Vladimir Davidovich Baranov-Rossiné

Private Collection, London (acquired from the family of the artist and sold: Sotheby's, London, May 31, 2006, lot 155)

Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Moscow, State Tretyakov Gallery & St. Petersburg, State Russian Museum, Vladimir Baranov-Rossiné, 2002, illustrated in color in the catalogue (titled The Nude in a Hat)

The canvas has been relined and placed on a new stretcher. The upper-left corner of the canvas is slightly buckling. There are some areas of craqueluer in the more thickly painted areas, and the impasto is fairly intact. Under ultra-violet light, there is no evidence of retouching. Over all, this work is in very good condition. Colors: The colors are over-all brighter and the red has a more orange tonality than what appears in the catalogue illustration.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Baranov-Rossiné was a versatile artist, thinker and innovator. His passion for science and technology led him to investigate the laws of light and to invent a number of apparatuses, which he used to create visual images. Like Kandinsky, he was interested in the theory of painting, and particularly in the analogy between painting and music.

He invented a color-visual optophone, an experiment that greatly contributed to the art of music of color. He articulated his idea of a polychromatic palette in a letter to friends Sonya and Robert Delaunay, whose friendship played a critical role in Baranov-Rossiné's artistic development. In his 1916 exhibition in Norway, Baranov-Rossiné explained: "Have you seen my palette?... Any color, be it white, black or red can, nevertheless, be transformed by its relationship to the neighboring color. If you know paints, you have to predict their alteration. As you can see, I have divided my palette into various color sections-green, blue lilac, red, orange, black, brown and white. By this means, I am able to obtain what I want'' (quoted in A. Sarabianov, Baranov-Rossiné, Moscow, 2002, p. 124).

Having studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, the artist moved to Paris in 1910, and exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in 1913-14 under the pseudonym Daniel Rossiné. After the 1917 revolution he returned to Russia, where he became a prominent member of the artistic avant-garde. The present painting was executed during Baranov's second stay in Paris, where he moved again in 1925. Whilst his earlier paintings show strong influences of the avant-garde movements he witnessed during his first stay in Paris, particularly Cubism, Futurism and Orphism, this Reclining Nude reflects the impact of the Surrealists, with whom he came in contact in the 1920s. Baranov-Rossiné's works are now housed in several celebrated collections, including the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris and the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection in Madrid.