Lot 41

Ilja Repin (1844 - 1930) STUDY OF THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH

A small group of works by Ilya Repin, two study paintings and two drawings, come from an important Prague collection created by Emillian Miller (1882–1950). Miller was a lawyer, legionnaire, and, from 1921, a member of the Czechoslovak diplomatic corps. From 1929 to 1934, he served as chargé d'affaires en pied in Helsinki. He maintained friendly relations with Ilya Repin, who was living at the time in Kuokkala, Finland (now Repino, Russia). He often visited him and bought his works. After the painter's death, he bought the painter's desk full of drawings at auction. Many of them are known today and can be found in public collections in Czech museums, but previously unknown pieces are still coming onto the market. The four works in the current offer demonstrate Repin's technical mastery in both painting and drawing, as well as his working method based on numerous preparatory studies prior to the realization of the final compositions. It is precisely these studies that show the immediacy and freshness of texture typical of this type of Repin's work. The fact that they were acquired directly from the painter's studio gives them special historical value. The work was assessed by PhDr. Anna Janištinová. The work is accompanied by a restoration report by Akad. mal. rest. Martin Martan.