Category Archive: Art

Kinto Street Singer. 1968. Slipwear. Work by Armenian sculptor Ruben Isaakovich Shaverdyan (1900-1977)

Armenian sculptor Ruben Isaakovich Shaverdyan
Tiflis of early XX century, with carefree-cheerful kinto, with the traditions of street festivals, noisy circuses and feasts, gives inexhaustible material for the most diverse artistic embodiment. In pre-revolutionary Tiflis next to the world of city governors, military, bankers, officials, artisans, kinto and shopkeepers, there was a world of educated, famous and obscure, rich and poor artists. And at the turn of the 1910s and 1920s, at a turning-point in the history of Georgia, a constellation of masters gathered here that made the specific atmosphere of the artistic Tiflis even brighter.
Ruben Isaakovich Shaverdyan received an art education in the school of painting and sculpture at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts. His teachers were Yeghishe Tatevosyan, BA Fogel and AA Saltsman. These three different artists to some extent complemented each other as teachers, and each of them sought to make their artistic ideal – the property of the students. Shaverdyan finished his studies in 1924, and since 1926 he has been a regular participant of art exhibitions.
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Tondo Female portrait. 1465 glazed terracotta. National Museum of Bargello, Florence. Work by Italian Renaissance sculptor Luca della Robbia (1399 or 1400 – 23 February 1482), mainly remembered as a pioneer of colored glazed terracotta as a sculptural medium

Italian Renaissance sculptor Luca della Robbia
Sculptor and jeweler of the Renaissance, full name was Luca di Simone della Robbia, the founder of the dynasty of artists, he devoted his whole long life to the service of art. Born in Florence in 1399 or 1400, trained in textiles and as a goldsmith before sculpture, however, he became known as a prolific sculptor of the early Renaissance. Patronized by the Medici, he achieved fame and wealth through glazed terracotta artworks. He performed many works, which rightfully occupy a prominent place in the history of the sculpture of the Renaissance. Worked in stone and terracotta, he was the follower of the humanistic movement. Noteworthy, he invented a type of representation of the Virgin and Child shown half-length in white on a blue background that proved highly popular. Set up successful studio in Florence, he kept the formula of his tin glazes a secret. However, the technical formula soon became the basis of a flourishing business. Worked closely with his nephew Andrea della Robbia (1435–1525). Unfortunately, Luca’s successors tended to sentimentalize his warm humanity.
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October, 2017. The “Dubrava” park of Klimovsk (urban district of Podolsk). Work by sculptor Alexander Rozhnikov. Russian artist Vasily Polenov monument

Russian artist Vasily Polenov monument

In the “Dubrava” park of Klimovsk appeared a monument to outstanding Russian painter Vasily Polenov. On the sculptural composition worked a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Honored Artist of Russia, sculptor Alexander Rozhnikov. The sculptural composition, made of bronze, is a figure of the artist and a frame mounted on an easel. Besides, the author of the monument attached a tablet to the frame with the name of the work “Klimovsk. Oak trees. 2017”. The landscape behind the frame will change constantly, together with the seasons and people who visit this part of the park. A cloth thrown on the frame, as if opening a new masterpiece of fine art. In addition, two more sculptures decorate the composition – a small dog at the feet of Vasily Polenov, and a cat.
Less than a week has passed since the opening of the sculpture, however among the people have already appeared a legend – to make money, you need to rub the cat’s right ear.
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Three epic heroes. Fairy Tale characters wooden sculpture park in Yalta, Crimea

Fairy Tale characters wooden sculpture park in Yalta
“Glade of Fairy Tales” – a unique children’s museum of sculptures on a fairy-tale theme in the open air. Located in one of the most beautiful corners of the Southern coast of Crimea, in the picturesque surroundings of Yalta near the Wuchang-Su waterfall. Initially, it was folk master Pavel Bezrukov, who chose the forest at the foot of the quaint rock of Stavri-Kaya and founded a sculptural park in 1960. Today the exposition of the museum consists of more than 300 sculptures. On them worked by folk craftsmen and professional artists not only from Yalta, but also other cities of Crimea, Moscow, Pervouralsk, Yerevan, Vilnius, and others. In the hands of talented craftsmen a simple tree, ordinary clay, cold metal and concrete turned into characters of fairy tales, epics, legends and myths.
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Fragment of Three Graces, Spring, Botticelli. Three Graces monuments and sculptural compositions

Three Graces monuments and sculptural compositions
Many masterpieces of sculpture live throughout the centuries, and sometimes even millennia have enjoyed constant success. Their attraction, thanks to beauty and inner meaning, remains unchanged at all times and for all peoples. As a rule, these masterpieces survive to our time through replicas created often after the lapse of centuries after the emergence of the original idea and its implementation. The same as it’s impossible to count the diamonds in stone caves, one can’t count how many monuments and sculptural compositions on the plot of “Three Gracia” exist all over the world.
How did the theme of the Three Graces appeared in the world? It originates from ancient Greek mythology. The Charites, as goddesses of grace, charms and beauty, were inspiration muses, close to art. In Roman mythology they were called graces (Latin gratia – “charm, grace, attraction, gratitude”). In ancient Rome, the graces are the wonderful companions of Venus and Aphrodite. They give mortals gaiety, dexterity, a pleasant disposition of the spirit, as well as generosity and prudence. Their attributes are a rose, a myrtle or an apple.
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Work by sculptor Alexander Kapralov. Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh sculpture in Omsk

Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh sculpture in Omsk

Almost in the center of Omsk, and more specifically on Lubinsky Avenue, near the entrance to a beautiful restaurant Bevitore appeared a sculpture, by which it is impossible to go without paying attention. Because this unusual monument is world famous painter Vincent Van Gogh. The author of the composition is a local sculptor Alexander Kapralov. He depicted the outstanding post-impressionist artist with the painting “Sunflowers” in his hand, and sitting in close proximity to a bottle of Absinthe… According to the author, this great Dutch artist had bad habits, especially in the last years of his brilliant and fruitful life. Among alcohol drinks he used to drink was Absinthe, in particular. The monument is made of black metal covered with a special paint. The sculpture weighs nearly 200 kilograms.
It is noteworthy that in the neighborhood of Van Gogh is a monument of another well-known personality – Hollywood actor Rutger Hauer, who played in his time in the cult film “The Legend of the Holy Drinker” (1988, Italy)
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Sunny artist Andrey Pozdeyev monument in Krasnoyarsk. 2000. Author – sculptor Yuri Zlotya

Sunny artist Andrey Pozdeyev monument in Krasnoyarsk

Monument to Andrey Pozdeyev has become one of the symbols of the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. Almost every family has photos in an embrace with Pozdeyev. For many Krasnoyarsk young people this figure is considered to be a cult. To the sunny artist come with a variety of requests. And they say, that the monument fulfills the desires. During his life time he was very kind. Krasnoyarsk artist Andrey Pozdeyev (1926-1998) painted vivid, contrasting pictures, combining innocence and freshness. According to the international art rating (the world’s top artists XVIII-XXI centuries) he was one of those who formed the world artistic heritage.
Paintings by Pozdeyev are in many museums around the world, including the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum. A significant collection of paintings available in the Krasnoyarsk State Art Museum named after VI Surikov.
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