Alexander Evgenievich Yakovlev

Paris, Galerie La Renaissance, Alexander Yakovleff, May 1929

Chisla, No.4, 1930, p.97

Original canvas. There is a layer of light surface dirt. UV light reveals no apparent signs of retouching. Held in a gold painted plaster frame with loss to the moulding. Unexamined out of frame.
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This sensual representation of a female nude forms part of a series of mythological scenes painted in Capri from 1928-30. Yakovlev studied the Roman frescos at the Museum of Naples and Pompeii, and, back at his studio at Piccola Marina, completed a series of large-scale works on mythological themes inspired by the art of Pompeii.

 

The curvaceous model, appears many times throughout the series, for example The Bathers of 1929 (fig.1), currently in the Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels, and Diana, the Hunter.

 

The Bather was first exhibited at Galerie La Renaissance in Paris in May 1929. In the 18 May 1929 edition of L'Illustration the critic Jacques Baschet lauded the show as revealing a new side to Alexander Yakovlev's talent: "This artist is amongst those who infuse everything which they create with character. There is no need to capitalise on his successes! But this workaholic with an inquiring mind is unable to stick to one blueprint. Leaving his memories behind, he set out to discover new means of expression, and these are the latest works which are on show at the Renaissance. They reveal a new, very measured technique, at times classical in the beauty of his form, at others candidly realistic, based on the scarce resources of his almost monochrome palette."

 

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