Travel Portrait. Iranian School "iranian Woman At The Crossroads"

Travel Portrait. Mixed media on paper (pastel and charcoal). "Iranian Woman at the Crossroads," signed, dated, and located lower right: V. Petrochenko, 1923 (or 1928, to be confirmed), Tehran. Iranian School. 69 x 52.5 cm. Vasily Maksimovich Petrochenko (1888-1970) was born in Kyiv (Russian Empire). In 1916, he graduated from the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Petrograd (Saint Petersburg). After the revolution, he returned to Kyiv, where he was admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts. The young artist collaborated with Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947), whom he had met in Petrograd. Like his famous and talented colleague Roerich, Petrochenko left Russia on an artistic mission to create sketches in Central Asia, including India, Afghanistan, and Persia. He chose not to return to Russia and settled permanently in Iran, where he died in 1970. Petrochenko is the artist of the painting "The Tehran Conference," housed at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Museum in Hyde Park, New York, USA, as well as portraits of the Shah of Iran and his wife. Our drawing depicts a young Iranian woman wearing a chador and a pisheh, the traditional visor of Persian culture. The young Iranian woman carries a pennant, though it remains at half-mast. It is noteworthy that the beautiful young woman wears heels, which the artist conspicuously represents in her pose. Was this the beginning of a new era for Iranian youth, or the beginning of the end for their hopes? The drawing is presented in a period painted wooden frame (damage to the frame). There is a tear at the bottom left of the foot. Soiling and mold are present. Restoration is recommended. 890 euros.