Aleksandr Nikolaevic Samochvalov Sold at Auction Prices
Painter, b. 1894 - d. 1971
Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov (21 August 1894 – 20 August 1971) was a Soviet Russian painter, watercolorist, graphic artist, illustrator, art teacher and Honored Arts Worker of the RSFSR, who lived and worked in Leningrad. He was a member of the Leningrad branch of Union of Artists of Russian Federation, and was regarded as one of the founders and brightest representatives of the Leningrad school of painting,[1] most famous for his genre and portrait painting.
Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov was born on 21 August 1894 in the town of Bezhetsk, located in the Tver Governorate of the Russian Empire.
In 1914, Samokhvalov enrolled in the Higher Art School of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg. He studied under Vasily Beliaev, Gugo Zaleman, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, and Vasily Shukhayev; among his teachers, the most important was Petrov-Vodkin, with his dimensional system of painting design and correlation of colour and form.
Samokhvalov traveled with Petrov-Vodkin to Samarkand in 1921 as a member of the Expedition of Institute for History of Material Culture, and it was a critical moment in his life and outlook. Another powerful influence on his style was his participation in the restoration process of Georgy's Cathrdral in Staraya Ladoga in 1926, where he discovered an ancient Russian painting.
He graduated from Petrograd VKHUTEIN (known as the Ilya Repin Institute since 1944) in 1923.[2] His diploma was "Dressing-down" (State Russian Museum), where he tried to use "spherical perspective" in the spirit of Petrov-Vodkin, and came close to surrealism.
Samokhvalov had participated in art exhibitions since 1914, and in 1917 he took part in the exhibition of the Mir iskusstva. He painted portraits, genre and historical paintings, as well as monumental and easel painting, black-and-white art, sculpture, decorative and applied art, and illustrations for fiction and poetry. He produced book graphics from the middle of the 1920s, and began working with scenography in the 1930s at the Bolshoi Drama Theater and Russian State Pushkin Academy Drama Theater in Leningrad and Novosibirsk.
He was very successful in images of heroes of labour and sport (Conductressa (1928); Girl with the kernel (1933), famous watercoloured series Builder of Metro (1933—1934), all at State Russian Museum), all of which had peculiar surrealistic charm. He was the creator of a significant work of the Soviet Epoch of the 1930s with his painting Girl in T-shirt (1932). In 1937, it was awarded the gold medal at the International Art Fair in Paris, France. At the same time, Samokhvalov took two Grand-Prix awards for his panel Soviet Athletics and illustrations for The History of a Town by Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin.[3]
Samokhvalov was a member of the "Krug" (1926–1929) and "October" (1930–1932) artists' associations, and was a member of the Leningrad Union of Artists beginning in 1932. His leading theme was Soviet youth. He was awarded an honorary title from the Honored Art Worker of Russian Federation in 1967.
Samokhvalov created many genre and historical paintings by commission; among them were Sergey Kirov Greeting Parad of Athletes (1935, State Russian Museum), Appearance of Vladimir Lenin in All-Russian Congress of Soviets (1939, State Russian Museum), Parade of Victory (1947, sketch for Palace of the Soviets, private collection), Sergey Kirov and Iosif Stalin at the Building of Volkhov Power Station (1950, private collection, London), and others. Among his works also easel paintings: Vladimir Lenin and Iosif Stalin at the 2nd Congress of RSDLP (1939, State Russian Museum), Front Friends (1946), Stalingrad Resident, Thinking of Battle Days (both 1948), Portrait of Yevgeny Mravinsky[4] (1950), In the Sun[5] (1953), Cafe "Gurzuf"[6] (1956), Portrait of Maria Kleshar (1958).
From 1948 to 1951, Samokhvalov taught in the monumental painting department at the Leningrad Higher School of Art and Industry named Vera Mukhina,[7] and he authored a memoir titled My Way of Creation (1977),[8] At the Time of Restless Sun (1996).[9]
His personal exhibitions were in Leningrad (1963,[10] 1968,[11] 1975,[12] State Russian Museum and "House of Writes"), Moscow (1964), Saint Petersburg (1994, 2014 State Russian Museum),[13] Tver (1994).[14]
In 1967, Samokhvalov was awarded the Order of Lenin for outstanding contribution to development of Soviet art.
Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov died in Leningrad on 20 August 1971. His paintings and graphics reside in the State Russian Museum, State Tretyakov Gallery, other art museums, and private collections in Russia, Italy, France, the US, Japan, Germany, England and throughout the world.
ALEXANDER SAMOKHVALOV (RUSSIAN 1894-1971) Portrait of Sergei Aleksandrovich Rinkevich, oil on canvas 87.5 x 100 cm (34 1/2 x 39 3/4 in.) unframed PROVENANCE Collection of Sergei Rinkevich Thence by descent in the family LOT NOTES Sold along a signed and notarized letter of provenance from the grandson of Sergei Rinkevich (copy available upon request.) ESSAY When Samokhvalov produced this work in the early 1950s, he was renowned for monumental Socialist Realist history paintings, as well as intimate portraits in interior settings, including the present and Girl in an Interior (sold for $131,000, including buyer's premium, at Shapiro Auctions, December 10, 2016, lot 7). The sitter, Professor Sergei Rinkevich, was an eminent electrical engineer and professor, best known as the purveyor of the electrical drive in the USSR. Dr. Rinkevich marshalled the founding of the world's first university department dedicated to the improvement of the drive, which, under his directorship in the 1920s and 30s, launched the rapid electrification of the Soviet heavy industry and navy. According to the letter provided by the sitter's grandson, Igor Sergeevich Rinkevich, who witnessed the making of the work, Samokhvalov painted the image over several sessions in the family's Leningrad apartment in the early 1950s. (See ref. 1 for a photograph of Igor Rinkevich together with the work). Capturing the likeness of one of the nation's distinguished scientists, Samokhvalov shows Dr. Rinkevich deep in thought, his fingers bookmarking a red volume -- a pose reminiscent of Renaissance and Baroque portraits of scholars, such as Bronzino's Portrait of a Young Man with a Book in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum. With characteristic economy of brushwork, Samokhvalov pictures his subject attentively and at a considerable scale, demonstrating his hand as a leading Soviet portraitist. Alexander Samokhvalov, one of the foremost representatives of the Leningrad school of painting, began his artistic career in 1914 at the Higher Art School at the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he studied under Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. Unlike many of his peers at the academy and the Mir iskusstva circle, such as Eugene Lanceray, Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva, or Alexander Osmerkin, in the late 1920s Samokhvalov enthusiastically embraced the development of Socialist Realism for which he is remembered. As in his most recognizable work — Girl in a Football Shirt, awarded the gold medal at the International Art Fair in Paris (which also exhibited Pablo Picasso's Guernica) — his paintings from the 1930s often showcase the first generation of Soviet women as the face of modernity and strength.
