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Lot Essay
Whether of the American Southwest, the Far East or his native Russia, Leon Gaspard's most celebrated canvases capture the folk ways of local cultures. Among his most distinctive paintings are his lively depictions of Russian villages and their people.
Born in Vitebsk, Russia in 1882, as a young boy Gaspard often travelled the Russian countryside with his father, a trader, visiting neighboring towns such as the village of Smolensk where his uncle lived. Encouraged by his parents to pursue his artistic talents, Gaspard moved to Paris to study at the Académie Julian and became enthralled by the creative climate of the city, living there for approximately twenty years, and participating on several occasions in the Paris Salon. While in France, Gaspard met and fell in love with Evelyn Adell, an American ballet dancer. Following their marriage in 1909, the couple embarked on a two-year honeymoon via horseback through Siberia. Through expeditions like this and others, Gaspard developed an intimate understanding of the unique peoples and cultures of his homeland, which he would carry with him for the rest of his career.
Likely based on his vivid memories of Russia, New Year's Day Celebration in Smolensk was executed after Gaspard settled permanently in Taos, New Mexico. Gaspard "moved to Taos on the cusp of two generations of artists to settle there; the first primarily made up of academically trained artists, the second of modernists. Gaspard is therefore a bridge both chronologically and stylistically, painting in an Impressionist style in the tradition of the artist who had uprooted the academic tradition in France, paving the way for the twentieth-century modernists who followed." (D. Strong in P. Buster, et al., An American Palette: Works from the Collection of John and Dolores Beck, Orlando, Florida, 2000, p. 56)
As in his best work, here Gaspard composes a richly colored tapestry of exotic peoples and a snow-filled landscape. Gaspard paints in his characteristic dashing style with bold brushwork that imbues the work with a vigorous and expressive surface. The use of shockingly bright colors to depict throngs of peasants creates a dramatic but harmonious representation of life in the village of Smolensk during the excitement of a holiday celebration. New Year's Day Celebration in Smolensk manifests Gaspard's unique worldly experience and powerful style, traits that distinguish him from his peers and contribute to the timeless appeal of his paintings.
Born in Vitebsk, Russia in 1882, as a young boy Gaspard often travelled the Russian countryside with his father, a trader, visiting neighboring towns such as the village of Smolensk where his uncle lived. Encouraged by his parents to pursue his artistic talents, Gaspard moved to Paris to study at the Académie Julian and became enthralled by the creative climate of the city, living there for approximately twenty years, and participating on several occasions in the Paris Salon. While in France, Gaspard met and fell in love with Evelyn Adell, an American ballet dancer. Following their marriage in 1909, the couple embarked on a two-year honeymoon via horseback through Siberia. Through expeditions like this and others, Gaspard developed an intimate understanding of the unique peoples and cultures of his homeland, which he would carry with him for the rest of his career.
Likely based on his vivid memories of Russia, New Year's Day Celebration in Smolensk was executed after Gaspard settled permanently in Taos, New Mexico. Gaspard "moved to Taos on the cusp of two generations of artists to settle there; the first primarily made up of academically trained artists, the second of modernists. Gaspard is therefore a bridge both chronologically and stylistically, painting in an Impressionist style in the tradition of the artist who had uprooted the academic tradition in France, paving the way for the twentieth-century modernists who followed." (D. Strong in P. Buster, et al., An American Palette: Works from the Collection of John and Dolores Beck, Orlando, Florida, 2000, p. 56)
As in his best work, here Gaspard composes a richly colored tapestry of exotic peoples and a snow-filled landscape. Gaspard paints in his characteristic dashing style with bold brushwork that imbues the work with a vigorous and expressive surface. The use of shockingly bright colors to depict throngs of peasants creates a dramatic but harmonious representation of life in the village of Smolensk during the excitement of a holiday celebration. New Year's Day Celebration in Smolensk manifests Gaspard's unique worldly experience and powerful style, traits that distinguish him from his peers and contribute to the timeless appeal of his paintings.