Genre paintings by contemporary artists. Paintings by contemporary artists of the world
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 Chekhoeva.
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.
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was a famous Italian painter, architect, philosopher, musician, writer, explorer, mathematician, engineer, anatomist, inventor and geologist. Known for his paintings, the most famous of which are The Last Supper and Mona Lisa, as well as numerous inventions that were far ahead of their time, but remained only on paper. In addition, Leonardo da Vinci made an important contribution to the development of anatomy, astronomy and technology.
Raphael Santi (March 28, 1483 – April 6, 1520) was a great Italian painter and architect active during the Renaissance, covering the period from the end of the 15th century to the early years of the 16th century. Traditionally, Raphael is considered one of the three great masters of this period, along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Many of his works are in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, in a room called Raphael's Stanza. Among others, here is his most famous work - "The School of Athens".
Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez (June 6, 1599 - August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter, portrait painter, court painter of King Philip IV, the greatest representative of the golden age of Spanish painting. In addition to numerous paintings depicting historical and cultural scenes from the past, he painted many portraits of the Spanish royal family, as well as other famous European figures. The most famous work of Velasquez is the painting "La Meninas" (or "Family of Philip IV") of 1656, located in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuseno Maria de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santisima Trinidad Martir Patricio Ruiz and Picasso (October 25, 1881 - April 8, 1973) is a world-famous Spanish artist and sculptor, the founder of the direction in fine arts - cubism. Considered one of the greatest artists who influenced the development of fine arts in the 20th century. Experts, was recognized as the best artist among those who have lived over the past 100 years, as well as the most "expensive" in the world. During his life, Picasso created about 20 thousand works (according to other sources, 80 thousand).
Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890) was a famous Dutch painter who gained fame only after his death. According to many experts, Van Gogh is one of the greatest artists in the history of European art, as well as one of the most prominent representatives of post-impressionism. Author of more than 2,100 works of art, including 870 paintings, 1,000 drawings and 133 sketches. His numerous self-portraits, landscapes and portraits are among the most recognizable and expensive works of art in the world. The most famous work of Vincent van Gogh, perhaps, is considered a series of paintings called "Sunflowers".
Michelangelo Buonarroti (March 6, 1475 - February 18, 1564) is a world famous Italian sculptor, artist, architect, poet and thinker who left an indelible imprint on the entire world culture. The most famous work of the artist, perhaps, are the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Among his sculptures, the most famous are "Pieta" ("Lamentation of Christ") and "David". Of the works of architecture - the design of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. Interestingly, Michelangelo became the first representative of Western European art, whose biography was written during his lifetime.
In fourth place in the ranking of the most famous artists in the world is Masaccio (December 21, 1401-1428) - a great Italian artist who had a huge impact on other masters. Masaccio lived a very short life, so there is little biographical evidence about him. Only four of his frescoes have survived, which, without a doubt, are the work of Masaccio. Others are believed to have been destroyed. Masaccio's most famous work is the Trinity fresco in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy.
Peter Paul Rubens (June 28, 1577 – May 30, 1640) was a Flemish (South Dutch) painter, one of the greatest artists of the Baroque era, known for his extravagant style. Considered the most versatile artist of his time. In his works, Rubens emphasized and embodied the vitality and sensuality of color. He painted numerous portraits, landscapes and historical paintings with mythological, religious and allegorical subjects. The most famous work of Rubens is the triptych "Descent from the Cross" written in the period from 1610 to 1614 and brought the artist worldwide fame.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (September 29, 1571 – July 18, 1610) was a great Italian artist of the early Baroque period, the founder of European realistic painting of the 17th century. In his works, Caravaggio skillfully used the contrasts of light and shadow, focusing on details. Often depicted ordinary Romans, people from the streets and markets in the images of saints and Madonnas. Examples are "The Evangelist Matthew", "Bacchus", "Conversion of Saul", etc. One of the most famous paintings of the artist is "The Lute Player" (1595), which Caravaggio called the most successful piece of painting for him.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) is a famous Dutch painter and engraver, who is considered the greatest and most famous artist in the world. Author of about 600 paintings, 300 etchings and 2 thousand drawings. Its characteristic feature is a masterful play with light effects and deep shadows. The most famous work of Rembrandt is the four-meter painting "Night Watch", written in 1642 and now stored in the State Museum of Amsterdam.
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
Art is constantly evolving, as is the whole world around us. Modern artists of the 21st century and their paintings are not at all like those that existed in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance. New names, materials, genres, ways of expressing talents appear. In this ranking, we will get acquainted with ten innovative artists of our time.
10. Pedro Campos. In tenth place is the Spaniard, whose brush can easily compete with the camera, he paints such realistic canvases. For the most part, he creates still lifes, but it is not so much the themes of his paintings that bring amazing admiration, but the masterful embodiment. Textures, glare, depth, perspective, volume - all this Pedro Campos subordinated to his brush, so that reality, and not fiction, looked at the viewer from the canvas. Without embellishment, without romanticism, only reality, this is the meaning of the genre of photorealism. By the way, the artist acquired his attention to detail and scrupulousness at the work of a restorer.
