Photo: GORK
Exhibition: The Wanderers
Location: Tretyakov Gallery. Kadashevskaya Embankment 12, Moscow
I won’t discuss the architecture of the new Tretyakov building on Bolotnaya; I watched it being assembled while our studio had an office on Malaya Tolmachyovskaya. It’s finally completed, thank goodness!
However, I can’t miss the exhibition of The Wanderers. The Tretyakov Gallery has truly excelled in attracting audiences. To put it briefly, I spent two hours there with a serene and somewhat foolish smile on my face, like that bespectacled gentleman from a banned film. The era of The Wanderers represents the peak of painting in the Russian Empire. Its impact on our culture is comparable to the Golden Age of Russian literature. Repin, Shishkin, Levitan, Kramskoy, Serov, Perov, Vasnetsov, Surikov — even those distant from art know these names. In my childhood, one grandfather had a reproduction of "Hunters at Rest," while the other had "Morning in a Pine Forest." Art teachers prioritized studying the era of The Wanderers. In college, we had the honor of dedicating half a semester in art history to this wonderful time.
Experiencing the works of The Wanderers in person at a conscious age with a certain background in art appreciation is different. It’s like comparing the experience of reading "War and Peace" at 16 versus 34. Some works gave me goosebumps, and it’s not just about impeccable execution or seeking new techniques in painting. The works of The Wanderers reveal the essence and depth of the Russian soul with its problems, morals, and everyday life. Often unappealing, marked by monstrous class divides, yet so understandable, close, and familiar to every Russian person.
Treat yourself and make sure to see these amazing works!
P. S. It so happened that over the last two months, I have almost completely reread Nikolai Svechin’s collection of works about Mr. Lykov, which touches on the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although Svechin is called a detective novelist, he accurately describes the life and architecture of that time. The books are gripping and can enhance your perception of this era.
@gorkjournal
Exhibition: The Wanderers
Location: Tretyakov Gallery. Kadashevskaya Embankment 12, Moscow
I won’t discuss the architecture of the new Tretyakov building on Bolotnaya; I watched it being assembled while our studio had an office on Malaya Tolmachyovskaya. It’s finally completed, thank goodness!
However, I can’t miss the exhibition of The Wanderers. The Tretyakov Gallery has truly excelled in attracting audiences. To put it briefly, I spent two hours there with a serene and somewhat foolish smile on my face, like that bespectacled gentleman from a banned film. The era of The Wanderers represents the peak of painting in the Russian Empire. Its impact on our culture is comparable to the Golden Age of Russian literature. Repin, Shishkin, Levitan, Kramskoy, Serov, Perov, Vasnetsov, Surikov — even those distant from art know these names. In my childhood, one grandfather had a reproduction of "Hunters at Rest," while the other had "Morning in a Pine Forest." Art teachers prioritized studying the era of The Wanderers. In college, we had the honor of dedicating half a semester in art history to this wonderful time.
Experiencing the works of The Wanderers in person at a conscious age with a certain background in art appreciation is different. It’s like comparing the experience of reading "War and Peace" at 16 versus 34. Some works gave me goosebumps, and it’s not just about impeccable execution or seeking new techniques in painting. The works of The Wanderers reveal the essence and depth of the Russian soul with its problems, morals, and everyday life. Often unappealing, marked by monstrous class divides, yet so understandable, close, and familiar to every Russian person.
Treat yourself and make sure to see these amazing works!
P. S. It so happened that over the last two months, I have almost completely reread Nikolai Svechin’s collection of works about Mr. Lykov, which touches on the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although Svechin is called a detective novelist, he accurately describes the life and architecture of that time. The books are gripping and can enhance your perception of this era.
@gorkjournal