EVGENY STOLITSA (1870–1929) Two little girls in the forest

signed and dated ‘Stolitsa 1906’ (lower right) oil on canvas laid on board 38 x 57 cm Painted in 1906. Accompanied by an expert certificate. Painted in 1906, the present work depicts two young girls standing in a sunlit forest clearing. Characteristic of Stolitsa’s mature style, it combines a subtle handling of light with a restrained palette and free, painterly brushwork. The composition reflects the artist’s enduring interest in atmospheric effects and demonstrates the qualities that established him as one of the leading representatives of the Kuindzhi school of landscape painting. Evgeny Ivanovich Stolitsa (1870–1929) was a prominent Russian and Ukrainian landscape painter and one of the most distinguished pupils of Arkhip Kuindzhi at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg, where he studied between 1894 and 1897. Born in the village of Budai, Podolia Province (now in the Odessa Region of Ukraine), into the family of a forester, he was deaf from childhood. A participant in numerous exhibitions in St Petersburg during the first quarter of the twentieth century, Stolitsa inherited from Kuindzhi a fascination with the effects of light and colour, combined with a broad and expressive painterly manner. An avid traveller, Stolitsa undertook painting expeditions throughout the Russian Empire, including journeys along the Volga and Dnieper rivers, to the Arctic aboard the icebreaker Yermak, and across Europe. His works were exhibited internationally, including at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900, and received awards in Liège and Munich. In 1909 he was elected an Academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts. His works are held in major museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and the Odessa Art 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.