Nikolai Feshin "appeared" in front of visitors to the Tretyakov Gallery

Yesterday, May 23, the Tretyakov Gallery hosted the opening of an exhibition of the best works of Nikolai Feshin, a Kazan-American artist, whose gift originated in Tsarist Russia and was honed in the United States and numerous travels around the world.

Could the great Repin have suggested that one of his, not the most lively students, would become the most expensive Russian artist of the 21st century? Did the Soviet government understand what a grandiose creator the country was losing by letting him emigrate abroad? But the eccentric Nikolai Feshin was sure of this and fearlessly looked into the distance, devoting his whole soul to the only truly strong passion - painting.

Feshin’s paintings are paintings in the full sense of the word. Each image is woven from thousands of color shades, embodied by piercing brush strokes, dedicated to life at its best. His manner of writing is akin to impressionism, but with a special, Russian strain. Twitching, sharp lines are softened by a perfectly matched color palette and serve the only purpose - to convey their vision to other people who are not able to see the music of colors!

Feshin is little known in Russia. In Soviet times, reproductions of his works were published sparingly and mainly in a textbook format. But for Americans, he is the embodiment of their own idea of real talent. The artist conquered the United States first shocking, then painting. Not surprisingly, its fertility and countless creative works to this day can cause a fierce debate not only by critics, but also by ordinary people who value painting.

With the ease of his brush, the excellent manner of depicting real people, visitors to the Tretyakov Gallery will be able to get acquainted until July 29, 2012. Maybe his works cannot be called brilliant, but in every picture the Present shines through.

Eve Istr