Ivan Pavlovich Pokhitonov

Private Collection, United States, circa 1960
Thence by descent

This marvelous painting is in very good condition. The panel on which it is painted is flat and unbroken. The paint layer is stable and possibly slightly dirty. There are no retouches and essentially a fresh coat of varnish and some attention to the frame would suffice. 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 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."

"If you want to refresh and relax," claimed writer Kornei Chukovsky, "turn to the miniatures of Pokhitonov. One cannot possibly find anything better—how glorious, how poetic, how light and airy the masterful brush of this wonderful artist" (Vladimir Petrov, Ivan Pokhitonov, 2003).

Pokhitonov's contemporaries perceived his talent in much the same way. The great P. M. Tretyakov purchased over twenty of Pokhitonov's works for his collection, and artists Aleksei Bogoliubov, Vasily Polenov and Ilya Repin dubbed him the "wizard," for they all fell under his spell. Repin once wrote to him, "I always admire your beautiful creations; they will forever remain part of our Russian art. I feel these works mirror your pure and kind soul" (ibid., p. 21). Even Western Europeans were impressed; Ernest Meissonier, Jules Bastien-Lepage, Gustave Moreau and Eugène Carrière found inspiration in his miniatures, while Jules Dupré and Henri Harpignies were his friends, imparting him with their Barbizon philosophy and plein-air technique.