Russian Art: From Neoclassicism to the Avant Garde, 1800-1917 : Painting - Sculpture - ArchitectureAs Dmitri Sarabianov tells us in this lively book, Russia first turned its face to Europe at the beginning of the eighteenth century. By the start of the nineteenth century, European ideas had been assimilated into the rich substratum of Russian culture and a unique amalgam began to emerge. Indigenous subjects became the focus of Russian art. In 1870, the Society for Traveling Art Exhibitions, whose members were known as the Wanderers, was founded. Its dual purpose was to educate the people through traveling exhibitions and to work for social reform. At the turn of the century, the dominant mode was Symbolism. But Modernist tendencies and other currents were gaining strength. These diverse aesthetics had to be rethought in 1917, when the Revolution brought the Bolsheviks to power. Functional, applied design came to the forefront. It is here, with the close of the most brilliant and innovative period in Russia's artistic life so far, that Professor Sarabianov ends his account of the pivotal years that led to the dazzling abstract, geometrical breakthroughs of Russian art. -- From publisher's description. |
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achieve Alexander Ivanov Alexei appearance approach architects Art Nouveau artistic background beauty became Borisov-Musatov Briullov canvas career characters Christ classical colour composition contemporary convey create creative Cubism decorative depicted dominated early elements example exhibition expression facade Fedotov figures forms Fyodor genre painting harmony history painting idea Ilya Repin Impressionism Impressionist individual interior Isaac Levitan Ivan Karl Briullov Kiprensky Knave of Diamonds Korovin Kramskoi landscape Larionov later Levitan Malevich Mikhail Mikhail Vrubel monumental Moscow movement nature Nikolai Nikolai Ge nineteenth century objects Old Russian Orest Kiprensky painters Palace particularly Pavel peasant peredvizhniki period Perov pictorial picture plein air portrait poses Realism Repin reveal Romantic Russian architecture Russian art Russian avantgarde Russian culture Russian painting scene sculpture self-portrait Serov Shchedrin social space Square St Petersburg St Petersburg Academy still-life studies style Surikov symbolic techniques themes Tolstoy traditional Valentin Serov various Vasily Venetsianov Vrubel World of Art