Oil on canvas Russia, presumably 1920s Nikolaj Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky (1868-1945) – Russian painter and student of Ilya Repin, known as one of the most important representatives of Russian Realism Signed lower left ‘N. Bogdanoff-Belsky’ Dimensions: 89 x 70.5 cm Very good condition Provenance: Private collection, Germany The work will be included in the forthcoming monograph by Alexander Kuznetsov Bogdanov-Belsky was an excellent portrait painter, his virtuosity is evident in his expressive children’s portraits; these motifs are very sought after collectible items and fetch up to €320,000 at international auctions Nikolaj Bogdanov-Belsky is one of the key actors in the field of Russian Realism and was especially appreciated for his genre paintings of country children among Russian society. He found deep artistic inspiration in Riga and Latvia’s eastern territory of Latgalia, where he had settled permanently since 1921. Here, he met children from working-class and farmers families, which he deliberately chose as central motifs for his picturesque and slightly impressionistic landscapes. The present painting is one of the artist’s major works and shows a flowering meadow with two boys wearing rustic clothes and bare feet. Their radiant expressions reveal the artist’s fascination for the youthful purity of peasant children who grew up in the country and devoid of city culture. In 1936, the painting was presented in a solo exhibition in Riga as well as printed in the Latvian journal ‘Atpûta’ on 20 March 1936. Bogdanoff-Belsky painted a second version shortly after, but included a number of additional details on the horizon and with regard to the trees and the flowers. This demonstrates that the artist constantly redeveloped his subjects and allowed himself to express his impressions from his observations in nature. The painting is signed lower left ‘N. Bogdanoff-Belsky’. The paint surface is only slightly affected by faint craquelure. Besides, the painting is in very good condition considering its age. The stretcher measures 89 x 70.5 cm and the framed dimensions are 108.5 x 90.7 cm. Nikolaj Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky (1868-1945) The Russian artist Nikolaj Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky studied at different renowned art institutions, including the Semyon Rachinsky fine art school, the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture and finally the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. He also went to Paris in the late 1980s, where he gained further insights into artistic achievements. He moved to St. Petersburg for a short time, before he became a permanent resident in Riga in 1921. Bogdanov-Belsky was a member of different artist’s associations, such as the Peredvizhniki and the Arkhip Kuindzhi Society. In 1903 he became also active as a pedagogue and academician. He was not only successful in genre painting, but was also appreciated for his excellent portrait paintings. (cbo) Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance. Due to the legal obligation for the resale royalty in the art market the following applies: As a result of its membership in the AV Kunst, Auctionata charges additionally to the hammer price the contribution to the AV Kunst of currently 2.1% of the revenues from the sale of fine arts and photographs pro rata towards the buyer. More information about royalty right in our T&C. Starting Price : 90000