Arkadi Petrov (Russian, born 1940) 'Thank you for your purchase' signed in Cyrillic, titled and dated '1983', with attached photograph (verso) oil on canvas 60 x 80cm (23 5/8 x 31 1/2in). Footnotes: The present lot is offered with catalogue J. Kiblitsky et al., Arkady Petrov - Paradise with the Kremlin, St. Petersburg, 2007. (2) Provenance Acquired by the present owner directly from the artist's studio in Moscow Arkadi Petrov studied at the Surikov Art Institute in Moscow (1963-69) and is a well known artist of the 1970s. His work dealt with contemporary Soviet imagery that was still relevant in the post-soviet period. During the Soviet era his art fell into the 'forbidden' category, and he rarely was allowed to be exhibited. Never a formal nonconformist, Petrov created images of the day to day life, of the 'simple Soviet man' highlighting the stereotypes of Soviet society through a kitsch style not aligned with the official standards. These images of national mass culture look familiar and nostalgic and are appealing because of their simplicity, sincerity and a certain theatricality. Despite the toy-like figures and faces, Petrov manages to humanise his characters and by doing that, he brings the communist myth to life. In the present work Petrov depicts two women that look like typical women that work at the till. Lollipops and a bring coloured thank you sign decorates the background. The work does not aim to be either anti-Soviet or propagandistic, but simply evoke a nostalgic experience of the everyday life of a Soviet citizen, a contemplation of the good old past. 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