LYUBOV POPOVA | Untitled (Seated Nude)

Dmitri Sarabianov, Moscow
Dr. Istvan Schlegel, Zurich
Galerie Gilles Gheerbrandt, Montreal
Acquired from the above on March 7, 1987

Larissa Alekseevna Zhadova, ed., Tatlin, London, 1988, no. 59, illustrated n.p.
Karen Thomson, ed., The Blema and H. Arnold Steinberg Collection, Montreal, 2015, no. 105, illustrated in color p. 102

The work is in very good condition. Executed on beige-colored wove paper. The sheet is hinged to a mount in all four corners of its verso. The left edge is perforated, possibly having been taken from a notebook. There are two artist's pinholes in the top left corn, and one each in the other three corners. There are minor handling creases in the upper right and lower right corners.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In the spring of 1914, Popova returned to Moscow from Paris where she had been studying Cubism at Académie La Palette under the instruction of Henri Le Fauconnier and Jean Metzinger. She quickly earned Metzinger’s praise, as fellow student Natalia Udaltsova noted in her diary (not without a tinge of jealousy). Neither Tatlin or Malevich had the funds to travel to Paris however, and there was nowhere in Russia which taught these pioneering methods. Tatlin’s solution was to transform his studio on Ostozhenka street into an imitation Paris academy, soon dubbed "Tatlin’s Tower," which served as a hub for debating Cubism as well as practicing the art, allowing students to club together to pay for models. Popova’s abstract drawings from this period are powerful, and stand out for their maturity, finished sculptural qualities and superb shading. Tatlin was impressed and rumor had it that he wanted to pay good money for private lessons on Cubism from Popova. The present work is a prime example of the Cubist works she produced in “Tatlin’s Tower” at this critical early juncture for the Russian avant-garde.
We are grateful to Dr Aleksandra Shatskikh for providing this catalogue note.