Expect to see plenty of Russian art on here for it is one major passion of mine. Places like the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow are where every day more I long to go back and lose myself until those rather stern-looking museum supervisors unceremoniously inform me that it's closing time. All in due course.
Until that day comes, let's feast our eyes on this stunning piece by Russian-Soviet symbolist painter Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. Although the artist is mostly known for his iconic Bathing of a Red Horse, for me this painting truly has it all: vibrant colours, unusual perspective, superb optical illusion (look at how the light shines through that finely-shaped inkwell) and very balanced composition, which is dominated by the lilac flowers Petrov-Vodkin placed at the center of the canvas.
This gem came to market in 2019. The hammer went down after a nearly $12 million bid by a private collector, making this the most expensive painting ever sold at a Russian art auction. It is not often I find myself wishing a painting of this calibre graced the walls of my flat, but this colourful still-life stole my heart the moment I saw it.
#petrovvodkin #symbolism #russianart #avantgarde #spring #art #artblog #artblogger #beyondthecanvasblog
Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939),Still Life with Lilac,1928, Private Collection
Photo credit: Christie's