Alexander Nikolaevich Benois

Sale: Sotheby's London, 15 June 1995, lot 110

Watercolor, gouache, ink and graphite heightened with white on cardboard. There are losses to the board at each corner and along the outer right edge. There are pinholes to the upper right and left corners. The surface is a little discolored and there are minor signs of foxing. There are also a couple very minor smudges and stains. Under UV the work appears untouched. Held in a modern 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The Bourgeois Gentilhomme was one of the last productions that Alexandre Benois designed in Russia. It was staged at the Akademicheskii Dramaticheskii Teatr in Petrograd (formerly the Alexandrinsky) in 1923, the same year that the artist first traveled to Western Europe since 1914, and three years before he settled completely in Paris. From 1917 Benois had been deeply involved in the theatrical life of Petrograd, especially the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi Dramaticheskii Teatr, helping to preserve stage traditions and techniques. His designs from this period are often characterized by thick black outlines in slightly dry ink or charcoal, which contrast considerably with the airy and light rococo line of his later ballet drawings. In this sketch, the artist conjures a French 17th century cityscape with a minimum of aesthetic means, relying on the interplay of white highlights and dabs of color against the tone of the cardboard, to great graphic effect. Benois loved the Baroque era in all its manifestations, not just the palatial splendors of Versailles and his feeling for the epoch is evident in all his designs for Moliere plays.