An exhibition of Robert Falk's works from private collections opens in St. Petersburg

An exhibition of Robert Falk's works from private collections opens in St. Petersburg
27 February 2018, Tuesday

March 2 in St. Petersburg KGallery opens an exhibition of works by Robert Falk from the collection of the gallery itself, as well as major private collections in Moscow and St. Petersburg.


The exhibited works cover different periods of the author's work, many works will be exhibited for the first time.


The name of Falk stands apart not only because of the scatter of artistic methods, which he resorted to in his long career, but also because of the amazing, not characteristic of his contemporaries fate of the artist.


Robert Falk was born in 1886 in Moscow. He studied at the studio-studio of Yuon and Dudin, in the studio of Mashkov, in the School of Sculpture, Painting and Architecture. Together with Ilya Mashkov, Vasily Rozhdestvensky, Alexander Kuprin and Pyotr Konchalovsky, he stood at the origins of the art association "Jack of Diamonds", whose creative conception was based on the primitive: lubok, urban fine folklore.
In the first works of the author there is a strong fascination with impressionists, then he was inclined to both primitive and cubistic forms, was influenced by Cezanne. After the revolution, Falk taught at the State Free Art Studio (GSHM), at the Higher Artistic and Technical Workshops (VHUTEMAS), at the Higher Art and Technical Institute (VKhTEIN). Among his most famous students are Chuikov, Romadin, Nyssa, Ostroumov.


From 1928 to 1937 Falk lived in Paris, being there on an official trip from the Soviet state to "study the classical heritage." Upon his return, he was waited with disgrace and accusations of formalism. However, he was able to work in the Moscow State Jewish Theater and in Jewish theaters of other cities. During the Great Patriotic War, Falk was in evacuation in Central Asia, after the war he again fell under the campaign against "cosmopolitans". Before his death in 1958, the artist was in actual oblivion and existed mainly thanks to the help of friends. And until the end of his days he remained true to his own, found as a result of long experiences, a unique and picturesque manner. Falk's style is immediately recognizable - fine work with light, complex muted tones, a little blurry dramatic images.


Only decades later, thin translucent watercolors, thoughtful portraits and thick Parisian landscapes returned to well-deserved places in museums and galleries. The most expensive things of the artist at world auctions have long overcome the mark of a million pounds sterling. First the record was put by the picture of Falk "Trees", it was sold at Sotheby's auction for 937 thousand pounds in 2008. And in 2013 there was an unprecedented case: the masterpiece of Robert Falk "Man in a bowler hat. Portrait of Yakov Kagan-Shabshaya" with an estimate of 2.5-3.5 million pounds was sold with a significant excess of the estimated value at Sotheby's before the official start of trading.


KGallery
St. Petersburg, nab. the Fontanka River, 24
2 March - 15 April 2018

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