Russian Painting: From the Xviiith to the Xxth Century (Schools & Movements) [Hardcover]

Peter Leek (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1859953557 | ISBN-13: 978-1859953556 | Publication Date: November 1999

This handsome volume offers a panorama of Russian painting from the 18th to the 20th century unequalled anywhere else. Russian culture developed through contact with European influences, but retained strong indigenous characteristics. From the Middle Ages to the 18th century, Russian painting was entirely devoted to religious subjects. This book begins with a discussion of the earliest examples of Russian art, namely icons, which were closely tied to Byzantine culture. It was not until the late 17th century that sacred art was abandoned and subject matter broadened to include pictures of everyday life, revealing tension between idealism and realism. Secular art flourished especially through portraits. Although the Academy of Fine Arts of St. Petersburg was founded in 1757, it would be decades before Russian artists became interested in still life and history painting.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Although touted as a major survey of Russian art, this is more of a coffee-table book than a research title. The 304 color illustrations are attractively reproduced and grouped into three main chapters: "From the 18th Century to the 1860s," "From the 1860s to the 1890s," and "From the 1890s to the Post-Revolutionary Period." Each chapter includes portraiture, historical painting, landscape, and still life among other painting types and trends. The brief chapter introductions and sparse text found amid the book's glorious images leave the reader wanting more information. Leek, who is never clearly identified, has simply tried to cover too much material. Because Leek attempts to include everyone from Karl Briullov (1799-1852) to Vasily Kandinsky (1866-1944), each of these influential artists is described in just a few sentences. A tighter focus would have been to this book's advantage. Marginally recommended for larger public and academic library art collections in need of Russian art images.
-Jennifer Mayer, Univ. of Wyoming Libs., Laramie
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Peter Leek is a British Art historian who has participated in the publication of a number of works recognised by his peers.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Parkstone Press (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1859953557
• ISBN-13: 978-1859953556
• Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 9.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,470,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Overview, February 18, 2007

By 

R. Craig Johnson "redart" (Salt Lake City, UT USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Russian Painting (Temporis Collection) (Hardcover)

This book is certainly worth having in any collection of students of Russian art. While it is not terribly useful for any particular period and is a bit short on detailed information, it does accomplish the main purpose of having an overview of the various types and historical periods of Russian art. It has an excellent collection of color plates which speak for themselves and exhibit the various traditions. It has a very short section on post revolutionary Russian Impressionism and I found that useful, but for others who want an indepth look at any particular period or genre, it is pretty basic. Worth having for historical and tradition context, but for serious focus on a particular tradition, other books are more detailed. I'm happy I have it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful gift for a Russian friend, December 8, 2009

By 

M. Szakacs "purveyor" (Florida) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Russian Painting (Temporis Collection) (Hardcover)

This is not strictly a review, but a reccomandation. I bought the book for a Russian friend who loves art, but has no Russian art books. I soon found out why. It is very hard to find a book on real Russian art. Plenty of books on the Hermitage collections and other foreign artists collected by Russian.
The book was a great success, my friend was so touched to see pictures by the artists she had studied about. It was worth every penny.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction before visiting Russia, March 11, 2008

By 

Kenneth East (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Russian Painting (Temporis Collection) (Hardcover)

This a beautifully illustrated book that can introduce you to the major Russian painters. And--if you're like me--all of them before the early 20th century will be unknown to you. I've read a fair amount of the text. I've found it good background for someone who just wants to know a little about Russian art before visiting Moscow and St Petersburg. There are good plates of the most important paintings. It's easy to go online to find more biographical background and even more plates if you find artists that intrigue you. I wish the index were better. The book is organized by genres--portraits, historical paintings, landscapes, etc. If you're trying to find all the paintings--or commentary--on a single painter, it's a struggle. But that's a quibble. I'm very pleased with the book. It's useful as I'm doing background research for my trip. I'll love having it as a reference once I return.