Self-portrait, 1918
Art lovers celebrated 140th anniversary of the Russian artist Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin on May, 24. Major exhibition in Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, coincides with this date, Culture Channel reports. There 250 works from the museum's funds and private collections. Similar major exposition was on view 40 years ago.
Famous works are surrounded by less-known paintings. The contemporaries remained ambivalent about his art. His most iconic painting,
Bathing of the Red Horse (1912) where Petrov-Vodkin synthesized avant-garde and classical painting approaches, reconciled his critics and fans.
Being a teenager Petrov-Vodkin was dreaming to get into railroad college, but failed exams. One of the local art amateurs saw his art and helped him to get into art school in St. Petersburg, and then Moscow where he studied with Russian impressionist Valentin Serov.
During his most prolific period, at the beginning of 20th century Petrov-Vodkin traveled and worked extensively in Tunis, France, Italy, Algeria.
Tuberculosis stopped his activity, and the master switched to writing. Petrov-Vodkin’s works were largely ignored after his death in 1939. A renewed of interest came back in almost 30 years. Now Petrov-Vodkin is one of the most well-known Russian artists abroad.
Russkiy Mir
