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Premium Ivan POKHITONOV (Kropyvnytskyi District, 1850 - Brussels, 19…
See original version (French)
Ivan POKHITONOV (Kropyvnytskyi District, 1850 - Brussels, 19…
See original version (French)
Lot no. 154
Description
Ivan POKHITONOV (Kropyvnytskyi District, 1850 - Brussels, 1923 )
Effect of light on the gable of a house
Oil on board
Signed 'I. Pokhitonov' lower right
Bears the number 491 on the reverse
Light effect on a house gable, oil on cardboard, signed, by I. Pokhitonov
5.31 x 3.74 in.
13.5 x 9.5 cm
Ivan Pokhitonov stands out as one of the most talented Russian artists of the XIXᵉ century, although he spent most of his life in France and Belgium. In 1876, he left for Italy to study, before settling in Paris, where the natural talent of this complete self-taught artist blossomed under the guidance of Aleksei Bogoliubov. Through Bogoliubov, he met the Barbizon painters, who were to have a profound influence on his art and develop his love of plein air painting. His artistic encounter with Ernest Meissonier was also to have a strong influence on him, more specifically from a technical point of view, favouring, like the academic master, meticulous work on small wooden or thick cardboard supports.
Thanks to these many virtuous influences, Ivan Pokhitonov became the most admired miniature painter of his time. Our artist is celebrated above all for his incomparable ability to capture the simple poetry of a landscape, or the intensity and nuances of light, in such small, modern formats.
This is precisely the case in the delightful little painting we are presenting. Pokhitonov depicts the simplest, rawest side of a house, but offers it to us with a rare poetry, virtuously handling the light of sunset striking this white wall, which is no longer white. Touches of blue, mauve, red, yellow and green allow him to convey what an untrained eye would no longer be able to appreciate: the stunning yet simple beauty of the world around us.
We would like to thank Olivier Bertrand for kindly confirming the authenticity of this work from photographs. It will be included in volume 3 of the catalogue raisonné currently in preparation. A certificate dated 17 October 2025 may be given to the buyer.
Ivan POKHITONOV (Kropyvnytskyi District, 1850 - Brussels, 1923 )
13.5 x 9.5 cm
See original version (French)
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