Russian Pictures
Russian Pictures
Portrait of Vladimir Dukelsky
Auction Closed
November 30, 02:40 PM GMT
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Pavel Tchelitchew
1898 - 1957
Portrait of Vladimir Dukelsky
stamped twice with the artist's signature on the reverse; further bearing a Richard Nathanson gallery label on the backing board
gouache on paper
Sheet: 50 by 39.5cm, 19¾ by 15½in.
Framed: 71.5 by 62.5cm, 28¼ by 24¾in.
Executed in 1925
A gift from the artist to his sister Alexandra Tchelitcheff-Zaoussailoff, Paris, 1925
Richard Nathanson, London
Colin Clark (1932-2002), purchased from the above
Purchased at the estate sale of the above by the present owner
Vladimir Dukelsky, also known as Vernon Duke, was a Russian-American composer, poet, and writer. Born into a noble family, he studied in Kiev and later moved to Paris where he collaborated with Diaghilev, Stravinsky, and Prokofiev. His ballet commissioned by Diaghilev, Zephyr and Flora was staged in 1925, with choreography by Léonide Massine.
In 1929 Dukelsky settled in the United States, where he had briefly lived before, and became known as Vernon Duke. He was one of the most successful American songwriters of the Depression era, scoring a series of hits including ‘April in Paris’, ‘Autumn in New York’, and ‘I Can't Get Started’ while also enjoying a concurrent career under his real name.
Tchelitchew and Vladimir Dukelsky had initially met in Constantinople after fleeing Russia, and they stayed close throughout their lives. Tchelitchew painted this portrait of Dukelsky in Paris in 1925 and gifted it to his sister Alexandra Tchelitcheff-Zaoussailoff. It is a rare and particularly successful example of the artist's early French period.
Later in America, Tchelitchew and Dukelsky famously collaborated on the outrageous Paper Ball held at the Atheneum (the oldest public art gallery in the United States). The artist was the Master of Ceremonies and designed the décor and costumes while Dukelsky composed the music.
The portrait was included in the Tchelitchew exhibition at the Alpine Club in London in 1974 and was acquired by the British filmmaker and writer Colin Clark. It remained in his family until recently.