Lot 126: MIKHAIL KONSTANTINOVICH KLODT

1832-1902 PATH THROUGH THE PINE FOREST signed in Cyrillic and dated 1869 l.r. oil on canvas 37 by 32.5cm, 14 1/2 by 12 3/4 in.

Forerunner of Ivan Shishkin and founder of the Peredvizhniki, Klodt was a great enthusiast of the Russian countryside, much celebrated for his detailed landscapes. The current work depicts a favourite compostion, a version of which can be found in the collection of the Vologda Regional Art Gallery (fig.1). The short thick strokes that indicate blades of grass in the foreground, and the feathery brushwork in the canopies of the trees are both hallmarks of his technique.