Modern famous paintings. Talented artists create extraordinary paintings
We present an updated version of the ranking that TANR published in 2014
The material was updated by: Alexey Alekseev, Konstantin Agunovich, Denis Belkevich, Anna Savitskaya, December 22, 2016. Dcompleted the material on February 25, 2017 — Eduard Bassalaev.
In 2014, we already published a similar list, we present its updated version. The top 50 includes artists who were born and worked (or continue to work) in the USSR-Russia, whose works over the past ten years have been sold at international auctions for amounts in excess of £30,000 (the British pound sterling was chosen, since 90% of domestic sales took place in London in this currency).
Ilya and Emilia Kabakov
1. Ilya Kabakov
It seems that in general the main Russian artist, the founding father of Moscow conceptualism (one of them), the author of the term and practice of "total installation". Since 1988 lives in New York. Works in collaboration with his wife Emilia Kabakova , which is why the title should look like "Ilya and Emilia Kabakov", but since Ilya Iosifovich became known earlier than Ilya and Emilia, then let it remain so. Works are in the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Hermitage, the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA), Kolodzei Art Foundation (USA), etc. Year of birth: 1933
Product: "Beetle". 1982
Date of sale: 28.02.2008
Price (GBP): 2,932,500
2. Eric Bulatov
Using techniques that would later be called Sots Art, he combined figurative painting with text in his works. In Soviet times, a successful illustrator of children's books. Since 1989 he has been living and working in New York, since 1992 in Paris. The first Russian artist with a solo exhibition at the Pompidou Center. The works are kept in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pompidou Center, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, etc., are included in the collections of the Dina Verny Foundation, Viktor Bondarenko, Vyacheslav Kantor, Catherine And Vladimir Semenikhin, Igor Tsukanov.
Year of birth: 1933
Artwork: "Glory to the CPSU". 1975
Date of sale: 28.02.2008
Price (GBP): 1,084,500
3. Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid
The creators of Sots Art - a scurrilous trend in unofficial art, parodying the symbols and techniques of officialdom. They have lived in New York since 1978. Until the mid-2000s, they worked in pairs. As an art project, they organized the "sale of souls" of famous artists through an auction (soul Andy Warhol since then owned by the Moscow artist Alena Kirtsova). Works are in the collections of the MoMA, the Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre, in the collections Breus sluts, Daria Zhukova And Roman Abramovich and etc.
Year of birth: 1943, 1945
Work: "Meeting of Solzhenitsyn and Böll at Rostropovich's dacha". 1972
Date of sale: 23.04.2010
Price (GBP): 657,250
4. Semyon Faibisovich
A photorealist artist who remains the most accurate realist even now, when painting captivates Semyon Natanovich less publicity. Exhibited at Malaya Gruzinskaya, where in 1985 he was noticed by New York dealers and collectors. Since 1987 he has regularly exhibited in the USA and Western Europe. An active supporter of the abolition of the law on propaganda of homosexuality in Russia. Lives and works in Moscow. The works are in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Moscow House of Photography (Multimedia Art Museum), museums in Germany, Poland, the USA, are included in the collections Daria Zhukova And Roman Abramovich, Igor Markin, Igor Tsukanov.
Year of birth: 1949
Artwork: "Soldiers" 1989. From the series "Stations"
Date of sale: 10/13/2007
Price (GBP): 311,200
Grisha Bruskin
5. Grigory (Grisha) Bruskin
The protagonist of the first and last Soviet auction Sotheby's in 1988, where his "Fundamental Lexicon" became the top lot (£220,000). At the invitation of the German government, he created a monumental triptych for the reconstructed Reichstag in Berlin. Winner of the Kandinsky Prize in the nomination "Project of the Year" for the exhibition "Time "H"" at the Multimedia Art Museum. Lives and works in New York and Moscow. Works are in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, MoMA, the Museum of Jewish Culture (New York), etc., are included in the collections of the Queen of Spain Sofia, Petra Avena, Breus sluts, Catherine And Vladimir Semenikhin, Milos Forman.
Year of birth: 1945
Artwork: "Logii. Part 1". 1987
Date of sale: 07.11.2000
Price (GBP): 424,000
6. Oleg Tselkov
One of the most famous artists of the sixties, who in the 1960s began and still continues a series of paintings in which he depicts rough human faces (or figures) as if molded from clay, painted with bright aniline colors. Since 1977 lives in Paris. The works are in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Hermitage, the Zimmerli Museum of Rutgers University, etc., are included in the collections Mikhail Baryshnikov, Arthur Miller, Igor Tsukanov. The largest private collection of Tselkov's works in Russia belongs to Evgeny Evtushenko.
Year of birth: 1934
Artwork: "Boy with Balloons" 1957
Date of sale: 26.11.2008
Price (GBP): 238,406
Snow, darkness, mud - and Moscow and Renoir in an embrace, Oscar Rabin
7. Oscar Rabin
Leader of the Lianozovo group (Moscow nonconformist artists of the 1950s–1960s), organizer of the scandalous Bulldozer Exhibition in 1974. He was the first in the Soviet Union to sell works privately. In 1978 he was deprived of Soviet citizenship. Lives in Paris. In 2006 he won the Innovation Award for his contribution to art. The works are in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, the Zimmerli Museum of Rutgers University, are included in the collections Alexander Glezer, Vyacheslav Kantor, Alexandra Kronika, Iveta And Tamaza Manasherov, Evgeny Nutovich, Aslan Chekhoev.
