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Lot Essay
We are grateful to Dr. Konstantin Akinsha, independent art historian, curator and journalist for his assistance in cataloguing the present lot and for providing this note.
Oleksandr Bohomazov was one of the most important artists of Ukrainian modernism. Today, his work is being rediscovered, leading to a reassessment of his role in the history of both Ukrainian and European art in the first half of the 20th century. A contemporary and friend of Alexander Archipenko (1888-1964) and Alexandra Exter (1882-1949), he studied alongside them at the Kyiv Art School. Initially influenced by Art Nouveau, Bohomazov soon developed a unique style that combined Symbolist themes with the pointillist/divisionist technique of painting. During his trips to Moscow, he was introduced to the works of French modernists through the collections of Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov. Bohomazov, captivated by Picasso, developed his own version of Cubism, evident in his portrait of his wife, Wanda Monastyrska painted in 1914 (Private collection, Monaco). However, while part of the Kyiv school of Cubo-Futurism, Bohomazov stood out as the only radical modernist in the Russian Empire who truly understood and advanced the principles of the Italian Futurism. Fascinated by the dynamism of movement, he explored this theme in both his paintings and numerous drawings, making him the only true Futurist active outside of Italy. There is no direct evidence that Bohomazov saw the actual works of Italian Futurists, but he likely encountered reproductions of works by artists such as Umberto Boccioni (1882-1916) and Giacomo Balla (1871-1958) in Futurist publications brought to Kyiv by Alexandra Exter, who traveled extensively in Europe and maintained personal relationships with key figures such as Ardengo Soffici (1879-1964), an influential Futurist painter and critic. The years 1914–1915 marked the peak of Bohomazov’s Futurist period. On March 28, 1914, the exhibition "Ring," co-organized by Exter and Bohomazov, opened in Kyiv, with Bohomazov exhibiting 88 works—more than any other participant. That same year, he completed his theoretical treatise Painting and Its Elements, which addressed the problems of perceiving and interpreting art. His works from this period focus on the rapidly changing urban landscape, capturing modernity through imagery of speeding trams, webs of electric cables, and bustling crowds, such as Tram, 1914, (Private collection, Moscow) and Electrical Fitter, 1915, (Private collection, Moscow). Like his Italian counterparts, Bohomazov was particularly fascinated by the symbolism of racing trains, representing the unstoppable march of progress. Examples include Landscape, Locomotive.1914-1915 (Private collection, Vienna), and Locomotive, 1915 (Private collection, Moscow). Bohomazov was also an exceptional draftsman. His preferred materials were charcoal and sanguine, ideal for capturing the fluid elegance of his swirling lines. His drawings were often not mere preparatory sketches but standalone artworks, demonstrating a mastery of form and movement. The drawing Bouquet of Autumn Leaves, which is being offered for sale, belongs to Bohomazov’s finest graphic works, dating to 1915. Drawings of this size and quality are rare, with comparable examples found only in the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, the Netherlands and in a private collection in Switzerland. In this work, Bohomazov transforms a static bunch of fallen leaves into an explosion of shapes and movement, creating a true Futurist masterpiece.
Oleksandr Bohomazov was one of the most important artists of Ukrainian modernism. Today, his work is being rediscovered, leading to a reassessment of his role in the history of both Ukrainian and European art in the first half of the 20th century. A contemporary and friend of Alexander Archipenko (1888-1964) and Alexandra Exter (1882-1949), he studied alongside them at the Kyiv Art School. Initially influenced by Art Nouveau, Bohomazov soon developed a unique style that combined Symbolist themes with the pointillist/divisionist technique of painting. During his trips to Moscow, he was introduced to the works of French modernists through the collections of Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov. Bohomazov, captivated by Picasso, developed his own version of Cubism, evident in his portrait of his wife, Wanda Monastyrska painted in 1914 (Private collection, Monaco). However, while part of the Kyiv school of Cubo-Futurism, Bohomazov stood out as the only radical modernist in the Russian Empire who truly understood and advanced the principles of the Italian Futurism. Fascinated by the dynamism of movement, he explored this theme in both his paintings and numerous drawings, making him the only true Futurist active outside of Italy. There is no direct evidence that Bohomazov saw the actual works of Italian Futurists, but he likely encountered reproductions of works by artists such as Umberto Boccioni (1882-1916) and Giacomo Balla (1871-1958) in Futurist publications brought to Kyiv by Alexandra Exter, who traveled extensively in Europe and maintained personal relationships with key figures such as Ardengo Soffici (1879-1964), an influential Futurist painter and critic. The years 1914–1915 marked the peak of Bohomazov’s Futurist period. On March 28, 1914, the exhibition "Ring," co-organized by Exter and Bohomazov, opened in Kyiv, with Bohomazov exhibiting 88 works—more than any other participant. That same year, he completed his theoretical treatise Painting and Its Elements, which addressed the problems of perceiving and interpreting art. His works from this period focus on the rapidly changing urban landscape, capturing modernity through imagery of speeding trams, webs of electric cables, and bustling crowds, such as Tram, 1914, (Private collection, Moscow) and Electrical Fitter, 1915, (Private collection, Moscow). Like his Italian counterparts, Bohomazov was particularly fascinated by the symbolism of racing trains, representing the unstoppable march of progress. Examples include Landscape, Locomotive.1914-1915 (Private collection, Vienna), and Locomotive, 1915 (Private collection, Moscow). Bohomazov was also an exceptional draftsman. His preferred materials were charcoal and sanguine, ideal for capturing the fluid elegance of his swirling lines. His drawings were often not mere preparatory sketches but standalone artworks, demonstrating a mastery of form and movement. The drawing Bouquet of Autumn Leaves, which is being offered for sale, belongs to Bohomazov’s finest graphic works, dating to 1915. Drawings of this size and quality are rare, with comparable examples found only in the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, the Netherlands and in a private collection in Switzerland. In this work, Bohomazov transforms a static bunch of fallen leaves into an explosion of shapes and movement, creating a true Futurist masterpiece.