Yuri Ivanovich Pimenov

Gekkoso Gallery, Tokyo

This painting is in very fresh and probably untouched condition. The paint layer is stable, has not been cleaned or varnished and may be slightly dirty, yet no restoration is encouraged. There are no paint losses and there seem to be no restorations. The painting should be hung as is. 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."

Beginning as early as the 1930s, Pimenov executed several extraordinary works of and for the theater, including multiple series of curtain and set designs. He later produced images for ballet and theater advertisements, and meanwhile delved behind the scenes to capture images of actors and dancers backstage–practicing, anticipating curtain call or basking in the glow of the aftermath.

The present lot offers an unobtrusive glimpse of dressing-room preparations before a ballet performance. Two seamstresses assist a young dancer at right, their forms reflected in the mirror behind them while a second mirror reveals an entire wall of tutus. At left more seamstresses attend to their tailoring, their silhouettes washed in sunlight. Pimenov achieves a sense of intimacy by exposing this off-limits territory, yet he also emphasizes the magic that happens here; he applies a reserved and sophisticated palette, employing complex angles of perspective–including those reflected in the mirrors–and suffusing the scene in glittering light, subtly delineating forms as if they were apparitions.