- 28
Mikhail Petrovich Klodt
Estimate
120,000 - 180,000 GBP
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Description
- Mikhail Petrovich Klodt
- The Joker
- signed in Cyrillic and dated 1897 l.l.
- oil on canvas
- 63 by 85.5cm, 23 3/4 by 33 1/2 in.
Provenance
Armand Hammer
Private collection, California, a gift from the above, late 1960s
Sotheby's London, Russian Art Paintings, 25 November 2008, lot 424
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner
Private collection, California, a gift from the above, late 1960s
Sotheby's London, Russian Art Paintings, 25 November 2008, lot 424
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner
Exhibited
St Petersburg, Moscow et al., XXV Itinerant Exhibition, 1897-1898
Literature
Exhibition catalogue XXV Illyustrirovannyi katalog Tovarishchestva peredvizhnikh khudozhestvennykh vystavok, Moscow: K.A. Fisher, 1897, p.9, no.86 listed; no.58 illustrated b/w
S.Goldshtein et al., Tovarishchestvo peredvizhnikh khudozhestvennykh vystavok 1869-1899: pis'ma, dokumenty, Moscow: Iskusstvo, 1987, vol.2, p.515, no.86 illustrated b/w
G.Romanov (ed.), The Society of Itinerant Art Exhibitions, 1871-1923, An Encyclopaedia, St Petersburg: Sankt-Peterburg Orkestr, 2003, p.189, no.111 illustrated b/w
S.Goldshtein et al., Tovarishchestvo peredvizhnikh khudozhestvennykh vystavok 1869-1899: pis'ma, dokumenty, Moscow: Iskusstvo, 1987, vol.2, p.515, no.86 illustrated b/w
G.Romanov (ed.), The Society of Itinerant Art Exhibitions, 1871-1923, An Encyclopaedia, St Petersburg: Sankt-Peterburg Orkestr, 2003, p.189, no.111 illustrated b/w
Condition
The canvas has been lined. There is a layer of light surface dirt and some minor craquelure in the lower half. UV light reveals retouching to the centre and left background sections, to the clothes of the joker, in places to the faces, hair and clothes of the female figures including the black material of the figure on the far right. A discoloured varnish layer prevents a more thorough analysis. Held in a gold painted plaster frame. 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
Baron Mikhail Klodt was a founding member and active participant of the Society of Itinerant Art Exhibitions. The present lot was shown at the 25th Itinerant Exhibition held in 1897-1898 and included in the illustrated catalogue. During the years following the October Revolution, The Joker was acquired by Armand Hammer, the extravagant American industrialist who operated as an intermediary in the Soviet Union for major American firms. He took full advantage of his political connection and the unrest of the 1920s to build an impressive art collection.