Alexander Evgenievich Yakovlev

Acquired directly from the sister of the artist

There is an area of loss to the paper on the lower edge. There are pinholes and signs of wear to all four corners and areas of paintloss to the upper and left edge. There is a crease to the top right corner. Held in a simple wooden frame behind glass. 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

There is a sketch for a portrait on the reverse.

Yakovlev painted this gouache in his Paris studio before 1923, at a time when he was in the midst of preparing the decorative panels commissioned by Pierre Bautier for his townhouse in Brussels. In January 1924 Yakovlev wrote to Dmitry Kardovsky,

            "These past months I have been working like a slave: before leaving for Italy on the 24^th I had to complete three large decorative panels. The commission came from a private client in Brussels; the panel[s] represent morning, day and night. Landscape is an important element, with mythological figures entering from either side; I think I've come up with a good solution."

 

Executed in subtle shades of green, blue and ochre, this stunning gouache is the preparatory study for Morning, a large oil from the decorative triptych The Times of Day, which Yakovlev painted for Bautier. Depicted in the panel is the sun god, Apollo, riding across the sky in his chariot, the three graces, a marriage procession with Pegasus at the head and the construction of a temple to the goddess Athena.

 

To be included in the Alexander Yakovlev Catalogue raisonné currently being prepared by Caroline Haardt de la Baume.