Year of birth: 1928
Artwork: "The City and the Moon" ("Socialist City"). 1959
Date of sale: 15.04.2008
Price (GBP): 171,939
8. Zurab Tsereteli
The largest representative of the already monumental art. Author of the monument Peter I in Moscow and the monument "Good triumphs over evil" in front of the UN building in New York. Founder of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, President of the Russian Academy of Arts, creator of the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery, working at the aforementioned academy. Tsereteli's sculptures, in addition to Russia, adorn Brazil, Great Britain, Georgia, Spain, Lithuania, the USA, France and Japan.
Year of birth: 1934
Composition: "The Dream of Athos"
Date of sale: 01.12.2009
Price (GBP): 151,250
9. Viktor Pivovarov
One of the founders of Moscow conceptualism. Like Kabakov, inventor of the concept album genre; like Kabakov, Bulatov And Oleg Vasiliev- a successful illustrator of children's books, collaborating with the magazines "Murzilka" and "Funny Pictures". Since 1982 he has been living and working in Prague. The works are in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin, Kolodzei Art Foundation (USA), in collections Catherine And Vladimir Semenikhin, Igor Tsukanov.
Year of birth: 1937
Artwork: "Triptych with a snake." 2000
Sale date: 10/18/2008
Price (GBP): 145,250
10. Alexander Melamid
Half of the creative tandem Komar - Melamid, disbanded in 2003. Together with Vitaly Komar participant of the Bulldozer Exhibition (where their “Double Self-Portrait”, the fundamental work of Sots Art, perished). Since 1978 he has lived in New York. There is no information about in which well-known collections the works of Melamid, created by him independently, are located.
Year of birth: 1945
Composition: Cardinal José Saraiva Martins. 2007
Sale date: 10/18/2008
Price (GBP): 145,250
11. Francisco Infante Arana
The owner, perhaps, of the heaviest list of exhibitions among Russian artists. Member of the group of kinetists "Movement", in the 1970s found his own version of photo performance, or "artifact" - geometric shapes integrated into the natural landscape.
Year of birth: 1943
Artwork: "Building a sign." 1984
Date of sale: 31.05.2006
Price (GBP): 142,400
12. Vladimir Yankilevsky
Surrealist, one of the main characters of post-war Moscow unofficial art, creator of monumental philosophical polyptychs.
Year of birth: 1938
Artwork: “Triptych No. 10. Anatomy of the soul. II". 1970
Date of sale: 23.04.2010
Price (GBP): 133,250
13. Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky
The picturesque project “Paintings to Order”, which they started in the hopeless 1990s for painting, received what they deserved in the 2000s. The duet became popular with collectors, and one painting ended up in the collection of the Pompidou Center.
Year of birth: 1963, 1964
Artwork: "Night fitness". 2004
Date of sale: 22.06.2007
Price (GBP): 132,000
14. Sergey Volkov
One of the heroes of perestroika art, known for expressive paintings with thoughtful statements. Participant of the Soviet auction Sotheby's in 1988.
Year of birth: 1956
Artwork: "Double vision. Triptych"
Date of sale: 31.05.2007
Price (GBP): 132,000
15. АЕS+F (Tatyana Arzamasova, Lev Evzovich, Evgeny Svyatsky, Vladimir Fridkes)
AES + F projects were distinguished by a good presentation in the sloppy 1990s, which is what they remember. Now they are making large animated frescoes broadcast on dozens of screens.
Year of birth: 1955, 1958, 1957, 1956
Composition: "Warrior No. 4"
Date of sale: 12.03.2008
Price (GBP): 120,500
16. Lev Tabenkin
Sculptor and painter with a sculptural vision, as if sculpting his characters from clay.
Year of birth: 1952
Composition: Jazz Orchestra. 2004
Date of sale: 30.06.2008
Price (GBP): 117,650
"Dream of the Red Bird" 1988 Olga Bulgakova
17. Olga Bulgakova
One of the main figures of the intelligentsia "carnival" painting of the Brezhnev era. Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Arts.
Year of birth: 1951
Artwork: "Dream of the Red Bird" 1988
Date of sale: 22.11.2010
Price (GBP): 100,876
Sergei and Alexei Tkachev. "Brothers" ("Double self-portrait"). 1981–1983 GTG
18. Sergey and Alexey Tkachev
Classics of late Soviet impressionism, students Arkady Plastov, known for their paintings from the life of the Russian village.
Year of birth: 1922, 1925
Artwork: "Saturday" 1973
Date of sale: 20.10.2016
Price (GBP): 97,935
19. Alexander Ivanov
An abstract artist who is primarily known as a businessman, collector and creator of the Faberge Museum in Baden-Baden (Germany).
Year of birth: 1962
Composition: Love. 1996
Date of sale: 06/05/2013
Price (GBP): 97,250
20. Ivan Chuikov
An independent wing of Moscow pictorial conceptualism. Author of a series of paintings-objects "Windows". Somehow in the 1960s, he burned all his paintings, which gallery owners still grieve about.
Year of birth: 1935
Artwork: "Untitled" 1986
Date of sale: 12.03.2008
Price (GBP): 96,500
21. Konstantin Zvezdochetov
Group member in youth "Amanita", whose members called themselves "fathers of the" new wave "in the Soviet Union" - with good reason; with the onset of creative maturity, he participated in the Venice Biennale and the Kassel Documenta. Researcher and connoisseur of the visual in the Soviet grassroots culture.
