ALTMAN N.I. (1890–1970) ‘V.I. Lenin’: lithographs. 4 sheets. Moscow, 1920s Mounted. 3 sheets: 42.5 x 34.5 cm (mount), 22 x 18.5 cm (sheet); 1 sheet: 42.5 x 34.5 cm (mount), 18.5 x 22 cm (sheet). Contemporary explanatory label at the bottom of the mat. Good condition. Slight soiling, small tears in the mats. The drawings, studies of Lenin’s portrait from various angles, were included in the publication: Lenin / drawings and cover by Nathan Altman. Petrograd: Fine Arts Section of the People’s Commissariat for Public Education, 1921. In the early 1920s, the College of Fine Arts of the People’s Commissariat for Public Education commissioned Nathan Altman to produce a portrait of V.I. Lenin. Altman gathered material for a painted portrait and saw Lenin twice at rallies on the Field of Mars in 1917 and 1918. It is known that Lenin did not like posing and never agreed to do so. Lunacharsky helped Altman: at his request, Lenin authorised him in the spring of 1920 to work in his Kremlin office. The artist worked there for six weeks, totalling, according to his calculations, around 250 hours. The painted portrait was based on these sketches from life. At the buyer’s request, we shall be happy to provide a general report on the condition of the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise potential buyers to carry out their own inspection or to consult a specialist of their choice to obtain a full assessment of the lot’s condition. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for guidance only and should not be regarded as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.