Aristarkh Vasilevich Lentulov, 1882-1943

Fischer Fine Art Limited, London
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 1974

London, Fischer Fine Art, Tatlin's Dream: Russian Suprematist and Constructivist Art, 1910-1923, Novembery 1973-January 1974, no. 32
New Rochelle, Castle Gallery, College of New Rochelle, Russian Avant-garde Art from the Schreiber Collection, September-October, 1984, no. 7
Storrs, The William Benton Museum of Art, University of Connecticut, Russian Avant-garde Art from the Schreiber Collection, January-March, 1986
New Rochelle, Castle Gallery, College of New Rochelle, The Russian Experiment: Master Works and Contemporary Works, September-October, 1990

Fischer Fine Art, Tatlin's Dream: Russian Suprematist and Constructivist Art, 1910-1923, London, 1974, p. 31, illustrated
Jennifer Roth, Russian Avant-garde Art from the Schreiber Collection, New York, 1984, illustrated
Alla Rosenfeld, The Russian Experiment: Master Works and Contemporary Works, New York, 1990, p. 10, illustrated

The following condition report has been supplied by: Hamish Dewar Ltd, Fine Art Conservation, 14 Mason's Yard, Duke Street St James's, London SW1Y 6BU tel + 44 (0)20 7930 4004, fax + 44 (0)20 7930 4100, hamish@hamishdewar.co.uk www.hamishdewar.co.uk The fine linen canvas which is inscribed on the reverse is providing a generally stable structural support although there are some raised lines of craquelure particularly along the upper and lower horizontal framing edges which would benefit from localised consolidation. The dark green pigment in the centre of the composition is also slightly raised but appears stable at present. The canvas is slightly pulling on the tacking edges on both left and right vertical edges. The paint surface has a slightly uneven and discoloured varnish layer and cleaning, should this be required, would be beneficial. The only retouchings which would appear to have been applied are very small lines and dots predominantly around the framing edges. The painting therefore appears to be in good condition and would benefit from cleaning and revarnishing.
"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.
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A founder member of the pioneering exhibition group, "The Jack of Diamonds", Lentulov participated in all of its exhibitions from 1910 until 1917. The group's influence was wide-reaching, attracting the leading names of the international avant-garde, such as Jawlensky, Léger, Vlaminck and Dufy, who chose to exhibit their paintings in Russia and began an important 'exchange' of cultural ideas which was to alter the path of early 20^th century European art irrevocably.  

 

Lentulov studied in Paris from 1911-12, under Le Fauconnier and at the La Palette academy.  However, Paul Cézanne's influence on Lentulov's work should not be underestimated. On his return from Paris, there is a noticeable move away from his bright, folkloric and decorative compositions, to more structured ones rendered in a muted palette characteristic of the French Impressionist (fig.1) Lentulov was nevertheless by no means a mere imitator of the Paris school, retaining traditionally Russian themes in terms of both subject and colour. Known to his Paris contemporaries as a "Futurist à la russe", Lentulov's style adopts the Cubo-Futurist trend emerging in Russia at the time: a reinterpretation of the Cubism practiced by Picasso and Braque combined with an interest in the dynamic possibilities of colour and line.

Dating from the artist's strongest period of experimental activity, Town in the Southern Russia forms part of a series of views painted on his return from the French capital (figs.2 and 3). These works are characterised by a two-dimensional aspect and a greater focus on fragmentation to the point of near abstraction. The architectural elements are barely distinguishable from their environment as Lentulov breaks down the structure of the composition into its colour and compositional building blocks. The artist's primary concern is the interaction of planes of colour, and creating a sense of movement through the juxtaposition of geometrical forms.

This is a vivid example of Lentulov's early takes on abstract art that would be continued and developed by his peers such as Malevich, Exter, Popova and Kandinsky. The critic Ludwig Gewaesi's sharp observation from 1909 of Russian artists that "...while they wish to learn from us, it turns out that they are our teachers. The barbarian embraces with the most elegant of modernists, and each completes the other".