Year of birth: 1958
Composition: Perdo-K-62M
Date of sale: 13.06.2008
Price (GBP): 92,446
22. Natalia Nesterova
One of the main art stars of the Brezhnev stagnation. Favored by collectors for its textured painting style.
Year of birth: 1944
Artwork: "Melnik and his son". 1969
Date of sale: 15.06.2007
Price (GBP): 92,388
23. Maxim Kantor
An expressionist painter who performed in the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1997, as well as a publicist and writer, author of the philosophical and satirical novel "Drawing Tutorial" about the ins and outs of the Russian art world.
Year of birth: 1957
Artwork: "The Structure of Democracy". 2003
Sale date: 10/18/2008
Price (GBP): 87,650
24. Andrey Sidersky
Creates paintings in the style of psi-art invented by him. Translated into Russian compositions Carlos Castaneda And Richard Bach.
Year of birth: 1960
Composition: "Triptych"
Date of sale: 04.12.2009
Price (GBP): 90,000
25. Valery Koshlyakov
Known for paintings with architectural motifs. The largest representative of the "South Russian wave". Often uses cardboard boxes, bags, adhesive tape. The first exhibition with his participation was held in a public toilet in Rostov-on-Don in 1988.
Year of birth: 1962
Artwork: Moscow. 2006
Sale date: 10/17/2013
Price (GBP): 84,629
fragment - At the picture. 1987. Oil on canvas. 200x297. State Tretyakov Gallery.
26. Alexey Sundukov
He creates laconic, lead-colored paintings about the "lead abominations" of everyday Russian life.
Year of birth: 1952
Artwork: "The Essence of Being". 1988
Price (USD) 103 363
Date of sale: 23.04.2010
27. Nikas Safronov
Year of birth: 1956
Composition: "Dream of Italy"
Date of sale: 07.06.2011
Price (GBP): 63,650
28. Igor Novikov
Belongs to the generation of Moscow nonconformist artists of the late 1980s.
Year of birth: 1961
Artwork: “Kremlin breakfast, or Moscow for sale”. 2009
Date of sale: 03.12.2010
Price (GBP): 62,092
29. Vadim Zakharov
Year of birth: 1959
Artwork: Baroque. 1986–1994
Sale date: 10/18/2008
Price (GBP): 61,250
30. Svetlana Kopystyanskaya
Known for installations of paintings. After the 1988 Sotheby's Moscow auction, he worked abroad.
Year of birth: 1950
Composition: "Seascape"
Date of sale: 10/13/2007
Price (GBP): 57,600
31. Boris Orlov
Sculptor close to Sots Art. Famous for his work in the ironic "imperial" style and the masterful dressing of bronze busts and bouquets.
Year of birth: 1941
Artwork: Sailor. 1976
Sale date: 10/17/2013
Price (GBP): 55,085
Year of birth: 1939
Artwork: "Self-portrait with a hang glider"
Date of sale: 29.11.2007
Price (GBP): 54,500
33. Evgeny Semenov
Known for a photo series with patients with Down's disease, playing the role of gospel characters.
Year of birth: 1960
Composition: Heart. 2009
Date of sale: 29.06.2009
Price (GBP): 49,250
34. Yuri Cooper
He became famous for his nostalgic paintings with old household items. Author of the play "Twelve Pictures from the Life of an Artist", staged at the Moscow Art Theater. A.P. Chekhov.
Year of birth: 1940
Artwork: Window. Dass Street, 56. 1978
Date of sale: 09.06.2010
Price (GBP): 49,250
35. Alexander Kosolapov
A Sots Art artist whose works have become the target of all sorts of attacks. During the fair "Art Moscow - 2005" one of his works was destroyed by a religious fanatic with a hammer.
Year of birth: 1943
Artwork: "Marlboro Malevich". 1987
Date of sale: 12.03.2008
Price (GBP): 48,500
"Bear hitting a sickle with a hammer." 1996 Sokolov Leonid
36. Leonid Sokov
Leading Sots Art sculptor who combined folklore with politics. Among the famous works - "A device for determining nationality by the shape of the nose."
Year of birth: 1941
Artwork: "Bear hitting a sickle with a hammer." 1996
Date of sale: 12.03.2008
Price (GBP): 48,500
Year of birth: 1945
Artwork: The Last Supper. 2007
Date of sale: 18.02.2011
Price (GBP): 46,850
Dmitry Gutov and Anatoly Osmolovsky at the opening of the 4th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. Photo: Olesya Burlaka 2012.
38. Anatoly Osmolovsky
One of the main figures of Moscow actionism in the 1990s, art theorist, curator, publisher and head of the Baza Institute research and educational program, winner of the first Kandinsky Prize.
Year of birth: 1969
Product: "Bread". 2009. From the series "Pagans"
Date of sale: 23.04.2010
Price (GBP): 46,850
Wall painting "Brother's kiss" by Dmitri Vrubel at the East Side Gallery in Berlin.
39. Dmitry Vrubel
Photorealist painter, best known for his depictions of kissing Brezhnev And Honecker on the Berlin Wall.
