186. RUSSIAN BEAUTY. T.M. MATVEEV. RUSSIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

ID-ANTQ-15586
live_auctionAUCTION OF RUSSIAN AND EUROPEAN ART No. 13
Auction begins: 29 Nov 2025 12:00
Estimate: 1500-2000 EUR
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RUSSIAN BEAUTY. T.M. MATVEEV. RUSSIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

The portrait Russian Beauty is attributed to Timofey Mikhailovich Matveev (1856–1897) and dated 1888, exemplifying the academic painting tradition of late 19th-century Russia. Trained at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg, Matveev turned to the rare Russian genre of the female nude, elevating it from a classroom exercise to an independent artistic statement.

The composition is restrained: the young woman is set against a dark neutral background, emphasizing the plasticity of her body and the psychological expressiveness of her gaze. Above her head, a subtle highlight suggests an allusion to the halo familiar in Russian iconography, transforming the figure into a hymn to feminine purity. At the same time, this effect may be interpreted as Matveev’s fascination with mythology and the European tradition of depicting Venus.

The rarity of nude subjects in 19th-century Russian painting lends this work exceptional significance. The strict academic system and prevailing moral codes rarely permitted such images beyond the walls of the Academy. The present work, bearing Matveev’s signature and the date “T.M. Matveev 1888,” therefore constitutes a rare document of the period and a distinguished example of Russia’s academic school at the close of the century.

Dimensions: 46.5 × 60 cm
Medium: Oil on canvas laid on cardboard
Condition: Good condition, with light surface patina and minimal signs of age.
Provenance: Private collection

Location: Gallery "Antiqon", Brivibas street 52, Riga, Latvia
Period: 19th century
Item description is approximate automatic translation . Antiqon.com is not responsible for translation errors. Show original text.
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