David Davidovich Burliuk

Robert Chanler, New York
Private Collection, Connecticut, 1949
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in the 1990s

K. Dreier, Burliuk, New York, 1944, p. 23, no. 8, illustrated

This painting has never been removed from its original stretcher. The paint layer has never been cleaned and is in original condition. There is a slight dent in the upper right corner which needs to be relaxed and there is a small paint loss in the yellow to the side of the left hand head. The dirt on this un-varnished painting is heavy and quite acidic. The cleaning needs to be delicately handled but in theory should be successful and the paint layer may not require any varnish, simply one small retouch. 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."

In Town was executed in 1922, the same year Burliuk moved to New York and settled with his family in the Bronx. Upon arrival he soon met internationally renowned curator, collector and critic Christian Brinton, as well as multi-millionaire Robert Chanler, grandson of John Jacob Astor. Both men proved powerfully important in promoting Burliuk's reputation in the United States, introducing him to several of New York's prominent artists and society figures. Katherine Dreier describes Chanler as follows: "He was a gifted artist...His home was always open to all painters and writers and Burliuk thoroughly enjoyed the people he met around the table in the spacious, hospitable house, representing as they did, both the Arts and the bohemian life of New York. Here he met, among others, Marcel Duchamp...Stokowsky, Sorine, and Augustus John" (Katherine Dreier, Burliuk, p. 102). Chanler was chiefly responsible for introducing Burliuk to Mary Harriman Rumsey, the widow of sculptor Charles Carey Rumsey. She was a key figure in the contemporary New York art scene and, like Burliuk, took an active interest in the political and social problems that America faced. She turned her late husband's midtown studio into a small theater and exhibition space, where she promoted artistic experimentation above all else. Burliuk was asked to participate in her production of The Skygirl by Ivan Narodny; he designed the scenery for the first act and the costumes for the entire show, and he also performed in the role of Luna.

Chanler also helped Burliuk financially. Since any money Burliuk earned in Japan was gone by the time he reached New York, Chanler purchased several of his paintings including the present lot, which likely was a commissioned work. With In Town, Burliuk creates a fantastical, satirical image, exemplifying his experimentation with Surrealism during the early 1920s.