Year of birth: 1960
Composition: Fraternal kiss (triptych). 1990
Date of sale: 25.11.2013
Price (GBP): 45,000
Year of birth: 1928
Artwork: "Apple II". 1974–1986 From the series "Seventh Heaven"
Sale date: 12/16/2009
Price (GBP): 43,910
Left - Gallery XL - Irina Nakhova "Big Red" 1998-1999
41. Irina Nakhova
Muse of Moscow Conceptualism. Laureate of the Kandinsky Prize in 2013 in the nomination "Project of the Year". In 2015 she represented Russia at the 56th Venice Biennale.
Year of birth: 1955
Artwork: Triptych. 1983
Date of sale: 12.03.2008
Price (GBP): 38,900
42. Katya Filippova
An avant-garde fashion designer who became famous during perestroika. Decorated the windows of the Parisian department store Galeries Lafayette, was friends with Pierre Cardin.
Year of birth: 1958
Composition: "Marina Ladynina". From the Russian Hollywood series
Date of sale: 12.03.2008
Price (GBP): 38,900
43. Yuri Albert
Year of birth: 1959
Artwork: "I am not Kabakov." 1982
Date of sale: 25.11.2014
Price (GBP): 37,500
44. Boris Zaborov
Theater artist, book illustrator. In 1980 he emigrated to Paris, worked on costumes for the Comedie Francaise.
Year of birth: 1935
Artwork: "Participant". 1981
Date of sale: 30.10.2006
Price (GBP): 36,356
Alexey Morozov and Sergey Minaev at the opening of the exhibition of the artist MMOMA 09.02.2017
45. Alexey Morozov
Sculptor and painter, often refers to ancient scenes. The future, well rooted in the past, has become the constant conceptual leaven of his new work.
Year of birth: 1974
Artwork: "Carrus I (bronze)". 2011
Date of sale: 25.11.2014
Price (GBP): 35,000
46. Mikhail Shemyakin
Painter, graphic artist and sculptor, lover of macabre images. Since 1971 he has been living abroad - first in France, then in the USA. Author of several sensational monuments in Moscow, Samara, St. Petersburg and other cities. Successful theater artist. Laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation.
Year of birth: 1943
Artwork: "Untitled" 1985
Date of sale: 13.06.2008
Price (GBP): 34,450
47. Rostislav Lebedev
Classical Sots Art artist, colleague (and workshop neighbor) Boris Orlov And Dmitry Prigov. He creatively transformed the visual propaganda of the Soviet era.
Year of birth: 1946
Artwork: "Russian fairy tale". 1949
Date of sale: 05.06.2008
Price (GBP): 34,000
48. Andrey Filippov
Belongs to the Moscow conceptual school. The author of paintings and installations, united by the theme "Moscow - the third Rome". Since 2009, together with Yuri Albert And Victor Skersis belongs to the group "Cupid".
Year of birth: 1959
Artwork: "Seven feet under the keel". 1988
Date of sale: 31.05.2006
Price (GBP): 33,600
2005 "Untitled" Aidan Salakhova
Workshop of Aidan Salakhova 2016
49. Aidan Salakhova
Artist, sculptor, former gallery owner, one of the key figures in contemporary Russian art.
Year of birth: 1964
Artwork: "Without words No. 14 (marble)". 2015
Date of sale: 07.06.2016
Price (GBP): 32,500
50. Vladimir Shinkarev
Founder and ideologist of the art group "Mitki". In his novel "Mitki" for the first time this concept sounded. The novel was written out of boredom while working in the boiler room.
The majestic and diverse Russian painting always pleases the audience with its inconstancy and perfection of art forms. This is the peculiarity of the works of famous masters of art. They always surprised with their unusual approach to work, reverent attitude to the feelings and sensations of each person. Perhaps that is why Russian artists so often depicted portrait compositions that vividly combined emotional images and epicly calm motifs. No wonder Maxim Gorky once said that an artist is the heart of his country, the voice of the entire era. Indeed, the majestic and elegant paintings of Russian artists vividly convey the inspiration of their time. Like the aspirations of the famous author Anton Chekhov, many sought to bring into Russian paintings the unique flavor of their people, as well as the unquenchable dream of beauty. It is difficult to underestimate the extraordinary canvases of these masters of majestic art, because truly extraordinary works of various genres were born under their brush. Academic painting, portrait, historical painting, landscape, works of romanticism, modernism or symbolism - all of them still bring joy and inspiration to their viewers. Everyone finds in them something more than colorful colors, graceful lines and inimitable genres of world art. Perhaps such an abundance of forms and images that Russian painting surprises with is connected with the huge potential of the surrounding world of artists. Levitan also said that in every note of lush nature there is a majestic and unusual palette of colors. With such a beginning, a magnificent expanse appears for the artist's brush. Therefore, all Russian paintings are distinguished by their exquisite severity and attractive beauty, from which it is so difficult to break away.Russian painting is rightly distinguished from world art. The fact is that until the seventeenth century, domestic painting was associated exclusively with a religious theme. The situation changed with the coming to power of the tsar-reformer - Peter the Great. Thanks to his reforms, Russian masters began to engage in secular painting, and icon painting separated as a separate direction. The seventeenth century is the time of such artists as Simon Ushakov and Iosif Vladimirov. Then, in the Russian art world, the portrait was born and quickly became popular. In the eighteenth century, the first artists appeared who switched from portraiture to landscape painting. The pronounced sympathy of the masters for winter panoramas is noticeable. The eighteenth century was also remembered for the birth of everyday painting. In the nineteenth century, three trends gained popularity in Russia: romanticism, realism and classicism. As before, Russian artists continued to turn to the portrait genre. It was then that world-famous portraits and self-portraits of O. Kiprensky and V. Tropinin appeared. In the second half of the nineteenth century, artists more and more often depict the simple Russian people in their oppressed state. Realism becomes the central trend of painting of this period. It was then that the Wanderers appeared, depicting only real, real life. Well, the twentieth century is, of course, the avant-garde. The artists of that time significantly influenced both their followers in Russia and around the world. Their paintings became the forerunners of abstractionism. Russian painting is a huge wonderful world of talented artists who glorified Russia with their creations
Many believe that there are no artists left in the 21st century. However, in reality, this is not the case. And in our time there are many talented and famous artists whose work is shown at exhibitions that earn big money. Below is a list of the 20 most famous and well-earned artists who are active in creative work not only in Russia.