Alexandre Nikolaevich Samokhvalov, Russian, Soviet era, 1894 to 1971, mixed media painting on paper depicting a sports portrait of a woman with a ball, 1934. Signed with initials and dated, lower right. Matted. Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov was a Soviet Russian painter, watercolorist, graphic artist, illustrator, art teacher and Honored Arts Worker of the RSFSR, who lived and worked in Leningrad. He is co founder as well as a respected member of the Leningrad school of painting and the Leningrad Union of Artists. In 1925 and 1927 he was awarded with the Gold Medal at the international Paris Art Fair, in 1937 he won the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition. In addition, Samokhvalov worked as a set and costume designer at the Bolshoi Theater. His works are nowadays included in prestigious collections like the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. One of a kind artwork.
Alexandre Nikolaevich Samokhvalov, Russian, Soviet era, 1894 to 1971, charcoal painting on paper depicting a portrait of a woman, 1929. Signed with initials and dated, lower right. Matted. Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov was a Soviet Russian painter, watercolorist, graphic artist, illustrator, art teacher and Honored Arts Worker of the RSFSR, who lived and worked in Leningrad. He is co founder as well as a respected member of the Leningrad school of painting and the Leningrad Union of Artists. In 1925 and 1927 he was awarded with the Gold Medal at the international Paris Art Fair, in 1937 he won the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition. In addition, Samokhvalov worked as a set and costume designer at the Bolshoi Theater. His works are nowadays included in prestigious collections like the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. One of a kind artwork.
Alexandre Nikolaevich Samokhvalov, Russian, Soviet era, 1894 to 1971, charcoal painting on paper depicting a portrait of a woman, 1929. Signed with initials and dated, lower right. Matted. Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov was a Soviet Russian painter, watercolorist, graphic artist, illustrator, art teacher and Honored Arts Worker of the RSFSR, who lived and worked in Leningrad. He is co founder as well as a respected member of the Leningrad school of painting and the Leningrad Union of Artists. In 1925 and 1927 he was awarded with the Gold Medal at the international Paris Art Fair, in 1937 he won the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition. In addition, Samokhvalov worked as a set and costume designer at the Bolshoi Theater. His works are nowadays included in prestigious collections like the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. One of a kind artwork.
Alexandre Nikolaevich Samokhvalov, Russian, Soviet era, 1894 to 1971, charcoal painting on paper depicting a portrait of a woman, 1929. Signed with initials and dated, lower right. Matted. Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov was a Soviet Russian painter, watercolorist, graphic artist, illustrator, art teacher and Honored Arts Worker of the RSFSR, who lived and worked in Leningrad. He is co founder as well as a respected member of the Leningrad school of painting and the Leningrad Union of Artists. In 1925 and 1927 he was awarded with the Gold Medal at the international Paris Art Fair, in 1937 he won the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition. In addition, Samokhvalov worked as a set and costume designer at the Bolshoi Theater. His works are nowadays included in prestigious collections like the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. One of a kind artwork.
Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65
Alexandre Nikolaevich Samokhvalov, Russian, Soviet era, 1894 to 1971, charcoal painting on paper depicting a portrait of a woman, 1929. Signed with initials and dated, lower right. Matted. Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov was a Soviet Russian painter, watercolorist, graphic artist, illustrator, art teacher and Honored Arts Worker of the RSFSR, who lived and worked in Leningrad. He is co founder as well as a respected member of the Leningrad school of painting and the Leningrad Union of Artists. In 1925 and 1927 he was awarded with the Gold Medal at the international Paris Art Fair, in 1937 he won the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition. In addition, Samokhvalov worked as a set and costume designer at the Bolshoi Theater. His works are nowadays included in prestigious collections like the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. One of a kind artwork.
ALEXANDER SAMOKHVALOV (RUSSIAN 1894-1971) Painted Stage Sketch for An Ardent Heart by Ostrovsky gouache on paper 72 x 41 cm (28 3/8 x 16 in.) framed dimensions: 81 x 48 cm (31 7/8 x 18 7/8 in.) signed lower right, comes with a signed pamphlet LOT NOTES Alexandr Samokhvalov was a prominent Soviet Russian painter, graphic designer and illustrator, who was regarded one of the greatest representatives of the Leningrad school of painting.
ALEXANDER SAMOKHVALOV (RUSSIAN 1894-1971) Painted Stage Sketch for An Ardent Heart by Ostrovsky, gouache on paper 72 x 41 cm (28 3/8 x 16 in.) framed dimensions: 81 x 48 cm (31 7/8 x 18 7/8 in.) signed lower right, comes with a signed pamphlet LOT NOTES Alexandr Samokhvalov was a prominent Soviet Russian painter, graphic designer and illustrator, who was regarded one of the greatest representatives of the Leningrad school of painting. Mostly famous for his portraits.
Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65
Portrait of Sergei Aleksandrovich Rinkevich oil on canvas 87.5 x 100 cm (34 1/2 x 39 3/4 in.) unframed PROVENANCE Collection of Sergei Rinkevich Thence by descent in the family LOT NOTES Sold along a signed and notarized letter of provenance from the grandson of Sergei Rinkevich (copy available upon request.) ESSAY When Samokhvalov produced this work in the early 1950s, he was renowned for monumental Socialist Realist history paintings, as well as intimate portraits in interior settings, including the present and Girl in an Interior (sold for $131,000, including buyer's premium, at Shapiro Auctions, December 10, 2016, lot 7). The sitter, Professor Sergei Rinkevich, was an eminent electrical engineer and professor, best known as the purveyor of the electrical drive in the USSR. Dr. Rinkevich marshalled the founding of the world's first university department dedicated to the improvement of the drive, which, under his directorship in the 1920s and 30s, launched the rapid electrification of the Soviet heavy industry and navy. According to the letter provided by the sitter's grandson, Igor Sergeevich Rinkevich, who witnessed the making of the work, Samokhvalov painted the image over several sessions in the family's Leningrad apartment in the early 1950s. (See ref. 1 for a photograph of Igor Rinkevich together with the work). Capturing the likeness of one of the nation's distinguished scientists, Samokhvalov shows Dr. Rinkevich deep in thought, his fingers bookmarking a red volume -- a pose reminiscent of Renaissance and Baroque portraits of scholars, such as Bronzino's Portrait of a Young Man with a Book in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum. With characteristic economy of brushwork, Samokhvalov pictures his subject attentively and at a considerable scale, demonstrating his hand as a leading Soviet portraitist. Alexander Samokhvalov, one of the foremost representatives of the Leningrad school of painting, began his artistic career in 1914 at the Higher Art School at the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he studied under Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. Unlike many of his peers at the academy and the Mir iskusstva circle, such as Eugene Lanceray, Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva, or Alexander Osmerkin, in the late 1920s Samokhvalov enthusiastically embraced the development of Socialist Realism for which he is remembered. As in his most recognizable work Girl in a Football Shirt, awarded the gold medal at the International Art Fair in Paris (which also exhibited Pablo Picasso's Guernica) his paintings from the 1930s often showcase the first generation of Soviet women as the face of modernity and strength. CONDITION the painting is in age-appropriate condition. Very fine craquelure visible upon close inspection. Flaking resulting from craquelure visible to the left upper edge. Rubbing resulting in scattered losses to the corners and perimeter. Inspection under UV light shows no signs of restoration. N.B. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65
ALEXANDER SAMOKHVALOV (RUSSIAN 1894-1971) Portrait of Sergei Aleksandrovich Rinkevich, oil on canvas 87.5 x 100 cm (34 1/2 x 39 3/4 in.) PROVENANCE Collection of Sergei Rinkevich Thence by descent in the family LOT NOTES Sold along a signed and notarized letter of provenance from the grandson of Sergei Rinkevich (copy available upon request) When Samokhvalov produced this work in the early 1950s, he was renowned for monumental Socialist Realist history paintings, as well as intimate portraits in interior settings, including the present and Girl in an Interior (sold for $131,000, including buyer's premium, at Shapiro Auctions, December 10, 2016, lot 7). The sitter, Professor Sergei Rinkevich, was an eminent electrical engineer and professor, best known as the purveyor of the electrical drive in the USSR. Dr. Rinkevich marshalled the founding of the world's first university department dedicated to the improvement of the drive, which, under his directorship in the 1920s and 30s, launched the rapid electrification of the Soviet heavy industry and navy. According to the letter provided by the sitter's grandson, Igor Sergeevich Rinkevich, who witnessed the making of the work, Samokhvalov painted the image over several sessions in the family's Leningrad apartment in the early 1950s. (See ref. 1 for a photograph of Igor Rinkevich together with the work). Capturing the likeness of one of the nation's distinguished scientists, Samokhvalov shows Dr. Rinkevich deep in thought, his fingers bookmarking a red volume -- a pose reminiscent of Renaissance and Baroque portraits of scholars, such as Bronzino's Portrait of a Young Man with a Book in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum. With characteristic economy of brushwork, Samokhvalov pictures his subject attentively and at a considerable scale, demonstrating his hand as a leading Soviet portraitist. Alexander Samokhvalov, one of the foremost representatives of the Leningrad school of painting, began his artistic career in 1914 at the Higher Art School at the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he studied under Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. Unlike many of his peers at the academy and the Mir iskusstva circle, such as Eugene Lanceray, Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva, or Alexander Osmerkin, in the late 1920s Samokhvalov enthusiastically embraced the development of Socialist Realism for which he is remembered. As in his most recognizable work — Girl in a Football Shirt, awarded the gold medal at the International Art Fair in Paris (which also exhibited Pablo Picasso's Guernica) — his paintings from the 1930s often showcase the first generation of Soviet women as the face of modernity and strength. CONDITION Unframed, the painting is in age-appropriate condition. Very fine craquelure visible upon close inspection. Flaking resulting from craquelure visible to the left upper edge. Rubbing resulting in scattered losses to the corners and perimeter. Inspection under UV light shows no signs of restoration. Kindly note, the auction is comprised of two sessions: Session I: Russian and Asian Art, Antiques and Jewelry, lots 1-331 Session II: European, North and South American, and Ethnographic Art, Antiques, Jewelry, and Design, lots 500-827 N.B. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65
