Vasily Shukhaev

This painting is painted on both sides of the canvas, but it is the portrait of a man that is completed. The painting is in very good state. It is well-stretched. The painting has probably never been cleaned and is certainly in very fresh condition. In the center of the right side, in the black color, there are a few vertical restorations addressing a blemish of some kind. The face and the remainder of the picture are in lovely condition. With a very light cleaning, a slight tightening of the canvas at upper left and possibly a thin varnish, the painting will be ready to hang. 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."

Vasily Shukhaev was born in Moscow in 1887 and began his artistic studies at an early age, initially enrolling at the Stroganov Institute and later studying under Dmitry Kardovsy and Vasily Savinksy at the St. Petersburg Academy. The young artist showed much promise and won a scholarship, enabling him to travel to Italy from 1912-1914. Like his good friend and contemporary Alexander Iacovleff, Shukhaev was a particularly adept portraitist. He and Iacovleff settled in Paris in 1921 and greatly influenced one another's careers, constantly exchanging ideas and technical advice. The present work is quite possibly a portrait of Roberto Montenegro, the Mexican 'Subrealist' painter, illustrator and stage designer.