Alexander Deineka: Praiser of a New Life. 125th Anniversary of the Artist’s Birth

Alexander Deineka (1899, Kursk – 1969, Moscow) is one of the most prominent artists of the Soviet period of the 20th century and he is definitely the most recognisable. Deineka’s oeuvre fully embodies the aspiration for new forms of social life – labour, industry, cities, sports, and new people – in other words, his works reflect the era. Deineka choses modernity as his principal theme, expressing it not only through the subjects but, primarily, through the very structure and rhythm of his works, as well as through his responsible and excited attitude towards his time. Almost every work by the artist is characterised by the monumentality of easel paintings, dynamism of composition, depiction of moving form on a flat surface, montage and rhythmic structure, colouristic laconism and rigid graphic style of pictorial language, which make up formal features of Deineka’s style.

The Russian Museum owns a unique collection of Deineka’s works that encompasses all types of art in which he was involved: 29 paintings, approximately 50 works on paper (drawings and watercolours), 10 posters, one porcelain sculpture and three mosaics.

The collection also reflects all periods of Deineka’s artistic career, from his early graphic works of the early 1920s to his large-scale paintings of the late 1950s–1960s. Notably, the collection displays all genres and many of the master’s favourite themes, including youth and sport, rural and industrial landscapes, foreign travels and military subjects. Deineka’s post-war art can rarely be seen at exhibitions while this personal exhibition offers not only an opportunity to enjoy the master’s well-known works but also to trace the development of his oeuvre.

The unique mosaics that have not been displayed for the last 50 years are the highlight of the museum’s collection, which certainly attracts the public. 

Age restriction: 6+