Russian artist Alexander Ivanov, born in 1962, is best known for his work titled Love, which was painted back in 1996 and sold for almost 100,000 rubles. His style is abstractionism. He is also a businessman, engaged in collecting activities, opened the Faberge Museum in Germany, in Baden-Baden.
Olga Bulgakova is one of the few talented and famous artists in Russia, born in 1951, and she is a member of the Russian Academy of Arts as a corresponding member. The representative of such a movement of painting of the Brezhnev era, which is called "carnival". Her most famous work is The Dream of the Red Bird, written in 1988.
Russian artist Mikhail Brusilovsky, who works under the pseudonym Misha Shayevich, is included in this rating and takes 18th place. This world famous artist
The talented Russian artist Lev Tabenkin was born in 1952 in the Russian capital, Moscow. This painter sees the picture like a sculptor. The feeling that his written characters are molded from clay. One of Leo's most famous paintings is "Jazz Orchestra" painted in 2004. It was sold for 117,650 rubles.
The AES + F project consists of four people, in fact, the name consists of the initial letters of the names of the participants: Tatyana Arzamasova, Lev Evzovich, Evgeny Svyatsky, Vladimir Fridnes. The creativity of this company is characterized by a very good presentation back in the nineties and was appreciated only in the two thousandths. Now, for the most part, they create large animated murals that are broadcast on dozens of screens. One of the most famous works of this company: "Warrior 4".
Russian artist Sergei Volkov was born in Petrozavodsk in 1956. His works are characterized by the fact that he created during the period of perestroika art. The paintings are written very expressively, where very thoughtful statements and ideology are noticed. His most famous painting is Double Vision. Triptych".
Artists Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky were both born in Moscow in 1963 and 1964. They started working together in 1994, having met at the festival, creating an unusual and grandiose project. The original project has earned the respect of many collectors. Their paintings hang in such famous places as the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum and even the Pompidou Center. They themselves are the creators of the Art-Strelka gallery and the organizers of the Art-Klyazma festival.
Russian artist Vladimir Yankilevsky also made the list of the highest paid and famous artists. He was born in Moscow in 1938. Vladimir's father was also an artist, and his son inherited his profession. Vladimir works in the style of surrealism - art with paradoxical combinations. Back in 1970, he painted one of the most famous paintings called Triptych 10. Anatomy of the Soul II.
Artist Vladimir Nemukhin was born in 1925 in the small village of Priluki, located in the Moscow region. He was a participant of many foreign exhibitions in Europe. In the nineties he lived and was active in Germany, but in 2005 he moved to Russia. His work is characterized by a three-dimensional composition, the presence of a counter-relief and various cross-cutting motifs, for example, a deck of cards.
An artist with an unusual name, the son of a Spanish political emigrant, was born in the small village of Vasilievka in the Samara Region in 1943. He was the organizer of the group of artists "Argo", a member of the Moscow Union of Artists. Also, Francisco was endowed with the State Prize for achievements in the field of fine arts. The artist is active in creative work both in Russia and abroad.
Artist Alexander Melamed used to be one of the members of the very famous creative duo Komarov-Melamed, but it broke up back in 2003, then they began to work separately. Residence since 1978 is New York. He wrote most of the famous works together with Vitaly Komar, they also created the Sots Art movement together and were the organizers of the Bulldozer Exhibition.
This Russian artist, known as one of the founders of Moscow Conceptualism, was born in Moscow in 1937, where he graduated from the Polygraphic Institute. According to Viktor Pivovarov himself, his first work was written at the age of five. He is also a representative of "unofficial" art. His paintings are located in one of the most famous and major exhibition centers: the Russian Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Museum im. A. S. Pushkin.
This artist was born in 1934 in Tbilisi. He is one of the brightest representatives of monumental painting. Zurab is known for his work in the form of a monument to Peter I, which is located in Moscow, as well as a monument, which is located in front of the UN building in New York. Zurab is the president of the Russian Art Academy, which operates his own museum-gallery. The creations of this artist are known not only in Russia, but throughout the world.
Russian artist Oscar Rabin is known for being the organizer of the Buldor exhibition in 1974 and four years later he was deprived of Soviet citizenship. He also became popular as one of the first artists involved in the private sale of paintings in the Soviet Union. At the moment, his permanent place of residence and work is Paris. His paintings are in major museums and exhibition centers: the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum and others.
