Rikhard Vasmi

Oil on board. The surface is a little dirty and covered with an uneven layer of varnish. There are a couple minor flakes of paint loss to the corners and the upper right edge. There is also some very minor craquelure to the green at upper center, but the work appears is fine state. Under UV certain pigments fluoresce but no retouches are visible, though the varnish prevents a conclusive analysis. Held in a modern wood frame. 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.

Rikhard Vasmi belonged to the Leningrad-based unofficial grouping known as the Arefiev Circle, whose artists were among the first to reject the false joyfulness of the art of the Stalin era. In flagrant disregard for the conventions of Socialist Realism, Vasmi depicted Leningrad cityscapes in a deliberately crude, primitivist style, as exemplified by the present lot. The simplified forms and shallow spaces of these landscapes were inspired by the works of the French Fauves and the German Expressionists.

In his early years, Vasmi was strongly influenced by the work of Nikolai Lapshin (1888-1942), who became Vasmi's first art teacher. In 1942, Vasmi became an orphan when his parents died of starvation during the war. From 1946 to 1950, he studied at the Leningrad School of Architecture. He continued his education at the Leningrad Institute of Civil Engineers, from which he subsequently dropped out, and then went on to perform a series of politically undemanding, low-paying jobs.