When Leonid was in Germany, he had to earn his living by selling paintings, and he was doing both still lifes and a lot of portraits. But if he could, he chose to do portraits of interesting figures. So here you have a portrait of Einstein.[1] Leonid wrote to Einstein, asking him whether he could paint his portrait, and Einstein agreed.
When Leonid was getting to know Einstein and painting him, he did what he often did do with his formal sitters, which was to suggest his wife should play the piano to keep them entertained. And Einstein, you know, was very happy with that.
But he actually wanted to play his violin. [He was a keen amateur musician.] So we have a sketch of Einstein playing his violin [2] in the downstairs gallery. And the other thing that Leonid's family laid on for Einstein was Josephine, who was studying philosophy. She used to sit and talk to him, to keep his face vital and alive while Leonid was sketching it.
This became one in a collection of several Jewish portraits Leonid made in Germany in [the late twenties and early thirties]. We found the studies of Einstein [3] rolled up in the clavichord case in Leonid's room, [just as they were packed up when he left Germany]. There were about six of them, very various in formality and size.
This is, I think, the best likeness [4] . It's wonderfully [evocative]. And then Leonid has been very sketchy at the edges of the picture. In fact, I used to think: 'oh dear, what a pity he didn't finish it'. Now I think: 'no, no, you know, this is spontaneity for you'. He's got the face and he's not worried about the hands or even the background so that it's patchy, there's a patch of light on the green bit, there's a patch of canvas behind Einstein's right shoulder.
There are many other portraits of well-known people that you'll find in our collection as you move from room to room. But you will also notice – on the left of the Einstein – a terrific painting of Tolstoy [5] standing by a round table in the main reception room at Tolstoy’s estate.[What Tolstoy called ‘the serious conversation corner.’] He’s reading a manuscript aloud to his wife and daughter. The setting is immediately recognisable because the dom-muzei (the house museum) at Yasnaya Polyana has been preserved exactly as it was when he died. The paper lampshade on the table lamp is still there. The furniture is exactly as it was then, and is in this picture.
In the opposite corner of the room you can also see a preparatory sketch [6], done from life, of Tolstoy with his beard and head tipped, reading from his manuscript. So you can see the work in progress, and then its completed version. [We also have a watercolour of part of this scene.] [6]
The Garden Room
Portrait of Albert Einstein
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When Leonid was in Germany, he was really having to earn a living by selling paintings, and he was doing both these big still lives and a lot of portraits. But he chose to do portraits of interesting figures. So in this room you have a marvellous portrait of Einstein. Leonid wrote to Einstein and asked him whether he could paint his portrait, and Einstein agreed.
When Leonid was getting to know Einstein and painting him, he did what he often did do with his formal sitters, which is he suggested to his wife that she should play the piano to keep them entertained. And Einstein, you know, was very happy with that.
And he actually wanted to play the violin. So we have a sketch of Einstein playing his violin in the downstairs gallery. And the other thing that, uh, Leonid's family laid on for Einstein was Josephine, who was studying philosophy, and she used to sit and talk to him and keep his face, as it were, vital and alive while Leonid was sketching it.
This became one of a collection of a lot of Jewish portraits that Leonid did at this period and the Einsteins were originally, we found them rolled up in the clavichord case in Leonid's room, and they are of sort of very various, there're about six of them and they are very various formality and size.
This is, I think, the best likeness,it's a wonderful likeness. And then he's been very sketchy at the sort of circular edges of the picture. In fact, I used to think: 'oh dear, what a pity he didn't finish it', now I think: 'no, no, you know, this is spontaneity for you', he's got the face and he's not worried about the hands or even the background so that it's patchy, there's a patch of light on the green bit, there's a patch of canvas behind Einstein's right shoulder.
There will be a lot of other portraits of well-known people that you'll find in the collection as you move from room to room. But you will also notice on the left of the Einstein is a terrific painting of Tolstoy in his dining room, reading a manuscript aloud to his wife and daughter, and it's very recognisably also set in Yasnaya Polyana and those paper lampshades on the table lamps are still there. The furniture is exactly as it is in this picture.
And you will also see in the opposite corner of the room a preparatory sketch done from life of Tolstoy with his beard and head tipped reading from the manuscript. So you see the work in progress and then it's completed version.
