The painting 'Smert'  (Death 1913) is by Nikolai Kalmakov, and it reminds me of VN's poem "In Paradise" (1927):    
here, in a glade, a wild angel slumbers, A semi-pavonian creature.   -- A. Bouazza.

Dear A. Bouazza,

I am not familiar with the poem, but it may indeed be a reference to the Kalmakov painting, which was among the art collection confiscated by the Soviets from V.D. and Elena Nabokov.  A reproduction of the painting and this information is to be found on page 9 of the book Moscow and St Petersburg 1900 - 1920; Art, Life & Culture.

   

I was surprised and impressed to discover that the Nabokov parents should have owned such a painting by such an artist - from Nabokov's memoirs I should not have expected his parents to have had such avant garde tastes. But your link to the poem "In Paradise" (I did not know of this poem) adds considerably to the interest. VN would seem to (intentionally? unintentionally?) conflate the two figures in the painting - the sleeper in the lower left corner of the painting, and the spectacular "pavonian" angel of death who dominates the right side of the painting. 


Fascinating ....
Carolyn Kunin





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