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| Masterpieces Reveal An Intimate Portrait of Russia |
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Thousands of visitors are flooding the National Art Museum of China in downtown Heavyweight masters The first of nine major art exhibitions in the Year of Russia in The grand exhibition is divided into four parts: Russian art from the 18th to 19th centuries, from the 1870s, from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, and during the Among the most eye-catching artworks on show are the portraits from masters such as Kramskoy and Repin, members of the so-called Society for Traveling Art Exhibitions or "Itinerants" who embodied and gave creative force to Russian art of the period. The largest art show from The Tretyakov Gallery, founded in 1856 as a private collection, is the biggest "Some 150 years ago, young Russian merchant Pavel M Tretyakov (1832-98) purchased the first artworks for his private collection. Before he died, he donated the artworks he gathered from over 40 years to the public. He is one of the most-respected men in Russian history," said Ekaterina L Selezneva, deputy director of State Tretyakov Art "We hope that our exhibition in Along with the big show of Russian art in the past 300 years, an exhibition featuring contemporary Russian art is also being held at the same museum in "The Russian art exhibitions offer Chinese viewers a rare chance to know about Russian people and their history and culture, and dramatic changes in Russian society as conveyed by the works of Russian artists," said Fan Di'an, director of the National Art Museum of China. To create a better impression of Russian art on Chinese viewers, the National Art Museum of China has prepared tour guides, electronic guide equipment, and a series of academic lectures by Chinese scholars for the visitors, according to Fan. His museum has even made special designs and decorations for its display halls, on the third floor of the main building, in a style similar to that of the Moscow-based State Tretyakov Art These two exhibitions will wrap up on May 15, the organizers say. Influence on Russian art and literature possesses a peculiar charm for Chinese people. Dramas, movies, songs, paintings and novels from Russian songs are frequently heard in today's karaoke parlors across About three years ago, some Chinese TV producers even did TV versions of some Russian movies once popular among older Chinese audiences in the 1970s, with actors and actresses from But Russian oil art, in particular, has exerted a strong influence upon oil painters on the Chinese mainland, particularly in the 1950-70s, said Xi Jingzhi, a Beijing-based senior researcher in Russian art. For instance, famous Russian artist K M Maksimov (1913-93) came and taught in Many of his students, including Jin Shangyi, chairman of Chinese Artists Association, and Zhan Jianjun, chairman of Chinese Oil Painters Society, have become the mainstay of Chinese oil painting circles. The Russian influence is still strong even today, although the Chinese art scene is much more diversified than it was decades ago, she said. However, she pointed out, during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), many Chinese artists had only copied rigidly from their Russian counterparts the painting techniques and "revolutionary" subjects. But she said they largely failed to learn about the Russian artists' emphasis on human conditions at lower social classes and their deep compassion for the underprivileged. ( |
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