Opening The Doorto Russian Art

PROFESSOR CAROL

People frequently tell me they want to get to know art or music, but they just don’t know the best place to start.

Well, there is no best place to start. The important thing is to start. You’ll be glad you did.

So let’s open the door to Russian Art.

5 Paintings to StartInformation about each painting follows.

Andrei RublevThe Holy Trinity (14th Century)

Rublev’s icon of the Holy Trinity is beloved across the Christian world. He depicted the Old Testament account of Three Angels visiting Abraham and Sarah, focusing solely on the trio of angels. The placement of the angels had enormous influence, resulting in countless copies down the centuries. Today Rublev’s Trinity is housed in Moscow’s Tretiakov Gallery, which brings up the complex question of whether valuable holy images should be secured in museums or returned to their proper places in churches.

Ivan ShishkinRain in an Oak Forest (1891)

The forest matters deeply in Russian culture, and no one painted the forest better than Shishkin. Gnarled tree trunks, delicate birch leaves, and translucent skies frame small figures engaged in ordinary life. Shishkin was highly educated, studying abroad to absorb the trends of European Romanticism. His paintings abound in crisp detail and poetic softness.

Alexei VenetsianovReaping, Summer (1827)

Peasants became popular subjects of Russian art in the early 19th century and no one captured them better than Venetsianov. His peasants, however, were idealized. Poetic in appearance, they appear at rest or happily engaged in tasks. Society wasn’t ready for the realistic paintings done by the next generation of Russian artists, The Wanderers.

Ilya RepinBarge Haulers on the Volga (1870-73)

Of the painters known as The Wanderers, none surpasses Repin. Barge Haulers on the Volga shows in detail the backbreaking labor of hauling barges up a river—labor long abundant in Russia due to the enslaved bulk of the population known as serfs. His paintings often presented disturbing social messages or shocking versions of historical events. He also painted famous figures of his day, including fascinating renditions of Tolstoy. Repin’s late works are awash in Impressionism.

Natalia GoncharovaCyclist (1913)

One of the most versatile of the early 20th-century avant-garde artists, Goncharova captured the clang of factories and the anxiety of modern society. Her vivid sense of color led her to design exceptional sets for the legendary Ballets Russe. She was inspired also by old Russian icons. After the Bolshevik Revolution she made her career in Paris.

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