Russian Artists
Until recently, the Russian artists of the 20th century were virtually unknown to westerners. The lifting of the Iron Curtain, and the end of communism in Russia, has led to a fortunate discovery in the western world: the remarkable, life-affirming paintings from the Soviet era.
The Soviet Realists were state-commissioned. Consequently, they painted propaganda, but they also created extraordinary "practice" paintings. Soviet artists painted children and farm workers with intimacy and reverence; and landscapes as a symbol of life's continuity. These paintings, created during tumultuous times, celebrate the triumph of the human spirit.