Mikhail Alexandrovich Vrubel

Acquired in Paris by a Russian émigré collector in the interwar years
Sotheby's London, Icons, Russian Pictures and Works of Art, 24 November 1992, lot 38

 

There is a chip on her lower right edge at the base, approximately 4 by 3cm high. There is a small chip to the glaze to her headpiece, and several repainted chips to the glaze on the reverse and along the base.
"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 present work was executed circa 1897. 

In 1896 Vrubel married the opera singer Nadezhda Zabela (1868-1913), the leading soprano of her day. Rimsky-Korsakov was a great admirer of her talent, and her performance as Volkhova in his opera Sadko (1896) was legendary. 'No-one could fulfil the role of Volkhova with the sincerity, intangible brilliance or poetic wonder as Nadezhda Ivanovna could' (B.Yanovsky, Vospominanie o N.I.Zabele-Vrubel, p.339).  Her performance was immortalised on canvas in one of Vrubel's most famous works Tsarevna Volkhova (The State Tretyakov Gallery, 1898). It is widely acknowledged that Vrubel incorporated her features whilst modelling the present sculpture, and the attire is similar to Vrubel's costume design for the role. As Suzdalev notes, the sculpture is defined by a deeply introspective quality, her expression one of 'melancholy musing or lyrical introspection' (P.Suzdalev, Vrubel, 2005, p.237). 'It is such an elusive and highly expressive work that it is understandable that Yaremich mistakenly identified her as Snegurochka' (idem, p.238).

We are grateful to Eleanora Paston of The State Tretyakov Gallery and VilNevsky of the Abramtsevo Museum for providing additional cataloguing information.