Over two Saturdays, explore the fascinating world of Russian art from nineteenth century academicians and rebels to the art of the avant-garde with City Lit. Discover the links with art of the west and the emergence of a uniquely Russian aesthetic. Running in partnership with City Lit.
Natalia Goncharova, Cyclist, 1913, oil on canvas, 78 x 105 cm, The State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg
This weekend art history course covers the period from in Russian art from the mid-nineteenth century through to 1917.
Whilst the eighteenth century saw the westernisation of Russia, the nineteenth ushered in a series of artistic movements that drew on Russian folklore, national tradition, and craft. By 1870, the Peredvizhniki or 'Wanderers' were actively challenging the Academy and striving for social change and realism in painting. Explore their innovations through artists like Ilya Repin, Alexei Savrasov, and Fyodor Vasilyev and then trace how they themselves were superseded in 1898 by the new Mir iskusstva 'World of Art'. The latter included Mikhail Vrubel, Nesterov, Levitan, and Diaghilev and drew on international movements like Art Nouveau and Rococo artists like Watteau.
The years prior to the 1917 Russian Revolution saw some of the most avant-garde art practices in Europe. Key patrons like Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov built collections and artists were divided between following the European path or asserting an art with a more Russian aesthetic. Practitioners included Natalia Goncharova, Kandinsky, Chagall, and Malevich, creator of Suprematism and the infamous ‘Black Square.’.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
• The art of the Academy; artists who opposed it such as the Peredvizhniki; key works
• The Mir iskusstva and their links to western art movements
• Avant-garde artists, patrons, and movements 1900 to 1917 including Cubo-Futurism, Februarism, Malevich, Knave of Diamonds, Rayonism, abstraction, Goncharova, Chagall, Kandinsky.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Describe how the politics of Russia from the mid C19th to 1917 affected the production of art
• Recognise the works of key artists and differentiate between movements/styles such as Mir iskusstva and Suprematism
• Participate in discussions around key works of art in relation to theories of avant-gardism.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught online with slide presentations and a group discussion. Handouts will be provided by your tutor to support your learning on the course; these handouts will be available online/digitally for download, not printed out for you.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You might also be interested in:
• VB121: - Art of the Russian Revolution
• VB509: - Russian Art: from the Revolution to Putin's Presidency
• VB510: - The art of 19th century Russia