![Nicolai Fechin - Portrait of Kate [1926]](http://farm1.staticflickr.com/709/21319709649_94e839ca13_o.jpg)
The luminous Portrait of Kate was painted the year that Fechin moved from New York to Taos. Having arrived in America in 1923, Fechin quickly established himself in New York as a successful portrait painter. Most likely completed in New York, this painting epitomises Fechin's psychological and artistic prowess in capturing both the inner and outer likeness of his sitter. His paintings presuppose a level of connoisseurship and sophistication from his viewer, with audiences responding favourably to the challenge. The abstract modelling of the background is a signature element of Fechin's portraits. The rapid brush strokes are executed with the confidence of a master, and merely suggest elements of the composition. Rather than spoon-feeding his viewer, Fechin incorporates just the essentials. His backgrounds are not representational but leave something to the imagination. In Portrait of Kate we can discern the diagonal drape of a curtain behind the figure, as well as a cascade of patterned fabric falling across the arm of her chair.
[Heritage Auctions - Oil on canvas, 76.2 x 63.5 cm]