Martin Cid's Blog: Martin Cid Magazine, page 1085

The most important exhibition of Russian portraits ever to take place at the National Portrait Gallery in London

The most important exhibition of Russian portraits ever to take place at a British museum, opens at the National Portrait Gallery, London, on March 17 2016, as part of an unprecedented cultural exchange with Moscow.

Anna Akhmatova by Olga Della-Vos-Kardovskaia, 1914 © State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

26 celebrated portraits of key figures from a golden age of the arts in Russia, 1867-1914, can be seen together in Britain for the first time – 22 of them have never previously been seen in the United Kingdom.

They come from Moscow’s prestigious State Tretyakov Gallery which will simultaneously display a selection of portraits of famous Britons from the National Portrait Gallery.

To mark the 160th Anniversary year of the foundation of both galleries, Russia and the Arts: The Age of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky (17 March–26 June 2016) coincides with the exhibition Elizabeth to Victoria: British Portraits from the Collection of the National Portrait Gallery at the State Tretyakov Gallery (21 April-24 July 2016).

Celebrating the remits of both galleries to put together a collection of portraits of each country’s most eminent and influential figures, the State Tretyakov Gallery has loaned to London some of Russia’s most highly treasured portraits including those ofAkhmatova, Chekhov, Dostoevsky, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky, Tolstoy and Turgenev.

The paintings are by some of the greatest Russian artists of the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including Nikolai Ge, Ivan Kramskoy, Vasily Perov, Ilia Repin, Valentin Serov and Mikhail Vrubel. The majority of the portraits were bought or commissioned directly from the artists by Pavel Tretyakov, a merchant, philanthropist and the founder of the StateTretyakov Gallery, whose own portrait by Repin opens the exhibition.

Among the loans from the National Portrait Gallery to the State Tretyakov Gallery are portraits of Dickens, Newton, Wollstonecraft, Elizabeth I, Cromwell, Darwin and one of its founders, Thomas Carlyle, together with the first picture to enter its collection, theChandos portrait of Shakespeare.

Russia and the Arts: The Age of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky features works that are the pride of the Tretyakov Gallery and an integral part of its permanent display, rarely if ever leaving the gallery’s walls. These icons of Russian culture include Perov’sportrait of Dostoevsky, a work of exceptional historic and artistic value and the only portrait of the writer painted from life. Tolstoy is shown in the study of his Moscow home at work on the manuscript of his philosophical treatise What I Believe while Mussorgsky was painted just a few days before his death in a St Petersburg hospital at the age of forty-two.

Other highlights include Serov’s monumental portrait of the dramatic actress Maria Ermolova, painted over the course of 32 sittings, and Repin’s painting of the brilliant and independent literary salon host, Baroness Ikskul von Hildenbrandt. Serov’s portrait of Ivan Morozov depicts the Russian merchant and patron against the backdrop of Matisse’s Fruit and Bronze, a painting thatMorozov had just acquired and became a centrepiece of his world-class collection of modern French art.

Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director, National Portrait Gallery, London, says: ‘These two exhibitions in London and Moscow form an important act of cultural exchange for both institutions. Russia and the Arts: The Age of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky at the National Portrait Gallery surveys an extraordinary period of vibrancy in Russia’s cultural life during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These portraits of writers, composers, musicians and actors, together with their more flamboyant patrons, come together for the most ambitious exhibition of Russian portraiture ever to take place in a British museum. Painted by outstanding artists of the period, these commissions constitute Russia’s first and most significant national portrait collection. The generous support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation has helped to make this exhibition possible.’

Zelfira Tregulova, General Director of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, says: ‘Russia and the Arts in London and From Elizabeth to Victoria in Moscow are two parts of a joint Russian-British project that signal the start of a bright new chapter in the history of cultural cooperation between our two countries. There is strong evidence to suggest that when he conceived his collection of portraits Tretyakov, who often visited London on business matters, drew on his experience of the National Portrait Gallery. We are certain that our projects with the Gallery today will form the basis of a long-standing relationship, and that we will have the opportunity to broaden the perceptions of both British and Russian audiences about the character of cherished figures in each country.’

Russia and the Arts: The Age of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky explores how Russian portraiture enjoyed a golden age between the late 1860s and the First World War. While Tolstoy and Dostoevsky were publishing novels such as Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov and Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov were taking Russian music to new heights, Russian art of the period was developing a new self-confidence. Visitors will be able to see how the penetrating Realism of the 1870s and 1880s was later complemented by the brighter hues of Russian Impressionism and the bold, faceted forms of Symbolist painting.

Taking the 1860s as a starting point, when a distinct Russian school of painting was widely recognised for the first time, curator Dr Rosalind P. Blakesley, Reader in Russian and European Art, University of Cambridge, has selected portraits which show developments in theatre and music, the inventiveness of Russian literature, and the powerful voices of wealthy patrons.

Staged in the lead up to the centenary of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the exhibition also includes a major group of portraits which explore the advent of Russian impressionism and Symbolism, creative responses to political turmoil and social unrest in the early twentieth century, and the increasing stylisation of figurative painting in the twilight of imperial rule.

Dr Rosalind P. Blakesley, Curator of Russia and the Arts: The Age of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky, says: ‘Compared to the work of the Russian avant-garde, Russia’s extraordinary artistic traditions of earlier periods remain relatively unknown abroad. This exhibition provides an unprecedented opportunity to appreciate the excitements of Russian Realism, Impressionism, and Symbolism through the portraits of some of Russia’s most creative figures. These include cherished national treasures, from Repin’sportrait of Mussorgsky on his deathbed to the only portrait of Dostoevsky painted from life, and illuminate Russia’s exceptional cultural life in the closing decades of Imperial rule.’

Tatiana Karpova, Deputy Director on Scientific Affairs at the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, says: ‘To show in the National Portrait Gallery, London, the highest achievements of Russian portraiture of the nineteenth to the beginning of the twentieth century was my long-time dream. The portrait was always one of the strongest points of the Russian painting school and those presented at the exhibition are a concentrated expression of the ideal Russian identity of the time’.

Russia and the Arts: The Age of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky at the National Portrait Gallery is curated by Dr Rosalind P. Blakesley, Reader in Russian and European Art, University of Cambridge, and Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge. She has written widely on Russian art and on the Arts and Crafts Movement and is a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Elizabeth to Victoria: British Portraits from the Collection of the National Portrait Gallery at the State Tretyakov Galleryis curated by Tatiana Karpova who is an expert in Russian fine arts from the nineteenth to the beginning of the twentieth century. She is the author of more than eighty publications, including the monographs Sense of the Person: The Russian portrait of the second half of nineteenth to the beginning of the twentieth century, Ivan Kramskoy, Nikolay Ge, Heinrich Siemiradzki; and curator of many exhibition projects in Russia and Europe.

RUSSIA AND THE ARTS: THE AGE OF TOLSTOY AND TCHAIKOVSKY.

17 March -26 June 2016, National Portrait Gallery, London www.npg.org.uk.

With the generous support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

With support from the Russia & the Arts Exhibition Supporters Group including Sophia Contemporary Gallery, Tsukanov Family Foundation and AVC Charity Foundation.

Spring Season Sponsor Herbert Smith Freehills.

Tickets with donation: Full price £6 / Concessions £5.

Tickets without donation Full price £5/ Concessions £4 (Free for Members and Patrons.)

www.npg.org.uk/russia

Sunday Poetry with Gypsy Woman, Jenean C. Gilstrap. Today: the naked man

Sunday Poetry with Gypsy Woman, Jenean C. Gilstrap. Today: the naked man

the naked man

the naked man

now with me stands

shed of his fears

from all those years

living in the cold

aged but not old

disrobed of all

save for his words

waiting only to be heard

and his shattered heart

tattered and torn

longing to be made whole

but time

has robbed

his voice of speech

and emptied his life’s blood

onto the sterile terrain of nowhere

his wasted life

the only remnant remaining

of what could have been

and the book of promise

sealed shut from neglect

too late now

to dress the dreams

dreamed too late

the naked man

no longer stands

~

TV Shows Today, March 20: Quantico, Elementary, Madam Secretary

It’s Sunday and it’s a great time to enjoy these great shows. First, we recommend one of our favorite shows, Quantico. Today’s episode: Answer. Season 1. Episode 14.

10:00 pm. ABC. From Wikipedia:

Our second choice is for Elementary. Today: You’ve Got Me, Who’s Got You? Season 4. Episode 17. 10:00 pm. CBS.

And our last recommendation is for another series from the CBS. This time, Madam Secretary. Today’s episode: Higher Learning. Season 2. Episode 17. 8:00 pm. CBS.

We hope you enjoy the shows. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

TV Shows Today, March 20 Video: Quantico 1×14 Season 1 Episode 14 “Answer” Promo (HD)

Birthdays Today, March 20: Ruby Rose, Zonnique Pullins, Fernando Torres, Chester Bennington

She is young and great and she i sour Top#1 Famous Birthdays Today, March 20. Her name is Ruby Rose, she is a model born in Melbourne, Australia in 1986 and, from Yareah, we wish her and her family all the best in this special day. Congrats and happy birthday, Ruby Rose!