Russian artist Oleg Tselkov is known as an artist who began the main creative movement in the sixties of the 20th century, showing very rough and sharp features in his paintings, including in the depiction of people who look like clay figures. Since 1977, Oleg continues his creative path in Paris. His paintings are located in such exhibition centers: the Russian Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Hermitage. One of the most famous paintings is "Boy with Balloons", painted in 1954.
Born in Moscow in 1934, Russian artist Grigory Bruskin, or Grisha, has been a member of the Union of Artists since 1969. He gained his greatest fame thanks to the large Sotheby's auction, where he sold his work under the name "Fundamental Lexicon" for the highest price, which was a record. At the moment he lives and works in New York and Moscow, which is why he is also called an American artist.
This Russian artist is distinguished by the fact that he accurately displays realistic things. His real creative activity began from the moment when, in 1985, exhibiting at Malaya Gruzinskaya, he won the attention and recognition of collectors from New York. Since then, his works have been exhibited in many European countries, are in exhibition centers in America, Germany and Poland. Now he lives and conducts creative activity in Moscow.
This duet, alas, lasted until 2003, but was a huge success. The two Russian artists rose to prominence through the creation of the Sots Art movement, which is an offshoot of unofficial art. This was a kind of response to the creation of pop art in the West. Canvases with the works of these artists are in major museums, including the Louvre.
The Russian artist is known for being able to combine both painting and text in his work, later it began to be called Sots Art. During the Soviet period, he was popular as an illustrator in children's books. For some time he lived in New York, then in Paris. He was the first artist to stage an exhibition at the Center Pompidou. His creative works are in the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pompidou Center.
This most talented Russian artist, who works in tandem with his wife Emilia, can be considered the main artist of the country, the founder of Moscow conceptualism. He was born in Dnepropetrovsk in 1933, but since 1988 New York has become his place of residence. His works can be seen in the Hermitage, the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum. Ilya received the Japanese Emperor's Prize, and two of his works entitled "Beetle" and "Luxury" are the most expensive paintings.
Major international auctions are increasingly including contemporary Russian artists in their auctions of post-war and contemporary art. In February 2007, Sotheby's held the first and almost sensational specialized auction of Russian contemporary art, which brought 22 auction records. Artguide decided to find out which of our contemporary artists collected the largest sums at international auctions and, having compiled the top 10 most expensive living Russian artists based on the results of auction sales, discovered some curious patterns. All sales prices are given according to the auction houses, taking into account the buyer's premium.
Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky. Night fitness. Fragment. Courtesy authors (www.dubossarskyvinogradov.com)
Of course, there could be no doubt about who exactly became the leader of the auction race: the grandiose “Beetle” by Ilya Kabakov, sold in February 2008 at Phillips de Pury for almost £3 million, is probably remembered by everyone who is interested in contemporary art. A funny nursery rhyme, the text of which is written on a wooden panel with a beetle, even acquired a thoughtful intonation in the art history and market interpretation: “My beetle breaks out, jumps, chirps, it doesn’t want to get into my collection” - this metaphorically means the passion of a collector of contemporary art, for this same beetle trading. (The verse quoted by Kabakov, composed by the architect A. Maslennikova, an amateur poet from Voronezh, was published in the children's collection of poems, counting rhymes and riddles Between Summer and Winter, published in 1976 by the Children's Literature publishing house, and Kabakov illustrated this book True, that beetle was not in his black-and-white illustrations).
It should be added that if we did not make the top 10 most expensive living artists, but the top 10 of their most expensive works, then Kabakov's paintings would take the first three places on this list. That is, the three most expensive works of the now living Russian artist belong to him - in addition to the "Beetle", these are "Luxury Room" in 1981 (Phillips de Pury, London, June 21, 2007, £ 2.036 million) and "Vacation No. 10" in 1987 (Phillips de Pury London, 14 April 2011, £1.497m). On top of that, the generous Kabakov "gave" another record to the Vienna Dorotheum auction - a year ago, on November 24, 2011, the painting "At the University" went there for €754.8 thousand, becoming the most expensive work of contemporary art ever sold on this auction.
The silver medalist, probably, many will also easily name - this is Eric Bulatov, whose canvas "Glory to the CPSU" was sold for a record amount for the artist at the same Phillips de Pury auction as Kabakov's "Beetle".
But the third place of the non-conformist Yevgeny Chubarov, whose late work "Untitled" went in June 2007 to Phillips de Pury for £ 720 thousand, could be called a surprise, if not for the fact that a few months earlier, in February of that the same year, Chubarov had already made a splash at Sotheby's in London, at a specialized auction of Russian contemporary art, where his work with the same name (or rather, without it) was sold for £288,000 (with an upper limit of the estimate of £60,000), not only beating the alleged top lot of that auction, Bulatov's painting "Revolution - Perestroika" (sale price £ 198 thousand), but also becoming the most expensive work of the living Russian artist at that time. By the way, here it is, the irony of currency fluctuations: in November 2000, Grisha Bruskin's polyptych was sold in New York for $424 thousand, and then in pounds sterling it was £296.7 thousand, and in February 2007, when it was installed Chubarov's first record is already only £216.6 thousand.
