ARISTARKH LENTULOV (1882–1943) Stage design, circa 1930s

inscribed with an authentication by Marianna Lentulova, the artist’s daughter (on the reverse) pencil and watercolour on paper 31 × 43 cm The present work possibly relates to one of two theatrical productions for which Aristarkh Lentulov designed the sets: John Fletcher’s The Spanish Curate (Испанский священник), directed by Serafima Birman at the Moscow Art Theatre II, which premiered on 2 December 1934; or Tirso de Molina’s Marta the Divine (Marta la piadosa, Благочестивая Марта), directed by Alexander Plotnikov at the Moscow Lensoviet Theatre, which premiered on 22 May 1938. The latter association was previously suggested by Sotheby’s in its 2019 catalogue. ((Sotheby’s, London, 4 June 2019, lot 81) In connection with the 1934 production of The Spanish Curate, theatre historian Zinaida Starodubtseva notes in her study of Lentulov’s theatrical designs, ‘Zhivopisets na teatre’ (A Painter in the Theatre), that the artist drew inspiration from the landscapes of Crimea in seeking to evoke the sun-drenched scenery of Spain. The Russian theatre historian and Shakespeare scholar Aleksei Bartoshevich further describes the production’s scenery as a vibrant composition of southern colours, with a sultry sky and the silhouettes of Cordoba forming the backdrop to a dynamic arrangement of architectural elements. One of the leading figures of the Russian avant-garde and a founding member of the Jack of Diamonds group, Lentulov devoted a significant part of his career to the theatre. His involvement in stage design began in the mid-1910s, and in 1935 he referred to himself as a ‘painter in the theatre’. His theatrical work encompassed productions for the Kamerny Theatre, the Bolshoi Theatre, the former Zimin Opera, the Moscow Art Theatre II and the Moscow Lensoviet Theatre. Throughout his career, he collaborated with prominent directors, including Alexander Tairov, Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko.