Lado Gudiashvili (Georgian, 1896-1980)

Fairytale, 1972
Signed "Gudiashvili" in Georgian l.l., signed, titled, dated, inscribed, and
dedicated "Lado Gudiashvili...1972...Tbilisi/ Lado Gudiashvili/ To Mr. William Campbell with a feeling of great respect/ 27 November 1973 Lado Goudiachvili" in Georgian, Russian, and English on the backing.
Mixed media (gouache, colored pencil, and graphite) on paper, sight size 11 1/4 x 9 in. (28.5 x 22.7 cm), framed.
Condition: Small tear, not examined out of frame.

Provenance: Gift from the artist and the Soviet and American Friendship Society to William P. Campbell (curator of American Art at the National Gallery, Washington, D.C., 1951-76); by family descent to a private New England collection.

N.B. William P. Campbell was one of four representatives of American museums invited on a two-week tour of Soviet Union museums and art-related programs in 1973. The present work was given as an ambassadorial gift to Mr. Campbell on his visit to the Republic of Georgia, after having been introduced to the artist.

We would like to thank the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia, for their kind assistance cataloguing the lot.

Condition: A v-shaped tear u.c. located 2-1/2 inches down from the top. The tear itself measures 5/8 inch long and 1/4 inch across at its widest point. The paper looks to be bent over onto itself "accordion style" making it hard to know if any of the paper is actually missing or is just compressed into the accordion folds. The abrasion appears to have been made by a sharp object from the back, because the backing paper shows similar damage. There are a few small white spots at the l.c., which appear to be accretions rather than paper losses.

Due the frame construction, we are unable to open the work for further examination.