Origins of the Russian Avant-Garde: Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg

by Yevgenia Petrova

This richly illustrated catalogue documents the exhibition organised by the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, in partnership with the State Russian Museum, St Petersburg. Featuring celebrated paintings by such pioneering artists as Wasilii Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, Vladimir Tatlin, and Natalia Goncharova, it also includes the work of more than twenty other innovative artists of the Russian avant-garde, some of whose art has rarely been reproduced in colour. These intriguing paintings are juxtaposed with native Russian arts and crafts, including religious icons, popular prints, textiles, and even children's toys, to explore the influence of folk art on the Russian avant-garde during the early decades of the twentieth century. These objects were avidly collected during this period by artists and intellectuals, who were aware of the gradual disintegration of peasant culture in Russia and eager to preserve its artifacts. Through a rich array of some seventy paintings, related folk art objects, and work

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Russian art historian.

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

really excellent choice of artwork for the exhibit/catalogue! I would suggest only skimming the essays and taking the piece descriptions with a grain of salt, though. there are many paintings and objects here you can judge for yourself (in terms of character, emotion, and intention particularly), and I would say try to do that first before reading the curators' interpretations, because they are most of the times only interpretations.

[l · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I should just ask my arty friend for recs. Random books are not so effective.