Signed Konstantin Andreevich Somov, 'Woman with a Parasol in a Garden'. Gouache on Paper
Excellent signed Konstantin Andreevich Somov (Russian/French 1869 - 1939). 'Woman with a Parasol in a Garden'. Gouache painting on paper, signed lower right C. Somof /Paris and dated 1927.

Konstantin Andreevich Somov was born in st. petersburg in 1869 into the family of the senior curator at the hermitage, artist and art historian, Andrei Ivanovich Somov and his wife, Nadezhda Constantinovna, an excellent musician. The family had a big collection of paintings, etchings, watercolors, and big library. Artists were frequent guests in the house. He started to learn to play piano, singing, and painting at an early age. In autumn of 1897 he left the academy and went to paris, where his friends, Benois, Lanceray, Bakst, Ober, Ostroumova had already moved.

In paris they frequented various private studios and the académie colarossi. In 1898 after returning to st. petersburg, the friends founded the world of art (Mir Iskusstva) society, with their own magazine. Sergei Diaghilev devoted much to founding of the society. The world of art exhibitions attracted talented young artists of st. petersburg and moscow and their efforts played a very important role in the development of russian art at the beginning of the 20th century.
Sight - 12 1/2" high x 14 1/4" wide. Frame - 23 1/4" high x 24 3/4" wide.

Not examined out of frame, but by sight, the paper is a brown color, with toning evident and some faint spotting in areas. Some sections of blossoms to lower section glow orange under UV light. Possibly gilt undersurface with top pigment scraped away. Some unevenness  exists to gilt border of paper. Framed in triple mats with giltwood moulding. The frame having very minor wear.