ALEXANDER SAMOKHVALOV (RUSSIAN 1894-1971) Portrait of Sergei Rankevich, oil on canvas 87.5 x 100 cm (34 1/2 x 39 3/4 in.) PROVENANCE Collection of Sergei Rinkevich Thence by descent in the family LOT NOTES Sold along a signed and notarized letter of provenance from the grandson of Sergei Rinkevich (copy available upon request) When Samokhvalov produced this work in the early 1950s, he was renowned for monumental Socialist Realist history paintings, as well as intimate portraits in interior settings, including the present and Girl in an Interior (sold for $131,000, including buyer's premium, at Shapiro Auctions, December 10, 2016, lot 7). The sitter, Professor Sergei Rinkevich, was an eminent electrical engineer and professor, best known as the purveyor of the electrical drive in the USSR. Dr. Rinkevich marshalled the founding of the world's first university department dedicated to the improvement of the drive, which, under his directorship in the 1920s and 30s, launched the rapid electrification of the Soviet heavy industry and navy. According to the letter provided by the sitter's grandson, who witnessed the making of the work, Samokhvalov painted the image over several sessions in the family's Leningrad apartment in the early 1950s. Capturing the likeness of one of the nation's distinguished scientists, Samokhvalov shows Dr. Rinkevich deep in thought, his fingers bookmarking a red volume -- a pose reminiscent of Renaissance and Baroque portraits of scholars, such as Bronzino's Portrait of a Young Man with a Book in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum. With characteristic economy of brushwork, Samokhvalov pictures his subject attentively and at a considerable scale, demonstrating his hand as a leading Soviet portraitist. Alexander Samokhvalov, one of the foremost representatives of the Leningrad school of painting, began his artistic career in 1914 at the Higher Art School at the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he studied under Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. Unlike many of his peers at the academy and the Mir iskusstva circle, such as Eugene Lanceray, Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva, or Alexander Osmerkin, in the late 1920s Samokhvalov enthusiastically embraced the development of Socialist Realism for which he is remembered. As in his most recognizable work — Girl in a Football Shirt, awarded the gold medal at the International Art Fair in Paris (which also exhibited Pablo Picasso's Guernica) — his paintings from the 1930s often showcase the first generation of Soviet women as the face of modernity and strength. CONDITION Observed out of frame. The painting is in excellent orginial condition. With no issues to report. Inspection under UV shows no signs of restoration. N.B. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
ALEXANDER SAMOKHVALOV (RUSSIAN 1894-1971) On the Bus, 1970 oil on canvas 90 x 102 cm (35 1/2 x 40 1/8 in.) signed, dated and titled on verso EXPERTISE Accompanied by a certificate of expertise from E. Petrova, State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, 2007 LITERATURE L. Zinger, Alexander Samokhvalov (Moscow: Sovetsky khudozhnik, 1982) (illustrated) LOT NOTES Alexander Samokhvalov, one of the foremost representatives of the Leningrad school of painting, began his artistic career in 1914 at the Higher Art School at the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he studied under Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. Unlike many of his peers at the academy and the Mir iskusstva circle, such as Eugene Lanceray, Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva, or Alexander Osmerkin, in the late 1920s Samokhvalov enthusiastically embraced the development of Socialist Realism for which he is remembered. As in his most recognizable work - Girl in a Football Shirt, awarded the gold medal at the International Art Fair in Paris (which also exhibited Pablo Picasso's Guernica) - his paintings from the 1930s often showcase the first generation of Soviet women as the face of modernity and strength. At first glance, the present painting, made in the year before Samokhvalov's death, appears divergent from the youthful athletic heroism associated with his oeuvre. Here, instead, the painter balances an illustration of working-class Soviet society with an introspective group portrait. The tightly cropped scene, while taking place among supposed strangers, is both a highly intimate and dynamic one. The expressions of the passengers - like the faraway gaze of the blonde man facing the viewer, or of the woman occupying the center left of the painting, or the man beside her glancing upward (as if about to start a conversation) - are oblique yet lively. Each is perpetually at the brink of action: take the woman in the lower right, hands placed on the handle of the seat in front, perhaps ready to disembark, or the one in a striped headscarf, lips questioningly parted. The legible dramatic narrative and typology of early Soviet painting is adapted here to a microcosmic snapshot of daily life, punctuated by an etherial ambiance awarded by the rain-blurred windows. Awash in hazy mauves and umbers, the bus interior, at Samokhvalov's hands, transforms into a meditative landscape. Indeed, public transit, that cornerstone of modern life, has long served as an artist's ideal venue for the convergence of public and private, interior and exterior. From the Socialist Realist subway scenes of the 1930s to the photorealistic paintings of Semen Faibisovich, the Russian painting tradition has never been able to abandon the hidden poetic potential of the day-to-day traveler. CONDITION Observed in frame, the work is in overall good condition. Inspection under UV light shows scattered areas of retouching, the largest one being a vertical repair, possibly to a tear, along the upper left corner, approximately 30 cm (12 in.) long, and to the center of the beige coat. No more than 5% of the canvas is inpainted. N.B. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65
SAMOKHVALOV, ALEXANDER (1894–1971) Metrostroevka signed with initials and dated. Oil on canvas, 93.5 by 68 cm. Provenance: Acquired from Maria Kleschar-Samokhvalova, the artist’s widow, by the art collector Boris Vasiliev, c. 1984 (label on the stretcher). Collection of Boris Vasiliev, Leningrad (labels on the stretcher, stamps on the reverse and on the label on the stretcher). Acquired from the above by the previous owner in the 2000s. Important private collection, USA. Literature: A. Samokhvalov, Moi tvorcheskii put, Leningrad, Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1989, p. 207, illustrated; p. 316, listed. Alexander Samokhvalov’s painting Metrostroevka, offered here for auction, is one of the key Soviet images of the second third of the twentieth century. Dated 1932, the work in reality was most likely painted later by the artist. Samokhvalov’s use of his early subject matter could well have taken place in the post-war period. The artist returned with nostalgia to the beginning of the 1930s, when it was precisely the images of the heroines of labour and sport — the determined young girls who were Komsomol members, athletes and workers, actively involved in socialist construction and public life — brought the artist his greatest success and came to be his hallmark. Art at that time faced the vital task of creating a generalised image-type of Soviet Man, which was one of the main goals of the nascent Socialist Realism. In this context, any portrait amounted to an ideological statement, and Samokhvalov strove purposefully, as he moved on from canvas to canvas, to find this ideal character type for the collective dream. In 1932, the date the artist put on the work, he was also working on the composition of the famous Girl in a Sports Shirt (The State Russian Museum), which became a Soviet art icon at the time. The “Soviet Gioconda”, as critics immediately dubbed it, proved to be Samokhvalov’s keynote work, expressing his main aspirations during that period, i.e. a formal