Center of Russian Art This Summer

Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery is showcasing a record number of notable new exhibitions this summer. From Ilya Mashkov's bold avant-garde to Elizaveta Kruglikova's delicate graphics, Karl Bryullov's classicism, and Alexander Deineka's romantic socialist realism, a diverse artistic journey unfolds.

These concurrent exhibitions across the Tretyakov Gallery's multiple venues provide a comprehensive view of the rapid changes and diversity in Russian art from the early to mid-20th century.

Ilya Mashkov: From Avant-Garde to Socialist Realism

Exhibition Title: Ilya Mashkov. Avant-Garde. Kitsch. Classics
Venue: Tretyakov Gallery, Kadashevskaya Embankment Branch
Duration: Through October 26

This Mashkov retrospective encompasses his entire creative journey with 200 major works. From his bold 'Jack of Diamonds' period to exemplary socialist realism, the works were gathered from 26 collections across Russia and former Soviet territories.

The exhibition's core focus is comparing how Mashkov reinterpreted the same themes across different periods. The Fauvist-style 'Breads' (1912) became part of the more realistic triptych 'Moscow Food' (1924), ultimately transforming into the lavish Stalinist-era imperial style 'Soviet Breads' (1936).

While it appears to follow the typical trajectory from avant-garde to socialist realism, some viewers discover the brushwork of classical masters in Mashkov's later still lifes, while others read postmodernism in the 'edible' Soviet symbolism.

Observing how the attempts of this foremost color experimentalist of the 20th century to introduce Paul Cézanne's techniques to Russian painting led to kitsch worker portraits is both fascinating and unsettling. In the 1910s, he painted a country that didn't yet exist (rough-colored still lifes, liberated nudes); in the 1930s, he depicted a country that no longer existed (abundant still lifes amid scarcity, robust peasants amid famine).

Elizaveta Kruglikova's Delicate Graphic World

Exhibition Title: Elizaveta Kruglikova and Her Circle
Venue: Tretyakov Gallery Main Building (Lavrushinsky Lane)
Duration: Through October 19

The Tretyakov Gallery's main building presents the aesthetically refined graphic works of Elizaveta Kruglikova, a forgotten star of the Art Nouveau era. This exhibition, commemorating the 160th anniversary of her birth, celebrates her as an artist, innovator, and educator, beginning with Mikhail Nesterov's 1938 portrait. Kruglikova, dressed in a Byronic frilled blouse and black suit, greets visitors.

A Comprehensive View of Russian Modern and Contemporary Art's Turbulent Era

This summer's exhibition lineup at the Tretyakov Gallery provides a condensed view of the rapid changes in the Russian art world of the early 20th century. The Mashkov retrospective demonstrates the transformation of the avant-garde into socialist realism, while the Kruglikova exhibition showcases the delicacy of Russian graphics during the modernist era.

With the addition of Karl Bryullov's classical works and Alexander Deineka's romantic socialist realism, visitors can encounter the diverse spectrum of Russian art in one place.

According to multiple Russian media reports, this summer's number of new exhibitions at the Tretyakov Gallery is the highest in recent years. The Mashkov retrospective, in particular, is considered an exceptional scale for the Tretyakov Gallery, given that works were collected from across Russia and the former Soviet territories.