Nikolai Egorovich Sverchkov

Property of a European Family (acquired circa 1950s)
Acquired 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 has been restored, although not recently. If a few retouches were to be applied to address a visible scratch above the sled and a few other spots, the painting could be hung as is. The paint layer is most likely slightly dirty; there is a slightly yellow cast in the snow. The snow, the figures and the animals are all in very presentable and good condition. It is slightly unclear what exactly the condition of the sky is and it is possible that some of the warmer tones running throughout the sky are later additions. The cooler values show through in many areas of the sky and it would be prudent to be aware that if the picture were to be cleaned, some of this browner color in the sky may turn out to not be period.
"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 Sverchkov was a prolific artist who produced over 350 paintings, one thousand drawings, and twelve sculptures. His works were acquired by Napoleon III (1863) and the Russian Tsar Alexander II (1864). Despite his fame in the 1860s and the popularity of his images of horses, which combine elements of the animal genre with scenes from everyday life, Sverchkov died in poverty, despondent and completely forgotten.

Born into the family of an Imperial stableman and coachman, Sverchkov developed a great interest in horses at an early age and started drawing animals as a young boy. Since the curriculum of the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts was similar to that of the exclusive schools for the upper classes, the Academy gave its graduates, most of whom came from a very modest social background, a well-rounded education that would allow them to become part of the Russian cultural elite. Recognizing his son's passion for art, Sverchkov's father sent him to the Academy in 1827. However, due to his poor health, Sverchkov was unable to comply with the Academy's strict regimen, and after studying there only a year-and-a half he was transferred to the Petropavlovsk School.

After graduating from Petropavlovsk, Sverchkov worked for the Ministry of the Interior. Although he did not receive a proper academic artistic education and studied painting independently, he was awarded the title of Portrait Painter following his successful participation in the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts' exhibition of 1839. Sverchkov resigned from the civil service at the rank of Collegiate Secretary in 1842, and started contributing to art exhibitions at the Academy in 1844.

Sverchkov's extraordinary talent for scenes involving horses earned him a position of artist at the Khrenov and Tchesme stud farms in the 1840s. Many works from this period comprise a cycle of illustrations entitled Album of Stud Farms, with Portraits of Studs and Mares from the Finest Stud Farms in Russia. In 1852, Sverchkov was awarded the rank of Academician. From the late 1850s to the early 1860s the artist lived in Paris, London, and Brussels; he received the Legion d'honneur at the Paris World's Fair.

Around this time, Sverchkov created a whole gallery of horse types and began receiving numerous commissions for depictions of horses. Sverchkov would jot down his impressions, sketching horses in various poses and meticulously recording all the important details. When he painted horses, he strove to convey the likeness, specificity, and individuality of his models, as can be seen in the present lot, which can be considered one of the artist's finest and most important large-

scale works.