Gennady Zubkov. PAPAVER L., or BOTANY LESSONS
Gennady Zubkov was born in Perm in 1940. IN 1968 he has graduated from the art and graphic faculty of the A. I. Gertsen Leningrad State Pedagogical Institute. His work was greatly influenced by acquaintance with V. Sterligov and studying under his direction Impressionism, Cezannism, Cubism and cupola system. In 1976 - 1978 Gennady Zubkov was working out the lessons' methods on form and color problems that was founded on studying experience with V. Sterligov. Since 1986 he has begun his own pedagogical activity, he investigated painting culture problems with young artists. In 1995 Gennady Zubkov organized the group "Form + Color".
Gennady Zubkov took part in the first exhibitions of Leningrad non-official art in 1974-75 (the Gas Palace of Culture and the Nevsky Palace of Culture). He is an organizer and participant of the "Sterligov's group" main exhibitions in St. Petersburg, Vienna, New York and in other cities. The artist's works are in collections of the State Russian Museum, Pushkin State Fine Arts Museum, Museum of St. Petersburg History, Yaroslavl Art Museum and Reserve, in Norton Dodge collection (USA) as well as in many private collections in Russia, USA, Germany, France, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, England and Holland. In the Marble Palace exhibition you can retrace all the life cycle of the plant. Every phase of this cycle is accentuated by painting it on a separate canvas. But the parts though handing on the image as a baton form the indivisible composition. Continuity of painting narration corresponds to continuity of life process.
The artists has not been afraid of old-fashioned associations that are usua l for "flower motive", but on the contrary he stimulated them by frankness of their showing. Fortune of a flower is similar to that of a man. Transience of "flower lifetime" that is intensified by combination of various stages in simultaneous imaging turns to be a warning for a man. It is a kind of "Mеmento mori". Maybe it is the main botany lesson.
The main theme continuing in the original herbaria - graphic commentaries - tells not only of life but also of painting. Subject of reflexion is old as our world - it is a form-building in art and in nature. In tradition connected with Russian Avant-garde nature was retreating in the face of form-creating will of an artist. Nature submitted to laws dictated by painting. In the Botanical Garden Gennady Zubkov realized that the very nature has a form-building potential. Poppy flower is a kind of perfect detail of natural architecture that is able to influence on surrounding by organizing it. Lesson of botany is to see this aura of natural geometry. The exhibition was organized with the Ludwig Museum cooperation.
. 1766-1768.jpg "For the Glory of Russia. Entrepreneurs and Patrons in Russia in the 18th – Early 20th Centuries")
For the Glory of Russia. Entrepreneurs and Patrons in Russia in the 18th – Early 20th Centuries
6 June—5 August 2024
Merchants, the “third estate”, at that time, were the basis of Russia’s economic power. The Stroganovs, the Demidovs and other entrepreneurs sometimes established entire “empires” with their own settlements, roads and internal regulations. The richest merchants became nobles and patrons of the arts. The exhibition is unique, both in the themes it explores and in the works it presents.
Masterpieces from Taganrog Rescued at the Russian Museum
24 April—13 May 2024
In July 2023, an explosion in the city centre of Taganrog damaged several artworks at the Golden Names of the Silver Age exhibition in the Taganrog Art Museum. The Russian Museum offered immediate support with the restoration of 22 art pieces. During the restoration, which lasted over 6 months, the staff of the Russian Museum not only eliminated the mechanical damage that the art objects had received at the time of the explosion, but also completely restored all 22 masterpieces, revealing their original appearance and artistic concept.
- 21 March—8 July 2024 > St Michael’s Castle Drawings and Watercolours by the Wanderers
- 15 March—13 May 2024 > Mikhailovsky Palace Mstislav Farmakovsky. 150th Anniversary of the Artist’s Birth
The collection of masterpieces, chosen by the Russian Museum will allow you to make a first impression of the collection of the Russian Museum.
Russian Museum - one of the world's largest museums and is perhaps the only country where such a full treasure of national culture are presented.
Virtual tour of the museum complex. 2009 (Rus., Eng., Ger., Fin.)
In the online shop of the Russian Museum presented a huge range of souvenirs, illustrated editions and multimedia disks.
