Konstantin Ivanovich Gorbatov

Sale: Christie's London, December 18, 1996, lot 83, illustrated
Acquired directly from the above sale by the present owner

This painting has been fairly recently restored. The tacking edges have been reinforced to allow for better stretching. At that time the painting was probably cleaned and varnished. The canvas is still a little wavy, but the paint layer is stable. There are no paint losses or retouches visible to the naked eye or to ultraviolet examination. Once the canvas is tightened slightly, to alleviate the waves on the surface, the painting can be hung as is. 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."

Konstantin Gorbatov was born in the small Volga river town of Stavropol. After initially studying architecture at the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts, he eventually transferred to the painting department where he studied under Nikolai Dubovskoy and Alexander Kiselev, though he was most influenced by Ilya Repin and Arkhip Kuindzhi. He earned a scholarship to travel throughout Europe and he visited Maxim Gorky in Capri. It was during this time that he perfected his unique, Impressionistic style.

Upon his return to Russia in 1913, Gorbatov became known for his depictions of Old Russia, including scenes of Pskov, Novgorod and Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra. Founded in the 14th century by St. Sergius of Radonezh, the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra went on to become the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church and home to an outstanding collection of religious objects and icons, including Simon Ushakov's The Last Supper and Andrei Rublev's The Trinity. Meanwhile the surrounding area developed into the modern day Sergiyev Posad; partially visible in the foreground of the present composition, the town has since grown to a population exceeding 100,000. The Lavra was closed by the Soviet government in 1920; the buildings were repurposed and much of the sacristy collection was dispersed. Control was reinstated to the Church by Stalin in 1945, the year of the artist's death, and the site has since been added to the UN World Heritage List.

Gorbatov emigrated from Russia in the early 1920s, but for years to come he would continue to depict Russian scenes, conveying an ever-present nostalgia for his homeland. An alternate view of this site, dated 1923, was offered in these halls in 2008.