Another finding in our online search was not previously known to us "picture in picture" Zinaida Serebryakova "Portrait of Maria Georgiyevna Napravnik" 1908-1917 years. from the collection of Chuvash State Art Museum, where the young woman depicted on a background of pastel VE Borisov-Musatov "Last Day".
Fascinating history of the attribution of this portrait we have learned from an article by the employee of the museum Anastasia Grigorieva "Mysteries paintings ZE Serebryakova "site" Cultural provider Chuvashia.
http://www.culture21.ru/News.aspx?orgid=385&id=96447
The painting entered the museum in 1979, and its main mystery was caught in her persona, the original attribution of which turned out to be incorrect. On the question of identification, shown in the portrait of the museum staff returned in 2003, and largely re-passed the necessary research path. During his version was born, that is a portrait of Mary Georgiyevna Napravnik, the wife of one of the sons of the composer Vladimir. This version has become final, and complete attribution after they became aware of the auction Sotheby's catalog.
It is very important evidence about ownership family pictures Napravnik brings us the nature of a source of well-known monograph of NN Wrangel "Borisov-Musatov" 1916 S.-Petersburg, where in the attached list of works of the artist mentioned: "1903" Last Day "(VE Napravnik, Petrograd).
Bed "Last Day" as I can judge, a beautiful finished product VE Borisov-Musatov. She has all the best features of the artist: the harmony of man and nature, lyrical mood, total lack of fuss. The audience seemed immersed in the aromatic freshness of a summer evening, could not help thinking: "prolong, continue the charm ...".
The very stylistic system works provides food for the production of various research questions. Mysteries lurk in the very title of "The Last Day", and its date of its creation.
Bed is dated 1903. But how do we know? Signed by the author himself, or whether this kind of long an established dating work? If the artist himself signed the work, then we are faced with the problem more accurately determine the time and place of its establishment in the overall number of works by the artist, written in 1903. Nostalgia Is it on the Saratov Zubrilovka estate, home Saratov sketch before the upcoming trip in the summer of 1903 in the town Khvalynsk or just the author's imagination, nothing or anything not related? But if the author is not dating? Then the question of time and place for the creation of this work becomes even more urgent.
Comparison of images from other works of the artist can speculate that the bed could be written later - in the next 1904. In mid-summer 1904 Borisov-Musatov stayed with the family estate near Moscow Vvedenskoe. At the same time there were about artistic company close VE Borisov-Musatov. In Vvedensky artist created the painting "The reflection of the sunset, and later, working on sketches for painting murals mansion Mrs. Derozhinskoy in the sketch" The Dream of the deity "used the same landscape. Story of two girls walking, their clothes: a yellow dress with ruffles and blue hoops with a cape picture "The reflection of the sunset" and the sketch "The Dream of the deity" is very close to the pastel "Last Day". "Last Day" and "The light of sunset, in spite of the different techniques of pastels and tempera, are similar in overall color scheme: the reflection of the setting sun vyzolotil tops of trees on the lawns there are cool green shades of the earth rise up the deepening purple twilight.
The main theme of "Last Day" may well be considered a favorite theme of the artist - on the estate. For descriptions of Vedenskiy known that from the main manor house began a long descent to the river, and we can assume that its bank two ladies strolling in the hour of sunset. Thus, considering all the details, could be most likely to stay at a very nice version of that bed "Last Day" was also created under the impression estate Vvedenskoe.
To confirm or refute this version, we have attracted very popular now in the online system for Google Earth - "Earth", which allows you to see through detailed satellite images of virtually any corner of our planet. Careful examination of the area Vvedenskoe estate near Moscow, has allowed us to make sure that the place where the picture was painted "The reflection of the decline" does not end at the Moscow River, and adjoins a large floodplain lakes. And to the river from a minimum of 200-300 meters. That is, stylistically similar work "Last Day", apparently written within a different landscape.
Study the terrain is still not given us a definitive yes, soon made the move in our search for more. And, of course, the bright saturated fruitful days spent by the artist in Vvedensky, do not exhaust all the impressions of 1904.
1904 Musatov and his wife Elena Alexandrova met in the town of Podolsk, where the artist moved from Saratov. Podmoskovnie land rich in beautiful park-like ensembles, and not far from Podolsk in the river is Pakhra estate Ivanovo, in which the artist and his companions repeatedly visited. It should be noted that researchers have the artist's life, for whatever reasons, did not notice those visits, probably also because among Musatovskogo heritage, works created in the Ivanovo also escaped the attention of researchers.
The luxurious palace ensemble estate Ivanovskoe now there are two museums: the Museum of the federal vocational education and local lore. Again, finding: on the Internet site of the museum vocational training in the materials on the history of the manor Ivanovskoe we found one more unknown to us Musatovsky sketch. Museum staff kindly told us that their exposure is picture the scene, made from the negative, which is stored in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery. But, unfortunately, by whom and under what circumstances is unknown. Now for us it is important to compare the sketch, written in the estate of Ivan's pastel "Last Day".
A characteristic common sign in both works - the presence of the stone grotto. Very similar to the path along the river, passing through the natural slope of a river. Even lower and closer to the water stretching band of dense shrubs and trees. These two works represent almost mirror each other. What can you suggest in this regard? Not if the estate Ivanovo region is depicted in these works?
To answer this question we found the old plan of the estate and, again, have also introduced Google Earth - "Earth" and explore with their help on today's spaceshots estate Ivanovo region under Podolsky.
As in terms of the estate, and at a very detailed space images shows that the manor house is located quite close to the river Pakhra. By the river is wide clearing, which local lore called "central parterre. Along the river can be traced not a wide road. The two modern photographs that local photographers tied to the system Google Earth compositionally almost repeat study of Ivanovo and pastel "Last Day". It is possible that in the planning of the architectural ensemble was originally based on the principle of symmetry and the grotto, which is well captured in pastels, of course entered in relief of a steep bank. This cave could be the spring, that is co-opted yield of groundwater.
So, all of our online tour can be completed in two findings that bed "Last Day" could be created precisely in 1904 and most likely in the estate Ivanovo.
Restore is the true story of a pastel "Last Day" for many years, dropped out of sight of researchers Musatovskogo creativity can be only in the presence of all known information about it, and also for comparing the facts of the biography of the artist.
Finally, we once again see that the true work of art is not only a considerable financial value, but the historical value, bringing to us interesting evidence of a bygone era.
In conclusion I'd like to add that the era of the Internet in many ways - time to gather stones. Transparency of information allows you to connect the threads, by force of circumstances to explode a hundred and more years ago.
So in "In the world of art» № 10-12 for 1909 on page. 15 in the text of the article A. Fedorova "Borisov-Musatov" published by landscape artist with the remark "was killed with an exhibition in America."
The site of the State Russian Museum, information about passing now from 14 February to 12 May 2008 Exhibition "Time to collect ..." from private collections around the world and put up this "happily resurrected" landscape is really in America, a collection of Maya and Anatoly Bekkerman, New York. But this is how we think, be quite different internet history.
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Footnotes:
1. More information about the museum's permanent monitoring of Internet resources, see Belonovich EN, Proletkin I.V World Borisov-Musatov XXI Century "//Museum, № 6, 2007; Proletkin IV, Belonovich EN "Artist VE Borisov-Musatov through the prism of the Internet ". Eleventh Annual Conference ADIT, Saratov, 2007, Abstracts.
2. From an article by Dmitry Butkevich "Will Aivazovsky again the most expensive artist" //"Nezavisimaya Gazeta", column "antiques", May 26, 2006 for a House Sotheby's auction of three specialized in the Russian week in London on May 31, 2006