Studio: international art (82.1921)

STUDIO-TALK

illustrators was only 34 when he died.
Some of his illustrations to Kryloff's Fables
and other books, and his decorative
drawings and heraldic designs, rank among
the best work of the kind that has been
done in Russia. 0000
Obviously the circumstances mentioned
above, to which must be added the great
scarcity of colours and other materials
used by artists, could not be without
influence on the artistic production of the
country. Only a few artists of the first
rank and wide popularity were able to pur-
sue their calling as before, while the majority
had perforce to seek some other occu-
pation. Many of them became teachers
of art in the numerous communistic
schools and the various institutions de-
voted to so-called " proletarian culture."
Others found employment in the design-

ing of propagandist posters and similar
tasks, while others again were appointed
to posts in the very active department for
the protection of artistic monuments, with
headquarters in the capital and branches
throughout the provinces. 000
The sympathies of the new regime were,
especially in the early days, with the
" left " or advanced tendencies in art—
that is to say, with the kind of work which
in England is usually designated " post-
impressionist," and most of the official
commissions went to artists of this school,
but now this preference has taken another
turn. There has been such a radical
change in all aspects of artistic life, that it is
difficult to form a correct estimate of what
has been produced in the country during
the last four years. It may, however, be
safely asserted that works of importance

182

"LE BAISER MATERNEL"
BY EUGENE CARRIERE

(Tretiakofl Gallery > Moscow)