Lot 54: Boris E. Skvirsky (1887 - date unknown) , Portfolio of nude studies, 1930s

Album containing 23 loose art deco nude studies in silver print, many with hand-colouring, each mounted onto textured card. The front cover titled ('Studies Skvirsky') in individual bronze letters and decorated with a bronze panel depicting a female discus thrower, itself a reworking of one of the images inside. Most of the prints have pencilled descriptions of colour on the reverse apparently giving instruction for the appropriate card to be used for each ('Pale grey', 'yellow', 'green' ...). One print is signed in pencil in the image.

measurements note various image sizes approx. 30 x 24 cm (12 x 9½ in.)

Time Magazine, 30th May 1932.

Boris E. Skvirsky acted in the 1930s as the unofficial Russian ambassador to the US -- unofficial because the countries had broken formal relations. According to Time magazine "Though Washington does not recognise Moscow, the Hoover administration permits a Soviet Russian Information Bureau to flourish in a modest red brick house on Massachusetts Avenue, within a mile of the White house. The chief of this bureau is Boris E. Skvirsky."
Skvirsky clearly had time on his hands, and these derivative but delightful nude studies are one of the results.