Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin

Structural Condition The canvas is unlined and the turnover and tacking edges have been strengthened with a thin strip-lining. Paint surface The paint surface has a discoloured varnish layer and would respond well to cleaning and revarnishing. Inspection under ultra-violet confirms how discoloured the varnish layers are and also shows small scattered retouchings, the most significant of which are: 1) a small circular area just beneath the upper horizontal framing edge which is approximately 2 x 1.5 cm in diameter, 2) a very thin vertical line running up from the lower horizontal framing edge, which is approximately 6 cm in length, 3) an area in the shadows of the pavement in the lower left of the composition, approximately 4 x 2 cm in size, and other very small scattered spots and lines. There are some extremely small flecks of paint loss along a horizontal line approximately 4 cm beneath the upper horizontal framing edge. Summary The painting therefore appears to be in very good and stable condition and the overall appearance should be considerably enhanced by cleaning and revarnishing.
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By turning his back on what he felt were the timid approaches of the Itinerants towards Impressionism, Korovin began to wean Russian artists away from their dull palettes and careful brushwork. His deliberately sketchy style also brought him great personal success and the Tretyakov Gallery hosted an important exhibition of his work in 1923, the same year he moved permanently to Paris.

Korovin's Parisian street scenes typify the impulsive yet subtle character of his brushstroke. While clearly influenced by Claude Monet's Impressionist technique—emphasising light and atmosphere through nuances of shade, texture and colour—it is the sweeping perspective of his grandest compositions that sets Korovin's oeuvre apart. Scholars often say that Korovin was the first to introduce Impressionism to the stage, but the reverse is equally true. There is a sense of theatricality to be found in his cityscape compositions, which appear as detailed settings infused with energy and possibility, and in which the viewer is invited to gaze upon the dynamic spectacle of life.

Nostalgically reflecting on the influence of his childhood in Russia, the artist himself once said, 'I was struck by Paris when I first arrived at 26 years old. But I had a strong sense that I has already seen it before. It was just as my grandmother had described it.' The Café d'Angleterre was a popular Parisian restaurant and meeting spot in the early twentieth century. As depicted in the present lot, it was situated at the Richelieu Drouot crossroad, where the Grands Boulevards Haussmann, Italiens and Montmartre all intersect.