Catalogue: Important Russian Art Auction
15 October 2020
122. KLIUN, IVAN (1873–1943)
Composition with Lines .
Pencil on paper, 17.5 by 11 cm.
10,000–20,000 GBP
Executed c. 1920.
Provenance: Collection of S. Kliunkova-Soloveichik.
Private collection, USA.
Private collection, Europe.
The work bears a stamp with authentication from S. Kliunkova-Soloveichik, the artist's granddaughter, on the reverse.
Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by the expert O. Glebova.
Literature: S. Kliunkova-Soloveichik, Ivan Vasilievich Kliun, New York, IVK Art, 1993, p. 193, illustrated and listed.
Following The Flautist in terms of creation time in the offered collection is Composition with Lines (c. 1920), belonging to the series of Suprematist compositions. The first Suprematist compositions were made by Kliun in 1916 and were probably very similar to Malevich's early Suprematist paintings. Both artists consistently followed the Suprematist principles that they formulated in their theoretical works, and during those years they worked along the same lines. Towards the end of the 1910s, however, Kliun had almost completely focused on developing all manner of variations on the relationship between abstract shape and colour. Following the idea of Suprematism, he created many graphic versions of constructs in one, two, three or many colours, in which he sought to achieve a balance of colour and form by using various combinations of geometrical shapes in space. Composition with Lines, like most of Kliun's famous well-known Suprematist works, is known to exist in several versions. Apart from the pencil sketch presented in the catalogue, a smaller watercolour from the Costakis collection is also known, as well as a painted composition made from it considerably later, in 1932, now housed in the State Tretyakov Gallery.
The present lot as illustrated in the Catalogue Raisonné
Notes on symbols:
* Indicates 5% Import Duty Charge applies.
Ω Indicates 20% Import Duty Charge applies.
§ Indicates Artist's Resale Right applies.
† Indicates Standard VAT scheme applies, and the rate of 20% VAT will be charged on both hammer price and premium.