Property from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Sold to Benefit Future Acquisitions
European School, 19th Century
Portrait of an Old Woman
Auction Closed
November 30, 02:40 PM GMT
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Sold to Benefit Future Acquisitions
European School, 19th Century
Portrait of an Old Woman
inscribed by Alexander Benois on the reverse
oil on canvas
Canvas: 26 by 20cm, 10¼ by 8in.
Framed: 52 by 46.5cm, 20½ by 18¼in.
Acquired at the above sale by C. Michael Paul
A gift from the Josephine Bay Paul and C. Michael Paul Foundation, Inc., and the Charles Ulrick and Joseph Bay Foundation to the Virgina Museum of Fine Arts in 1968
Richmond, Virginia, Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art, Nineteenth Century French and Russian Art: Works from the Collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 23 February - 27 April 2014
According to the inscription in Alexander Benois' hand on the reverse, the eminent artist and art historian believed this work to be by Vasily Vasilievich Vereshchagin when it was shown to him in Paris in 1946. The composition, the tight framing of the sitter as well as the size of the canvas do indeed recall small portraits by Vereshchagin. Benois' attribution is therefore not surprising, especially when considering that in Paris he perhaps did not have access to other works by the artist or even good-quality illustrations.
Michael Paul (1901-1980) was born Paul Michael Iogolevitch in Imperial Russia where, after a brief career as a violinist, he joined the Russian army. He changed his name to Capton Michael Paul when he migrated to the U.S. after World War II. After accumulating a large fortune in the petroleum business, he founded the C. Michael Paul Foundation and in 1965, he endowed the C. Michael Paul Hall at the Julliard School.