Ilya Repin | A Parisian Cafe / Un caffè Parigino, 1875

Repin's time as an academic pensioner in Paris 1873-76 was a fruitful as well as confusing time for the rising young star of Russian realist painting and he responded to a bewildering variety of new stimuli with enthusiasm and uncertainty, painting both Russian motifs as well as the sights of contemporary France.

In particular it was a period of burgeoning experimentation as Repin (1844-1930) took cognisance of modern French artistic developments, the major outcome of which was his large canvas "A Parisian Café", which was sold in London in June 2011 for a record price by the artist.

Ilya Efimovich Repin | Self-portrait, 1917

This canvas, "Study for a Parisian Cafe", was exhibited at the official Paris Salon and proved both a cause célèbre and a critical turning point in Repin's career. In preparing his tour de force of modern actualité Repin made many studies and sketches, of which this intimate and introspective image is a particularly refined and remarkable example; seemingly intended to portray either one of the café habitués seen in the rear of the evocatively glowing interior, or perhaps simply as a crisply observed delineation on contemporary female fashion.

This subtle and sophisticated study is both a testament to Repin's rigorous professional practice as well as his unerring eye for cultivated aesthetic nuances. | © Sotheby’s, David Jackson, Professor of Russian and Scandinavian Art Histories, University of Leeds.

Ilya Efimovich Repin | Study for a Parisian Cafe, 1875

Il periodo parigino (1873-1876) del giovane Repin (1844-1930) è stato molto fruttuoso ed ha contributo nella carriera artistica del famoso artista realista Russo, visto che egli rispose con entusiasmo ma anche incertezza ad una sconcertante varietà di nuovi stimoli, combinando i motivi russi con i luoghi della Francia contemporanea.

Prendendo atto dei sviluppi moderni artistici francesi, Repin si dedicò a crescenti sperimentazioni, risultato principale dei quali divenne la grande tela "Un caffè parigino", che è stata venduta a Londra, nel giugno 2011, con un prezzo record per l'artista.