Lot Essay
The reverse of the painting with glued business card inscribed 'M VINAKER/senateur/ancien deputé', with further ink inscription in French: 'I confirm that this painting by Mr. Levitan has been bought by me at the exhibition of his paintings organized in St. Petersburg immediately after the death of the artist in 1900/M. Vinaker'
Executed in 1899
Painted at Okulovk in the Novgorod Province, Levitan spent a great deal of time on the composition of 'Summer Evening'. The present, first version, lost since 1900, was only known from a black and white photograph published in 1912. The evolution in perspective from this version to that, now in the Tret'iakov Gallery, is clear. The recent discovery of a preparatory study (see below) which is linked to the first version shows how the artist envisaged in the early stages of composition the mood of the landscape in late evening as opposed to the paler sky of the final version.
Born in Kyrbartai, Lithuania, Levitan studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, living in extreme poverty. In 1874-75 when the Board of Teachers awarded him a box of paints and brushes for his progress, he was already showing a preference for landscape painting. In 1876 he was accepted into the studio of Aleksei Savrasov, and exhibited two canvases with at the 5th 'Wanderers' Moscow exhibition.
In 1880 Levitan's entry Skol'niki Park in his school's second Students Exhibition was bought by Pavel Tret'iakov. This purchase triggered public recognition of Levitan's talent.
Probably the most important landscape painter of late 19th century Russia, Levitan's atmospheric depiction of the countryside gave a sense of continuity and national identity to his admirers. His work encompassed the vigour of the Wanderer movement and the greater sophistication of early 20th century Russian art.
Executed in 1899
Painted at Okulovk in the Novgorod Province, Levitan spent a great deal of time on the composition of 'Summer Evening'. The present, first version, lost since 1900, was only known from a black and white photograph published in 1912. The evolution in perspective from this version to that, now in the Tret'iakov Gallery, is clear. The recent discovery of a preparatory study (see below) which is linked to the first version shows how the artist envisaged in the early stages of composition the mood of the landscape in late evening as opposed to the paler sky of the final version.
Born in Kyrbartai, Lithuania, Levitan studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, living in extreme poverty. In 1874-75 when the Board of Teachers awarded him a box of paints and brushes for his progress, he was already showing a preference for landscape painting. In 1876 he was accepted into the studio of Aleksei Savrasov, and exhibited two canvases with at the 5th 'Wanderers' Moscow exhibition.
In 1880 Levitan's entry Skol'niki Park in his school's second Students Exhibition was bought by Pavel Tret'iakov. This purchase triggered public recognition of Levitan's talent.
Probably the most important landscape painter of late 19th century Russia, Levitan's atmospheric depiction of the countryside gave a sense of continuity and national identity to his admirers. His work encompassed the vigour of the Wanderer movement and the greater sophistication of early 20th century Russian art.