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Lot description
(Vyatka 1889–1957 Rome) A Russian bride in a traditional costume, signed Alessio Issupoff, oil on canvas, 80 x 64.5 cm, framed Provenance: Private Collection, Italy Compare: Alessio Issupoff, Woman‘s Figure, pencil on paper, 53 x 36 cm, Kirov, V. M. Vasnetsov and A. M. Vasetsov Art Museum, Vyatka, inv. no. PA-804. We are grateful to Dr Olga Sugrobova-Roth for her scholarly advice. This painting by the Russian-born artist Alessio Issupoff depicts a young woman in three-quarter profile, enveloped in a richly embroidered veil that conceals her entire figure. A magnificent headdress sits upon her head; its decorative motifs are reminiscent of Russia’s ceremonial historical costumes. The censer, faintly visible in the upper right-hand corner of the picture and emerging from the dark background, clearly situates the figure within a church. The bouquet of flowers that the lady holds to her breast also suggests that she must be a bride. The precious veil and the entire costume are reminiscent of traditional 17th-century Russian dress, that is, the period prior to Peter the Great’s clothing reforms in 1700, which strongly promoted European fashion at the Russian court. In the 19th century, a renewed interest in national identity led both fashion designers and visual artists to rediscover historical Russian costume. From Konstantin Makovsky to Issupoff, the traditional dress of their homeland became a recurring and symbolic motif associated with the country’s cultural heritage. Issupoff took up this theme on several occasions. A related drawing, depicting a woman at prayer in traditional Russian costume, is held at the Vyatka Art Museum (Inv. No. PA-804). The present painting should therefore be understood within this cultural context: the richly embroidered veil and the traditional Russian costume are not merely elements of ceremonial attire, but symbols of Russian history. With his swift, impressionistic brushstrokes, Issupoff not only captures a moment of tranquillity before the journey to the altar, but also offers a reflection on the cultural legacy of his homeland.