cover image Russkaia I Sovetskaia Zhivopis' 1900-1930 =: Russian and Soviet Paintings 1900-1930: Selections from the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, and the Stat

Russkaia I Sovetskaia Zhivopis' 1900-1930 =: Russian and Soviet Paintings 1900-1930: Selections from the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, and the Stat

. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, $0 (238pp) ISBN 978-0-87474-495-8

Designed as the catalogue for an acclaimed Smithsonian exhibition of paintings from two major Soviet museumsthe Moscow State Tretyakov Gallery and the Leningrad State Russian Museumthis volume offers an illuminating introduction to one of the most dynamic periods in Russian art. Scholarly essays by an American professor and experts from the lending museums put the paintings in historical perspective, explaining how Russian art was influenced by the political turmoil of the early 20th century as well as by various movements in the art world, from pointillism to cubism. The beautiful color reproductions of 91 works illustrate an astonishing diversity. Some of the artists achieved world renownMarc Chagall, Vasilii Kandinsky; others are relatively obscure outside their native countryLeonid Chupiatov, Alexandr Labas. In earlier works, there is bold experimentation with color, composition and form. After the 1917 revolution, the emphasis is on art ``oriented toward technology and the factory.'' But these ``proletarian'' paintings, documenting ``the new Soviet way of life,'' emit a stark, moody energy that transcends their political purpose. The exhibition is currently at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (September)