ÉCOLE DE PARIS AND OTHER MASTERS

12:00 GMT 4 December 2024

Artist Index / Full Catalogue / Bidding

* 10. MAKOVSKY, VLADIMIR (1846-1920)

The Party, signed and dated 1895.

Oil on canvas, 45.5 by 61 cm.
100,000-200,000 GBP

Provenance: Glass, Jewellery, Firearms, Porcelain, Lalique, Paintings, Sculptures, DuMouchelles, Detroit, 13 November 2015, lot 2007.
Acquired at the above auction by the present owner.

Exhibited: Katalog vystavki kartin, etiudov i risunkov V.E.Makovskogo i E.E. Volkova, St Petersburg, 1902, p. 10, No. 217, listed as Eskiz – vecherinka 1895.


The painting The Party by Vladimir Egorovich Makovsky (1846–1920) which is being presented for auction, is a version of the famous eponymous large-scale composition exhibited at the ХХV Anniversary Itinerant Exhibition and acquired by Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov from the artist in 1897. It was executed in 1895 and shown at the only personal exhibition of Makovsky’s works during his lifetime, which was held in St. Petersburg in 1902 together with the landscape artist Efim Volkov. While organising this exhibition, the artists decided not to include works that were already in the possession of other owners (in particular, Tretyakov), and many of Makovsky’s famous compositions were presented in studies and variations. In the catalogue of the 1902 exhibition under No. 217 (and not 207, as erroneously indicated in the Tretyakov Gallery catalogue) this work is called Study – The Party 1895.

It seems that Makovsky created numerous new works with ease. However, he was very demanding of himself, and perfected his narratives over and over, working on them for years. The composition in the present work practically repeats the final version purchased by Tretyakov. It is also close to the final version in the choice of lighting, the overall colour scheme, poses and gestures of the figures. Only the central subject of the composition is noticeably changed – the appearance of a very young female speaker, whose pronouncements have made some applaud and others reflect deeply. Also, 13 people who gathered together, in apparent secret, to discuss vitally important issues, conjures up the setting of The Last Supper. However, the title of the work – The Party – deliberately downplays the pathos of the occasion to the level of an ordinary event.

Although the artist called the work a study, it is of quite impressive dimensions (45.7 by 61 cm) and is a full-fledged version of the Tretyakov painting. The composition possesses even more dynamism and sharpness, as well as Makovsky’s characteristic grotesque, which over the years intensified in his work. The artist’s outstanding skill as a colourist, his knowledge of human experience and the ability to accurately notice an animated look, a gesture, facial expressions and body language are brilliantly displayed in the present painting. This work certainly expands the knowledge of Makovsky’s artistic output.

Vladimir Makovsky is a renowned genre painter, distinguished by his rare observation and knowledge of the life of people of different backgrounds and social ranks, from high dignitaries to regulars of flea markets, taverns and shelter residents. His compositions depict lively scenes and draw inspiration from real-life observation. The ability to pinpoint motivations in the relationships of the characters, to quintessentialize the situation makes the present painting The Party by Vladimir Makovsky especially memorable.

We are grateful to Dr Elena Nesterova, art historian and author of a monograph on Konstantin Makovsky for providing additional catalogue information.



The present lot as listed in the 1902 exhibition catalogue.
The Party, 1875-1897. Purchased by P.M. Tretyakov in 1897, The Tretyakov Gallery.

Notes on symbols:
* Indicates 5% Import Duty Charge applies.
◎ Indicates the lot is located outside the UK. Successful bidders would collect their lots outside the UK after payment.
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.