Nadir Akhundov Self-Portrait

Details

Description

Nadir Akhundov (1915–2006) was a distinguished Azerbaijani painter, portraitist, and honored member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. … Read more Nadir Akhundov (1915–2006) was a distinguished Azerbaijani painter, portraitist, and honored member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. A graduate of the Surikov Institute of Fine Arts in Moscow, he was active from the 1940s through the 1980s.

Akhundov’s works were widely exhibited in Baku, Moscow, Tbilisi, and other Soviet cities, and he is regarded as one of the leading figures in Azerbaijani figurative realism. His mastery lay in psychological portraiture — his subjects rendered with emotional insight, naturalism, and exceptional technical precision.

His artworks are represented in the collections of the Azerbaijan National Art Museum, the Union of Artists archives, and numerous private collections in Azerbaijan and abroad.

The present Self-Portrait, completed in 1986, depicts Akhundov in his mature years, with an introspective, almost defiant gaze. His folded arms and slightly tilted posture project self-awareness and creative authority.

Executed with restrained, natural tones of brown, green, and ochre, the composition reveals Akhundov’s characteristic attention to lighting and facial modeling — hallmarks of his later period. The psychological realism and compositional balance place this painting among the strongest examples of postwar Azerbaijani portraiture.

The inclusion of the artist’s monogram “НА” in red and the reverse inscription confirm authorship.

This painting was part of the Republic’s state art collection and had been held in the museum storage of the Art Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan SSR. It was legally purchased and later imported to the United States with proper customs declarations and clearance.

The painting’s prior inclusion in the Art Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan SSR and association with the Union of Artists’ state collection substantially enhance its authenticity, provenance, and institutional importance. Such works are rarely available in private hands and are considered significant cultural assets of the postwar Soviet art heritage.

The asking price is based on the appraised value. The appraisal is available upon request. See less