Mikhail Alexandrovich Zichy. Watercolor. Horse hunting of Alexander II near St. Petersburg. Depicts the emperor`s dog hunting in favorite Baltic places. The composition is formed by a triangle, inside of which sleds in red uniforms with a pack of dogs are moving. On the right, closer to the center, a mighty pine stands out the figure and significance of the emperor. In his entourage, escort officers, horse rangers and Cossacks are excellently discharged. Beaters with a pack of dogs rush past the emperor, as if on parade, as if waiting for an order. Superbly found angles of horses and their noble silhouettes add lively credibility and documentary integrity to the work. The subtlest color of changeable autumn unites the work and adds sharpness of authenticity. Mikhail Alexandrovich Zichy, 1827-1906 Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, court artist and documentary filmmaker of the hunts of Alexander II and the royal family in the second half of the 19th century. Sheet size: 40X53.5 cm. Pencil, watercolor, whitewash, gouache.Provenance: Christies 29.10.2006 London Important Russian Pictures Lot 108
