ANNA STARITSKY (1908-1981) Russian Sorcerer signed and numbered '9/25 Staritsky' (along bottom edge), inscribed and numbered 'A VII 10 / Russian Sorcerer' (verso) stencil on paper 66.2 x 50 cm PROVENANCE: Collection of Igor Dichenko (Ihor Dychenko) (1946-2015), Soviet and Ukrainian collector, art historian and painter; one of the ideologues of the Ukrainian avant-garde, Kiev. Private collection, Europe Anna Staritsky is a Franco-Belgian painter, sculptor and printmaker of Ukrainian origin. Anna Staritsky grew up in an intellectual and artistic environment influenced by Konstantin Yuon and Vladimir Favorsky. In 1925, at the age of seventeen, she left Soviet Russia for France to seek treatment for a chronic illness. After studying at the Sofia Academy of Fine Arts, she moved to Brussels in 1932 and completed her training at La Cambre, before working as an illustrator. In 1941, she married the Belgian painter Guillaume Hooricks (Bill Orix), who was active in the Nazi resistance. Arrested by the Gestapo in 1942, Hooricks was deported to Mauthausen, while Staritsky spent four months in prison. At the buyer's request, we would be happy to provide a general condition report on the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise prospective buyers to carry out their own inspection or consult a specialist of their choice for a full assessment of the condition of the lot. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for guidance only and should not be relied upon as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD 'AS IS' IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.