1078 - Konstantin Gorbatov

Konstantin Gorbatov View of the harbour in Pskow Oil on canvas, mounted on hardboard. 102 x 135 cm. Signed and dated lower right: К. Горбатовъ 1915. Provenance For three generations in private collection, Austria. In old Pskov, the Post-Impressionist painter Gorbatov captures the hustle and bustle of city life: colourful townhouses, built close together, line the snow-covered riverbank. In front of them, small market stalls and numerous people in traditional dress bring the scene to life. Above it all, the white Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, with its characteristic domes, stands majestically on a hill. Right next to it, the striking, free-standing bell tower soars skywards. In 1922, Gorbatov left Russia and emigrated to Italy, where he settled in Capri. A few years later, he moved to Berlin. Exhibitions of his works were still being held in Germany as late as 1931. Following the Nazi's rise to power in 1933, Konstantin Gorbatov’s Western European-Russian Post-Impressionism was deemed ideologically undesirable in Germany at the time, and exhibition bans led to the artist’s financial ruin. Today, however, Gorbatov’s lively, nostalgic cityscapes once again enjoy unbroken popularity. In his characteristic style, the artist uses impasto brushstrokes to render the texture of snow, clouds and water. The cloud-covered sky and the subdued yet colourful tones of the houses create a very special, melancholic and beautiful winter atmosphere. We would like to thank Dr Olga Sugrobova-Roth, Düsseldorf, who examined the original painting, for confirming that it is an authentic work by the artist. The painting will be included in the catalogue raisonné, which is currently being prepared.