Vladimir Egorovich Makovsky

M. Newman Ltd., London

Structural Condition The canvas is unlined on what would certainly appear to be the original keyed stretcher. The reverse of the canvas is inscribed. The canvas is rather slack and tightening of the stretcher keys is recommended. Lining should certainly not be required. Paint surface The paint surface has a very discoloured varnish layer and would undoubtedly be transformed by cleaning. I would be confident of a transformation in the overall appearance. Inspection under ultra-violet light is inconclusive as to exactly how many retouchings have been applied in the past, due to the very degraded and discoloured nature of the varnish layers. There would however appear to be just minimal retouching, the most significant of which are: 1) very thin vertical lines in the upper left of the sky, above the head of the standing boy, 2) a small retouching in the sky which measures approximately 1 cm in diameter, and 3) an area of retouching around the hat of the standing woman, which presumably covers artist's pentimenti. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in very good condition and should respond extremely well to cleaning and revarnishing.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Vladimir Makovsky's ability to capture everyday Moscow life in the second half of the 19^th century was superb, and nowhere is this talent more evident than in his small genre scenes, which typically featured two figures.

The Walk (1877) received great critical acclaim at the Wanderers' 1878 exhibition. Contemporary critics noted the 'accuracy of characterisation', the 'meticulous execution' and 'artistry of feeling'. Makovsky reproduced this composition a number of times: the version exhibited in 1878 is now in the collection of the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum, titled The Old Lady's Walk; a later version dated 1877-1918 by the artist is in a private collection and the offered lot appears to be an early working version of this scene which had so interested the artist. Makovsky's own corrections to the canvas suggests that he was trying to fix the exact dimensions of the figures, their position within the space and the details of the landscape. Although the three versions of this picture share a common subject, they vary significantly in the details.

Makovsky's earliest depiction of an old lady in a large overcoat in the company of her servant can be seen in Pension Day at the Treasury from 1876 (fig.1). Two similar figures are found in other paintings by Makovsky: Visiting the Poor, Waiting Outside the Prison and in a different context and emotional state in The Bank Crash.

We are grateful to Dr. Galina Churak of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow for providing this note.