Peonies

Aleksandr Gerasimov was born in 1881 in the provincial town of Kozlov, located approximately 400 kilometres southeast of Moscow, in a region historically known for its chernozem, or fertile 'black earth'. This agricultural environment was not a particularly natural incubator for developing artists, and Gerasimov’s childhood seemed to present no exception, spending most of his youth assisting his father in the livestock trade. According to his own accounts, his passion for art was ignited the moment he noticed one of the traders creating a drawing of a horse. Fascinated by the realistic portrayal of an animal he knew so well, Gerasimov was eager to attempt the same. He began to draw regularly and his aptitude for draughtsmanship was recognised by the realist painter Sergei Krivolutsky (1869-1922), who had opened a studio in Kozlov around 1900. A graduate of the St Petersburg Academy of Arts himself, Krivolutsky encouraged Gerasimov to study art (M. Cullerne Bown, The Art of the Soviets, Manchester, 1993, p. 122). In 1903 Gerasimov passed the entrance exams to the Moscow College of Painting and Architecture (MUZhVZ), where he would study for approximately twelve years, and where his distinctive style and technique would be formed. The greatest influences on Gerasimov’s development as an artist were Konstantin Korovin (1861-1939) and Abram Arkhipov (1862-1930), both important members of MUZhVZ. Their respective abilities to portray varied elements in nature in their works, with spirited brushwork and generous impasto made a lasting impression on the young artist. Gerasimov’s participation in student shows attracted interest, and his popularity grew among certain influential patrons, leading him to begin receiving commissions for important works.
In addition to the official portraits and ceremonial paintings for which he would eventually become recognised and lauded by the Soviet regime, Gerasimov dedicated many of his canvases to the Russian countryside and its floral progeny, for which he would be equally admired and renowned. Gerasimov’s oeuvre includes impressive depictions of wide, harvest-ready golden fields, abundantly flowering apple trees and finally, a series of lush bouquets of large roses and peonies that dominate his genre scenes. Working as an official and authoritative artist within the confines of the strict policies of the Stalinist era, Gerasimov and his supporters advocated these sumptuous works in the context of Socialist Realism, highlighting the simplicity and realism of the imagery, their ability to awaken the senses and national pride. These aspects were admitted by his biographers: 'the artist does not resort to subtle nuances, he builds the space characteristic of his style, the contrasts of colour combinations, achieving freshness and brightness of colour. His landscapes are permeated with optimism and love for our country' (A. Zamoshkin, Aleksandr Gerasimov, Moscow, 1936, p. 33).
Peonies, painted in 1931, is a crowning example of Aleksandr Gerasimov’s still lifes. Two heaving bouquets of pink, white and burgundy peonies in rounded glass vases adorn a circular table in a sunlit interior. An open window reveals a verdant landscape in the background, and suggests a light breeze. The composition is punctuated with dark petals that have fallen onto the table surface and a cobalt blue tea cup placed slightly off-centre on its saucer near an ochre sugar-box. With these painterly gestures, Gerasimov truly brings the scene to life, captivating the viewer with a profound sense of realism. The Soviet art critic Victor Lobanov (1883-1970), described the artist’s technique and quoted him saying 'the roses and peonies of Gerasimov are different, they are like living beings for him. In them, trying to reach the heights of Korovin-like picturesque brilliance and sophistication, he sees as an apotheosis the life-giving beauty of nature, all her own strength, and charm. 'I loved and love to paint flowers', - he often repeats, 'I love to paint them filled with sunlight, in glass with clean, fresh water'' (B. Lobanov, A. M. Gerasimov, Moscow, 1943, p. 46).
Considered to be a quintessential example of Russian painting, Soviet authorities selected Gerasimov's Peonies among works by nine other artists to represent the country at the Carnegie Institute’s 1935 International Exhibition of Paintings in Pittsburgh. Established by Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) in 1896 at the newly founded Carnegie Institute (1895), the Carnegie International is, after the Venice Biennale, the oldest international contemporary art exhibition in the world. Carnegie’s goal was to acquire and to highlight 'the old masters of tomorrow', as well as to encourage an international platform for dialogue. As this important exhibition was nearing the end of its tour in 1936, Peonies was sold to Alice C. Terhune, heiress to a successful lumber business in Ohio. The painting has since remained in private hands, and is being offered at auction for the first time.