Vladimir Fedorovich Ammon

A gift from Gerasim Ivanovich Khludov to John Hick MP, Moscow, 1857
Thence by descent
Christie’s London, 27 July 1955
Mr F. Dent
Mr Herbert Bier
Thence by descent to the previous owner

The canvas has been strip-lined. There are two small patches as well as a small area of repair visible on the reverse. A small pin-hole is visible at the lower right edge. There are frame abrasions with associated paint loss along the edges. There is a fine pattern of craquelure throughout as well as well as faint stretcher bar marks along all four etches. A small scratch can be seen in the area of the dark trees in the foreground in the lower right quadrant, just by the aforementioned stretcher marks. Some light surface dirt. Inspection under UV light reveals a small area of retouching just above the left side of the Novodevichy Convent and to the sky in the upper right quadrant, both corresponding to the aforementioned patches. There is further minor scattered retouching, mostly to the sky, as well as a larger area of retouching to the upper right corner. Held in a gold painted wooden frame. Unexamined out of frame.
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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."

Painted in 1856, the present work offers a stunning view of Moscow, at a time when the skyline of the Russian capital was still dominated by churches and monasteries. Perhaps the most interesting feature of Ammon's painting is the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, whose massive central dome is still clad in scaffolding. The cornerstone had been laid in 1839, but the cathedral, built to commemorate Russia's victory over Napoleon in 1812, would not be consecrated until 1883. To the left of Christ the Saviour, the Kremlin with its churches and cathedrals can be seen, and behind it one can just make out the domes of St Basil's.

Ammon painted another version of the same vista which is now at the State Russian Museum. Here, the scaffolding is gone and the golden dome of Christ the Saviour is visible. This suggests that the museum’s work was painted slightly later.

According to the inscription on the reverse, the present work was gifted by Gerasim Ivanovich Khludov (1821-1885), a well-known Moscow collector and entrepreneur, to John Hick (1815-1894), an English industrialist, art collector and Conservative politician.