Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov

The private collection of Tsar Alexander III

The canvas has been laid on board. The paint surface is a little dirty and there is a layer of shiny and slightly yellowed varnish. There is some light abrasion to the corners, which has resulted in some small chips of paintloss in places. Held in a painted wooden frame and under glass.
"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."

Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich, the future Emperor Alexander III, appointed Polenov as official artist to his staff during the Russo-Turkish war. From November 1877 to February 1878, Polenov was attached to the Ruschuksky detachment on the Bulgarian front. His work over these four months mostly comprises of landscapes, architectural details, sketches from bivouac life and ethnographic scenes. In correspondence Polenov confessed that 'mutilation and death', where everything is so 'dreadful and simple' were foreign subjects to him (Letter from V.Polenov to M.Klimentova, Brestovets, 12 January 1878), something which Ilya Repin could not fathom: 'He painted their huts, the interior and exterior of their quarters, the places they loitered – and that's it; of the war neither hide nor hair' (quoted in E.Sakharova, V.Polenov, E.Polenova, Artists' Family Chronicles, Moscow, 1964, p.264).

A soldier stationed in the Balkan village of Brestovets recorded Polenov's arrival: 'An artist called Polenov has turned up, a member of the Tsesarevich's staff. He showed us superb oil sketches that he paints very quickly while he is on the move. He uses thin boards like French war artists' (Yu.Arsenev, 27 November 1877, idem). This is one of several depictions of the interior of the Tsesarevich's staff quarters that Polenov painted in November and December 1877, and is a prime example of his expert handling of colour and his still life technique. The brightly coloured carpet, the samovar and weapons hanging on the wall are beautifully observed and compare with the delicate arrangement of objects in his famous canvas, The Patient (1886, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow).

We are grateful to Eleonora Paston of The State Tretyakov Gallery for providing additional cataloguing information.