Sotheby’s Auction to sell Pirosmani painting

Sotheby’s Auction plans to sell a painting of renowned Georgian painter of the 20th Century Niko Pirosmani on November 27.

The painting entitled Georgian Woman Wearing a Lechaki is estimated at 500,000 — 700,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's

“The Austrian author Stefan Zweig was introduced to the works of Niko Pirosmani in 1928 during a visit to Moscow for the centenary celebrations of the birth of Leo Tolstoy. Zweig acquired the present lot during this trip and the painting quickly became his favourite and it hung in his home in Salzburg prior to his emigration from Austria in 1934, via London and New York, to Brazil. Following Zweig’s death in 1942 the painting remained in the possession of his first wife Friderike Maria Zweig, until it was gifted to Dr Harry Zohn in 1953. Dr Zohn, founder of the International Stefan Zweig Society and friend of Friderike, donated the painting to the Zweig Room in the Reed Library at the State University College at Fredonia, New York in 1981 where it has remained until this sale,” reads the catalogue note at the Sotheby's website.

Sotheby describes Pirosmani's approach to painting as ‘exciting because it extended the boundaries of what counted as ‘acceptable’ art – and inevitably invited the ridicule of conservative critics who mocked his inability to paint ‘correctly’.

“The Georgian was a withdrawn figure with no formal artistic education, and up until this point had earned a meagre living decorating interiors and painting shop signs in Tbilisi, often accepting food and drink in lieu of payment. He tended to paint directly onto the material most readily available to him such as tablecloths belonging to the establishments he was working for,” reads the Sotheby website.

Georgian Woman Wearing a Lechaki is one of a series of ‘Georgian Women’ painted by Pirosmani, the majority of which are now owned by the State Museum of Georgia.