Mikhail Fedorovich Larionov

Acquired by the present owner in Paris, 1980s

The original canvas has been strip lined and is slightly loose on the stretcher. There is some light surface dirt and fine lines of craquelure in places. UV light reveals no signs of retouching. Held in a modern painted plaster frame and 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."

Executed 1920s--1930s

 

On the reverse of the canvas there is an unfinished architectural sketch by Natalya Goncharova, bearing the inscription Larionow.

 

 

Still Life with Cabbage is a typical example of Larionov's work from the 1920s and 1930s. On the reverse of the canvas there is an architectural study by Goncharova executed in pencil and partially overpainted in oil, which seems to date from the mid 1900s.  The explanation to Larionov's use of one of Goncharova's old canvases can be found in the work's pre-history.

 

Towards the end of the 1920s Larionov and Goncharova were able to acquire many of their own compositions left behind in their Moscow studio on Trekhprudnyi Lane. The transfer of these works, which was undertaken by their friends in Moscow, the artists N. Vinogradov and Lev Zhegin, took several years. Larionov and Goncharova received not only finished paintings and drawings but also much additional material, including studies and sketches. None of the canvases were on stretchers, and were sent rolled up in tubes.

To come face-to-face with their own art fifteen years later was a creative boon for the artists and would bolster their future work. It was at this time, the 1920s and 1930s, that Larionov returned to easel painting.

During his time in Paris and despite being busy with theatre design, Larionov produced still lifes in oils and on paper, the 'stars' of which were porcelain cups and bowls, glass tumblers and goblets, fruits, vegetables, letters in envelopes, crumpled envelopes, and dry branches, arranged on small wooden tables. He often returned to earlier compositions, making replicas of old motifs, and completing them with new 'staffage' (fig.1).  

It is very possible that this still life was not painted in Larionov's study, but on the Mediterranean coast, where Larionov holidayed every year until autumn. In letters from the seaside from the end of the 1920s the artist described his excitement at the 'delightful' melons, grapes, onions, and tomatoes which he planned to paint.

Larionov always had a special relationship with nature and felt a genuine 'reverence' for the living world. Throughout all the artistic periods of his life, he sought 'painterly harmony'. In the offered lot, he is attracted not by the colourfulness of the visible world, but by the intimate secret world of objects. The artist shows virtuoso skill in varying his palette of light-browns to elicit subtle painterly effects. The thick loose-woven tablecloth, the colourful earthenware pot and the roll of paper in the background are painted in a warm beige with pink reflections, which harmonises with the cold blue-green shade of the cabbage leaves dappled with mother-of-pearl highlights.