commitment to some aspects of high classical art — the art of antiquity and the Renaissance — and the simultaneous desire to showcase an up-to-date ideological and artistic concept. The portrait of the young female worker stands on these same foundations too. In the portrait’s composition, the artist resorts to his favourite technique, successfully tested in Girl in a Sports Shirt. He shows the central figure in close-up, spreading the image over almost the whole surface of the canvas. The subject’s internally dynamic pose forms the basis of his artistic approach. The model does not just pose; she displays a readiness for “labour and defence”. In just a minute’s time, after tucking her windblown hair into a kerchief, she will go off to forge a socialist future at the lathe, arm herself with plastering tools or a pneumatic drill on a communist building site, sit down at the controls of a crane or dash off to boost Soviet livestock farming. The juxtaposition of the profile depiction of the head, with the arms raised towards it, and the three-quarters turn of the body immediately gives the heroine of labour a vigorous rhythm. The figure of the girl, which stands out in relief with its precise, elastic forms, creates a plastically expressive silhouette that is conveyed by a light, sparing palette of bluish-grey and delicate pink-ochre tones. The aptly contrived colour balance focuses attention on the main point — the worker’s face. Here the artist undoubtedly followed the real-life features, but at the same time, after much analytical and synthesising work, he departed from them by generalising and perfecting every one of the model’s essential features. We can see the glow of health, the perfectly straight nose, the sculptural clump of golden hair, the upright posture, the vigorous, springy movements, the inspired look and the typical clothing of young Soviet workers — the T-shirt that emphasises the physicality of the artist’s young contemporary. Such are the invariable attributes of his always recognisable characters. In Samokhvalov’s paintings, the female members of the Spartak sports society and the Society for the Promotion of Aviation and Chemical Defence, physical education instructors, female metro construction workers and women delegates become a new type of classical heroine and are presented as social and aesthetic exemplars. The stern and inspirational female workers were captured by the artist in the course of their heroic work, just before it or during a brief, rather comfortless break. “Their detachment from domestic life, their new, different work and different concerns gave them an aura of romance of a completely new and unprecedented kind,” Samokhvalov was to write (A. Samokhvalov, Moi tvorcheskii put, Leningrad, 1977, p. 116). In the picture of the young worker that inherits the techniques used in the earlier portraits of members of the Lenin’s Cause commune, the artist manages to endow the appearance of his contemporary with a degree of generalisation that enables the typical image of a person rooted in a specific era to be seen in the portrait. The painting comes from the collection of the prominent Leningrad and St Petersburg collector Boris Nikolaievich Vasiliev (1924–2011), who owned a large number of works of exceptional quality by Russian artists of the first half of the 20th century, which currently feature in the collections of many Russian museums. The Leningrad mechanical engineer, who served as a commander of forward observers in an artillery regiment during the Second World War, Vasiliev returned from the front and became a passionate collector. He knew many Leningrad artists and their descendants, and, over many decades, works from his collection were displayed in exhibitions at home and abroad. He purchased the painting Metrostroevka from the artist’s widow, Maria Kleshchar-Samokhvalova.
Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65
Samokhvalov Aleksandr Nikolayevich (1894-1971) Sketch for the painting “Kirov welcoming the athletes’ parade” (State Russian Museum). 1935. Graphite pencil on paper. 43,5 х 32 Самохвалов Александр Николаевич (1894-1971) Набросок к картине «Киров принимает парад физкультурников» (ГРМ). 1935. Бумага, графитный карандаш. 43,5 х 32
Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65
SAMOKHVALOFF Alexandre Nicolaïévitch (1894-1971) La conductrice. Dessin à la mine de plomb sur papier, signé au dos par l’artiste et portant l’inscription en caractères cyrilliques : « esquisse du dessin conducteur, 1928, A. Samokhvaloff ». Conservé dans un encadrement moderne. Traces d’humidité, mais bon état. À vue : H. : 20,5 cm - L. : 14 cm. Cadre : H. : 42 cm - L. : 34 cm.
SAMOKHVALOV, ALEXANDER Standing Nude from the Back signed with initials and dated 1965, also further dated on the reverse. Oil on canvas, 138.5 by 58.5. Provenance: Important private collection, USA. Literature: Possibly, L. Zinger, Alexander Samokhvalov, Moscow, Sovetskii khudozhnik, 1982, p. 171, listed under the year 1962 as Devochka u moria. Standing Nude from the Back by the outstanding Leningrad painter Alexander Samokhvalov, now presented for auction, was produced in 1965 and belongs to the late, yet very striking period of his work. It gives one a keen sense of the “new lease of life” that Samokhvalov experienced with the advent of the “Khrushchev thaw”. After a long break — ever since the image of the “Soviet Valkyrie” in his works of the 1920s and 1930s had been completely exhausted — the artist became himself once more and reverted to the female theme. Now, though, he does not give it the official treatment, but paints in a personal, intimate and lyrical way. And again he proves to be expressing the main trend of his time. Samokhvalov’s female images are always a symbol of the time. It is no mere coincidence that nearly all of his creative successes are, in one way or another, connected with celebrating the female element in work and leisure, sport and study, the family and the state. This is especially true because, as the triumphal Soviet programme to emancipate women and give them equality was being carried out, the range of themes for embodying it in art expanded infinitely. Starting with the painter’s splendid work The Woman Conductor (1928) in the collection of the State Russian Museum, which personifies the image of a captivating and vengeful power with its unseeing gaze and the raised hand of Nemesis, Samokhvalov’s female images underwent an immense evolution over time. As they changed, so the creative style of the artist changed too. In Standing Nude from the Back, the new trend makes itself felt in everything — in the soft lines of the drawing, the freedom of artistic treatment, the light range of colours and even the somewhat fragmentary nature of the figure. Bright colours are kept to a minimum: only the pink skin overtones and the sheet or towel in the model’s hands introduce focal points into the colouristic rigour of the composition. In all likelihood, Samokhvalov’s work on this painting provided the variable basis for such pictures as Female Bathers (1960s) and On the Beach (1960s), in which the artist was able to create a new lyrical image, more attuned to Soviet people’s romantic aspirations in the first half of the 1960s.
Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65
Samokhvalov Aleksandr Nikolaevich (1894-1971). A sketch of a hand. 1930s. Paper, graphite pencil. 29,7 х 21,8. Самохвалов Александр Николаевич (1894-1971). Набросок руки. 1930-е. Бумага, графитный карандаш. 29,7 х 21,8.
Samokhvalov Aleksandr Nikolaevich (1894-1971). A sketch for the painting “S. M. Kirov inspects the gymnasts’ parade”. 1935. Paper, pencil. 43,8 х 31,7. The painting is part of the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery. Самохвалов Александр Николаевич (1894-1971). Эскиз к картине «С.М. Киров принимает парад физкультурников». 1935. Бумага, карандаш. 43,8 х 31,7. Живописная работа - в собрании Третьяковской Галереи.
Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65
Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65
"Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65"
ALEXANDER SAMOKHVALOV (RUSSIAN 1894-1971) Girl in an Interior, 1940 oil on canvas 96.5 x 67.5 cm (38 x 26 1/2 in.) titled, dated and inscribed with a confirmation of authorship on the verso by Maria Samokhvalova, the artist`s daughter, in 1993 PROVENANCE Property of a former United States Senator, who acquired the painting in Moscow circa 1993 LOT NOTES Alexander Samokhvalov is regarded as one of the founders and brightest representatives of the Leningrad school of painting. The present lot, Girl in an Interior reflects the pre-war life of the Leningrad intelligentsia, and is a continuation of the series of Samokhvalovs works dedicated to young Russian women builders of new life. This composition was created in 1940 three-year after the artists famous Girl in a Football Shirt was awarded the gold medal at the International Art Fair in Paris, (which also included Pablo Picassos Guernica). The tenderness, refinement, and intimacy of this portrait is a rare work by a master of Soviet Socialist Realism and heir apparent to Petrov-Vodkin.
SAMOKHVALOV, ALEXANDER (1894-1971) May. Oil on canvas, 85.5 by 70 cm. Executed in the 1950s. Provenance: Estate of the artist. Private collection, UK. Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by Maria Samokhvalova, the artist’s daughter (inscription on the reverse). Authenticity has also been confirmed by the expert Yu. Rybakova.
Oil on canvas Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov (1894-1971) - Russian painter and representative of Socialist Realism This work is accompanied by an expertise by Dr. Alexander D. Borovsky, head of the Department of Contemporary Art of the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg (included as a copy) Dimensions: 63 x 63 cm Frame: 80 x 80 cm Provenance: From the estate of the artist's daughter; Crystal Sky Gallery (purchased there by the previous owner) Samokhvalov succeeds in presenting a section view of nature characterized by extraordinary brightness Alexander Samokhvalov is considered a representative of Socialist Realism and was co-founder of the Leningrad school of painting. His main subjects in the 1920s and 30s showed the glorifying Soviet youth, young athletes and heroes of the socialist working class. In addition, he also devoted himself repeatedly to landscape painting, creating compositions flooded with light, as it is represented in the extract view of our work. Further literature: Cf. Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov, Exhibition Catalog Russian Museum, Leningrad, 1974, p. 22; L. Zinger, Alexander Sanmokhvalov, Soviet Artist, 1982, p. 172 Condition: Scattered tiny brown spots, otherwise of very good impression. Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov (1894-1971) Soviet painter Alexander Samokhvalov graduated in 1923 from the Imperial Academy of Arts, later also known as Ilya Repin-Institute, where he studied, among others, under Vasily Beliaev, Gugo Zaleman and Vasily Shukhaev. Since the late 1920s, his images reveal motives that are subject to the Socialist realism, but also portraits, historical and genre paintings in monumental as well as small formats. He is co-founder as well as respected member of the Leningrad school of painting and the Leningrad Union of Artists. In 1925 and 1927 he was awarded with the Gold Medal at the international Paris Art Fair, in 1937 he won the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition. In addition, Samokhvalov worked as a set and costume designer at the Bolshoi Theater. His works are nowadays included in prestigious collections like the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance. Auctionata charges the resale rights tax pursuant to Section 26 of the German Copyright Act (UrhG) towards the buyer in case of the sale of an original work of art or photography prior to 70 years having lapsed since the death of their creator. Therefore, Auctionata charges when purchasing a good if a protection as an original work of art or photography is given starting from a hammer price of EUR 400 an additional amount, which is calculated according to Section 26 (2) German Copyright Act (UrhG) and which does not exceed the amount of EUR 12,500. You can find more information about resale rights tax in Auctionata´s table of fees and T&C.
"Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA - DHL $250 , National post with tracking service $120 / Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia - DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65"
"Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA: DHL - $250 , National post with tracking service - $120 ; Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia: DHL - $150 , National post with tracking service - $65"
Alexandre SAMOKHVALOV (1894-1971) ; 1942 ; oil on canvas ; unframed ; dimensions: 80 x 55 cm (31 1/2 x 21 2/3 in.) ; signed and dated ; Shipping to USA: DHL - $250, National post with tracking service - $120 ; Shipping to Europe, Russia, Middle Assia: DHL - $150, National post with tracking service - $65
Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov (1894-1971), Russian School, Oil on canvas, "Nude", Monogrammed upper left and dated 1965, 55 1/4 x 23 3/4" Please Note- we do not make reference to the condition of lots within catalogue descriptions. We are however happy to provide additional information regarding the condition of items on request.
