Interior with Still Life, 1947
Description
Benjamin Vaganov (1896-1981)
20 1/4" X 17 18", oil on canvas
signed, lower right, "B. Vaganov", signed, inscribed on the reverse
Price $1800
An exceptional Impressionist still life painting by the well listed Russian - Californian artist, Benjamin Vaganov.
The overall frame measuring 26 1/4" X 23 1/4". The painting is in excellent condition aside from minor cracking to the surface. To my knowledge, the painting has never been cleaned and shows no signs of repairs of any kind. The painting is signed, lower right, "B. Vaganov" and is again signed on the reverse, "Benjamin Vaganov", along with an inscription to a couple that may well have been friends of the artist. The painting also bears a date on the back "May 4 1947", although the painting may have been executed at an earlier date, but certainly no later.
Benjamin Vaganov immigrated to the US from Russia via China before settling in Southern California. He worked as a muralist on WPA projects and his paintings combine impressionist brushwork with expressionist color and perspective reflecting a modernist pallet.
Vaganov's use of back-lighting, a lone table, empty chairs and floral still life rendered in flattened perspective imply a dramatic narrative, as one might expect of a muralist. The viewer is left to ponder the meaning conveyed by this vibrantly rendered scene absent of any persons.
8 3/4% sales tax applies to California residents.
