KONSTANTIN FLAVITSKY (1830-1866) Susanna and the Elders

oil on canvas 41 х 33 cm PROVENANCE: Koller, Zurich, 19th Century Paintings, 26. March 2010, Lot 3259 Private collection Executed at the height of Konstantin Flavitsky's brief career, the present work is one of the very few paintings by the artist to have appeared on the market. Previously in a Swiss private collection, it was sold at Koller. Konstantin Dmitrievich Flavitsky (1830–1866) was one of the leading masters of Russian historical and biblical painting of the mid-nineteenth century. He was a prominent representative of the Academic school. He studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg under Fedor Bruni and received every major academic award before undertaking a six-year scholarship in Italy from 1856 to 1862. Influenced by Bruni and Karl Bryullov, Flavitsky combined the ideals of Romantic Academicism with an emerging realist sensibility. Upon returning to Russia in 1862, he was elected an Honorary Member of the Imperial Academy. In 1864, he was appointed Professor following the success of his celebrated painting, 'Princess Tarakanova'. Despite his early death from tuberculosis at the age of thirty-five, Flavitsky left a significant legacy as one of the greatest artists of Russian Academic painting. His works are exhibited alongside those of Karl Bryullov, Ilya Repin, Ivan Shishkin and other leading masters of Russian art in the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery and the State Russian Museum. Upon the buyer’s request, we are pleased to provide a general condition report for the Lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise prospective buyers to conduct their own inspection or consult a specialist or restorer of their choice for a comprehensive professional assessment. Any condition descriptions provided in the catalogue or through any correspondence are for guidance only and should not be considered a substitute for a firsthand evaluation. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’ IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.