Valentin Alexandrovich Serov

Purchased directly from the artist by Emmanuel Nobel
A gift from the above to his sister, Anna
Subsequently bequeathed to her sister Märta
Thence by descent

The board appears sound. The paint surface is slightly dirty and there are some very small areas of paint abrasion along the edges. Examination under UV reveals an uneven layer of varnish, but no apparent retouching. Held in a simple gold-painted wooden 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."

Emmanuel Ludvigovich Nobel (1859-1932), nephew of Alfred, who founded the Nobel prize, took over the family businesses in Russia following his father's death in 1888. Under his leadership, Russia's oil industry became the most developed in the world and oil production superseded that of any other country. Nobel was not simply a businessman, but also a philanthropist, who created an entire compound for his employees to ensure their welfare. Built alongside his own residence, the aptly named Villa Petrolea, it comprised hospitals, schools and even bowling alleys. The entire compound was destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1918, a year after Nobel and his family had left Russia and settled in Sweden.

The offered lot is believed to be a sketch to the larger 1909 portrait of Emmanuel Nobel sold in these rooms on 14^th November 1988 and has been dated to around the same year. Its treatment is typical of the artist's technique of modelling his subject's face with free, colourful dabs of paint and depicting them against the roughly executed background built up of vertical and energetic brushstrokes. The absence of a signature here similarly corresponds with numerous works in Russia's national collections.

Serov's portraiture of this period had developed beyond mere physical representation. Dmitri Sarabyanov explains that, in his quest to reveal the complex 'psychological core' of his sitter's personality, Serov was not afraid to exaggerate his subject's features. "Each time I appraise a person's face I am inspired, you might even say carried away, not by his or her outer aspect, which is often trivial, but by the characterization it can be given on canvas. That is why I am accused of sometimes having my portraits look like caricatures" (V.Serov in D.Sarabyanov, Valentin Serov, Aurora Art Publishers: Leningrad, 1982, p.24)