Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar (Russian, 1871-1960) Room Interior in Olgovo Room Interior in Olgovo in 1850s, with winter landscape on verso signed and titled in Cyrillic, dated '1921' (lower left) oil on cardboard 48.7 x 72cm (19 3/16 x 28 3/8in). Footnotes: Provenance Collection of I. U. Kamenetskaya (as stated in Grabar's auto monography) Collection of V. A. Pushkarev Acquired from the above by the present owner in the late 1990s Exhibited Moscow, The State Tretiakov Gallery, Exhibition of works by the honoured artist Igor Emmaniulovich Grabar, 1936, no. 112 Moscow, The State Tretiakov Gallery, Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar, 1971 Literature Exh. cat. Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar, Moscow, The State Tretiakov Gallery, 1936, listed on p. 14, no. 112 Igor Grabar, My life, Iskusstvo, Moscow, 1937, illustrated on p. 261 Exh. cat. Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar, Moscow, 1971, listed on p. 78 Igor Grabar (1871 - 1960) rarely addressed the theme of interiors in his paintings. However, it was this genre that allowed the artist to recreate the world so treasured by him. By painting a nostalgic portrait of noble estates, the artist bids farewell to the era that is rapidly disappearing and is only rescued by his memories. In the present work Grabar attempts to address the notion of the passing of time and the fading of the present into the past. Subconsciously, the images of the interiors invoke memories, and the sadness and admiration for the world departing. Paintings of interiors are not only artistically significant, but also add historical and documentary importance. They bring back to life the disappeared elements of the palace decor and the household items of the estates, becoming a one-of-a-kind portrait of the era. For this reason, this rare genre, captures attention of artists during periods of lifestyle changes. The presented work was painted in the 1920s, an important period in artist's life when I.E. Grabar began working to preserve artistic heritage, paying particular attention to restoration workshops, which greatly contributed to the preservation of cultural monuments. The Olgovo estate had a rich history and art collection and was nationalized after the revolution. In the 1920s, for a short period of time, the estate became a museum but then went into ruins. The interior of the room in Olgovo returns the viewer to the past. The painting becomes a historical document capturing dozens of lovely details: jugs, clocks in the Empire style on the mantelpiece, portraits on the walls and a Chinoiserie-style fireplace screen. The descriptive details of the interior bring the past back. Walter Benjamin wrote that 'the interior encourages the inhabitant, to the highest extent, to follow his habits which correspond to the interior in which he lives in, rather than his own' (W. Benjamin, Nine Works, Moscow, 2019, p. 97). The empty room at Olgovo, appearing as if the owners had only step outside a minute ago, emits a feeling of nostalgia and the passing of an era. In 1921, when the Interior of the room in Olgovo was painted, constructivism prevailed, it was no longer possible to imagine life in such non-functional interiors. Olgovo, owned by a noble family for two hundred years, was one of the richest estates in the Moscow region. In the 16th century, the so-called Lygovo was a palace village, and in 1619 it was given to the barony of Dmitrovskiy to the steward F. V. Chaplin. Until the first half of the 18th century, Lygovo belonged to Chaplin and in the 1740s to General P. A. Soymonova, and from 1740 to 1917 to the family of Apraksin. The Apraksins were enthusiastic collectors and they consequently filled the home with paintings, sculpture, porcelain and furniture. The owners of the estate were famous for their hospitality, regularly organizing balls, hunting and staging performances in the fortress theatre, attracting guests from nearby Moscow. Later, the estate became a museum, which was disbanded in 1925-1926. Grabar first visited Olgovo in 1919 together with other staff of the All-Russian Commission of Museums, with the task of opening the museum. Their aim was to preserve the spirit of disappearing noble estates in the 26. The next time, Igor Grabar visited the estate in 1920: 'Glavmusey has just organized a museum in the estate of Olgovo Apraksins, Dmitrov county. I went there for August and September. It's been a long time since I've worked as well as here... I brought twenty canvases, some of which were exhibited soon in Moscow, Berlin, New York and a number of North American cities' (I.E. Grabar, My Life, Moscow, 1937, p. 286). One of the canvases is the work presented at auction. The interior of the room in Olgovo, was painted by Grabar during the peak of his artistic maturity. The artist employs a contrasting palette of colors applied to the surface densely and obscurely. There is a deliberate absence of dynamic brush strokes; underscoring that in this timeless realm, time, indeed, stands still. The bright contrasting palette evokes the bygone era; the absence of residents of the estate is strikingly apparent. In this drastically changed new reality there is no longer a space for those who used to inhabit such elegant dwellings. During this creative period Grabar's work was not only reflected his social and cultural activities, but also demonstrated a shift from impressionist approach towards developing new picturesque language. 'Overcoming Impressionism gave the brush stroke more freedom than immediately freeing both the interpretation of the form and the painting, which was simplified, closer to synthesis. In the works of all the last years, I found myself at the closest proximity to the 'Jack of Diamonds' and its painters.' (I.E. Grabar, My Life, Moscow, 1937, p. 292). The room in the 50s in Olgovo is not only snapshot of the bygone world, but also a pictorial masterpiece of the artist, who actively fought for the preservation of cultural heritage during that time. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com