Customer Reviews

Soviet Impressionism

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Artists are often asked "Who are your influences?" Though Sargent, Sorrolla and Gerhardts are my favorites, I'd have to say that the Soviet Impressionists as a group have had more influence on my work than anyone else.

Ever since I walked into the Soviet gallery at the Sprigville Museum, I've been looking for a book that lives up to that experience. Not suprisingly, the author of this book is the director of that museum. In fact he's probably the leading authority in the country, if not more.

The book is nicely made and well laid-out, with the discussion and explaination of Soviet Impressionism following in a logical order which I find very helpful. This book is mostly color plates of a size you can see (unlike the postage stamp sized black and white ones so many books have.) The color plates are as good as any I've seen (and I'm fairly picky about that) and are true to the original pictures. And the size of the book is just right. It's large enough to be comprehensive without being over-heavy and uncomfortable.

If you're into Soviet Impressionism, this is the book to have. I would have gladly paid more.

It is hard to disagree that this book is well published and probably, along with Bown's Socialist Realist Painting, is the best book on the official Art in the Soviet Union. The quality of reproductions is superb. However, Swanson chooses to see the Socialis Realist Art as Impressionism, and under this newly changed name tag he begins the revisionist compaign ( as did Mr.Bown). What could possibly lead to such a switch in style's identities? It seems that this erroneous view is based on the fact that many of the sketches, landscape studies, and other works ,done from nature, by the Soviet artist do bear some stylistic affinity to the loose and airy impressionist technique. However, such affinity is due to the educational methods of the Soviet academies, where students worked with live models, worked outdoors, etc. Such practices , together with the influence of French and Russian Impressionists of the Nineteenth century, would definitely lead the artists to a more impressionistic portrayal of nature. But, as majority of the works reproduced in the book show, contrary to Mr. Swanson's thesis, Soviet Impressionism has NEVER existed in the form other than small percentage of the Soviet artists artistic output, and as such, it was motivated to be "impressionistic" more by the fact that people would rather buy something "pretty", like a landscape or a still life. Official commisions of oversized Communist compositions were only occasional for many artists, and "Impressionism" provided them with the Marketable Style on the side. This would classify the Soviet Impressionism more as the Soviet Opportunist Realism inside the Larger Socialist Realist Tradition. Soviet Impressionism/ Socialist Realism has never been interested in the portrayal of real world around, it was staging the reality, beautifying it and distorting it. As such it is not worthy of being "Impressionism", if one calls the art of Degas, Cezanne, and Manet the same name. In short the book is the sad example of great pictorial beauty and false revisionist doctrines.

This is a great book. Look at the prices these used book dealers are trying to get!!. The great news is that this book is being reprinted in November of 2007 with 140 new color plates added. All that for the Amazon price of $80!!!!! The new book is called Soviet Impressionist Painting. Buy it now and let the book sharks eat dry paste. Way to go Antique Collectors Club (the publisher).

This book displays the great Russian Impressionists, who ignored the weak, blotter-like colors and meekly dabbing brush work of the French. The book is well worth the price. Russian, Italian, Spanish and even American, Impressionism by far exceeds in style, vigor, spontonaety and boldness of color, that of the French. The French, however, because so many Americans lived there got more headlines. Serov, Irolli, Michetti, Mancini, Sarolla, Fattori and even Sargeant and Brangwyn, are all superior draughtsmen and colorists, with broad slashing, powerful, brush work and able to maintain brilliant color use in huge paintings, as anyone who paints knows is a prodigious feat. Among the French only Manet comes close to those I've mentioned, but even he pales in comparison.

Not only are the photos fabulous, but the text is the most comprehensive and informative account yet of this powerful school of art. Vern Swanson is not afraid to tell it as he sees it. This book is so far the best one written on the subject of Russian Impressionism/Socialist Realism.