Alexander N. Samokhvalov (1894-1971), Flowering Tree, Oil, 1962 Oil on canvas Russia, 1962 Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov (1894-1971) - Russian painter and representative of Socialist Realism This work is accompanied by an expertise by Dr. Alexander D. Borovsky, head of the Department of Contemporary Art of the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg (included as a copy) Dimensions: 63 x 63 cm Frame: 80 x 80 Good Condition Provenance: From the estate of the artist's daughter; Crystal Sky Gallery (purchased there by the previous owner) Samokhvalov succeeds in presenting a section view of nature characterized by extraordinary brightness; his landscape paintings fetch up to €66,500 in the international auction market Estimate by Auctionata Expert: 30,000 Euro Alexander Samokhvalov is considered a representative of Socialist Realism and was co-founder of the Leningrad school of painting. His main subjects in the 1920s and 30s showed the glorifying Soviet youth, young athletes and heroes of the socialist working class. In addition, he also devoted himself repeatedly to landscape painting, creating compositions flooded with light, as it is represented in the extract view of our work. Literature: Cf. Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov, Exhibition Catalog Russian Museum, Leningrad, 1974, p 22; L. Zinger, Alexander Sanmokhvalov, Soviet Artist, 1982, p 172. Condition: Scattered tiny brown spots, otherwise of very good impression. The image dimensions are 63 x 63 cm, the framed dimensions 80 x 80 cm. Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov (1894-1971) Soviet painter Alexander Samokhvalov graduated in 1923 from the Imperial Academy of Arts, later also known as Ilya Repin-Institute, where he studied, among others, under Vasily Beliaev, Gugo Zaleman and Vasily Shukhaev. Since the late 1920s, his images reveal motives that are subject to the Socialist realism, but also portraits, historical and genre paintings in monumental as well as small formats. He is co-founder as well as respected member of the Leningrad school of painting and the Leningrad Union of Artists. In 1925 and 1927 he was awarded with the Gold Medal at the international Paris Art Fair, in 1937 he won the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition. In addition, Samokhvalov worked as a set and costume designer at the Bolshoi Theater. His works are nowadays included in prestigious collections like the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.
* SAMOKHVALOV, ALEXANDER (1894-1971) View of a Port, signed with initials, also further signed and dated 193(?) on the reverse, also further with a signed and dated 1937 dedication in Cyrillic on the backing board. Oil on canvas, laid on cardboard, 10 by 13.5 cm. Provenance: Important private collection, Europe.
Alexander N. Samokhvalov (1894-1971), Flowering Tree, Oil, 1962 Oil on canvas Russia, 1962 Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov (1894-1971) - Russian painter and representative of Socialist Realism This work is accompanied by an expertise by Dr. Alexander D. Borovsky, head of the Department of Contemporary Art of the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg (included as a copy) Dimensions: 63 x 63 cm Frame: 80 x 80 Good Condition Provenance: From the estate of the artist's daughter; Crystal Sky Gallery (purchased there by the previous owner) Samokhvalov succeeds in presenting a section view of nature characterized by extraordinary brightness; his landscape paintings fetch up to €66,500 in the international auction market Estimate by Auctionata Expert: 30,000 Euro Alexander Samokhvalov is considered a representative of Socialist Realism and was co-founder of the Leningrad school of painting. His main subjects in the 1920s and 30s showed the glorifying Soviet youth, young athletes and heroes of the socialist working class. In addition, he also devoted himself repeatedly to landscape painting, creating compositions flooded with light, as it is represented in the extract view of our work. Literature: Cf. Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov, Exhibition Catalog Russian Museum, Leningrad, 1974, p 22; L. Zinger, Alexander Sanmokhvalov, Soviet Artist, 1982, p 172. Condition: Scattered tiny brown spots, otherwise of very good impression. The image dimensions are 63 x 63 cm, the framed dimensions 80 x 80 cm. Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov (1894-1971) Soviet painter Alexander Samokhvalov graduated in 1923 from the Imperial Academy of Arts, later also known as Ilya Repin-Institute, where he studied, among others, under Vasily Beliaev, Gugo Zaleman and Vasily Shukhaev. Since the late 1920s, his images reveal motives that are subject to the Socialist realism, but also portraits, historical and genre paintings in monumental as well as small formats. He is co-founder as well as respected member of the Leningrad school of painting and the Leningrad Union of Artists. In 1925 and 1927 he was awarded with the Gold Medal at the international Paris Art Fair, in 1937 he won the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition. In addition, Samokhvalov worked as a set and costume designer at the Bolshoi Theater. His works are nowadays included in prestigious collections like the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance. Auctionata charges the resale rights tax pursuant to Section 26 of the German Copyright Act (UrhG) towards the buyer in case of the sale of an original work of art or photography prior to 70 years having lapsed since the death of their creator. Therefore, Auctionata charges when purchasing a good – if a protection as an original work of art or photography is given – starting from a hammer price of EUR 400 an additional amount, which is calculated according to Section 26 (2) German Copyright Act (UrhG) and which does not exceed the amount of EUR 12,500. You can find more information about resale rights tax in Auctionata´s table of fees and T&C.
Alexander N. Samokhvalov (1894-1971), Flowering Tree, Oil, 1962 Oil on canvas Russia, 1962 Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov (1894-1971) - Russian painter and representative of Socialist Realism This work is accompanied by an expertise by Dr. Alexander D. Borovsky, head of the Department of Contemporary Art of the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg (included as a copy) Dimensions: 63 x 63 cm Frame: 80 x 80 Good Condition Provenance: From the estate of the artist's daughter; Crystal Sky Gallery (purchased there by the previous owner) Samokhvalov succeeds in presenting a section view of nature characterized by extraordinary brightness; his landscape paintings fetch up to €66,500 in the international auction market Alexander Samokhvalov is considered a representative of Socialist Realism and was co-founder of the Leningrad school of painting. His main subjects in the 1920s and 30s showed the glorifying Soviet youth, young athletes and heroes of the socialist working class. In addition, he also devoted himself repeatedly to landscape painting, creating compositions flooded with light, as it is represented in the extract view of our work. Literature: Cf. Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov, Exhibition Catalog Russian Museum, Leningrad, 1974, p 22; L. Zinger, Alexander Sanmokhvalov, Soviet Artist, 1982, p 172. Condition: Scattered tiny brown spots, otherwise of very good impression. The image dimensions are 63 x 63 cm, the framed dimensions 80 x 80 cm. Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov (1894-1971) Soviet painter Alexander Samokhvalov graduated in 1923 from the Imperial Academy of Arts, later also known as Ilya Repin-Institute, where he studied, among others, under Vasily Beliaev, Gugo Zaleman and Vasily Shukhaev. Since the late 1920s, his images reveal motives that are subject to the Socialist realism, but also portraits, historical and genre paintings in monumental as well as small formats. He is co-founder as well as respected member of the Leningrad school of painting and the Leningrad Union of Artists. In 1925 and 1927 he was awarded with the Gold Medal at the international Paris Art Fair, in 1937 he won the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition. In addition, Samokhvalov worked as a set and costume designer at the Bolshoi Theater. His works are nowadays included in prestigious collections like the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance. Auctionata charges the resale rights tax pursuant to Section 26 of the German Copyright Act (UrhG) towards the buyer in case of the sale of an original work of art or photography prior to 70 years having lapsed since the death of their creator. Therefore, Auctionata charges when purchasing a good – if a protection as an original work of art or photography is given – starting from a hammer price of EUR 400 an additional amount, which is calculated according to Section 26 (2) German Copyright Act (UrhG) and which does not exceed the amount of EUR 12,500. You can find more information about resale rights tax in Auctionata´s table of fees and T&C.
