- 12
Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky
Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 GBP
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Description
- Konstantin Makovsky
- Portrait of a Lady
- signed in Latin l.r.
- oil on canvas
- 141.5 by 80cm, 55 3/4 by 31 1/2 in.
Exhibited
St Petersburg, Union of Artists, 1905
Literature
Slovo, 27 March 1905, no.107 illustrated
Condition
Original canvas. The work has been cleaned and is in excellent condition. Minor craquelure is visible in some of the lighter pigments (in the sitter's skin and dress). In otherwise excellent condition. Under UV pigment fluoresces to the left of the sitter's head, along the bottom edge, in some minor spots of the sitter's dress and along the top edge, to the right of the sitter and in some spots along the edges. Varnish prevents a conclusive analysis. Held in a wood frame with plaster molding. 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 present work is a beautiful example of Makovsky's talent as a portraitist. Delicate brushstrokes evoke the sitter's sophistication and style. The painting was shown at the 1905 Union of Artists exhibition in St Petersburg and published in the Russian literary and arts journal Slovo.
Makovsky is especially renowned for his elegant female salon portraits. As Dr Elena Nesterova writes, 'his canvases...combined the formal and the intimate, the majestic and the sentimental... [They] were remarkable for their superb technique, excellent detail (...) rich and decorative colours, the freedom and energy of the brushwork' (K.Makovsky, St Petersburg, 2003, p.268).
We would like to thank Dr Elena Nesterova for providing additional catalogue information.