Alexander Nikolaevich Benois

On the whole, the sheets are in good condition, some are a little undulated with pinholes visible to the inner mount edges. The colours are fresh. Held in matching dark painted wooden frame and under glass. The letter is unframed.
"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."

To be sold with a letter from the artist to his wife written on 21 August 1946.

Benois was captivated by the seventeenth century Palace of Versailles from the time of his first visit to Paris in 1896. As he later recalled: 'I was irresistibly drawn to the park, where I found an inexhaustible source of exciting motifs.' (Quoted in Y.Petrova (ed.), The Age of Diaghilev, State Russian Museum, 2001, p.128).

Benois considered the rule of Louis XIV, the Sun King, and his glorious court at Versailles to be the epitome of a golden age, one far removed from the social and political turmoil of early twentieth century Russia. His identification with the past was a key part of his persona: 'A great deal of the past seems to me to be very familiar, perhaps even more familiar than the present.' (Quoted in J. Bowlt, The Silver Age: Russian Art of the Early Twentieth Century and the World of Art Group, 1982, p. 182). Yet Benois also produced drawings and sketches which focussed solely on the beauty of Versailles without the distraction of ghostly figures from the past. There is a sense of timelessness to these images of fountains, tree-lined walks and parterres, as though all the concerns of the present ceased to exist for the artist as he painted.

Benois' deep connection with Versailles is perhaps expressed best in the touching letter of 1946 which accompanies these watercolours:

In this sixth set of paintings which I offer to you, my most beloved Akitsa, I seem to have strayed somewhat from the system which unites the first five. It is not dedicated to the treasures of our homeland, instead it depicts views of Versailles. Yet this set of paintings too serves as an integral link in the complete series, for even in the days before we visited the residence of the Sun King, and even when we were able to enjoy the delights of the XVIII century at Peterhof, Oranienbaum and Tsarskoe Selo, Versailles still appeared to be the unattainable ideal. Even when we came to know it, Versailles still turned out to be a place where we somehow felt a particularly strong connection to the past as well as being a particularly fruitful location for our artistic and poetic desires. Yes, these "faces of Versailles" which you will find on the following pages are a poor reminder, but a reminder nevertheless, of those wonderful minutes which we experienced together in that magical world, walking, as we imagined it, through the shadows of its dense topiary, admiring the marvellous statues of deities and the reflection of the heavens in the marble basins; think about who was your faithful companion and friend from your very earliest years...

Your adoring and thankful husband,

Alexander Benois