Oil on canvas, self-portrait. Signed and attr. Marianne von Werefkin (Russian, 1860–1938, Tula, Russia, based in Munich, Geneva and Ascona). 19.5 x 15.5 inch (49.5 x 39.5 cm). The bold self-portrait of Marianne Werefkin at 50 is a favorite cover choice for books about women painters, with its red, passionately glowing eyes, its proud gaze, and its “unnatural colors and whirling brushstrokes.†It took a long time for women artists to win admission to their profession, and the revolutionary Werefkin embodies and depicts this breakthrough more triumphantly and convincingly that almost any other. Her self-portrait reflects “the personal dramatic self-image of Werefkin†(Mangold) and thus appears quite the opposite of what was expected of a lady. Werefkin was ahead of her time not only as an artist and a theoretician of art, but also as a woman – but only after she had first carried the “feminine†ideal of self-sacrifice and renunciation to an extreme hard for us to understand today, and then overcome it. PROVENANCE: Private collection (Europe)

All authorship of items in this catalog are described according to the following terms:

By [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work is by the artist.

Attributed to [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work may be ascribed to the artist on the basis of style, but there may be some question as to actual authorship.

In the manner of [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but was designed deliberately to emulate the style of the artist.

After [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but is a deliberate copy of a known work by the artist.

Circle of [Artist Name] : In our opinion, a work of the period of the artist showing his influence, closely associated with the artist but not necessarily his pupil.

Follower of [Artist Name]: In our opinion, a work by a pupil or a follower of the artist (not necessarily a pupil).

American, 19th century : In our opinion, this work was executed by an unknown hand, and can only be identified by origin (i.e., region, period).

Bears signature : In our opinion, the signature on the artwork may be spurious.
Apocryphal : Of doubtful authenticity.