Alexander Evgenievich Yakovlev

Acquired directly from the sister of the artist

There are pinholes to all four corners and light handling marks and creases throughout. The paper has discoloured and the colours have faded a bit. Held in a simple wooden frame behind glass. 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 December 1923, Alexander Yakovlev sent an affectionate letter from Paris to his teacher, Dmitry Kardovsky in St. Petersburg in which he reminisces about his time in the far East from 1918 to 1919. He recalls the remarkable summer spent on the island of Oshima,

            "I spent the whole summer amongst the Japanese fishermen, with not a single European in sight, living in a Japanese house and dressed in Japanese clothes. Each morning was spent in the water and after lunch it was straight to work."

 

A consummate athlete and strong swimmer, Yakovlev would accompany the pearl divers, fascinated by the different aspects of the fishermen's jobs. He completed a brightly-coloured gouache in greens and blues, depicting the seaweed fishermen like bronze statues carrying their loads. His interest lay in the depiction of the human figure, and he draws them with a brisk hand, taking pleasure in accentuating the muscles of their athletic physiques as he would do later in his drawings of sumo wrestlers.

 

The offered gouache is a preparatory sketch for the magnificent oil painting The Fishermen of the Island of Oshima, which was first exhibited at the Galerie Barbazanges in Paris from April-May 1920.

 

 

To be included in the forthcoming Alexander Yakovlev Catalogue raisonné currently being prepared by Caroline Haardt de la Baume.