Konstantin Konstantinovich Kuznetsov

Acquired directly from the artist by the mother of the present owner

Original canvas. The paint surface is dirty with a layer of discoloured varnish. UV light reveals no retouching. Held in a simple wooden frame. Unexamined out of frame.
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Paintings from the Colefax Collection
Lots 414 – 415

The 1920s saw a glittering set of Russian émigrés arrive in New York, of whom Sonia Colefax was by all accounts one of the most engaging. She had begun life in Russia, the daughter of a successful fisheries merchant appointed by the Tsar, but left before the Revolution, as she would recall, with only her books and school uniform. After a brief post-war marriage in Germany she began a new life in New York in 1922, immediately enlisting a compatriot to build her a Russian dacha on Long Island, which would become a mecca for Russian musicians, artists, intellects and bohemians, entertained by her resident gypsy singer and catered for by a Russian cook.

Of the numerous figures drawn by her magnetic character was Peter Colefax, whom Sonia met towards the end of the 1920s and was married to for over 25 years. Peter was the eldest son of another remarkable lady of her era, Sybil Colefax, famous today as a founding partner of the interior design company Colefax & Fowler. In her day however, it was as a celebrated hostess that Sybil came to eminence, entertaining the full array of London society from Virginia Wolfe to Edward VIII. She only revealed her true talent and resourcefulness as a designer after losing her fortune in the 1929 Wall St Crash and her husband soon after.

Catalogue note for Lot 414:

Konstantin Kuznetsov (1895-1980) showed an ability to draw from his early childhood in Novgorod. He developed a keen interest in military history and particularly Napoleon, which led to his epic painting style that won him many competitions and commissions. Repin's historical paintings and Bilibin's fairy-tale style were further important influences on his work.

Through a Russian-born American sponsor, Kuznetsov arrived in Los Angeles in 1948 and his work was soon sought after by the Russian community and Russian-language publications in the U.S. and France where he was also greatly admired as an illustrator. His association with Cathedral Films led to the production of 1,500 illustrations over six years.

In the 1950s he met Sonia Colefax, who was immediately captivated by his artistic style, particularly his detailed, idealized images of Russia's past. She would eventually commission and buy 56 works by him, two of which are offered directly from her descendants.