LONDON.- MacDougall's Russian Art auction on 3 June is certain to rouse the interest of Russian art lovers with a series of portraits of celebrated figures of the beginning of the 20th century by artists not commonly associated with portraiture.
Masquerade by Konstantin Somov is an exquisite example of commedia dell’arte, a genre so beloved by Somov with its ubiquitous Columbines, Pantalones and Harlequins. What is unusual in this work, created for the cover of Vanity Fair, is that all the personages are Hollywood and Broadway stars of the 1920s. In the foreground on the left, we can distinguish the renowned husband-and-wife team of Broadway royalty, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne; whereas on the right, there are the siblings Fred and Adele Aster, the inimitable star dancers. In the background to the centre, there is the actor John Barrymore in profile, his pensive, stern expression complemented by his stage costume of Hamlet. Just in front of him, barely recognisable and dressed as an Oriental beauty is the famous dancer Ruth St. Denis. Also at the back is the stage actress Grace Johns. In this work, Somov brilliantly shows off his skill as a gifted portrait painter. (Estimate: 500,000–700,000 GBP)
A monumental, almost three-meter-large canvas by Boris Anisfeld, The Golden Tribute, personifies the epoch of Symbolism. The naked tsarina – modelled by the dancer Ida Rubenstein – is surrounded by a crowd of gift-bearing monks, heads bowed reverentially. The magenta curtain brings out the aura of passion and menace emanating from the slender, lithe body. Reclining on her magenta bed, she is unmistakably the legendary dancer who in her time embodied the decadence and freedom, creativity and passion. She is a goddess and a femme fatale. Painted 1907–1908, when he was a close collaborator of Serge Diaghilev, this canvas without doubt is a rare find for any serious collector. (Estimate: 350,000–500,000 GBP)
Another masterpiece is Mikhail Larionov's Sketchbook of Drawings (Estimate: 150,000–200,000 GBP). These 67 drawings are not only the meticulously executed portraits of his near and dear – Natalia Goncharova, Serge Diaghilev and Alexandra Tomilina. Crucially, they are also graphic materialisations of the artist's unique laboratory of ideas, providing vital clues for understanding the French period of Larionov.
Isaak Brodsky's Portrait of the Artist's Mother and Sister (Estimate: 500,000–700,000 GBP) is painted in a laconic and almost ascetic manner. Deeply emotional mood of the painting is conveyed not through contrasting colours, but rather through two very different figures: the seemingly frozen, static mother and her lively daughter, about to slip away from her embrace. The presence of the artist, the son and the brother of the sitters, is felt in this portrait, which in its emotional intensity is reminiscent of the late works of the illustrious Valetntin Serov.
