Il'ia Efimovich Repin (1844-1930)

This self-portrait stylistically echoes an earlier one dated 1915 and entitled 'Self-portrait of the artist at work' which preempts Repin's later use of heavy impasto to render the contours of his compositions. The 1921 catalogue mentions that the above portrait was painted in Kuokkola in Finland in 1917 but the use of the reverse of linoleum as a support, also used for the portrait of Kerenskii painted at The Winter Palace in August 1917 (sold at Christie's New York, 19 October 2001, lot 193) strongly suggests that this self-portrait was actually painted in Petrograd.
It appears that this portrait is the last self-portrait that Repin painted whilst in Russia. Repin moved to his estate Penaty, which became part of Finland in 1918. He was never to return to Russia.