Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky

The panel is sound. The picture is clean and ready to hang. Uv light reveals an uneven layer of varnish and a few small spots of retouching. Held in a carved giltwood frame and 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."

Konstantin Makovsky painted an array of women's portraits, not only commissions for the rich and famous but also a number of 'pretty faces' - charming ladies with stylised features appropriate to a given characterisation.  Like Pietro Rotari, Makovsky painted numerous portraits in this distinctive genre which contributed to his popularity in Russia at the turn of the century. According to Makovsky's contemporaries, his 'pretty faces' were so popular that reproductions could be found in 'every tailor's, pastry shop or hairdresser'. These portraits were stylised in a number of ways. Often the sitter would be portrayed with distinctive national qualities, dressed for example as a gypsy, Ukrainian or Spanish girl; sometimes the traits are of a more social nature - a coquette, servant or poverty-stricken girl; other portraits are framed by historical or literary allusions, for example, those of a boyarina or Juliet. Until the mid-1890s, his wife Yulia Pavlovna Makovskaya was often used as the model for these enchanting portraits, but other women inspired his later works, including his last wife Maria Matavtina and his daughters Olga and Marina. The model in Portrait of a young beauty bears marked similarities to Olga Makovskaya whom Makovsky painted often.

The offered lot will be published in the forthcoming volume on Konstantin Makovsky by Elena Nesterova, to whom we are grateful for writing this note.