Famous Birthdays Today, March 20: Ruby Rose at the Australian premiere of Katy Perry: Part of Me in Sydney, Australia.. Source:: flcikr. Author: Eva Rinaldi

I started off as an Australian model. I had so many knockbacks, having short hair and being rejected, and I always thought: I’m never gonna get to where I want to get unless I start looking more feminine.

Ruby Rose

Acting is my life. It’s what I live and breathe.

Ruby Rose

More famous birthdays today, March 20: Zonnique Pullins, R&B singer born in Georgia in 1995; Fernando Torres, Spanish soccer player; and Chester Bennington, rock star born in Phoenix in 1976.

Happy birthday to all of them. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

Famous Birthdays Today, March 20 Video: Break Free – Ruby Rose

Prince will have a book about his memories

Prince Rogers Nelson, known as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter and actor. A legend! He has been a major figure in popular music for over three decades. Would you like to read about his life? For sure! And now you have a chance!

Purple Rain by Prince

Prince will have a book about his memories! Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of Random House publishing, purchased the rights to the enigmatic 57-year-old singer’s memoir. The book is expected sometime in 2017.

It seems that the working title is ‘The Beautiful Ones’, honoring one of the song of his 1984 hit album, Purple Rain.

What do you expect about the book? No doubt, it will be interesting. Our quote of the day is by Prince. Listen to him!

“Every day I feel is a blessing from God. And I consider it a new beginning. Yeah, everything is beautiful.” Do you agree? I do!

Enjoy your day, Yareah friends. Art is everywhere and up to you!

Prince is renowned as an innovator and is widely known for his eclectic work. In fact, he is widely regarded as the pioneer of Minneapolis sound. His music combines rock, R&B, soul, funk, hip hop, disco, psychedelia, jazz, and pop.

“All these non-singing, non-dancing, wish-I-had-me-some-clothes fools who tell me my albums suck. Why should I pay any attention to them?”

Prince. Purple Rain (lyrics).

Prince has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time!

Untitled (New York City) by Cy Twombly in the Contemporary Art Evening Sale at Sotheby’s

On 11 May 2016 Sotheby’s New York will offer Untitled (New York City) by Cy Twombly in the Contemporary Art Evening Sale. The work is the only painting from the famed Blackboard series executed with blue loops on grey ground and boasts a remarkable history. It was acquired by the current owner from the artist’s studio immediately after it was executed in 1968, and has not been seen in public since. Untitled (New York City) is expected to fetch in excess of $40 million; it goes on view at Sotheby’s Los Angeles on 24 March before exhibition in Hong Kong and London.

Untitled (New York City) by Cy Twombly

Grégoire Billault, Head of Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Department in New York commented: “As a unique example from Cy Twombly’s most celebrated series, that boasts unbeatable provenance, and appears at a time of unprecedented auction interest in the artist, Untitled (New York City) is set to be the outstanding highlight of the May series of sales in New York.”

Untitled (New York City) is a one-off example of the artist’s most hallowed series of Blackboard paintings through which he forged a new visual language in a period of great convergence in postwar art. However, unlike every other Blackboard painting that bears white loops, in Untitled (New York City) Twombly used a blue, rather than white, wax crayon to create the endless overlapping loops on the wet paint. At over 28 square feet, the work belongs to the elite group of large-scale works by Twombly that can be found in the world’s great museums including: The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; The Menil Collection, Houston; and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.

The appearance of Untitled (New York City) at auction comes just six months after Sotheby’s set a record for the artist with Untitled [New York City], 1968 from the collection of Los Angeles philanthropist Audrey Irmas. That work was the second Twombly Blackboard to exceed $65 million in the previous 18 months.

The sale will also include a major late Twombly: Untitled (Bacchus 1st Version V). The appearance of the 2004 work in May marks the first time an example from the series, that is widely recognized as defining the artist’s late work, has appeared at auction. The painting is expected to fetch in excess of $20 million and will also be on view in Los Angeles alongside highlights by Francis Bacon and Andy Warhol.

**On View In Los Angeles On 24 March.

TV Shows Today, March 19: Black Sails, Untold Stories of the E.R.: Extra Dose, The First 48

Well, it’s Saturday and we love Saturdays. Today, we have three great television shows to enjoy. First, Black Sails. Today’s episode: XXVII. Season 3. Episode 9. 9:00 pm. STARZ. From Wikipedia: Black Sails is an American dramatic adventure television series set on New Providence Island and a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island.

Our second choice is for The First 48. Today: The Fighter/ Final Ride Sneak Peek.

10:00 pm. A&E.

And our last recommendation is for Untold Stories of the E.R.: Extra Dose. Today: Labor Pains. 8:00 pm. TLC.

