic Realism - his famous work Lenin on the Tribune (1929-30) will remain an iconic image of the Revolution. However, it was Gerasimov's landscapes and particularly his still lifes that revealed the genuine artistic abilities that set him apart from his purely politicised contemporaries and earned him a Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition of 1937. His combination of Academic Realism and Impressionism was broadly influenced by the work of Igor Grabar and Leonard Turzhansky and much admired during his lifetime. In 1943 he was awarded the accolade 'People's Artist of the USSR' and he was nominated President of the USSR Academy of Arts from 1947-57.

Still Life with Peonies was painted in the 1920s or 30s and is most likely a version of a 1929 work currently in the Sochi Museum of Art. Interestingly, there are only a few other known works by Gerasimov depicting peonies, one of which is in the collection of The Kiev Museum of Russian Art. In the offered lot, the long dark leaves provide a wonderful foil for the heads of the flowers which seem almost heavy from the absorbed light that drips from them onto the colourful reflective surfaces below. Rich, joyful and delicately executed, the canvas is a stunning example of Russian Impressionism at its best.