Lotto 3267 - A215 Impressionismo e arte moderna - venerdì, 28. novembre 2025, 16h30
CHAÏM SOUTINE
(Smilavichy 1893–1943 Paris)
Garçon russe. 1935–38.
Oil on wood.
Signed lower right: Soutine.
36.8 × 18.7 cm.
Certificate:
Provenance:
- Swiss private collection, acquired from the above on 15 May 1938 and by descent to the present owner.
One incomparable gem is the small-format portrait of Chaim Soutine. Born the tenth of eleven children to a Jewish tailor in a small shtetl within what was then the Russian Empire – now Belarus – Soutine grew up in very poor and severe circumstances. In 1913, at the age of twenty, he fled this hostile environment to Paris, where he came into contact with the avant-garde at the École de Paris.
The work shown here was created in the 1930s, when Soutine already enjoyed considerable public recognition. Still, he apparently never forgot entirely his origins, as the numerous portraits of simple servants and artisans, often of Eastern European background, attest.
Painted with Soutine's characteristic expressive brushstrokes, the seated "garçon russe" fills the entire pictorial space. The impasto application of paint and the violent, impulsive style give the work a lively, almost vibrant texture and intensity.
And yet, this small picture, painted on wood, exudes a sense of calm and intimacy. The dark red and brown tones contribute to this, as do the posture and expression of the seated boy, who is completely withdrawn. His gaze is also directed inward; yet his bright blue eyes are captivating—so captivating that you can't help but lose yourself in them.
The work shown here was created in the 1930s, when Soutine already enjoyed considerable public recognition. Still, he apparently never forgot entirely his origins, as the numerous portraits of simple servants and artisans, often of Eastern European background, attest.
Painted with Soutine's characteristic expressive brushstrokes, the seated "garçon russe" fills the entire pictorial space. The impasto application of paint and the violent, impulsive style give the work a lively, almost vibrant texture and intensity.
And yet, this small picture, painted on wood, exudes a sense of calm and intimacy. The dark red and brown tones contribute to this, as do the posture and expression of the seated boy, who is completely withdrawn. His gaze is also directed inward; yet his bright blue eyes are captivating—so captivating that you can't help but lose yourself in them.
CHF 50 000 / 70 000 | (€ 51 550 / 72 160)
Venduto per CHF 268 750 (incl. premio)
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