Nikolai Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky

Sale: Christie's London, December 18, 1996, lot 121

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting on canvas is unlined and in beautiful condition. The paint layer is clean and varnished. Under ultraviolet light and to the naked eye there appear to be no restorations. The picture in lovely condition and should be hung as is.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Nikolai Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky was born in the town of Shitiki in the Smolenskaia province in 1868. He began his education at the Moscow College of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture from 1884 to 1889, and he later studied under Repin at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts from 1894 to 1895. After completing his formal education, he traveled to Paris where he worked in the studios of F. Cormon and F. Colarossi and he focused on peasant themes. This focus is exemplified to great effect in his present paintings, including The Teacher's Name Day, where his primary subjects are peasant children.

In 1903 Bogdanov-Belsky was awarded the title of Academician. At this time he executed numerous portraits of the high profile individuals, including Tsar Nicholas II. In 1921 he moved to Riga, where he painted peasant children of the Eastern territory of Latvia-Latgale, and in 1936 he received an award of honor from the Latvian government. He showcased his work in Riga and throughout the Baltic territories, as well as in Berlin and Belgrade, and together with other émigré artists he went on to exhibit in various Western European cities. He spent his final years in Berlin, where he died in 1945 and was buried at the Tegel Cemetery.