(Russian, 1900-1969), "Composition," 1955-1956, signed lower right "Serge Poliakoff", oil and sand on wood panel, 45-3/4 x 35 in.; 22 kt. gilt wood frame. Original stretcher, limited crackle, possible small points of abrasion at peaks of paint, small points of cleaning in center, small points of abrasion, small point of adhesive on white lower left. Provenance: Joseph Lombardo, New York City; David Whitcomb, Germantown, New York, purchased by consigner in 1985 (accompanied by facsimile of original receipt); Private Collection, Tennessee. A major influence of the post war Ecole de Paris in the 1940's and 1950's, Serge Poliakoff distinguished himself with his unique form of abstract expressionism. Among his contemporaries were Jean Dubuffet and Pierre Soulages. But it was the influence of artists Wassily Kandinsky, Sonia and Robert Delaunay, and Otto Freundlich that most profoundly effected his work. As an early artistic talent, Poliakoff studied art in his native Russia until he fled the country in 1917 to escape the revolution. After settling in Paris in 1923, he enrolled in the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere. From 1929 until 1937, Poliakoff remained a largely academic painter. It was with the influence of the abstractionists that Poliakoff began to move toward nonfigurative painting. Both of the compositions offered here are fine examples of Poliakoff's mature style. Lot F0287 reflects the use of gray, a favored color in his works of the 1940s and infused with bright color planes which predominated his work in the 1950s. Poliakoff would later move into more somber or monchromatice palettes, replacing the bright polychrome colors with earth tones, as represented in Lot F0289. In his lifetime, Poliakoff attained important recognition as a major contributor to the art movement also known as Tachisme. He won the Kandinsky Prize in 1947. In 1962 he was awarded his own room at the Biennale in Venice. He exhibited at the Salons and in many international exhibitions. Poliakoff died in 1969, but he left an important legacy in the abstract expressionist movement. These two paintings represent the best of his achievements within two periods of his mature style. *** Accompanied by letter from the artist dated June 23, 1969, authenticating the work and noting its inclusion in the book by Dora Vallier, [Serge Poliakoff,] Cahiers D'Art, Paris, 1959, illustrated on p. 69, No. 36; book accompanies lot. Letters from Lefebre Gallery, New York, dated 1969, refer to above letter of authentification from artist. Reserve: $200,000