Article by Vern G. Swanson, Ph.D
During the period between 1930 and 1980, much of the cultural life in the Communist Soviet Union was denied Western exposure. The demise of Communism, the lifting of the Iron Curtain and the movement towards freedom and democracy of the newly formed Commonwealth of Independent States has allowed the world the opportunity to experience a unidue and important historical past through the art work.
The Soviet paintings, the window to this world, cover a range of subject matter that include bucolic vistas and industrialized scenes along with sensitive portraits and still lifes. Many of the works glorify the common laborer: steel workers, farmers, milkmaids, builders and loggers. Others depict landscapes, family and social life and a few portray political figures.
Impressionists in Russia celebrated the common people, depicting their lives, hopes, dreams and emotions in an intimate manner. Instead of incorporating twentieth century western artistic innovations, artists focused deeply on land, people and the new social experiment founded in Mother Russia. Their art was meant to enrich the lives of all people.
There are three primary stylistic branches: Classical - Most literature characterize this painting mode as Soviet academy art. This smooth and low-keyed manner is what we generally believe Soviet art to be like, but in fact this aspect of it might be the least significant. This method produced the smallest number of paintings, though several important artists worked in this style, which held greater influence before the 1950s. Working-Class Impressionism - This gestural manner was typical for most Soviet painters. As it was positive and accessible to the masses, it tended to be the most effective Socialist Realist mode. It reached its zenith during the 1950s and 60s. Rough or Severe Style - Sometimes called ugly or schematic realism, in a sense it was a revival of Modernist elements melded into a generally Realist format imbued with a socialist statement.
Stylistically, Russian Impressionism was deeply influenced by many of the characteristics of French Impressionism, including a sense of freedom, spontaneity and vibrant emotion, using heavy brush strokes, light palette, plein aire style and bold color, all translated into a strong, purely Russian sensibility. Depictions of the laboring peasantry by French artists Francois Millet and Gustave Courbet as well as the works of Eugene Boudin and Edouard Manet also influenced the subject matter of Russian Impressionism. Emotionally and intellectually, it grew out of the reactions of Tolstoy, Mussorgsky, Repin and other influential artists to the political upheavals of nineteenth century Czarist Russia and the deplorable living conditions of the common people. A comparison can be drawn to the development of French Impressionism in which the subject matter and style of Courbet, Millet, Manet and other early Impressionists was influenced by social and political upheaval in Western Europe. The result is an increasingly valuable and collectable genre created by outstanding Russian Impressionists. This body of work carries forward the rich cultural heritage of Russia in a style that is historically significant, original in composition and form and beautiful in its depiction of the human spirit.
