ROBERT RAFAILOVICH FALK | PORTRAIT OF FARIZET GILELS

Collection of Emil Gilels (1916–1985), Moscow

D.Sarabianov and Yu.Didenko, Zhivopis' Roberta Fal'ka. Polnyi katalog proizvedenii, Moscow: Elysium Gallery, 2006, p.750, no.1116 listed

From the ancient Gusov family of Ossetia, Farizet Gilels was the second wife of the famous Russian pianist Emil Gilels. The couple met in the late 1930s at the Moscow Conservatoire where Farizet was studying composition. Regarded as one of the most significant pianists of the 20^th century and universally admired for his superb technical control and polished tone, Emil Gilels was the first Soviet artist to be allowed to travel extensively in the West. From 1947 he toured Europe as a concert pianist and made his American debut in 1955 playing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 in Philadelphia. Farizet Gilels, in her turn, wrote poetry and devoted her life to managing Emil’s archive, cataloguing all his correspondence, programmes and even medical documents.

Robert Falk’s own musical talent (he played piano from an early age and had planned to enter the Conservatoire) lead to numerous encounters with prominent figures from that world, including Heinrich Neuhaus, Sviatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels. It was initially Emil whom Falk wanted to paint, but the shy maestro kept evading his brush and so his wife became the subject. Their first encounter took place at a chamber music concert, where Falk approached Farizet with an offer to paint her portrait. Later she recalled in her memoirs: ‘It was Falk. The portrait was taking shape slowly. (…) Falk was very tactful, shy, but knew the value of his talent. He was compassionate and inquired about my affections. I could read satisfaction and sympathy in his face.’ The artist himself wrote to his wife: ‘Gilels was there, and on Tuesday I began her portrait. She turned out to be Ossetian. Very, very interesting to paint and very lovely as a person. Today I started her in oil. She sits for me every day. She is leaving Odessa on the 24^th of May. I hasten to paint a decorative portrait’ (from a letter to Angelina Shchekin-Krotova, 12 May 1951).

From the time of its creation in 1951, the portrait hung in Emil’s study in the family’s Moscow apartment and until very recently has remained in the family. Neither published nor exhibited before today, the work was only known to the researchers from correspondence and memoirs. The portrait’s appearance at auction therefore presents a rare opportunity for collectors.

The work is accompanied by an authenticity certificate from Yu. Didenko.