Yuri Ivanovich Pimenov

Dmitri Ivanovich Pavlov, administrator of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater, Moscow, 1920s
Thence by descent
Private Collection, Europe, 2009

Gouache, watercolor and pencil on paper laid down on board. The surface is dirty. There are some creases and minor losses to each of the four corners. The sheet is affixed to the edges of the board and is raised slightly at center. Both a horizontal crease and a vertical crease run through the center of the composition. There is a 7cm tear to the sheet near the pianist's elbow and a 12cm tear from the pianist's right wrist to the edge of the composition. Additional, smaller tears are visible near the pianist's foot and near the center of the left edge, as well as other places where creasing is most pronounced. Very minor pigment loss is apparent in these places. A few water stains are present as well as minor craquelure to areas of the gouache, eg to the dancer's leg and the cigar. This work does not appear to have been restored and is in original condition. It hangs very nicely as is. Held in a black-painted wooden frame and under glass. 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Though still young in the mid-1920s, Pimenov had developed an estimable reputation for his original technique. He sought to depict the creative and optimistic atmosphere of the times, and many of his works from the period feature larger-than-life figures in extreme situations, exerting themselves to the brink of their physical and emotional capabilities. These images reflect the influence of Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler as well as German Expressionist painters; Pimenov would have seen paintings by Expressionists including Otto Dix and George Grosz at the First General German Art Exhibition in Moscow in 1924. Pimenov melded their aesthetics into his unique style, which he then applied to Soviet political and social themes.

The present lot captures a breathtaking moment of fierce dramatic tension; a pianist raises his hands improbably high above the keys, positioned to shatter silence with a resounding crash of music as a figure dances in the background. Their exaggerated poses, alongside the severe diagonals of the piano and table, synergize to activate the composition. The result is veritable dynamo of musical rhythm and creative vision, a revolutionary masterpiece of the highest order.