Oil on canvas
Russia, 1883
Konstantin Makovsky (1839-1915) – Russian painter
Signed and dated in Cyrillic
The authenticity of the work has been confirmed by V. Petrov
The work will be included in the forthcoming monograph being prepared by Dr Elena Nesterova
In ornamental frame
Dimensions: 121.5 x 74 cm
Provenance: Private collection Italy; since 2013 Private collection, Germany
Makovsky is considered a brilliant portraitist of the Petersburg nobility; comparable portraits by the Russian painter fetch up to €580,000 on international auctions

Konstantin Makovsky is considered an accomplished portraitist of beautiful women – a description supported by the present portrait of an elegant lady with fan. The masterful painterly rendering of the glistening silk dress, precious jewels and elegant, gauzy veil, whose transparency is captured in a skilled manner, is particularly impressive. Here Makovsky shows off his talent to render the textures of the individual materials true to nature and juxtapose them in a harmonious composition. His excellent sense of the importance of even the smallest details is further exhibited in the present work, for instance in the depiction of the colorful upholstery of the chair. The artist managed to breathe tradition into the romanticized portrait, for example through various stylistic elements of the old masters as well as the academic rendering of the background. In the 1880s and 1900s, Makovsky primarily painted beautiful women of southern origin. The present work was undoubtedly painted from life. Slightly tense and concentrated, the young woman posed for the painter who often finished his portraits in a single session with rapid and yet accurately placed brushstrokes – an immediacy which also becomes evident to the viewer and enlivens the picture.

The authenticity of the work has been confirmed by V. Petrov.

The work will be included in the forthcoming monograph on Konstantin Makovsky being prepared by Dr Elena Nesterova.

The painting is in good condition consistent with age, partially with rubbing along the edges due to framing, craquelure and some color flaking to the back of the chair. There is a restoration in the lower right background, backed with a patch of canvas and retouched on the front. Further retouchings can be found in the upper left background and the rose trimming of the dress. The frame shows signs of wear. The framed work measures 138 x 90 cm, the image measures 121.5 x 74 cm.

Konstantin Makovsky (1839-1915)

Konstantin Makovsky was the son of Yegor Makovsky, one of the founders of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Here Makovsky graduated in 1857 before continuing his training at the St. Petersburg Academy of Art. From 1860 he took part in academic exhibitions. In 1870, he co-founded the ‘Peredvizhniki’ (Wanderers). Makovsky initially painted genre paintings of everyday Russian life. Travelling through Egypt and Serbia, he found new inspiration. Around 1880 he established himself as a master of portraiture, whose works were extremely popular especially with the high society of St. Petersburg. He portrayed young beauties, children as well as Russian statesmen and figures of the music and art scene. Whereby his portraits are characterized by a virtuoso painting technique, which often boasts an incredibly fine rendering of accessories. (tfa)

Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.