Acquired by the great-grandfather of the present owners circa 1900
Structural Condition
The canvas is lined and is securely attached to a keyed wooden stretcher. This is ensuring a
stable structural support. There are slight vertical tension lines running intermittently along the
left part of the upper edge. These are entirely stable.
Paint surface
The paint surface has a relatively even and heavily discoloured varnish layer. There are scattered networks of very fine lines of craquelure including within the Church spire. These are entirely stable.
Inspection under ultra-violet light confirms the heavily discoloured and degraded varnish layer
which has an uneven and streaky appearance. This prevents the ultra-violet light from fully
penetrating, particularly around the spire of the church, within the architecture and above the
procession in the foreground. Inspection under ultra-violet light also shows intermittent
retouchings at the extreme edges of the composition, a small retouching to the left of the spire
and a few small spots of retouching within the sky. Due to the uneven and streaky appearance
under ultra-violet light it is difficult to ascertain the extent of any previous restoration work.
Summary
The painting would therefore appear to be in good and stable condition.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."
In 1861 Bogoliubov and his brother, Nikolai, a sailor and writer, travelled along the Volga to compile the first comprehensive travel guide of the region. The artist later recollected in his autobiography: ‘it was an interesting journey, especially for me; having lived abroad so much as both a sailor and artist, I had little understanding of my own country.’ In 1862
The Volga from Tver to Astrakhan was published, at least 20 pages of which were dedicated to Yaroslavl. The chapter
Processions states that ‘in the ancient city [Yaroslavl] and its environs, up to twenty six processions take place between the Feast of the Baptism [19 January] and late autumn’. In 1863 Bogoliubov spent five days in Yaroslavl as part of the retinue of Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich. They visited key Old Russian architectural monuments, including the Holy Transfiguration, Tolga and Nicholas-Babaev monasteries.
Bogoliubov brought back hundreds of drawings and studies from his two Volga expeditions, during which time he saw several Orthodox processions. Procession in Yaroslavl (fig.1), a small work depicting a solemn procession by the 17th century church of Elijah the Prophet, is from this period. A similar view of ancient Yaroslavl with its church domes is depicted in the background of the present work.
In a letter dated 23rd January 1866, Bogoliubov requests permission from Fedor Bruni, rector of the Imperial Academy of Arts, to send his paintings directly to Paris for the Exposition Universelle of 1867, without first exhibiting them at the Academy’s exhibition. The list of works belonging to private individuals includes the painting View of Yaroslavl. Matins for a Holy Christian Celebration on the Banks of the Volga. Night-Time with the City Illuminated by Firelight During the Church Procession (249 by 189cm with frame). The offered lot is probably a smaller version of this painting, the subject of which so captivated Bogoliubov.
We are grateful to Lyudmila Pashkova of the Radishchev State Museum of Fine Arts for providing this catalogue note.
