DOI Heft:
Nr. 176 (October, 1911)
DOI Artikel:Studio-Talk
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43447#0430
Studio-Tcilk
SLEEPING LADY ”
BY KONSTANTIN SOMOFF
■strong work of a kind that a weaker brush may
fail in. Fritz Rhein, who gained the Villa Romana
Prize for painting this year, showed evidence of
sound draughtsmanship and a vision uncorrupted
by prejudice, yet sound in schooling. Last, not
least, I may register Ida Gerhardt’s portrait of a
Japanese prince, excellent in simplicity and sound
quality of handling, and Rudolf Hellwag’s English
Garden. W. S.
MOSCOW,—The first exhibition of the
newly formed society “Mir Isskoustva”
(World of Art) confirmed on the whole
the view expressed in my notes in the
May Number of The Studio on this year’s ex-
hibition of the “Soyouz,” that apparently no
sufficiently vital reason existed for the separation
of the two groups of artists. Personal motives for
the most part operated, and it is to be regretted
that they should have led to the cleavage.
In the exhibition of the “Mir Isskoustva” the
St. Petersburg artists naturally formed the chief
group, and conspicuous among them was Kon-
stantin Somoff with about ten works. His life-
sized portrait of a lady—the first of the kind he
has painted since he did his well-known Lady in
Blue—did not give entire satisfaction, but at the
same time furnished one more proof of the great
maltrise of this artist. Wholly delightful and
painted with inimitable refinement and brio were his
rococo scenes, A Harlequin and Lady, Fireworks,
The Kiss, and especially the Sleeping Lady. Here
the figure with the black dress and white frills is
executed with much minuteness of detail, almost,
in fact, with as much punctiliousness as a miniature,
but in spite of this the whole of this little master-
piece is instinct with genial life and nature. The
same period has attracted Alexander Benois, who
exhibited a few earlier works with which one gladly
renewed acquaintance.
On this occasion Lanceray held aloof altogether,
but M. Dobushinsky, on the other hand, was
represented by a number of beautiful drawings.
His great canvas, Peter L. in Holland, was not a
particularly happy venture, but a very amusing
work was his Recruits at the time of Nicholas L., with
the scene laid in a Russian provincial town ; both
as regards composition and colour the artist has
grasped the characteristics of the period with
remarkable cogency. N. Roerich showed a series
335
SLEEPING LADY ”
BY KONSTANTIN SOMOFF
■strong work of a kind that a weaker brush may
fail in. Fritz Rhein, who gained the Villa Romana
Prize for painting this year, showed evidence of
sound draughtsmanship and a vision uncorrupted
by prejudice, yet sound in schooling. Last, not
least, I may register Ida Gerhardt’s portrait of a
Japanese prince, excellent in simplicity and sound
quality of handling, and Rudolf Hellwag’s English
Garden. W. S.
MOSCOW,—The first exhibition of the
newly formed society “Mir Isskoustva”
(World of Art) confirmed on the whole
the view expressed in my notes in the
May Number of The Studio on this year’s ex-
hibition of the “Soyouz,” that apparently no
sufficiently vital reason existed for the separation
of the two groups of artists. Personal motives for
the most part operated, and it is to be regretted
that they should have led to the cleavage.
In the exhibition of the “Mir Isskoustva” the
St. Petersburg artists naturally formed the chief
group, and conspicuous among them was Kon-
stantin Somoff with about ten works. His life-
sized portrait of a lady—the first of the kind he
has painted since he did his well-known Lady in
Blue—did not give entire satisfaction, but at the
same time furnished one more proof of the great
maltrise of this artist. Wholly delightful and
painted with inimitable refinement and brio were his
rococo scenes, A Harlequin and Lady, Fireworks,
The Kiss, and especially the Sleeping Lady. Here
the figure with the black dress and white frills is
executed with much minuteness of detail, almost,
in fact, with as much punctiliousness as a miniature,
but in spite of this the whole of this little master-
piece is instinct with genial life and nature. The
same period has attracted Alexander Benois, who
exhibited a few earlier works with which one gladly
renewed acquaintance.
On this occasion Lanceray held aloof altogether,
but M. Dobushinsky, on the other hand, was
represented by a number of beautiful drawings.
His great canvas, Peter L. in Holland, was not a
particularly happy venture, but a very amusing
work was his Recruits at the time of Nicholas L., with
the scene laid in a Russian provincial town ; both
as regards composition and colour the artist has
grasped the characteristics of the period with
remarkable cogency. N. Roerich showed a series
335