Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova

Collection Emil Synek, Paris
Thence by descent

The canvas has been lined. There is a layer of light surface dirt. UV light reveals no apparent signs of retouching. Held in a bronze-painted plaster frame. Unexamined out of frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The offered lot was acquired in the 1950s in Paris by the acclaimed Czech writer and playwright Emil Synek, a fierce critic of the Hitler regime in his political journalism. He fled to France in the war and fought with the Czech militia until he was evacuated to Dunkirk.  He spent the war years in London with the Eduard Benes government in exile.  He returned home only briefly after the war and was awarded a national prize for his novel on the war years, The Running Shadow.  Fearful of a Communist takeover, he moved to Paris in 1947.

Born in Prague, Mr. Synek graduated from the Sorbonne and received a doctorate of law from Charles University in Prague in 1926.  His first play was staged at the National Theatre in Prague when he was 24 years old.  He wrote more than 20 plays and won his first national literary prize in 1934.  He also wrote novels and biographies and directed films at the Barandov studios in Prague.

After the war, Mr. Synek rebuilt a small but distinguished collection of artworks that reflected his deep cultural interests in central and eastern Europe.  The firm outlines and burnished gold of the pears in the present work is a lovely example of the Cézannesque elements which appear in some of Goncharova's most attractive still lifes.