Alexander Konstantinovich Bogomazov

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 is unlined. The canvas is most likely not stretched on the original stretcher but it is in very healthy condition. The paint layer is most likely clean. Retouches are visible under ultraviolet light running across the bottom edge and in the pink path beneath the trees. It seems that mixed in with the obvious pointillism of the painting there are random spots of retouch which have been applied in the trees and the sky. The paint layer is quite unstable and some attempts to consolidate it is in order. If the picture were to be consolidated, some of the retouches should be re-examined.
"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."

Bogomazov attended the Kiev School of Art in 1902, but was expelled in 1905 for his participation in political demonstrations and strikes. He moved to Moscow and continued studying art in the private art schools of Fedor Rerberg and Konstantin Yuon, from which many noted Russian artists who practiced Cubo-Futurism (a synthesis of French Cubism and Italian Futurism) emerged. In 1908, Bogomazov contributed to the exhibition Zveno (The Link), organized by the Futurist artist David Burliuk in Kiev. In 1911, Bogomazov went to Finland where he became influenced by Finnish Art Nouveau. In 1913-14 he associated with the Russian Cubo-Futurists and came into contact with members of the Italian Futurist movement.

Under these influences, Bogomazov started painting in a Cubo-Futurist mode. He became a leading exponent of this style while also developing his own art theories, which culminated in his 1914 book Zhivopis' i ee elementy (Painting and its Elements). Bogomazov's theories became influential for the theoretical works of Kazimir Malevich and Vasily Kandinsky. Together with the Russian avant-garde artist Alexandra Exter, Bogomazov organized the exhibition Kol'tso (The Ring) in Kiev in 1914. In 1915, he moved to the Caucasus where he worked as a teacher and continued to paint. After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Bogomazov was appointed a delegate to the first All-Ukrainian Congress of Artists held in 1918. In 1919 he taught at the First State Studio for Painting and Decorative Art in Kiev and also became the head of the Department for Art Education in the Ukrainian Commissariat for Visual Arts. During this period, Bogomazov joined Malevich and Exter in producing street decorations for the Commissariat. Between 1925 and 1927 he was a member of the Association of Revolutionary Art of the Ukraine.

In By the Riverbank, the subdued and misty Symbolist colors are animated by bright splashes of red in the clothing of one of the figures by the river, creating a contrast between the figures and the dream-like landscape. Bogomazov always received inspiration from medieval iconography, with its interplay of color and line, and this influence is manifested in By the Riverbank which recalls the palette of medieval Russian frescoes and expresses an idyllic vision of men at peace and in harmony with nature. This work also reflects Bogomazov's interest in the possibilities of Neo-Impressionism, evidenced in his application of color in regular points or dabs.