Yuri Pavlovich Annenkov

Margarett Sargent, Boston
Thence by descent

This painting is in original condition. It appears not to have been restored or cleaned and there is no varnish to the surface. The paint layer is stable and the canvas remains well stretched, but the paint layer is dirty and very dull. Whether the surface should be varnished is questionable. If the surface were to be cleaned it may add more depth to the colors, and one should be thoughtful about any varnish that is applied. The painting is generally in beautiful condition. The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
"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."

A contemporary of Nathan Altman and Jean Pougny, Yuri Annenkov belonged to an important wing of the Russian avant-garde. He studied in St. Petersburg alongside Marc Chagall and later in Paris at the academies of La Grand Chaumière and La Palette, working with famed French artists Maurice Denis and Felix Vallotton. The range of Annenkov's artistic ability was extraordinary. He excelled in a variety of media from easel painting to book illustration to stage and screen design and, after working in Russia from 1912 to 1924, he moved permanently to France and aligned with the School of Paris.

Still Life with Strawberries is an exquisite example of the artist's strength as a draughtsman as well as his radical treatment of space and texture. Likely executed around 1924 upon Annenkov's return to Paris, the composition's striking power lies perhaps in its severity–in its bold lines, contrasting colors, exaggerated forms and skewed perspective, all underscoring the author's defiance of tradition within the still life genre.