9. Richard Estes. Another admirer of the photorealism genre, Richard Estes, started with ordinary painting, but later moved on to painting urban landscapes. Today's artists and their creations do not need to adapt to anyone, and that's great, everyone can express themselves the way they want in what they want. As in the case of Pedro Campos, the works of this master can easily be confused with photographs, the city is so similar to the real one. You rarely see people in Estes' paintings, but almost always there are reflections, glare, parallel lines and a perfect, ideal composition. Thus, he does not just copy the urban landscape, but finds perfection in it and tries to show it.
8. Kevin Sloan There are an incredible number of contemporary artists of the 21st century and their paintings, but not every one of them is worth attention. The American Kevin Sloan is worth it, because his works seem to move the viewer into another dimension, a world full of allegories, hidden meanings, metaphorical mysteries. The artist loves to paint animals, because, in his opinion, he gets more freedom in this way than with people to tell the story. Sloane has been creating his “trick reality” with oils for almost 40 years. Very often, clocks appear on the canvases: either an elephant or an octopus look at them; this image can be interpreted as passing time or as the limitations of life. Each picture of Sloan is amazing, I want to unravel what the author wanted to convey to her.
7. Laurent Parcelier. This painter belongs to those contemporary artists of the 21st century, whose paintings were recognized early, even during their studies. Laurent's talent manifested itself in the published albums under the general title "Strange World". He paints in oils, his style is light, gravitates towards realism. A characteristic feature of the artist's works is the abundance of light that seems to be pouring from the canvases. As a rule, he depicts landscapes, some recognizable places. All works are unusually light and airy, filled with sun, freshness, breath.
6. Jeremy Mann A native of San Francisco loved his city, most often depicted it in his paintings. Contemporary artists of the 21st century can draw inspiration for their paintings anywhere: in the rain, wet pavement, neon signs, city lights. Jeremy Mann infuses simple landscapes with mood, history, experimentation with techniques and color choices. Mann's main material is oil.
5. Hans Rudolf Giger. In fifth place is the unique, unique Hans Giger, the creator of Alien from the film of the same name. Today's artists and their works are diverse, but each is brilliant in its own way. This gloomy Swiss does not paint nature and animals, he prefers "biomechanical" painting, in which he succeeded. Some compare the artist with Bosch for the gloominess, the fantasticness of his canvases. Although Giger’s paintings smell of something otherworldly, dangerous, you can’t refuse him in technique, skill: he is attentive to details, correctly selects shades, thinks through everything to the smallest detail.
4. Will Barnet This artist has his own unique author's style, therefore his works are readily accepted by the great museums of the world: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum, the Vatican Museum. Contemporary artists of the 21st century and their works, in order to be recognized, must somehow stand out from the rest of the masses. And Will Barnett can do it. His works are graphic and contrasting, he often depicts cats, birds, women. At first glance, Barnett's paintings are simple, but upon further examination, you realize that this simplicity is precisely their genius.
3. Neil Simon. This is one of the contemporary artists of the 21st century, whose works are not as simple as they seem at first glance. Between the plots and the works of Neil Simon, the boundaries seem to be washed away, they flow from one to another, entail the viewer, drag him into the illusory world of the artist. Simon's creations are characterized by bright, saturated colors, which give them energy and strength, and evoke an emotional response. The master loves to play with perspective, the size of objects, with unusual combinations and unexpected shapes. There is a lot of geometry in the artist's works, which is combined with natural landscapes, as if rushing inside, but not destroying, but harmoniously complementing.
2. Igor Morsky. Today's 21st century artist and his paintings are often compared to the great genius Salvador Dali. The works of the Polish master are unpredictable, mysterious, exciting, evoke a vivid emotional response, and in places are insane. Like any other surrealist, he does not seek to show reality as it is, but shows facets that we will never see in life. Most often, the protagonist of Morsky's works is a man with all his fears, passions, and shortcomings. Also, the metaphors of the works of this surrealist often concern power. Of course, this is not the artist whose work you hang over the bed, but the one whose exhibition is definitely worth going to.
1. Yayoi Kusama. So, in the first place of our ranking is a Japanese artist who has achieved incredible success all over the world, despite the fact that she has some mental illnesses. The main "feature" of the artist is polka dots. She covers everything she sees with circles of various shapes and sizes, calling it all nets of infinity. Kusama's interactive exhibitions and installations are a success, because sometimes everyone wants (even if they don't admit it) to be inside the psychedelic world of hallucinations, childish spontaneity, fantasies and colorful circles. Among contemporary artists of the 21st century and their paintings, Yayoi Kusama is the best-selling.
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.
