Exhibition "The Formation of Art Nouveau Style in Russian Art"

"Art Nouveau style is special among styles," wrote once the German art critic D. Sternberger. And the point is not only that modern was like a style "desired, longed for, finally - invented." “He should have and wanted to be or become,” according to the same Sternberger, “a style without a pattern, without an example, a completely new, independent, modern style.”

But being composed, consciously created, the Art Nouveau style (Art Nouveau, Art Nouveau) had a great many “authors”. Naturally, the result was something extremely diverse, internally contradictory, difficult to reduce to a single denominator.

The great forerunner of Russian Art Nouveau was undoubtedly I.E. Repin (1844-1930). It is believed that already at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, his work is in crisis, is in decline. And this, of course, is true, but only to a certain extent. You can talk about the crisis of Repin realism, the completeness of those of his searches, the result of which were the masterpieces of the master of the 1880s (“Religious procession in the Kursk province”, “They didn’t wait”, etc.). But it is obvious that over the years Repin’s painting is becoming more decorative and less life-like. Let implicitly, indistinctly, but the principles of modernism are more and more manifesting themselves in it. It is unlikely that the “Portrait of a Woman” presented at the exhibition can be considered a success of the great artist, but it certainly reflects Repin’s desire to keep up with the general course of European art.

It is in the circle of students of Repin, who at the time of All-Russian fame became his professor at the Academy of Arts, the largest figures of Russian Art Nouveau are formed. And above all, of course, M.A. Vrubel (1856-1910). Undoubtedly, this is the greatest master of not only Russian, but also of pan-European Art Nouveau - the genius of this artist is beyond doubt. And just this circumstance often gives reason to believe that Vrubel’s painting is wider, higher, more modern, does not fit into its style framework.

The tiny “Philosophy” presented here concludes in its structure both a glimpse of the power of the Vrubel gift and clear signs of the Art Nouveau style. Vigorous, groping strokes form a complex colorful ornament, the mannered, conditional figure of a woman allegory is penetrated by the elements of life-giving painting.

K. Repin’s students were K.A. Somov (1869-1939), F.A. Malyavin (1869-1940), B.M. Kustodiev (1878-1927), I.I. Brodsky (1883 / 1884-1939).

It was Somov who became the leading master of the association of masters of retrospective modernism - The World of Art. The interior of Martyshkino was most likely created in 1896, at the time of Somov’s studies in Repin’s studio, in anticipation of the emergence of the “World of Art”. The painting here is still not too confident and not always skillful, but the artist’s desire to “paint with paint” is already felt, refining and even somewhat painting the graphic forms in a graphic way.

Malyavin turned the Repin "brio" into the fundamental principle of his entire painting. The strokes, sometimes so powerful by Repin, in Malyavin’s paintings became even wider, even longer, sometimes as if painted with paint brushes. Colorful elements have become rampant. But at the same time it’s mannered, almost self-sufficient, completely “modern”. At the exhibition, however, Malyavin’s chamber watercolors are presented, indicating that his art does not boil down to the same mannered, “chic” reception.

Brodsky is best known as a leader of socialist realism, the author of thematic paintings, the main characters of which were Lenin and Stalin. But sometimes it is forgotten at the same time that the heritage of this artist has an underlying layer. In addition to the officious paintings throughout his life, Brodsky wrote emphasized, mannered beautiful paintings. And it was a typical Art Nouveau - albeit a saloon warehouse and not a very high damage.

The current of Art Nouveau, in the origins of which - Vasnetsov’s searches, turned out to be very fruitful. One of the most significant figures here is E.D. Polenova (1850-1898). She was most able to translate the fabulous theme into a special artistic quality, into the fabulousness of the imagery itself. Besides, the branch of Art Nouveau may well include painting N.S. Ulyanov (1872-1924), friend of V.E. Borisov-Musatov. In the landscape of this master’s brush, everything that he depicts is translated into a unity of vision and experience. A modest image has a Musatov system. The colors here seem almost weightless, they are spatial, as if translucent. The epic spirit of fanned sketch N.K. Roerich (1874-1947) to the opera "Prince Igor". This magnificent work is a wonderful testimony of how modern was affirmed in Russian theater painting, the triumph of which was the famous Russian seasons in Paris, during which Parisians and scenes from Prince Igor were shown.

A very special place in this series is painting by K.A. Korovin (1861-1939). He is the leading master of Russian impressionism. And this impressionism is of a very special kind, strikingly different from French impressionism. Korovin perceived the techniques of impressionism as a wonderful pictorial manner. Impressionism here is not an artistic method of knowing the world, but a decorative system.

In the works of all these masters, the Art Nouveau style is extremely diverse. His characteristic features are intertwined with the stylistic features of neo-romanticism (Vrubel), neorealism (Somov, Polenov, Malyavin and Ulyanov), symbolism (Roerich), impressionism (Korovin). And at the same time, modernity is sometimes directly transformed into modernism. A remarkable example of this is the work of G. B. Yakulov (1884-1928), which organically combines the properties of modernity and the fully mature Russian avant-garde.

In its purest form, the style of Art Nouveau is embodied in D.S. Stelletsky ("Morning", "Day", "Evening", "Night"), emphasized ornamental, full of spice and artistic subjectivity. With the same certainty, Art Nouveau manifests its specific features in applied art. First of all, in the Abramtsevo-Kudrino woodcarving, the beginning of which was laid in the workshop, arranged by E.D. Polenova. Here are “favorite wavy lines” (MV Alpatov), and emphasized organicity, fluidity of forms, their stylization and style.

Amazingly, in the art of modernism, bourgeoisie and anti-bourgeoisie, a tendency to the most vulgar salons and artistic, spiritual ups, everyday life and beingness are combined. The strange era of the turn of the century was fully expressed in it, somewhat decaying, and at the same time fraught with great social storms and coups. The era, in many ways related to our time. And apparently, there is nothing accidental in the fact that the principles, forms and ideas of the Art Nouveau style, albeit somewhat transformed, are more and more noticeably being reborn in the current art. Especially in architecture. Let to a lesser extent, but they are noticeable in modern easel painting, in graphics, sculpture.