We hope you enjoy the shows. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

TV Shows Today, March 19 Video: Black Sails season 3 episode 9 promo

Birthdays Today, March 19: Bruce Willis, Garrett Clayton, Clayton Kershaw, Maddy Hill

He’s a great actor, an action hero and a true star. He’s Bruce Willis and he’s our Top#1 Famous Birthdays Today, March 19. He was born in Idar-Oberstein, Germany in 1955 and, from Yareah, we wish him and his family all the best in this special day. Congrats and happy birthday, Bruce Willis!

Famous Birthdays Today, March 19: Bruce Willis at the 2010 Comic Con in San Diego. Source: wikipedia. Author: Gage Skidmore

Art imitates life and, sometimes, life imitates art. It’s a weird combination of elements.

Bruce Willis

I wake up laughing. Yes, I wake up in the morning and there I am just laughing my head off.

Bruce Willis

More famous birthdays today, March 19: Garrett Clayton, actor born in Miami who starred on the film Teen Beach Movie; Clayton Kershaw, baseball player; and Maddy Hill, actress born in London in 1990.

Happy birthday to all of them. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

Famous Birthdays Today, March 19 Video: Stephen Calls Bruce Willis A Liar… MISTAKE

Henry Cavill speaking about Superman

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 25, 2016, in 2D, 3D, 4DX, IMAX 3D and premium large formats. The film stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, and Gal Gadot.

Henry Cavill as Superman

Henry Cavill plays the role as Superman. Would you like to hear him speaking about the most famous superhero of all times. For sure! Yareah quotes of the day are by Henry Cavill. Listen to him!

“As much as everyone says that Superman is good, a lot of other people might say that that’s why they find him boring… A lot of Batman fans might say that.”

Remember that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be the first live-action film to feature both Batman and Superman! Everybody is excited! And you? Tell us your opinion now!

“My version of Superman is essentially of a guy who has spent his whole life alone.”

Superman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster in 1938.

“This character matters so much to so many people. I want to get that right. I want to do it justice. I want people to believe in the character and have faith in the character and kids to grow up wanting to be Superman. Or, God forbid, there’s people who are going through hardship and wishing that this character would turn up and save them.”

Enjoy your day, Yareah friends. Art is everywhere and up to you!

“Certainly, for younger guys, Superman is this mythological character that they’ve thought about and explored in their imaginations… But one thing I really like about Superman fans is that they’re so open-minded and excited and honest. There’s something beautiful about their enjoyment of it – something very Superman-like.”

Gypsy Jazz Quintet Hot Club of San Francisco at the MAC

Entertaining Gypsy Jazz Quintet recreates the beat and melodies of a 1930s Hot Club of France with works by Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli and more.

Gypsy Jazz Quintet Hot Club of San Francisco at the MAC

Hot Club of San Francisco brings “Postcards from Gypsyland” to the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), located on the campus of College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., and Club MAC, Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2 at 8 p.m. The San Francisco Chronicle hails the group as “one of the most cohesive and entertaining gypsy swing bands in the United States.” For the popular Club MAC performances, MAC’s Playhouse Theatre is transformed into an intimate cabaret setting with café tables, a full bar and great artists. This performance is presented in partnership with 90.9 FM WDCB.

For “Postcards from Gypsyland” The Hot Club of San Francisco recreates the swinging beat and sweet melodies of an original 1930s Hot Club de France. The selections will include many original works by gypsy jazz icons Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, plus original works by Hot Club of San Francisco’s Paul Mehling and Evan Price, and other composers including Claude Debussy and “Jelly Roll” Morton.

Hot Club of San Francisco, inspired by guitar genius Django Reinhardt, features Mehling on lead guitar and vocals, Grammy Award-winner Price on violin, French-born Isabelle Fontaine on rhythm guitar and vocals, Jordan Samuels on guitar and Sam Rocha on bass. The band is equally at home playing tangos, waltzes, tender ballads and swings with an ease that keeps the focus on the timeless beauty of the music. Mehling founded the band in the early 1990s and since then the group has released 10 albums, and teamed up with acclaimed music artists including American blue grass mandolinist and acoustic music composer David Grisman and American singer-songwriter Dan Hicks, among others.

Tickets: Hot Club of San Francisco brings “Postcards from Gypsyland” to Club MAC in the Playhouse Theatre of the McAninch Arts Center at 425 Fawell Blvd. in Glen Ellyn, Ill. with performances, Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45. For tickets or more information, call 630.942.4000 or visit AtTheMAC.org.

HOT CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO BRINGS “POSTCARDS FROM GYPSYLAND” TO CLUB MAC APRIL 1-2.