Georg Wilhelm Timm

Princess Elizabeth Adamovna Gagarina (1800-1886)
Her daughter Varvara (d.1900), wife of the Dutch attaché Baron Plessen (1816-1897)
Thence by descent to Baroness S.L.de Plessen and Baron S.J.H.A. de Plessen
Sold by the above in an estate sale at Winkel & Magnussen, Denmark, 1948

 

Original canvas, undulated in the lower right area of the canvas. There are small areas of paintloss of the black pigment in the lower middle section of the painting. Under UV light there appear to be areas of retouching to the figure. Held in a wooden frame with plaster mouldings. Unexamined out of frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In 1843, Timm became friends with the famous French Orientalist painter Horace Vernet (1789-1863) who was working in Russia at the time. The pair made a trip to Algeria together in the mid 1840s, which provided the inspiration for the present work. Timm returned to France where he lived until the outbreak of revolution in 1848, at which point he went back to Russia. There he set up Khudozhestvenny listok, an important art periodical which lasted over ten years, published thrice a month between 1851 and 1862. Contributors included Grigory Gagarin, Ivan Aivazovsky, Alexei Bogoliubov and Mikhail von Zichy.

Elizabeth Adamovna (née Isabella Adamovna Valevskaya), was the Polish wife of Prince Sergei Sergeevich Gagarin (1795-1852). Elizabeth is described in the diary of a contemporary, Dolly Finkelmon, as a 'beautiful, refined lady' (31 December 1829), while her husband was a model director of the Imperial theatres, 'Under his direction, artists and contractors received their salaries exactly and on time... Prince Gagarin was an extremely good man, noble and friendly, though his outward appearance was somewhat proud and severe' (cited in M.Pylyaev, Stary Peterburg, 2004).