FR EN
a painting of a man standing on a dock with a fishing net
Premium BONHAMS

4 - 4. Konstantin Aleksandrovich Vyalov (Russian, 1900–1976)
See original version (French)

Estimate €4,600 - €5,000
Sale commission
Description
4. Konstantin Aleksandrovich Vyalov (Russian, 1900–1976) Fisherman numbered ‘54’ (centre-left); also bearing the inscription ‘Vyalov’ (on the reverse) watercolour on paper 37 x 26 cm (14 9/16 x 10 1/4 in). Provenance Elena Melnikova, widow of the artist Collection of Viktor Kholodkov (1948–2015) from 1980 Acquired by the present owner from the above Viktor Kholodkov (1948–2015) devoted his life to his passion for books, avant-garde design and paper memorabilia, becoming a leading collector and dealer of Russian graphic art from the first half of the 20th century. Over several decades, Kholodkov assembled an extraordinary collection of books, drawings, prints and other works on paper, meticulously labelling, cataloguing and preserving each piece. Many of these works came directly from leading artists of the Russian avant-garde, as well as from their families and estates. His collection also included a remarkable group of drawings from the renowned collection of Nikolai Khardzhiev, one of the most important scholars and collectors of the Russian avant-garde. After leaving the USSR in 1989 and settling in California, Kholodkov continued his work as a dealer, collector and critic of Soviet art. He published extensively and contributed to several major exhibitions of the Russian avant-garde in the United States, including the 1991 exhibition *Russia Under Fire in the '40s* on the West Coast and the landmark 1992 Guggenheim exhibition *The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde*. Kholodkov also played a significant role in preserving this cultural heritage for future generations. His sophisticated collection of more than 2,000 Russian sheet-music covers was acquired by the Library of Congress, whilst a substantial body of material relating to VKhUTEMAS entered the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum. Sergei Vialov was a prominent Russian-Soviet painter, graphic artist and theatre designer, best known for his large-scale industrial and naval compositions, as well as his posters and book illustrations. From 1914 to 1917, Vialov studied at the Stroganov School of Applied Arts. Following the Revolution, the school was reorganised as the State Free Art Studios (GSKhM), which was subsequently incorporated into VKhUTEMAS. There, Vialov studied under Wassily Kandinsky and Vladimir Tatlin from 1918 to 1920, and later under David Shterenberg from 1920 to 1924. His early work was strongly influenced by Kazimir Malevich and the wider Constructivist and Suprematist movements. Vialov was one of the founding members of the Society of Easel Painters (OST), alongside artists including Aleksandr Deyneka and Yuri Pimenov. Following the dissolution of OST, he joined Izobrigada, with which he was associated in 1931–1932. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Vialov worked extensively as a book illustrator and poster artist, producing political and anti-religious imagery. He later contributed to the wartime TASS ‘Windows’ poster series. Over the course of his career, his style gradually shifted from the experimental language of the avant-garde towards Socialist Realism. From 1930 onwards, Vialov was also involved in the design of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition, which was subsequently developed into the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy (VDNKh). His work therefore occupied a distinctive position at the intersection of Soviet avant-garde experimentation, graphic design, industrial imagery and the increasingly official visual culture of the Stalin era.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale Rebel Spirits: Non-conformist Art from Important Collections
Auction location
Auction time 10/06/2026 at 12:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like