Alexander Yakovlevich Golovin

Arthur F. Hamann, Riga and Germany

The paint surface is dusty and there is wear to the corners and edges along with some very minor associated paint loss. There are some crescent-shaped tears to the surface of the board in the lower middle and some small spots of light media staining and a few very minor flecks of paintloss. Held in a black painted wooden frame behind museum glass.
"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 Bolshoi Theatre in St Petersburg was packed for the première of Rimsky-Korsakov's Pskovityanka in 1901. According to Vladimir Telyakovsky, by then Director of the Imperial Theatres and a great proponent of Golovin's work, 'The designs were superb... When the curtain rose on the set for the Chamber, the audience broke into applause' (10 October 1901, Telyakovsky's memoirs, quoted in Alexander Golovin, Moscow: Sovetsky khudozhnik, 1990, p.193). The dramatic shadows and streaked sky of the present work can be found in other watercolour and gouache designs for Act I, Scene II in the collection of The State Tretyakov Gallery (see Alexander Golovin, Moscow: Sovetsky khudozhnik, 1990, p.10 and Mir Iskusstva 1898-1927, St Petersburg 2010, p.300).

"The white walls of the ancient Pskov Kremlin beneath the looming storm clouds were a monumental backdrop for the mass movements on stage. It underscored the significance of the proceedings, the dynamism of the crowd and the way it surged towards the orator raised up in their midst. The artist created an expressive mise--en-scène which conveyed civic pathos and the strong, united desire of the people of Pskov for freedom" (A.Movshenson, A.G.Golovin, Leningrad: Iskusstvo, p.12). Set designs by Golovin outside museum collections are scarce, and the re-emergence of a design for one his most important early productions is significant.