Original watercolour was executed by important Russian painter and graphic artist Petr Petrovich Sokolov (1821 - St. Petersburg - 1899) and depicts the episode from the Russo - Turkish war 1877-1878: Turkish Bashi-Basouk pursued by Russians. This rare work was executed by the author ca. in 1877 during artist´s life by the Headquartier of the Russian army operating in European Turkey and where he recieved the George Cross for bravery. Works by Sokolov from the war again Turks are enough rare, we found only one another: "Crash of Cossacks and Bashi-Basouk", created also in 1877 and situated now in the Province State Museum of City Penza ( for the image see our additional photo No. 1).

Pyotr Petrovich Sokolóv (1821, St. Petersburg — 2 (14) October 1899) was a Russian painter and graphic artist, the eldest son of Peter Fedorovich Sokolov, also famous watercolour painter. petr Petrovich was a self-taught, because only very short time as a young boy studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1840-1843), under the guidance of his uncle, Karl Bryuloff. His specialty were the popular image from the folk´s and a soldier´s life, as well as hunting scenes, but sometimes portraits.With his watercolors, to a greater or lesser extent of correct transfer of the different types of people and animals, deft taking performance and harmony of colours, especially in landscape pieces, very rarely was on the annual academic and other public exhibitions, but in 1887 he arranged from his work in St. Petersburg a private exhibition.

In 1877-1878 he was at the Headquartier of the Russian army operating in European Turkey and received the George Cross for bravery.

In 1893 the reformed Academy of Arts Council awarded him for the preceding activity, highest artistic title of academician.As to the best of his work should indicate on the illustrations to "Notes Hunter" Turgenev and the poems of Nekrasov (some of them issued in the form of albums), watercolor painting "Horse Fair (in Tretyakov Galeries in Moscow) and the portrait of writer C.. Terpyhorev (Museum of Alexander III in St. Petersburg).

Literature: (in Russian): monography "P.P.Sokolov" by O. Spizina, 1953; "P.Sokolov. [Album. Article on. Podobedovoj], Moscow,1959; monography "Horses s in the Russian Art", State Russian Museum, Palace editions, 2001; Brockhaus and Efron encyclopedic dictionary (1890-1907).

Inscription: signed in Russian lower right.

Technique: watercolour on cardboard, old gilt frame.

Measurements: unframed w 23" x h 17 1/2" (58,5 x 44,5 cm); framed w 27 1/2" x h 21 1/2" ( 70 x 54,5 cm).

Condition: in very good condition.