Semen Faibisovich

Semion Faibisovich: Painting from the 1980s, Moscow, Regina Gallery, 2001, p. 40, illustrated

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 quite recent painting is stretched on what appears to be the original stretcher. There are a couple of dents in the canvas in the upper right and a few very small bumps elsewhere. In general however, the canvas is well stretched and stable. There is a small scratch on the edge in the lower center and another milky blemish under the arm of the chair in the lower left. It is unlikely that there are any restorations and if a little maintenance were to be provided, the picture could 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."

Semen Faibisovich's Therein Lies the Question is a rare conceptual piece by the artist that is meant to evoke a sense of mystery. The focal point is a question mark formed by shadows from an unseen window. At the upper left-hand, Faibisovich includes a fragment from another of his paintings, Zimnee solntse (Winter Sunshine), from his Moscow Commuter Train series. Faibisovich deliberately depictes the fragment out of focus, creating what he has referred to as a sense of "mystique."