Lot 60 : Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin , Russian 1861-1939 Gurzuf Landscape oil on canvas

Konstantin Korovin - 1861-1939

Auction Location: United States of America - 2008
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Title:

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin , Russian 1861-1939 Gurzuf Landscape oil on canvas

Description:

signed in Cyrillic (lower left) oil on canvas

Dimensions:

measurements 25 1/2 by 21 1/4 in. alternate measurements 65 by 54 cm

Notes:

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION
Between 1910 and 1917, Korovin spent the summer at his family's dacha in Gurzuf, a beautiful town on the Crimean coast of the Black Sea and a popular holiday resort location for Russians. He affectionately named his Gurzuf villa "Salambo"--after Alexander Gorsky's ballet of the same name, having worked on stage designs for its 1910 production. Korovin's dacha attracted some of the most distinguished cultural figures of the day, including the artists Ilya Repin and Vasily Surikov, the writer Maxim Gorky, and the singer Fedor Chaliapin.

In 1908 Korovin's brother died, and in 1913 Korovin's son was hit by a tram and lost his legs as a result of the accident. (The artist's first son died in 1888.) In spite of these tragic events in his personal life, there is not the slightest hint of sadness or depression in Korovin's works from this period. In fact, the artist wrote: "Beauty and joy of life. To convey this joy is the main goal of my work."

Around the mid-1900s, Korovin's style underwent a series of changes. In Gurzuf Landscape, he eagerly embraced some of the pictorial methods of the French Impressionists. Light hues gradually supplanted the ochre and silvery shades that had dominated some of his turn-of-the-century works. Brushstrokes became both more abbreviated and more dynamic and shadows became brighter, as in this work. As Korovin described, "Colors can be a celebration for the eyes, and your eyes speak to your soul of joy and delight." Gurzuf Landscape is a real masterpiece from this sought-after period in Korovin's artistic career.