Description
Serge Poliakoff (1906 Moscow - 1969 Paris) "Composition grise et noire" (Composition in gray and black). Original title This asymmetrical composition, created in 1959, is representative of Poliakoff's oeuvre and consists of graduated, light silver-grey to almost black surfaces. Poliakoff's works consist of simple, juxtaposed, almost structureless, pure areas of color, whereby their free arrangement and renunciation of geometric strictness corresponded entirely to the artist's lyrical and musical personality. In our composition, too, the surfaces harmonize with each other; although formally separate, they are inseparably linked in a remarkable, intrinsic balance. Poliakoff, one of the most important representatives of the "École des Paris", emigrated to Paris in 1923. From 1935 onwards, he gradually moved towards abstraction, with color and surface becoming his sole means of expression. He was decisively influenced by Kandinsky, whom he met in 1937. Through Sonja and Robert Delaunay he recognized the emotive effect of color and simultaneous contrasts, Otto Freundlich inspired him with his curved "colour-form compositions". In 1938 Poliakoff exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants for the first time, in 1945 the Galerie l'Esquisse held its first exhibition of Poliakoff's abstract paintings, and in 1946 Poliakoff took part in the first Salon des Réalités nouvelles. In the following years, Poliakoff achieved his international breakthrough with his puzzle-like and carpet-like compositions of adjacent, vibrating color surfaces. In 1959 and 1964 he took part in documenta I and II; in 1960 Poliakoff was given a solo exhibition in the Bern Kunsthalle with 137 pictures; in 1962 he even had his own room dedicated to him at the Venice Biennale. By the mid-1960s, Poliakoff was one of the most famous and important painters of his generation. Gouache/paper. Signed lower right; 47 cm x 63 cm. Frame. Provenance: Galerie Sacchetti, Ascona; Galerie Bonnier, Geneva, and Svensk-Franska Konstgalleriet, Stockholm (merged in 1973); auction "Contemporary Art", Sotheby's, London, 03.07.1998, lot 226; Galerie Neher, Essen; German private collection. Enclosed: Certificate of authenticity by Alexis Poliakoff, Archives Serge Polikakoff, Paris, 01.09.2000 (dated 1958). The authenticity was confirmed by Thadée Poliakoff, Archives Serge Poliakoff, Paris, in a recent e-mail on 16.02.2024; it is registered in the archive under no. 858083 and listed in the Catalogue raisonné, vol. III (1959-1962), with no. 59-196 for the year 1959. Gouache on paper. Signed. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Alexis Poliakoff, 1st of September 2000. The artwork is published in the catalogue raisonné, volume III, no. 59-196. It is registrated by the Archives Serge Poliakoff, Paris, under no. 858083. The authenticity was recently confirmed by the Archives Serge Poliakoff in a mail from 16th of February 2024.
1890
Serge Poliakoff (1906 Moscow - 1969 Paris) "Composition grise et noire" (Composition in gray and black). Original title This asymmetrical composition, created in 1959, is representative of Poliakoff's oeuvre and consists of graduated, light silver-grey to almost black surfaces. Poliakoff's works consist of simple, juxtaposed, almost structureless, pure areas of color, whereby their free arrangement and renunciation of geometric strictness corresponded entirely to the artist's lyrical and musical personality. In our composition, too, the surfaces harmonize with each other; although formally separate, they are inseparably linked in a remarkable, intrinsic balance. Poliakoff, one of the most important representatives of the "École des Paris", emigrated to Paris in 1923. From 1935 onwards, he gradually moved towards abstraction, with color and surface becoming his sole means of expression. He was decisively influenced by Kandinsky, whom he met in 1937. Through Sonja and Robert Delaunay he recognized the emotive effect of color and simultaneous contrasts, Otto Freundlich inspired him with his curved "colour-form compositions". In 1938 Poliakoff exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants for the first time, in 1945 the Galerie l'Esquisse held its first exhibition of Poliakoff's abstract paintings, and in 1946 Poliakoff took part in the first Salon des Réalités nouvelles. In the following years, Poliakoff achieved his international breakthrough with his puzzle-like and carpet-like compositions of adjacent, vibrating color surfaces. In 1959 and 1964 he took part in documenta I and II; in 1960 Poliakoff was given a solo exhibition in the Bern Kunsthalle with 137 pictures; in 1962 he even had his own room dedicated to him at the Venice Biennale. By the mid-1960s, Poliakoff was one of the most famous and important painters of his generation. Gouache/paper. Signed lower right; 47 cm x 63 cm. Frame. Provenance: Galerie Sacchetti, Ascona; Galerie Bonnier, Geneva, and Svensk-Franska Konstgalleriet, Stockholm (merged in 1973); auction "Contemporary Art", Sotheby's, London, 03.07.1998, lot 226; Galerie Neher, Essen; German private collection. Enclosed: Certificate of authenticity by Alexis Poliakoff, Archives Serge Polikakoff, Paris, 01.09.2000 (dated 1958). The authenticity was confirmed by Thadée Poliakoff, Archives Serge Poliakoff, Paris, in a recent e-mail on 16.02.2024; it is registered in the archive under no. 858083 and listed in the Catalogue raisonné, vol. III (1959-1962), with no. 59-196 for the year 1959. Gouache on paper. Signed. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Alexis Poliakoff, 1st of September 2000. The artwork is published in the catalogue raisonné, volume III, no. 59-196. It is registrated by the Archives Serge Poliakoff, Paris, under no. 858083. The authenticity was recently confirmed by the Archives Serge Poliakoff in a mail from 16th of February 2024.
