Russian Painting - Hardcover

Leek, Peter

3.75

12 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1859959393 ISBN 13: 9781859959398

Publisher: Parkstone Press, 2005

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Russia is often viewed as the outsider of the art world, with creative genius frequently being hidden behind the representation of icons such as Rublov. However, with the succession of Pierre Le Grand, it was Europe which brought light to this otherwise ostensibly uncivilized empire. Saint-Petersburg suddenly rose out of the darkness thanks to the brilliance of an Italian artist, and for more than a century afterwards, became a highly important cultural focus. The all powerful Tsar, and later Catherine the Great allowed exchanges between Russian and European artists which eventually gave birth to a new Russian form of painting. Although this was greatly inspired by Italy and its vibrant colours, it stayed true to its foundations in Russian culture. However, it was not until the 20th century that a true national style came into its own with the emergence of the Ambulants and the Blue Roses. This was then followed by the revolutionary period which led to the Russian Avant Garde and then modernism. In this book, we come to understand the author's viewpoint on Russian culture as a combination of western culture as well as eastern. These influences are demonstrated in the works and cover a vast pictorial scope. Artists such as Borovikovsky, Serov, Vrubel, Briullov, Fedotov, Repin, Shishkin and Levitan, among many others, bring their own fundamental contribution to the history of art. Peter Leek puts the evolution of the history of Russian art after the fall of communism into perspective.

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About the Author:

Peter Leek is a British Art historian who has participated in the publication of a number of works recognised by his peers.

From Library Journal:

Although touted as a major survey of Russian art, this is more of a coffee-table book than a research title. The 304 color illustrations are attractively reproduced and grouped into three main chapters: "From the 18th Century to the 1860s," "From the 1860s to the 1890s," and "From the 1890s to the Post-Revolutionary Period." Each chapter includes portraiture, historical painting, landscape, and still life among other painting types and trends. The brief chapter introductions and sparse text found amid the book's glorious images leave the reader wanting more information. Leek, who is never clearly identified, has simply tried to cover too much material. Because Leek attempts to include everyone from Karl Briullov (1799-1852) to Vasily Kandinsky (1866-1944), each of these influential artists is described in just a few sentences. A tighter focus would have been to this book's advantage. Marginally recommended for larger public and academic library art collections in need of Russian art images.
-Jennifer Mayer, Univ. of Wyoming Libs., Laramie
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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