Large gouache painting with Russian or Ukrainian peasants before monastery or church gate (similar oil painting by the same painter have original title "Before easter service") was executed by important Russian-Ukrainian artist - emigrant Stepan Feodorovich Kolesnikov (1879 - 1955). The painting was purchased by the last owner in the Vienna auction house Dorotheum in 2010 with old original expertise and provenance from private estate in Austria, on the backside of the painting there is orignal label in German with expertise from ca. 1960s of the Vienna expert Karl Schwalm and the history of the provenance (see additional photo).

Kolesnikov Stepan Feodorovich (1879 - 1955) studied at Odessa Art School (1897-1903) and AA Popov, Higher Art School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture at IAH (1903-1909) at LD Iorini, K. ; K. Kostandi, GA Ladyzhenskaya. In 1905, for the painting "Spring" was awarded second prize at the Spring exhibition in the halls of IAH. In 1909, for the painting "In the old place" was the title of the artist and the right of a pensioner´s trip abroad. In 1909-1911 - pensioner IAH in Germany, France and Belgium. Lived in St. Petersburg. Their work reproduced in magazines "Niva", "Ogonyok" and others. Was also engaged in a monumental painting. Since 1904 - participant of exhibitions, has exhibited his works at exhibitions of Moscow Society of Art Lovers (1904, 1905, 1908, 1912), Spring exhibition in the halls of IAH (1905-1909), Salon B. A. Izdebsky (1909-1910), the Association of Artists (1912, 1915-1916), TPHV (1916-1917), the Association of South Russian Artists (1918) and others. Since 1910 - member of the Community of Artists ". Has repeatedly won awards at the Society for the Encouragement of Arts Competition. AIKuindzhi. In 1919 he emigrated, he settled in Belgrade. Until 1930 Kolesnikov´s works also appeared in exhibitions in Soviet RussiaCreativity of the artist is represented in many museum collections, among them - the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Russian Museum, Pushkin Museum im. Pushkin, Research Museum of Russia Academy of Arts, The Odessa Art Museum and others.The artist biographies in Russian see under following link:

http://www.art-catalog.ru/artist.php?id_artist=433http://artinvestment.ru/auctions/1278/biography.html

Literature: "Dictionary of Ukrainian artists (in Ukrainian)" , Ukrainian encyclopedia Edition, Kiew, 1973; "Dictionary of Russian painters-emigrants"(in Russian); Thieme/Becker "Lexicon of artists from antique to contemporary", Leipzig, 1999.

Inscription: signed lower right, on the back wood cover- original label with old expertise and provenance of this painting.

Technique: gouache on cardboard. Original frame.

Measurements: unframed w 25 1/2" x h 19 3/4" (65x 50 cm), framed w 30 3/4" x h 25 1/4" (78 x 64 cm)

Condition: in very good condition.