ANATOLY ZVEREV | Composition

signed in Cyrillic and dated '59' t.r.oil over pencil on paper One of the few underground Soviet artists who received international attention during his lifetime - a tramp, a rebel, a genius - Anatoly Zverev became a figure-head of his generation. He predominantly worked on paper and stylistically his art correlates most closely with the Expressionists. The present abstract composition is an incredibly early piece. In 2013, the AZ museum opened in Moscow with a core holding of works by Zverev donated by one of George Costakis’ daughters. As the museum’s founder Natalia Opaleva discussed on the opening of the exhibition in Florence earlier this year, 'New Flight to Solaris', there is still no consistent term for Zverev and his peers, the so-called Escape Artists of this sale. 'It is called nonconformist, unofficial art, other art. We call it the Soviet renaissance… We want these artists [to be considered part of] world history. We don’t [think] they are a purely Russian, local phenomenon' (quoted in The Art Newspaper, May 2018).

Verona, Palazzo Forti, 'L'arte vietata in URSS 1955-1988', 7 March - 4 June 2000, illustrated on p.123 of the catalogue
Ashdod, Art Museum Ashdod, 'Persecuted Art & Artists under Totalitarian Regimes in Europe During the 20th Century', 22 June - 21 September 2003, illustrated on p.154 and listed on p.285 of the catalogue
Bratislava, The Slovak National Gallery, 'Nonkonformisti. Druhá ruská avantgarda 1955-1988', 14 November 2008 - 22 February 2009, illustrated on p.84 and listed on p.167 of the catalogue

There are creases throughout, notably to the top and bottom edges. There are two pinholes to the center of the top and bottom edges. The sheet is undulating and the edges are uneven. The sheet has discoloration and there is a layer of surface dirt. It is hinged to the mount in the corners and along the edges. Held in a simple wooden frame behind plexiglass. Unexamined out of frame.
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