Mikhail Petrovich Klodt

A gift from Armand Hammer to the father of the present owner, late 1960s

St. Petersburg, Moscow et al., The XXV Itinerant Exhibition, 1897, no.3-111

S.Goldshtein et al., Tovarischestvo peredvizhnikh vystavok 1869-1899: pis'ma, dokumenty, Moscow: Iskusstvo, 1987, vol.2, p.515 No.86 (illustrated)
G.B.Romanov, Tovarischestvo peredvizhnikh khudozhestvennykh vystavok: 1871-1923, St. Petersburg: Sankt-Peterburg Orkestr , 2003, p.185 (illustrated)

The canvas has been lined. There is a layer of light surface dirt and some light craquelure in the lower half. The varnish has slightly discoloured. UV light reveals retouching to the centre and left background sections, to the clothes of the male figure, in places to the faces and clothes of the female figures including the black material of the figure on the far right. Held in a gold painted plaster 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. 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."

Baron Mikhail Klodt was the son of sculptor Petr Jakob Klodt, and a member of one of Russia's most famous artistic dynasties which enjoyed an elevated position in the Imperial Court. Mikhail was able to travel to France and Germany where he studied under some of the great history painters of the time before he returned to Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts to take up the post of Academician and then Professor. It was at this time that his style shifted towards Realism and he joined the Society of Itinerant exhibitions, or Peredvizhniki. In all, 122 of his paintings, including the offered lot, were featured in their exhibitions between 1871 and 1915, and are distinguished by their close attention to historical detail honed during his studies.

 

The Joker's history of ownership serves to illustrate the link which existed between business and art even in the early twentieth century, and its crucial importance in safeguarding Russia's cultural legacy. After several years' successful trade with the newly formed Soviet Union, the flamboyant business tycoon Armand Hammer (1898-1990) moved to Moscow in 1921 to oversee operations. He took advantage of the Bolsheviks' sales of vast quantities of Imperial treasures to build up his own art collection, and gained access to some of the finest nineteenth century paintings by way of compensation for the Soviet government's expropriation of his pencil factory. A large part of his abundant collection was disseminated following his return to the United States in 1930.