Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin

Private American Collection, circa 1980s
Thence by descent

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 quite recently restored. The canvas has been lined. The paint layer is stable and well textured. There are a few retouches above the inscription in the lower left. There is a small group of retouches running down the upper right edge and also beneath the boat addressing a small loss. In general the paint layer is in lovely state and the picture should 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."

Konstantin Korovin's work in landscape, one of his favorite genres, is among the best and most vivid examples of Impressionism in Russian art. The heyday of Russian Impressionism was the 1900s. The typical aspects of the style—the emphasis on light, valeur tones, and colored shadows, the prominence of fragmented forms and individual brushstrokes—are all present in the artist's works.

In 1875, Korovin entered the architecture department of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. In 1876, having submitted his landscapes for review, Korovin transferred to the painting department, where one of his teachers was the famous landscape painter Alexei Savrasov. To complete his education, Korovin went to St. Petersburg, entering the Academy of Fine Arts in 1882; however, disappointed by its outdated teaching methods, he left within three months and returned to Moscow.

In his last years at the Moscow School he studied under Vasily Polenov, who introduced Korovin to Savva Mamontov's Abramtsevo circle. The Abramtsevo circle's fascination with Russian national motifs is reflected in some of Korovin's works, especially his stage designs for Mamontov's Private Opera (1885-99). Korovin was a long-term member of several artistic associations, including the World of Art (1899-1903) and the Union of Russian Artists (1903-22). He participated in the exhibitions of the Itinerants from 1889 to 1899. In 1910, he became chief designer at the Moscow Imperial Theaters. From 1923, Korovin lived and worked in Paris.

John Rewald observed that the French followers of Impressionism generally considered the aim of the movement to be the "interpretation of the subject for the sake of painterly tone, and not for the sake of the subject itself." This concept was close to that of Korovin, who similarly believed that "tones are far more veracious and sober; they are the content. A subject must therefore be sought for the tone." The artist, art historian, and critic Alexandre Benois wrote of Korovin: "This was our first 'Impressionist'—he was among the first to have dared composing his pictures without any preconceived subject." Benois also described Korovin's style as distinguished by spontaneity and simplicity.

While still in Russia, Korovin often depicted rural landscapes, especially views of particular estates or dachas. In the mid-1890s, Korovin's style was informed by the manner of painting characterized by visible brushstrokes and generalized forms that became known as "Zornish," after Andreas Zorn (1860-1920), the Swedish painter whom Korovin met in Paris in 1892. Even before his works were shown at the Scandinavian Exhibition, organized by Sergei Diaghilev in St. Petersburg in 1897, Zorn's technique was extremely popular in Russia.