The works of fourth-place winners Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid are frequent and quite successful lots in Western auctions, although their estimates rarely exceed £100,000. The duo's second most expensive work is Yalta Conference. The Judgment of Paris "- was sold at Macdougall's in 2007 for £ 184.4 thousand. But it should be noted, of course, that the painting that brought them fourth place belongs to rather early and rarely appearing works at auctions and that it was exhibited in 1976 at the first (and very loud) foreign exhibition of Komar and Melamid at the Ronald Feldman Gallery in New York.
Following Komar and Melamid, Oleg Vasiliev and Semyon Faibisovich consistently hold a high bar at auctions. Vasilyev was third in that extraordinarily successful 2008 Phillips de Pury auction, which brought records to Ilya Kabakov and Erik Bulatov, while Faibisovich was fourth. Then Vasiliev's painting "Variation on the theme of the cover of the Ogonyok magazine" in 1980 was sold for ₤356 thousand with an estimate of ₤120 thousand, and Faibisovich's "Another look at the Black Sea" in 1986 - for £300.5 thousand with Estimate £60,000-80,000. Works by both artists often fetch six-figure sums at auction.
True, it was not the record-breaking “Soldiers” that brought fame to Faibisovich at auction, but the painting “Beauty”, sold at Sotheby’s on March 12, 2008 - this was the auction house’s second auction of contemporary Russian art, except for the Moscow auction of 1988. The painting (its other name is “The First of May”) then went for £264 thousand with an estimate of £60-80 thousand, a real battle unfolded between buyers for it. Another painting by Faibisovich “On a Moscow street” at that auction exceeded the estimate twice and was sold for £126,000 2011-2012.
Roughly the same can be said about Oleg Tselkov, who is eighth in the top 10. Having found his style and theme half a century ago, a recognizable and authoritative artist, he regularly supplies auctions with his fluorescent round faces, which have continued success. The second most expensive painting by Tselkov "Five Faces" was sold in June 2007 at MacDougall's for £223.1 thousand, the third, "Two with Beetles", - in November of the same year at the same auction (MacDougall's always put up for auction several Tselkov different price range) for £202.4 thousand.
Grisha Bruskin has had a special role in the auction history of Russian contemporary art since 1988, from the Moscow auction of Sotheby's under the name Russian Avant-Garde and Soviet Contemporary Art, where his "Fundamental Lexicon" was sold for a sensational £ 220 thousand, 12 times higher estimate. Approximately the same, and perhaps even more sensational, happened with the polyptych “Logii. Part I" in 2000 at Christie's in New York: the polyptych sold for $424,000, exceeding the upper limit of the estimate by 21 (!) times - this alone can be considered a kind of record. Most likely, this extraordinary purchase is due not least to the significance of Bruskin's name as the hero of the legendary Sotheby's Moscow auction, because no other auction sales of Bruskin even come close to these amounts.
The price of Oscar Rabin does not fluctuate, but grows steadily and very noticeably, especially for the works of the Soviet period - all the most expensive works of this master sold at auction were painted in the late 1950s and early 1970s. These are (besides his record "Socialist City") "Baths (Smell the cologne "Moscow", 1966, Sotheby's, New York, April 17, 2007, $ 336 thousand) and "Violin in the cemetery" (1969, Macdougall's, London, November 27 2006, £168.46).
The top ten is closed by representatives of the younger generation - Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky, whose most expensive paintings were sold at Phillips de Pury (the second most expensive is The Last Butterfly, 1997, Phillips de Pury, New York, $181,000). These artists, in general, continue a trend that is quite clearly visible in the ranking of the most expensive paintings by living artists. We will talk about it a little lower, but for now, finally, here is a list of the most expensive works of living Russian artists.
Top 10 works of living Russian artists
1. Ilya Kabakov (b. 1933). Bug. 1982. Wood, enamel. 226.5 x 148.5. Auction Phillips de Pury & Company, London, February 28, 2008. Estimate £1.2-1.8 million. Sale price £2.93 million.
2. Erik Bulatov (b. 1933). Glory to the CPSU. 1975. Oil on canvas. 229.5 x 229. Auction Phillips de Pury & Company, London, February 28, 2008. Estimate £500-700 thousand. Sale price £1.084 million.
3. Evgeny Chubarov (b. 1934). Untitled. 1994. Oil on canvas. 300 x 200. Phillips de Pury & Company auction, London, June 22, 2007. Estimate £100-150 thousand. Sale price £720 thousand.
4. Vitaly Komar (b. 1943) and Alexander Melamid (b. 1945). Solzhenitsyn and Bell meeting at Rostropovich's dacha. 1972. Canvas, oil, collage, gold foil. 175 x 120. Phillips de Pury & Company auction, London, April 23, 2010. Estimate £100-150 thousand. Sale price £657.25 thousand.
5. Oleg Vasilyev (b. 1931). Before sunset. 1990. Oil on canvas. 210 x 165. Sotheby's auction, London, March 12, 2008. Estimate £200-300 thousand. Sale price £468.5 thousand.
6. Semyon Faibisovich (b. 1949). Soldiers. From the series "Stations". 1989. Oil on canvas. 285.4 x 190.5. Auction Phillips de Pury & Company, London, October 13, 2007. Estimate £40-60 thousand. Sale price £311.2 thousand.
8. Oleg Tselkov (b. 1934) Boy with balloons. Canvas, oil. 103.5 x 68.5. Auction MacDougall's, London, November 28, 2008. Estimate £200-300 thousand. Sale price £238.4 thousand.
