Art Kaleidoscope

Portrait of Rabindranath Tagore. 1940. Colored ink, mineral paints. Painting by Chinese artist Xu Beihong (1895-1953)

Painting by Chinese artist Xu Beihong
The remarkable life and work of Xu Beihong (19 July 1895 – 26 September 1953) are well known in the homeland of the artist and beyond. Unlike many of his predecessors and even his contemporaries, he influenced not only the development of any of the genres of painting, but also the fate of Chinese art in general. His rebellious seeking spirit, embodied in unique artistic images, still attracts us with his unbridled, overwhelming energy.
Unfortunately, Xu Beihong lived a short life, however, it was bright and eventful. Born in the era of turbulent political upheavals and explosions experienced by his homeland, he became not only a witness, but also an active participant in its revolutionary events and political transformations.
Born in 1895 in a village in Yixing County, Jiangsu Province, his first teacher was his father Xu Dazhang, a teacher of drawing in a village school, an engraver and a poet. A subtle connoisseur of ancient Chinese literature and painting, who himself worked in the classical manner of “guohua”, he instilled in his son a love of art, and revealed to him the richness and originality of China’s ancient culture. A dreamy and impressionable youth set out to follow in the footsteps of his father. Years of childhood spent in close collaboration with nature, largely contributed to the formation of the personality of Xu Beihong.
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Self-portrait. 1921. Bulgarian artist Vladimir Dimitrov Maistor (1 February 1882 – 29 September 1960)

Bulgarian artist Vladimir Dimitrov Maistor
After Maistor became famous, he chose to live in poverty and gave away all of his possessions to poor people. Thus, he wore old clothes, gave up shaving and preferred only vegetarian food. In fact, many people thought him to be a saint and showed great affection for him even in his lifetime.
Born on February 1, 1882 in the village of Frolosh in the present Stankedimitrovsky district, just four years after the liberation of the Bulgarian people from the five-century Turkish yoke. Growing up in a poor peasant family, he learned early of poverty. One of his early works is a portrait of his father, created in 1907. All permeated with filial love, executed with picturesque ease, it gives an idea of ​​the impetuous nature and deep observation of a person close to nature. By nature, the spiritual world and temperament, Maistor has much in common with the father. Meanwhile, his father, an inquisitive and gifted man by nature, played several folk musical instruments. Subsequently, his son not only sang in the field with reapers, at weddings and other village festivities, but he himself liked to play the folk string instrument.
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Spas Emmanuil (Christ Emmanuel). 1668. The State Tretyakov Gallery. Work by Russian icon painter Simon Ushakov (1626-1686)

Russian icon painter Simon Ushakov
In the history of Old Russian fine arts this name stands alongside with the names of Andrei Rublev and Dionysius. According to GD Filimonov, the author of the first monographic essay on Simon Ushakov (1873), Ushakov was the first to look at icon painting as art. Ushakov was both an educator and, apparently, an able organizer, who for more than thirty years headed the artistic activity of all Russian state. Simon Ushakov demonstrated a new attitude to art and to the artist. It was a broader and freer nature of the world perception, conditioned by the general process of the development of Russian culture. Noteworthy, the biographical information about Simon Ushakov can be compiled from the well-known detailed information in the archives of the Armory Chamber. Thus, according the signatures on some icons, the autographs show that the real name of the artist was Pimen, and Simon is only a nickname. Besides, the inscription of one icon makes it possible to establish that Ushakov was born in 1626, and it is known that he died in 1686.
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Self-portrait. Russian painter Leonid Osipovich Pasternak (3 April 1862 – May 31, 1945)

Russian painter Leonid Osipovich Pasternak
Rubinstein and Scriabin, Tolstoy and Gorky, Mechnikov and Einstein posed for him. He was famous for being a brilliant portraitist and master illustrator. His paintings are in the world’s largest museums and in galleries of hundreds of collectors. However, for many decades the name of Leonid Pasternak was forgotten. Perhaps the genius of his father overshadowed his brilliant son – the poet Boris Pasternak.

Born in April 1862 in Odessa, Leonid Pasternak was the youngest child in a large Jewish family, one of the oldest and most respected Jewish families, which comes from King David. Apparently, from an excess of feelings, his parents named him just two names – Abram and Isaac. However, the relatives called him exclusively Leonid. On this occasion, the artist even had to write explanations in official institutions. By the way, the name originally sounded not Pasternak, but Posternak.
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Portrait of a gray cat. Beads, glass beads, buttons, river pearl. Sarah Jane Connors bead painting art

Sarah Jane Connors bead painting art
Beautiful British artist Sarah Connor works in the field of applied art for no more than 3 years, but what she creates with her own hands raises delight and admiration of the audience. Connor creates incredibly realistic pictures, using instead of paints beads, glass, buttons and other small things. Meanwhile, the main direction of her activity and the main inspiration are portraits of animals. In particular, in her gallery portraits of a cat, a dog, a leopard, a deer and a panda. And of course, the young and talented artist has many creative ideas. According to Connor, found “treasures” – pieces of broken ceramics, glass fragments and beads inspired her from childhood. So, combining love of treasure and creativity, she enjoys shopping in charity stores of second-hand things where beads and buttons are sold. In addition, even walks along the beach of Brighton also give rich material for her creativity.

And if to talk about her technique of creating paintings, Connor glues beads and buttons on wooden panels. In general, the creation of one picture takes months of painstaking work.
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Portrait of a brunette girl on a yellow background. Brooch on the motives of the painting by the artist Sergei Smirnov. Hand Embroidery. Mulina cotton, mulina metallized, Japanese beads, natural leather. Ekaterina Barinova artful embroidered brooches

Ekaterina Barinova artful embroidered brooches
Belgorod based artist of applied art Ekaterina Barinova creates decorations in the technique of embroidery with beads. According to the master, she uses only high-quality materials in her work. In particular, genuine leather, beads made in the Czech Republic and Japan, rhinestones made of glass and crystal, Swarovski crystals and pearls, beads made of crystal, glass, ceramics and natural stones. As a true artist, Katerina likes to experiment and come up with something new, while not forgetting to constantly replenish her supplies of materials. Meanwhile, all the works created by the hands of a young Russian master are author’s and unique.
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Galaxy. Material – citrine, rock crystal. Alexander Levental stone cutting art

Alexander Levental stone cutting art

Born in 1959, St. Petersburg based jeweler stone cutter Alexander Solomonovich Levental is the founder of the Creative Union of Rock-cutters of Russia and Knight of the Order of A.K. Denisov-Uralsky (2010).
He grew in the family of a geologist engineer and got a love for a stone from his father and grandfather, a Petrograd jeweler.
Alexander studied at the Restoration and Construction School, specializing in stone carving. After graduation in 1977, he continued private studies in the workshop of Eduard Versudsky and his wife Alevtina Voronova. Then he worked as a foreman of stone carvers at the Monumental sculpture factory. However, wherever and whatever he would not work (a sailor, a fireman, a polisher, a caretaker, a watchman), he was constantly engaged in jewelry and stone carving.
In 1989, Levental organized “Plastic in stone” company, which existed until 1992. After 1992, he ran the stone carving workshop “Artes”, and in 2002 founded his own creative workshop.
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