Nikolai Efimovich Rachkov

Acquired by the Ambassador to Russia, circa 1940s
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

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 is unlined and still on its original stretcher. The paint layer is stable and slightly cracked, although not unattractively so. There are a few retouches in the girl's gray dress and in the upper right background. Other than this the painting seems to be in very healthy state. The paint layer may be slightly dirty and lining the canvas will eliminate the visible cracking. However, the picture is also in very healthy state.
"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 Rachkov was born and raised in Nizhgorod Province. He was introduced to art by his father, an artist himself who shaped young Rachkov's early artistic style. Rachkov first displayed his work in 1845, at the age of 20, in an exhibition organized by the Arzamskaya Art School where he studied and later taught. His paintings were highly praised and among the most widely purchased in Russia in the late 1800s. He was most noted for his depictions of the female form as well as genre scenes of daily life of the 19^th century.

In the present painting Rachkov illustrates the quiet simplicity and innocence of a Russian child's life. The vibrant bouquet of wildflowers suggests the girl's youthful and unrestrained nature, while the fallen petals poignantly suggest the passing of time and imminent change.