Lot 549: FILONOV, PAVEL 1883-1941 Analytical Head

FILONOV, PAVEL 1883-1941 Analytical Head indistinctly numbered 'N 19' in blue and red pencil on the reverse Watercolour and blue, red and black ink on paper, 22.5 by 21 cm.
Provenance: Acquired from the student of Pavel Filonov, Pavel Kondratiev.
Private collection, Europe.

Authenticity has been confirmed by John E. Bowlt and Alla Povelikhina.

Filonov worked on the Analytical Heads series over a period ofalmost twenty years. The work embodies Filonov's innovative theoretical principles and demonstrates superbly his intricate mannerand highly complex stylistic devices, revealing subtle nuances ofthe artist's analytical abstract vision.

It is extremely rare for works by one of the most importantRussian artists of the XX century to appear on the market. Everywork found and announced for sale inevitably attracts close attention, evoking both surprise and lively debate among specialistsregarding its attribution to Filonov or, on the contrary, to hisnumerous students, of whom there were more than fifty. Theartist almost never sold his works, and hoped to create a Museum ofAnalytical Art. At his bequest, Filonov's entire body of work wasgiven to the Russian Museum in Leningrad by his sister. Evenamong the people closest to the artist there was no one whoowned an oil painting by Filonov. The artist sometimes gave smallworks on paper to his favourite students, for whom each of hisworks had a totemic significance. We know with certainty thatKurdov, Poret, Sulimo-Samuilo, Novikov, Evgrafov andKondratiev were all fortunate to be in possession of a uniquework by their beloved teacher. Most of them did not part withtheir valuable gifts during their lifetime. The existence of theseworks was known to their closest friends and to researchers studying the artist's work.

The present work is from the estate of one of the students closestto Filonov, the artist Pavel Kondratiev. Based on this informationand on close analysis of Filonov's work itself, there are grounds tostate with certainty that the work presented here for auction isauthentic.

Regarding the controversial issue of the authenticity of PavelFilonov's works, it is very important to note that the analyticalmethod of this astonishing artist and the principle of 'madeness'promulgated by him were in reality, in its essence, not achievedby any, even the most ambitious of his students. At best, the positive influence of Filonov's lessons on the creative development ofhis students became apparent later, outside the walls of the studio. Many talents fostered by Filonov were conscious that anyattempt at an original transformation of the very essence ofFilonov's art was futile, and they were naturally compelled to distance themselves from their teacher. Those who attemptedmechanical imitation of his manner created a qualitatively finished, but mediocre "product" which was essentially a gross simplification or, more precisely, "utilisation" of the creative work ofthis unique master of his time.