Boats on the Volga

Details

Isaak Levitan (1860-1900)
Boats on the Volga
signed in Cyrillic ‘I. Levitan’ (lower left)
oil on canvas laid down on board
7¾ x 9 3/8 in. (20 x 23.5 cm.)

Provenance

Gotz, Moscow (label on the reverse).
Acquired by the present owner in New York circa 1975.

Literature

Probably, A. Fedorov-Davydov, Isaak Il’ich Levitan. Dokumenty, materialy, bibliografia [Documents, materials, bibliography], vol. II, Moscow, 1966, listed p. 93, no. 240.

Exhibited

Probably, St Petersburg, Vystavka russkogo izobrazitelno iskusstva, Sto let zhivopisi [Exhibition of Russian representational art: One hundred years of painting] 1812-1912, no. 139 (label on the reverse).

Special notice

These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

Brought to you by

Aleksandra Babenko

ababenko@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2489

Lot Essay

Based on the likely listing in Fedorov-Davydov and the label on the reverse, the present work may have belonged to Mikhail Gotz (1866–1906). Born in Moscow into an affluent Jewish family, Gotz was an ardent revolutionary throughout his life, he was one of the founders of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party. Having taken part in a convicts' uprising in 1889 Gotz was sentenced to hard labour in Siberia, but thanks to an amnesty he was able to emigrate to Paris, where he continued his political activities.

More from Russian Art

View All