Komar And Melamid (RUSSIAN B. 1943 and B. 1945)

Lot description

KOMAR AND MELAMID (RUSSIAN B. 1943 and B. 1945) Stalin plaster height: 76 cm (29 7/8 in.) signed on base PROVENANCE Acquired from the artists by the present owner LITERATURE The New York Times, "Two Soviet Emigres Whose Art Is Overlaid with Irony," January 29, 1984, section 2, p. 25 (illustrated) LOT NOTES The present work is closely related to the 1986 Stalin Monument at The Hague, featuring an oversize bust of the Soviet dictator enclosed in a phone booth. The sculpture also makes an appearance in the artists' 1982-1983 painting Natasha with Bust of Stalin (part of a series heavily influenced by the Stalinist Empire style and the aesthetics of Georges de La Tour), which pictures a nude woman seated in the dark, as if in prayer, holding up a candlestick to illuminate Stalin's features. CONDITION Beyond some surface dirt and a nick to the center of the right cheek, the sculpture appears in excellent original condition with no issues to report. N.B. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.