Keywords: Russian avant garde, Suprematist composition, geometric abstract, Cubo-Futurist style, signed painting, oil on canvas, modernist composition, abstract forms, framed canvas

Authentometer™: A8*

Summary:
Aleksandra Exter Russian geometric abstract oil on canvas painting. Dynamic Suprematist composition of intersecting curved and angular forms in red, blue, black, ochre, and cream. Signed lower left “A. Exter.”

Alexandra Exter (1882–1949) was a pioneering painter, designer, and influential figure of the European and Russian avant-garde. Her work engaged with Cubism, Cubo-Futurism, Suprematism, and Constructivism, while her experiments in color, abstraction, theater, and decorative design contributed significantly to the development of early 20th-century modernism and anticipated aspects of Art Deco. Exter moved between the artistic circles of Kyiv, Moscow, Paris, and Rome and maintained connections with many of the leading avant-garde artists of her generation.

In 1914, Exter exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris and participated in the International Futurist Exhibition in Rome. She subsequently became associated with the Supremus group around Kazimir Malevich and developed an increasingly abstract and Constructivist approach to composition. In addition to painting, Exter was an innovative theatrical and costume designer and established an influential teaching and production studio in Kyiv.

Exter settled permanently in France in 1924, where she continued to paint, design, teach, and illustrate. She taught in Paris and remained connected to the international avant-garde, including the artistic circle surrounding Fernand Léger. Her work was represented in major exhibitions devoted to modern abstraction, including the Museum of Modern Art’s landmark 1936 exhibition Cubism and Abstract Art in New York. She continued working as an artist and illustrator until her death in Fontenay-aux-Roses, France, in 1949.

The issue of a works history has proven especially problematic in the 20th Century,. Note: For example: Decades of suppression under Stalin and the promotion of official Socialist Realism resulted in many early abstract and futurist works being hoarded or stored away quietly and too often lack clear paper trails or history. We are an auction gallery, we cannot and do not offer authentications and even if we did, ours would be of little value going forward in time.. Our opinions are opinions.

From what we can see, this work exhibits the age and has appropriate wear from handling. The craquelure patterns recite age and do not have the character of having been artificially induced. The craquelure lines break through the signature which is an indication that it was not added later All said, the work appears to match to the period and style.

(Presents well with some surface craquelure visible throughout and expected scattered age-related wear and minor abrasions. No major losses apparent, Canvas on stretcher; unframed)

Measurement: 39 1/2 x 27 1/2 in. (100.3 x 69.9 cm.) approx

*AUTHENTOMETER™: The Authentometer™ is Collective Hudson’s 1–10 rating of our assessment of the available attribution and authenticity information for a work, with higher ratings indicating a greater degree of confidence. The rating may be applied to artworks where the price realized exceeds $5,000. Works rated A9 or A10 reflect our highest level of confidence in the stated attribution. An A8, A9 or A10 rated work may be returned for a refund within 30 days of the auction date if a recognized expert on the artist clearly states in writing that the work is not an authentic work by the artist described.

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