Artist: Attributed to Boris N. Gusin
Title: V. I. Lenin on the Hunt
Original Russian Title: В. И. Ленин на охоте
Year: 1980
Medium: Oil on coarse canvas
Signature: Signed in red in the lower right; additional inscriptions on the reverse
Artwork Size: 94.5 × 79 cm / 37.2 × 31.1 in
Frame Size: 117.5 × 102 cm / 46.3 × 40.2 in
Framing: Presented in a large decorative gilt frame under acrylic glazing
Accessories: Fitted storage box and yellow cloth storage bag
The reverse bears handwritten Cyrillic inscriptions identifying the subject as “V. I. Lenin on the Hunt,” together with the abbreviation “х/м” for oil on canvas and the date 1980.
Condition
The painting remains in generally presentable vintage condition but shows age-related wear throughout.
The painted surface has a deliberately rough and uneven texture due in part to the coarse canvas support. There are scattered scratches, abrasions, surface dirt, minor marks, and small areas of paint wear or loss. Several longer light-colored scratches are visible in the landscape area.
The edges of the original coarse canvas show fraying and wear. The painting appears to have been remounted on a later stretcher in Japan.
The acrylic glazing and frame may have scratches, scuffs, and other signs of age and handling. The frame is included as a complimentary display item.
Please examine all photographs carefully for the condition and construction of the artwork.
Comment
This large 1980 oil painting belongs to the Soviet artistic tradition known as “Leniniana,” in which Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was represented through both monumental political imagery and informal episodes from everyday life.
Here Lenin is shown seated among a group of hunters resting around a small campfire in a winter forest. Rather than appearing on a podium or in an official setting, he is presented as a quiet and approachable figure sharing warmth, food, and conversation with ordinary men.
The central rifle, the surrounding hunters, two hounds, fallen timber, cups, kettle, and hunting horn create a richly detailed narrative composition. Its restrained earth-colored palette and coarse canvas surface reinforce the rugged outdoor atmosphere.
The attribution to Boris N. Gusin is based on the existing identification and inscriptions. No independent documentation confirming the artist’s biography or exhibition history accompanies the work.