Portrait of Oscar Miestchanoff, I. (recto and verso), c. 1916-17
Attributed to Amedeo Modiglianiexpand_more
Graphite pencil on paperexpand_more
Gift of Peter Pflaum and Stephen R. Pflaumexpand_more 2015.130.2
Not on Viewexpand_more
This double-sided sheet appears to be a preparatory drawing for one of Modigliani’s portraits of Oscar Miestchaninoff (born Meschaninov, 1886–1956), a Russian artist active in Paris from 1907 to 1944, when he moved to America. Like Modigliani, who arrived in Paris one year before him, Miestchaninoff was very involved in avant-garde artistic circles and collected the art of his peers. The inscription “MECHANIN” appears to be a nickname for the sitter, possibly a joking identification of the fellow sculptor as a mechanic. Modigliani drawings are often faked, but we believe this one, traceable back to the artist himself, to be authentic.
Details
- Title
- Portrait of Oscar Miestchanoff, I. (recto and verso)
- Artist Life
- 1884–1920
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.130.2
- Provenance
- Acquired directly from the artist by Oscar Miestchaninoff (Paris and Los Angeles, c.1917 to c.1954; (M. Knoedler & Co., New York, 1954; Rosalynd Pflaum, Wayzata, MN, 1954-2014; by descent to her sons Peter and Steven Pflaum
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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