MONOTYPE. From the Collection of the Russian Museum

Monotype is one of the most original techniques of the author's print graphic art where the methods of painting and engraving are organically combined. Also the moment of improvidence of the artistic process, result of that is unexpected even for the author of the work is significant in this art. The classic way of the creation of the monotype is that: on the polished metal plate the artist creates the image that he transfers upon the paper using the etching-press. The imprint could be created only in the unique copy. This peculiarity of the method of printing is reflected in its name - monotype. The impressionistic character of the stroke, fine color nuances, complex decorative texture - all of these expressive means of monotype give the artist an opportunity to embody his world outlook in the unique works.

The exhibition presents the basic stages and tendencies of the development of monotype from the moment of its appearance in Russian art in the beginning of the XX century till nowadays on the examples of the most significant works from the collection of the Russian Museum. There are presented the works by the greatest masters of the Russian monotype (E.Kruglikova, A.Shevchenko, R. Barto, D.Borovskiy, V.Levitin, E.Mihnov-Voitenko and the others) together with the most significant monotypes by the artists who worked in this technique episodically. The exposition completely reflects the genre and stylistic variety of the Russian monotype where together with the realistic traditions and the plastic discoveries of the figurative avant-garde there were developed the principles of the abstract art.