Boris Dmitrievich Grigoriev

Cyrille Grigoriev, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France
Private Collection, France, 1970s
Sotheby's New York, Russian Art, 17 April 2007, lot 359
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

B.Grigoriev, Rasseia, Potsdam, Petersburg and Berlin, 1921, illustrated

The board is sound. In overall fine condition. There is some minor craquelure in the woman near left edge and some very minor abrasions to surface. Inspection under UV light reveals scatttered minor retouchings in the middle third area of the work and the lower left. Held in a 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. 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."

Grigoriev’s groundbreaking Rasseia series of paintings was first displayed at the World of Art exhibition in 1918 in Petrograd. The cycle poignantly depicts the so-called 'primitive' people of Russia: the farmers, fishermen and peasants resolute to survive, and ultimately presents a 'true portrait of Russia' (quoted in Art et Poésie Russes 1900-1930. Textes choisis, 1979, p. 38). After emigrating from Russia in 1918, Grigoriev continued to add to the Rasseia cycle, fuelled by a sense of nostalgia and inspired by drawings of peasants he made in 1917 and 1918. Some of the most significant works from the series were painted in these later years, including the 1920 portrait of the poet Nikolai Klyuev. The entire series of paintings was published in the monograph Rasseia, printed in 1921 in Berlin and St Petersburg. The present lot, Harvest, is illustrated therein, and was painted in 1920 while Grigoriev was living in Berlin. His works from the 1920s utilize a bright colour palette and are made up of fields of colour, rather than deliberate Cubist fragmentation.