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VLADIMIR NEMUKHIN | Card Table
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Vladimir Nemukhin
- Card Table
- oil and mixed media on canvas
- Canvas: 39 1/4 by 31 1/2 in., 100 by 80cm
- Framed: 39 3/4 by 32 1/8 in., 101 by 81.5cm
signed in Cyrillic and dated '74' l.m.; further signed, titled and inscribed in Cyrillic 'Moskva', numbered 'N3' and dated '974' on the reverseoil and mixed media on canvasThe playing cards which Nemukhin incorporates again and again in his paintings and collages are more significant than a casual viewer might think. ‘The leitmotif of gambling and divination are central to Russian culture’ as the art critic John Bowlt points out - think only of Pushkin’s 'Queen of Spades' and Dostoevsky’s 'Gambler‘s'. ‘As the 19th century lubok called "The Demon of Card Playing" tells us, playing cards is a satanic ploy that undermines social mores and unleashes sinister powers, and in holding up his cards to the Establishment, the sorcerer Nemukhin seemed to be fully aware of these connotations. In other words, what might appear to be an abstract painting, dependent for its effect on a formal counterpoint of textures and rhythms is, in fact, an intricate narrative charges with an ideological message that places it firmly within the Russian esoteric tradition’ (ed.N.Rzhevsky, 'The Cambridge Companion to Modern Russian Culture', 1998).
Provenance
Acquired by the present owner in the Soviet Union in the 1970s
Condition
Original canvas. There is a layer of light surface dirt and minor abrasions around the edges. Held in a simple wooden strip frame. Unexamined out of frame.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.