- 140
Viktor Popkov
Estimate
180,000 - 250,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Viktor Popkov
- Three Artists
- signed in Cyrillic and dated 1962 l.l.
- oil on canvas
- 160 by 225cm, 63 by 88 1/2 in.
- Executed in 1962-63
Provenance
Acquired directly from the family of the artist by the present owner
Exhibited
London, Somerset House, Viktor Popkov (1932-1974). Genius of the Russian Soul, 22 May - 18 June 2014, no.12
Literature
P.Kozorezenko, Viktor Popkov: A Russian Painter of Genius, London: Unicorn Press, 2013, pp.148-49 illustrated
Exhibition catalogue Viktor Popkov (1932-1974). Genius of the Russian Soul, London: Unicorn Press, 2014, no.12 illustrated
Exhibition catalogue Viktor Popkov (1932-1974). Genius of the Russian Soul, London: Unicorn Press, 2014, no.12 illustrated
Condition
Original canvas. The surface is covered in varnish and a bit dirty. The texture of the canvas is visible and there are areas where the paint has pilled, but this appears to be original. There is some minor craquelure, and minor paint loss around the edges. Under UV pigment appears to fluoresce in the lower left corner and along the lower edge and in areas of the figures' legs, as well as several other isolated areas though varnish prevents a conclusive analysis. Held in a gold paster wood frame. 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
The impressive size of Three Artists alone make this work one of the most significant paintings by Viktor Popkov ever to appear at auction. The early 1960s was a key period in the artist’s career. He featured prominently at the 31st Venice Biennale and was exhibiting as far afield as Finland and Japan.
Popkov’s name is closely associated with the ‘Severe Style’, a movement epitomised by his celebrated 1960 masterpiece, The Builders of the Bratsk Hydro Power Station. In the context of Khrushchev’s Thaw, artists began to move away from idealised depictions of workers typically associated with Socialist Realism and began to show a more truthful picture of life in the Soviet Union. Inspired by the great artists of the 1920s, such as Deineka and Pimenov, the movement came to be characterised by monumental works with simplified forms and a limited palette.
Three Artists however, is a remarkably personal work for this famous exponent of the Severe Style: the air of monumentality is tempered by the element of self-portraiture, in which Popkov seems to examine his identity as an artist. Painted during a visit to Arkhangelsk, the composition shows Popkov’s image reflected in the mirror of a wardrobe; to the left Karl Fridman is at his easel with Alexander Sorochkin immersed in thought on the right. In their essay published in conjunction with the Somerset House exhibition, Faina Balakhovskaya and Natalia Alexandrova have interpreted the painting as a triple self-portrait, showing the artist in three different stages of the creative process: work, contemplation and rest (Viktor Popkov. Genius of the Russian Soul).
Popkov’s name is closely associated with the ‘Severe Style’, a movement epitomised by his celebrated 1960 masterpiece, The Builders of the Bratsk Hydro Power Station. In the context of Khrushchev’s Thaw, artists began to move away from idealised depictions of workers typically associated with Socialist Realism and began to show a more truthful picture of life in the Soviet Union. Inspired by the great artists of the 1920s, such as Deineka and Pimenov, the movement came to be characterised by monumental works with simplified forms and a limited palette.
Three Artists however, is a remarkably personal work for this famous exponent of the Severe Style: the air of monumentality is tempered by the element of self-portraiture, in which Popkov seems to examine his identity as an artist. Painted during a visit to Arkhangelsk, the composition shows Popkov’s image reflected in the mirror of a wardrobe; to the left Karl Fridman is at his easel with Alexander Sorochkin immersed in thought on the right. In their essay published in conjunction with the Somerset House exhibition, Faina Balakhovskaya and Natalia Alexandrova have interpreted the painting as a triple self-portrait, showing the artist in three different stages of the creative process: work, contemplation and rest (Viktor Popkov. Genius of the Russian Soul).