Alexander N. Samokhvalov (1894-1971), Flowering Tree, Oil, 1962 Oil on canvas Russia, 1962 Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov (1894-1971) - Russian painter and representative of Socialist Realism This work is accompanied by an expertise by Dr. Alexander D. Borovsky, head of the Department of Contemporary Art of the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg (included as a copy) Dimensions: 63 x 63 cm Frame: 80 x 80 Good Condition Provenance: From the estate of the artist's daughter; Crystal Sky Gallery (purchased there by the previous owner) Samokhvalov succeeds in presenting a section view of nature characterized by extraordinary brightness; his landscape paintings fetch up to €66,500 in the international auction market Alexander Samokhvalov is considered a representative of Socialist Realism and was co-founder of the Leningrad school of painting. His main subjects in the 1920s and 30s showed the glorifying Soviet youth, young athletes and heroes of the socialist working class. In addition, he also devoted himself repeatedly to landscape painting, creating compositions flooded with light, as it is represented in the extract view of our work. Literature: Cf. Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov, Exhibition Catalog Russian Museum, Leningrad, 1974, p 22; L. Zinger, Alexander Sanmokhvalov, Soviet Artist, 1982, p 172. Condition: Scattered tiny brown spots, otherwise of very good impression. The image dimensions are 63 x 63 cm, the framed dimensions 80 x 80 cm. Alexander Nikolaevich Samokhvalov (1894-1971) Soviet painter Alexander Samokhvalov graduated in 1923 from the Imperial Academy of Arts, later also known as Ilya Repin-Institute, where he studied, among others, under Vasily Beliaev, Gugo Zaleman and Vasily Shukhaev. Since the late 1920s, his images reveal motives that are subject to the Socialist realism, but also portraits, historical and genre paintings in monumental as well as small formats. He is co-founder as well as respected member of the Leningrad school of painting and the Leningrad Union of Artists. In 1925 and 1927 he was awarded with the Gold Medal at the international Paris Art Fair, in 1937 he won the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition. In addition, Samokhvalov worked as a set and costume designer at the Bolshoi Theater. His works are nowadays included in prestigious collections like the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance. Auctionata charges the resale rights tax pursuant to Section 26 of the German Copyright Act (UrhG) towards the buyer in case of the sale of an original work of art or photography prior to 70 years having lapsed since the death of their creator. Therefore, Auctionata charges when purchasing a good - if a protection as an original work of art or photography is given - starting from a hammer price of EUR 400 an additional amount, which is calculated according to Section 26 (2) German Copyright Act (UrhG) and which does not exceed the amount of EUR 12,500. You can find more information about resale rights tax in Auctionata´s table of fees and T&C.
*SAMOKHVALOV, ALEXANDER (1894-1971) Fireworks. Vasilievsky Island. Oil on canvas, 95.5 by 70.5 cm. Executed in the 1950s. Provenance: Collection of the artist's family. Private collection, Europe. Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by Maria Samokhvalova, the artist's daughter. Authenticity has also been confirmed by the expert Yu. Rybakova. Fireworks. Vasilievsky Island was painted in 1944 on Alexander Samokhvalov's return to Leningrad after his evacuation, at a time when the artist had enthusiastically embarked upon depictions of the city he loved. Apart from his canvasses, which are permeated with the pathos of victory and the urgent construction effort - Leningrad Rises Again, Warriors Remember, Friends Meeting, - the portrait he creates of the hero-city of his birth is a romantic one. The artist's Leningrad of the 1940s and early 1950s is almost always eventful. He is interested not just in sketching views, but in the very pulse of life in the city. Sometimes he addresses the theme of Soviet public holidays - Morning on 1st May, In the Park, - but in his most inspired and lyrical work he prefers the everyday reality of his beloved Vasilievsky Island. Here, after all, on a side street called Tuchkov pereulok, was the studio that Samokhvalov had inherited after the death of the famous graphic artist Pavel Shellingovsky. Samokhvalov always took pride in this succession, feeling that the genius loci srought him close to one of the masters he most respected and held most dear. Fireworks. Vasilievsky Island is one of the canvasses he painted in the neighbourhood of his studio. There are several known compositions in the legacy left by Samokhvalov that have the title On Bolshoi Prospekt, Vasilievsky Island and in all probability Fireworks is a continuation of this subject. Samokhvalov uses a great many different gradations of hue, leading into one another and finding their place in the massive lilac and blue-grey buildings and chimneys of the thermal power plant, the glare in the sky and its blueness, the muted painting of the human figures, the red roof of the house and the broad, grey-brown expanse of the paved ground. All the objects and details of the urban scene - the houses, tram lines, motor vehicle, street lamps and even passers by - are, as it were, shrouded and seen through the haze of a special light that envelops them. This light that suffuses the picture lends a unity to all the colours within it. Samokhvalov's close associate at the studio, Yuri Pimenov was right when he said: "Samokhvalov was one of the best artists of that time - his pictures had the rhythm of contemporary life..."
