- 213
Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 GBP
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Description
- Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova
- Set Design for Le Coq d’or
- numbered 70 on a label l.r.; further numbered MLF143 on the reverse
- gouache over pencil and collage on board
- 54 by 74cm, 21 1/4 by 29 1/4 in.
- Executed circa 1937
Provenance
Lefebvre-Foinet Collection
Condition
The sheet has been laid down on Japanese paper which has come away from the support slightly in a couple of places, visible on the reverse. The edges are slightly uneven. There are scattered spots of foxing, most notably along the edges. The sheet has discoloured slightly. Held in a simple wooden frame behind plexiglass. 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
Goncharova's designs for the 1914 production of the opera-ballet Le Coq d’or marked her first collaboration with Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes. Drawing heavily on the images of Old Russia, the festive reds and yellows of Russian icon painting and the tradition of lubok prints, the set and costume designs for the 1914 production and the 1937 revival were amongst her most imaginative works for the theatre. Diaghilev signed the contract with Goncharova in 1913 and already in January 1914 the impresario commented: 'Goncharova's sketches are wonderful! They have some, though not excessive, woodcut style features, and, most importantly, they offer amazing colour solutions and fabulous intricacy' (Sergei Diagilev i russkoe iskusstvo, Moscow, 1982, p.236).
The premiere of the ballet was a resounding success and Prince Volkonsky exclaimed that 'if the walls of the French Grand Opera had vocal organs, they would have gasped with surprise at the sight of what was being shown there on 21 May 1914' (ibid, p.465). Goncharova's opulent designs won praise, transforming her, as she herself admitted, 'from an ordinary Moscow painter into a scenographer who travelled around the world' (quoted in Natalia Goncharova. Between East and West, p.53). In June later that year her work, including the designs for Le Coq d’or, was shown at the Galerie Paul Guillaume and Apollinaire wrote a flattering introduction to the catalogue.
The premiere of the ballet was a resounding success and Prince Volkonsky exclaimed that 'if the walls of the French Grand Opera had vocal organs, they would have gasped with surprise at the sight of what was being shown there on 21 May 1914' (ibid, p.465). Goncharova's opulent designs won praise, transforming her, as she herself admitted, 'from an ordinary Moscow painter into a scenographer who travelled around the world' (quoted in Natalia Goncharova. Between East and West, p.53). In June later that year her work, including the designs for Le Coq d’or, was shown at the Galerie Paul Guillaume and Apollinaire wrote a flattering introduction to the catalogue.