An exhibition of works by Valentin Serov has opened in the Primorsky Art Gallery

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The exhibition “Valentin Serov. From the Collections of Russian Museums”, which opened in the Primorsky State Art Gallery, presents about 60 works of the famous Russian artist.

According to the deputy director of the gallery, Vladimir Petukhov, the works collected in four museums reflect the artist’s 30-year career.

Several works belong to the Primorsky Art Gallery itself, and one of them – a portrait of Valentin Serov – was created by another famous painter Ilya Repin, the artist’s teacher.

Two works – “Pond” and “Portrait of Bakhrushin” – arrived from the Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts. Vrubel. According to the representative of the museum, Tatyana Medvedovskaya, both are on permanent display, but the museum workers, nevertheless, gladly responded to the proposal of the Primorsky Art Gallery to participate in the project.

Five more works were brought from the Perm State Art Gallery.

– One of them, “Horse yard. Domotkanovo”, is made with pastels, and in my memory it has never left the walls of our gallery in 20 years, – said the curator of this museum Irina Nikolaeva.

But the greatest contribution was made by the Russian State Museum – 19 paintings and 29 – graphics flew from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok.

Photo: Sergey Kiryanov / Press Service of the Primorsky Art Gallery

Pavel Klimov, head of the painting department of the second half of the XlX-early XXl century of the Russian Museum, notes that among them there are about a dozen of the artist’s most famous works.

First of all, this is a portrait of Felix Feliksovich Yusupov Sr. In the early 1900s, Valentin Serov worked on portraits of the so-called “Yusupov series”. He painted Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna in the Yusupov Palace on the Moika, then went to the estate of an aristocratic family – the village of Arkhangelskoye, where he worked on portraits of the male part of the family.

Prince Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston is depicted on a horse.

– Serov, working on this portrait, wrote to his wife that it seems to him that the prince wants it to be not so much his portrait as a portrait of his horse. Indeed, the Arabian horse was written out with great skill and love, – Pavel Klimov tells about the history of the creation of the masterpiece.

As a result, the portrait of a small size turned out to be ceremonial, giving the impression of monumentality.

– To many who have not seen him before, it seems that Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin is depicted here after the victory over Nazi Germany. It is not for nothing that Soviet painters, masters of monumental portraits, highly appreciated Serov – he was one of the reference Russian artists, whom they were guided by while working on their works, – he adds.

Photo: Sergey Kiryanov / Press Service of the Primorsky Art Gallery

Another portrait deserves special attention – the artist’s father, Alexander Nikolaevich Serov. He was a famous composer, but died when his son was seventh year old. This picture, by the way, might not have arrived in Vladivostok, since it did not fit into the aircraft’s luggage hatch in size. It was decided to take it without a frame, and make a new one in Vladivostok.

The artist did not remember his father very well, but when it was decided to stage his opera Judith at the Mariinsky Theater, Serov Jr. undertook to paint a portrait of his parent to be placed in the foyer. The artist had to use old photographs, acquire interior items similar to those that stood in his father’s office. As a result, the portrait turned out to be so reliable that even such a strict judge as the art and music critic Vladimir Vasilevich Stasov, who knew Serov Sr. well, admired it.

– He said that in order to paint such a portrait, one must have not only a good memory, but also genuine talent. In Serov, he saw the successor of the realistic traditions of Russian painting, but, as we know, the artist began to develop further and was able to combine the directions of the XlX and XX centuries in his work, – Klimov continues.

In the work of Valentin Serov, not only new and old creative traditions were combined, but also opposing plots, and this is also demonstrated by the exhibits collected at the exhibition. In addition to portraits of the aristocracy and royalty, here you can see, for example, the famous painting “Soldiers, brave children, where is your glory?” This work appeared in 1905 after Serov witnessed the shooting of a workers’ demonstration moving towards the royal palace. At one time, Serov presented this picture to the progressive writer Maxim Gorky, with whom he communicated well.

You can see the paintings of Valentin Serov, learn about the history of their creation in the Primorsky Art Gallery until March 13, 2022, then the works will return to their native museums.

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