Studio: international art (53.1911)

Studio- Talk

of large decorative paintings, which, however, did
not reveal him in any new r61e. Some tasteful
and striking designs serving as decorations for
D'Annunzio's " Citta Morte" were exhibited by

A. Golovine along with some attractive landscapes.

B. Kustodieff again showed himself to be a prolific
worker, but as before his life-sized portraits in oil
did not leave a wholly favourable impression.
His chief success was with a series of portrait
sketches drawn with masterly skill—a good ex-
ample being that of Count Witte—and his motives
from Russian provincial life, which this artist
knows how to render in all its gaiety of colour.
B. Anisfeld aroused interest with his Breton
studies, the feature of which was their intensity of
colour. K. Petroff-Wodkin is a first-rate draughts-
man, but the colour-scheme of his large decorative
panel was far from pleasing. Mme. Serebriakoff,
whose portrait in the Tretiakoff Gallery promised
so much, proved disappointing with her portrait of
a Lady in Green ; and L. Brodsky, here as at the
" Soyouz," left the impression of being a little too
matter-of-fact.

Of works by purely graphic artists, mention must
be made of Bilibin, G. Narbutt, who is going
forward as an illustrator, V. Zamirailo, G. Lukomsky,
who sent some dainty architectural drawings, and
last, not least, Mme. Ostroumova-Lebedeff, who,
besides water-colours, again captivated the art-
lover with her charming wood-engravings in colour
■—views of St. Petersburg.

Of the older generation of Moscow artists only
V. Seroff has joined the "Mir Isskoustva," and
here with his wholly personal art he stood by
himself. Among his half-dozen portraits I would
especially mention that of the Moscow collector,
Herr V. Hirschmann, painted in an almost mono-
chrome tone of brown, and that of the late S.
Muremtseff, the first President of the Duma. The
speaking expression and gestures of this eminent
jurist have been happily caught by the painter, but
the too monotonous background unfortunately mars
the impression of the whole.

Two of the younger Moscow painters scored
triumphs, their contributions furnishing some of
the chief successes of the exhibition—N. Sapunoff,
with a splendid arrangement of porcelain vases and
artificial flowers in luminous and juicy colours, and
M. Saryan, with some studies from Constantinople,
showing that remarkable gift for expression in
colour to which reference was made when speaking
336

of the " Soyouz" exhibition. In years gone by
N. Millioti used to arouse more interest than now
with his beautiful colour harmonies, in which form
is too much neglected. In addition to its own
members the society invited a group of the more
extreme section of Moscow artists, a step which
was without doubt a mistake. These painters—
MashkofT, Kontchalovsky, Mme. Gontcharoff and
others—strive to outdo the latest Parisian school in
the style of Matisse, Picasso, but their efforts in
pursuit of the dernier cri seemed out of place by
the side of the mature art of the leaders of the
" Mir Isskoustva." Among the sculpture the works
of Mile. Golubkina and the portrait-busts of
B. Kustodieff ought to be mentioned.

It cannot be said that the posthumous ex-
hibition of the works of Sergius Ivanoff really
comprised all that the admirers and friends of
the artist, who died last year, expected to
find in it. Unfortunately it gave no exhaustive
presentation of his productions, and had, indeed,
been arranged with too much haste and without the
necessary feeling of piety. The exhibition con-

PORTRAIT OF THE LATE S. MUREMTSEFF, FIRST PRESIDENT
OF THE RUSSIAN DUMA. BY V. SEROFF