Description:

ALEXANDER SAMOKHVALOV (RUSSIAN 1894-1971)
On the Bus, 1970
oil on canvas
90 x 102 cm (35 1/2 x 40 1/8 in.)
signed, dated and titled on verso

EXPERTISE

Accompanied by a certificate of expertise from E. Petrova, State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, 2007

LITERATURE
L. Zinger, Alexander Samokhvalov (Moscow: Sovetsky khudozhnik, 1982) (illustrated)

LOT NOTES
Alexander Samokhvalov, one of the foremost representatives of the Leningrad school of painting, began his artistic career in 1914 at the Higher Art School at the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he studied under Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. Unlike many of his peers at the academy and the Mir iskusstva circle, such as Eugene Lanceray, Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva, or Alexander Osmerkin, in the late 1920s Samokhvalov enthusiastically embraced the development of Socialist Realism for which he is remembered. As in his most recognizable work - Girl in a Football Shirt, awarded the gold medal at the International Art Fair in Paris (which also exhibited Pablo Picasso's Guernica) - his paintings from the 1930s often showcase the first generation of Soviet women as the face of modernity and strength.

At first glance, the present painting, made in the year before Samokhvalov's death, appears divergent from the youthful athletic heroism associated with his oeuvre. Here, instead, the painter balances an illustration of working-class Soviet society with an introspective group portrait. The tightly cropped scene, while taking place among supposed strangers, is both a highly intimate and dynamic one. The expressions of the passengers - like the faraway gaze of the blonde man facing the viewer, or of the woman occupying the center left of the painting, or the man beside her glancing upward (as if about to start a conversation) - are oblique yet lively. Each is perpetually at the brink of action: take the woman in the lower right, hands placed on the handle of the seat in front, perhaps ready to disembark, or the one in a striped headscarf, lips questioningly parted.

The legible dramatic narrative and typology of early Soviet painting is adapted here to a microcosmic snapshot of daily life, punctuated by an etherial ambiance awarded by the rain-blurred windows. Awash in hazy mauves and umbers, the bus interior, at Samokhvalov's hands, transforms into a meditative landscape. Indeed, public transit, that cornerstone of modern life, has long served as an artist's ideal venue for the convergence of public and private, interior and exterior. From the Socialist Realist subway scenes of the 1930s to the photorealistic paintings of Semen Faibisovich, the Russian painting tradition has never been able to abandon the hidden poetic potential of the day-to-day traveler.

CONDITION
Observed in frame, the work is in overall good condition. Inspection under UV light shows scattered areas of retouching, the largest one being a vertical repair, possibly to a tear, along the upper left corner, approximately 30 cm (12 in.) long, and to the center of the beige coat. No more than 5% of the canvas is inpainted.

N.B. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

• All items must be paid for before they can be released.
• For shipments to domestic and international locations, while we do not ship directly, we can recommend some shippers who are local to us, and can pick-up your items from our office with your authorization. Please see a list of recommended shippers below. Clients are free to choose their own shippers, and these recommendations are provided only for convenience. We will not accept liability for any recommendations of shippers.
• The purchaser is responsible for insuring his or her items in transit. Once items have been picked-up or released to a shipper, they are no longer covered under our insurance.
• Payment for shipment and arrangements for shipment, must be made with the shipper directly.
• Once you have made arrangement with a shipper, please email or fax us authorizing us to release your property to that person or company.

For regular shipments:
1. ASAP ETC INC (John or Dennis): +1 (914) 381-6421, email: [email protected]
2. PDQ Mail Plus Inc., (Helen or Bud): +1 (914)833-1133
3. The UPS Store NYC (Waldo or Daniel), Tel. +1 (212) 920-6521, email: [email protected]
4. Lex Pack and Ship (Bob or Irma), Tel. +1 (212) 288-4425, email: [email protected]
5. ArtFira Shipping (Alex), Tel. +1 (917) 573-5688 (can also assist with shipments to Russia/Ukraine, etc., including crates),
email: [email protected]
6. Max Art International LLC, (Darius) Tel. +1 (917) 502-8731, email: [email protected] (Can also assist with shipments to
Russia/CIS, including crates).
7. Global Transit Group (Rostislav), Tel. +1 (718) 449-1971, email: [email protected] (Can also assist with shipments to
Russia/CIS, including crates).

For larger items, art shuttles, and anything requiring wooden crates or specialized art transport
1. Atelier 4: +1 (718) 433-3500, email: [email protected]
2. Cadogan Tate Fine Art: +1 (718) 706-7999, email: [email protected]
3. James Bourlet, Inc: +1 (718) 392-9770, email: [email protected]
4. Thomas Sullivan Transportation Management Inc.: +1 (718) 822-4169, email: [email protected]

For local van and truck deliveries in New York City, New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Florida Shuttles
1. ASAP ETC INC (John or Dennis): +1 (914) 381-6421 email: [email protected]
2. Crossroads Delivery (Arthur): +1 (917) 807-3758, email: [email protected]
3. ArtWay Fine Art Services (Lenny): +1 (718) 213-6886 email: [email protected]
Clients are free to choose their own shippers. We are not liable for the actions of any outside shippers and these recommendations are provided only for convenience.

To pick-up your items in person
Please call us at +1 (212) 717-7500 to make an appointment to pick up your items in person. If someone else whose name is not on the invoice will be picking up on your behalf, please email or fax us authorizing us to release your property to that person. Payment for all items must have been received and cleared, before merchandise can be released.

July 25, 2020 10:00 AM EDT
Bedford Hills, NY, US

Shapiro Auctions LLC

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$1 - $100,000:
30.00%
$100,001 - $2,000,000:
25.00%
$2,000,001+:
17.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $25,000
$500,000 + $50,000