Bidspirit auction | Artemov Georgy Kalistratovich (1892-1965) ”Motherhood”

Artemov Georgy Kalistratovich (1892-1965) ”Motherhood” of the 1960s. Plastic, oil, 43.5 x 31 cm. The work is included in the catalogue of the artist's works of art. - The composition ”Motherhood” belongs to the most intimate and emotionally intense line in the work of Georgy Artemov. The image of mother and child is solved very concisely — large, close-knit heads and gently closed contour of hands form a vicious circle of protection and intimacy. The artist deliberately avoids narrative details, focusing on the main thing: the inner silence of the moment and the feeling of unconditional support. The painting style is based on a combination of plastic generalization and expressive color accents. A warm, earthy range with red and ochre flashes enhances the feeling of bodily presence and warmth, and pasty, sometimes almost relief layers of paint give the image materiality and a lively ”breath” of the surface. The conventionality of forms and slightly shifted proportions do not work for portrait similarity, but for expressiveness — to convey a state of tenderness and quiet strength. The base material (plastic), unusual for easel painting, emphasizes the experimental nature of the work: the smooth plane contrasts with the dense texture of the oil, making the brush gesture especially noticeable. The inclusion of a work in the catalog justifiably fixes its author's status and increases the collector's value. Origin: collection of the artist's daughter Maria Artemova. Exhibitions: ”Georgy Artyomov — artist of the Russian diaspora”. Moscow, Marina Tsvetaeva House Museum, 2018. Publications: Catalog of the exhibition ”Georgy Artyomov — artist of the Russian diaspora”. Moscow, Marina Tsvetaeva House Museum, 2018. Painter, graphic artist, sculptor, set designer. He studied at Drawing classes in Rostov-on-Don (1907-1908) with A.S. Chinenov. In 1910, he came to Moscow; he became close to the artist S. N. Pimenov. He attended classes in the workshop of K. A. Korovin in MUZHVZ (1910-1913). In 1913, he came to Paris, where he met O. Zadkin, A. Modigliani, H. Sutin. Participant in the Civil War on the side of the greens and whites. In 1920, he was evacuated to Constantinople with units of the White Army. In Constantinople, he met the artist L. A. Nikanorova, who later became his wife. In 1923 he moved to Paris. Member of the Union of Russian Artists in France and the Association of Animal Artists. After the Second World War, he was mainly engaged in painting. He painted scenes of motherhood, harlequins, musicians, still lifes, religious compositions, and less often landscapes. From 1946 to 1958, he held about 20 solo exhibitions in Nice, Carcassonne, Cannes, Montpellier, Toulouse, and Paris. The works are in many museum collections, including the National Museum of Modern Art and the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. Artyomov's work is almost not represented in Russian museum collections. However, the number of exhibition projects dedicated to Artemov's artistic work is growing, both in Russia and in other countries. The presented work was exhibited at the Marina Tsvetaeva House Museum in 2018, so the second photo contains a poster, as well as an exhibition catalog depicting this work.