Serge Ivanoff - Female Nude

Circa 1930 - Colored pencils - Signed “Serge Ivanoff” and inscribed “Paris” in the lower left corner - Artist’s studio stamp in the lower right corner

Born in Moscow, Serge Ivanoff lived through the turmoil of the early 20th century: wounded as an officer in 1914 and a witness to the famine on the Volga, he fled Bolshevik Russia by crossing the ice of the Gulf of Finland to reach Paris in 1922. Serge Ivanoff gradually established himself as the preeminent portraitist of Parisian life. His ultra-realistic style captivated the greatest names: he collaborated with Schiaparelli, Rochas, and Jean Patou, painting the greatest stars of dance at the Palais de Tokyo. Today, his works are on display from Paris (Musée Carnavalet) to Moscow (Tretyakov Gallery), bearing witness to an eternal quest for beauty and the female form.

This drawing stands out for its vibrant and sensitive approach to form. Through a dense network of hatching and intertwined lines, a feminine silhouette emerges from a whirlwind of colors. The artist employs a striking contrast between deep blues, ethereal purples, and bursts of yellow and pink that energize the composition. Her brushwork is swift, almost frenetic, creating an aura of energy and life around the central subject.