9. Oscar Rabin (b. 1928) City and moon (Socialist city). 1959. Oil on canvas. 90 x 109. Sotheby's auction, New York, April 15, 2008. Estimate $120-160 thousand. Sale price $337 thousand (£171.4 at the dollar to pound rate in April 2008).
10. Alexander Vinogradov (b. 1963) and Vladimir Dubossarsky (b. 1964). Night workout. 2004. Oil on canvas. 194.9 x 294.3. Auction Phillips de Pury & Company, London, June 22, 2007. Estimate £15-20 thousand. Sale price £132 thousand.
It is known that auction prices are an irrational thing and one cannot judge the true role and significance of the artist in the artistic process by them. But on the basis of them and the top lots, one can roughly judge the collector's preferences. What are they? You don't have to be an expert to answer this question. They are obvious. Firstly, all artists (except perhaps Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky) are “living classics” in years, and very solid ones at that. Secondly, almost all of them set records not by works of recent years, but by much earlier ones, that is, the pattern “the older, the better” is also relevant here. Thirdly, without exception, all works from the top 10 are easel paintings. Fourthly, these are all large and very large paintings. More or less "standard" in this respect can only be considered "The City and the Moon" by Oscar Rabin and "Boy with Balloons" by Oleg Tselkov, all the rest are great in height (not even in width) human height. Finally, for all these artists, the theme of the Soviet (in particular, nonconformist) past is relevant in one way or another, which in many cases is accentuated in their works. It seems that our collectors are experiencing acute nostalgia for this very Soviet past (it is common knowledge that it is Russian collectors who buy Russian art in the West).
Younger than the rest of the auction sales leaders, Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky are somewhat stubbornly trying to break out of the dozens of harsh nonconformists, but this is only at first glance. In fact, if you imagine which of the next generation after Kabakov, Bulatov, Rabin, Vasiliev, Tselkovy can best meet the above criteria of purchase (large-sized easel paintings, rehashings of Soviet genres, motifs and stylistics), then it will probably turn out to be Vinogradov and Dubossarsky, worthy heirs of the masters of previous decades. At least judging by the auction sales.
Levitan, Shishkin, Aivazovsky and many other names are familiar to every educated person in our country and abroad. This is our pride. There are many talented artists today. It's just that their names are not so widely known yet.Bright Side brought together 10 contemporary Russian artists (we are sure there are many more), who will undoubtedly write their name into the classics of painting of the 21st century. Find out about them today.
Alexey Chernigin
Most of Alexey Chernigin's oil paintings on canvas depict beauty, romance and moments of true feelings. Alexei Chernigin inherited his talent and passion for art from his father, the famous Russian artist Alexander Chernigin. Every year they arrange a joint exhibition in their native Nizhny Novgorod.Konstantin Lupanov
A young and incredibly talented artist from Krasnodar calls his painting "fun irresponsible daub". Konstantin Lupanov writes what he loves. The main characters of his paintings are friends, acquaintances, relatives and beloved cat Philip. The simpler the plot, the artist says, the more truthful the picture is.
Stanislav Plutenko
Stanislav Plutenko's creative motto: "See the unusual and make the unusual." The Moscow artist works in a unique technique of mixing tempera, acrylic, watercolor and the finest AirBrash glazing. Stanislav Plutenko is included in the catalog of 1000 surrealists of all times and peoples.Nikolai Blokhin
Discover a contemporary Russian artist who, without a doubt, centuries later, will be on a par with the world's classics of painting. Nikolai Blokhin is known primarily as a portrait painter, although he also paints landscapes, still lifes, and genre paintings. But it is in the portrait that one of the most important aspects of his talent is most clearly manifested.Dmitry Annenkov
Looking at the hyper-realistic still lifes of this Russian artist, you just want to reach out and take from the canvas or touch what is painted there. They are so alive and soulful. Artist Dmitry Annenkov lives in Moscow and works in different genres. And in all unusually talented.Vasily Shulzhenko
The work of the artist Vasily Shulzhenko does not leave anyone indifferent. He is either loved or hated, extolled for understanding the Russian soul and accused of hatred for it. In his paintings - harsh Russia, without cuts and grotesque comparisons, alcohol, debauchery and stagnation.Arush Votsmush
Under the pseudonym Arush Votsmush, a talented artist from Sevastopol Alexander Shumtsov is hiding. “There is such a word - “conflict”: when you see something amazing that makes your inner wheels turn in the right direction. A good conflict, “with goosebumps” is interesting. And goosebumps can be from anything: from cold water, from a holiday, from the fact that you suddenly felt something like in childhood - when you were surprised for the first time and began to play inside you ... I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone with my work. First of all, I enjoy. It is a pure drug of creativity. Or a pure life - without doping. It's just a miracle."Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky
Vinogradov and Dubossarsky are the main hooligans and scoundrels of modern Russian painting. The creative duet was formed by the mid-90s of the twentieth century. And today he has gained worldwide fame. It is no coincidence that the writer Viktor Pelevin designed one of his novels with illustrations from the finished works of Dubossarsky and Vinogradov.Mikhail Golubev
The young Russian artist Mikhail Golubev lives and works in St. Petersburg. His works are thought paintings, fantasy paintings and philosophical reflections. A very interesting artist with his own, but very familiar to many, view of this world.Sergei Marshennikov
