Art Kaleidoscope

Mardi Gras. Pierrot and Harlequin eternal conflict. 1888-1890 Painting by Paul Cezanne

Pierrot and Harlequin eternal conflict

Pierrot et Arlequin, or “Mardi Gras” – the picture painted in 1888-1890 by French artist Paul Cezanne (1839-1906). It belongs to the State Museum of Fine Arts Pushkin in Moscow, located in the gallery of art of Europe and America, XIX-XX centuries. The constant conflict between two temperaments – Piero (Italian version – Pedrolino) and Harlequin, traditional characters of Italian commedia dell’arte. As for models, for Cezanne posed his son Paul and his friend Louis Guillaume. Cezanne paints arrogance and cynicism of a quirky and cheerful Harlequin and insincerity of shy and secretive Piero. It seems that dreamy Pierrot is thinking about something else, but if you look closely, you can see how he secretly wants to push Harlequin.
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Portrait, c. 1889. National Library of Norway. Mysterious Edvard Munch(1863-1944)

Mysterious Edvard Munch
Handsome men often have peculiar traits of femininity, and some weakness. Indeed, Edvard Munch was handsome. He could not boast of good health. And yet didn’t give the impression of a weak man. He was surprisingly energetic, beautiful head. Seeing him, passersby turned around even when his name was not yet known. Anyone who saw Mysterious Edvard Munch, would never forget him. His blond, wavy hair, a high forehead, and bulging gray-blue eyes. The nose and mouth had good shape, even the thin lower lip did not spoil his fineness. Strong chin seemed even stronger, as Munch always carried his head high.
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A Shirt. Oil on canvas, 2013. Red painting by Mikhail Kaban-Petrov

Red painting by Mikhail Kaban-Petrov acts as a symbolic message to the world, alarming and anxious. Russian artist Mikhail Kaban-Petrov was born in 1969, in a small Siberian town of Reshety of Novosibirsk region. Mikhail graduated from Art school in Novoaltaisk, and then – Moscow Academy of Fine Arts. He is a Member of the Professional Artists Union of Russia. Mikhail Kaban-Petrov is a participant of numerous domestic and international exhibitions. His works are in the collections around the world. According to the artist, he feels complete happiness in the fullest sense, only when he is in his studio. “I am more concerned about “I – tomorrow”, than “I am today”, or I am yesterday” – states the artist.
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Wet Snow. Acrylic on canvas. Painting by Russian artist Elena Schumacher. 2015

Russian artist Elena Schumacher was born in 1969 in the city of Novomoskovsk, Tula region. In 1993, she graduated from Smolensk Pedagogical Institute, the graphic arts department. She began to paint professionally only 15 years later, and according to art critics, it was the victory of art over the grayness of everyday life. In just five years of her artistic career, Elena managed to hold 13 solo exhibitions and several group exhibitions in Russian cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vitebsk, Smolensk, Tula, and Novomoskovsk, as well as abroad – in France and Belarus. Her works are in private collections in Russia and abroad, as well as in the collection of the Tula Regional Art Museum. In 2011, the artist was a finalist of the international competition of contemporary fine art ART-PREVIEW, received a special prize from the German magazine “Ostwind”.
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Gold-dome Moscow. Vladimir Zhdanov Winter landscape

Vladimir Zhdanov Winter landscape
Russian artist Vladimir Zhdanov was born in the Siberian city of Omsk in 1959, but currently lives and works in the town of Pushkin (Saint-Petersburg). In his paintings the artist depicts images of ancient Russian cities, scenes of everyday rural life showing great love and understanding. The artist is particularly captivated by the life of Russian peasants of the 19th century. Vladimir Zhdanov works in oils, watercolors, pastels. The theme of his work: the Siberian landscape, images of ancient Russian cities and royal residences, still-life, female and child portrait, nude.
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Queen of Bohemia, daughter of James I, Elizabeth. 1605–1610. Nicholas Hilliard portrait miniature

Nicholas Hilliard portrait miniature art

Son of a citizen of Exeter, Hilliard founded the school of English miniature art, not only among courtiers ostentatiously vying with one another for the “Queen’s picture in little” at “forty, fifty or a hundred ducats apiece”, but among all who desired mementoes of their family or friends. Miniature painting went on at high level in England until the era of Cosway (Richard Cosway (1742 – 1821) – eminent English miniature painter, who portrayed all the beauty and fashion of his day) at the end of George III’s reign, and indeed it was only killed by photography. (G.M. Trevelyan. Illustrated English Social History)
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Doll ‘Russian Beauty’ author’s work, a single copy. Hand embroidery, Vintage. Hyper realistic dolls by Alyona Abramova

Hyper realistic dolls by Alyona Abramova
Alyona Abramova (nee Shachkova), an artist by profession and “for life.” She graduated from Kholuy art school named after NN Kharlamov in 2004. Before that, there was an attempt to get an education at the Russian Academy of tourism in Moscow. But the artist who has always lived in the soul of Alyona – led her in another direction. The fate threw her into Kholui – famous in Russia center of lacquer miniature. In the words of the artist herself, she fell in love with this little piece of Russia, who is still in awe of its silence and nature. This can be assessed only by city people! Nature and silence – the best teacher for the artist. No chromatics and composition do not go with it in comparison! And nothing teaches better than a close observation of the world. And the spark of God in the soul, intuition – a lot more than education and diplomas. Alyona always drew, and her artistic education is more likely to “tick” in the personal file. The artist – is not a job but a way of life. As her teacher of composition said, “God has given us our profession in a good mood and with his eyes closed.”
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