Posted:
13.03.2025 14:47:10
Intersection of Fates
300 genuine masterpieces of visual art presented in Minsk
The most interesting exhibits from the joint exhibition of Belarus’ National Art Museum and the State Russian Museum
Until March 31st, the Russia–Belarus. Intersection of Fates exhibition is taking place in the exhibition hall of the National Art Museum in Minsk, a unique event in the museum history of both countries. All exhibits are of the highest calibre: three hundred top-quality works of painting, graphics, sculpture, and decorative applied arts. The exhibition brings together artists whose lives and creative destinies are closely intertwined with both countries. Our journalists took a stroll through the halls together with the museum’s leading research associate, Yelena Shaposhnikova.Clover in Bloom. By Apollinary Goravsky. 1895
When discussing artists whose creative work equally belongs to Belarus and Russia, one cannot overlook Apollinary Goravsky — he journeyed from the son of a minor nobleman to a popular city painter. In the latter half of his life, Goravsky acquired an estate in Kirillovichi near Pskov, where he spent his summers. It was there that he painted Clover in Bloom. The influence of Impressionism is clearly visible: there is no perfectly smooth surface; with textured, voluminous brushstrokes, the artist highlighted the clover flowers and meticulously depicted animals and trees. The sun is shining, but a cloud is already visible on the horizon — he vividly illustrated the changing state of nature. “In 1981, I personally retrieved this painting,” recalled Yelena Shaposhnikova. “The owner lived not far from Kazan Cathedral in a former communal flat. Sometimes these flats were divided: one family lived in the part with the front door, while another entered through the back. The collector’s flat belonged to the latter category. When we started to take out the painting, the frame wouldn’t fit! We tried every angle... The seller proposed leaving the frame. But it was magnificent! Goravsky himself chose it. In the end, we managed to get it out somehow... I am genuinely proud that we have preserved it.”
Vladimir and Rogneda. By Anton Losenko. 1770
It is a rare exception to the exhibition’s concept: artist Anton Losenko does not have roots in Belarus, yet the subject matter of the painting is directly related to it. The story of the refusal of Rogneda, the daughter of the Polotsk prince, to marry Vladimir, the prince of Novgorod, is well known. “Losenko was one of the first graduates of the Imperial Academy of Arts, later becoming its director. He was regarded as a central figure of the classicism school in the second half of the 18th century and a pioneer of the tradition of historical painting. One cannot study history through his canvases. Losenko depicted Vladimir and Rogneda as he felt them. All attention is focused on their poses and gestures,” emphasised the expert.
The exhibition opens with the works of Ivan Khrutsky, who is remembered in the history of Belarusian and Russian painting primarily as a master of still life. “Ivan Khrutsky’s works are a source of pride for Belarusian art,” noted Yelena Shaposhnikova. “He was the first among our painters to be awarded the title of academician of arts — at a time when still life was not considered a genre worthy of attention. Yet it is precisely this genre that brought him fame. There is little information about the master. Confusion occasionally arises even regarding his patronymic name: Fomich or Trofimovich? An art historian found his birth certificate, which states that Ivan’s father was priest Foma. For a long time, it was unclear how long he lived. In the early 1970s, his grandson’s wife donated Khrutsky’s self-portrait to the Russian Museum. It is noted that it was painted in 1884, during his 75th year of life.”
Artist Vasily Vereshchagin at Work. By Ilya Ginzburg. 1892
Sculptor Ilya Ginzburg is one of the main representatives of Petersburg academicism in the last pre-revolutionary decades. A native of Belarus, he was born in Grodno into a Jewish family. He created monuments to Gogol, Aivazovsky, Pushkin, Mendeleyev, and Plekhanov.
“However, Ginzburg is also known as a master of small sculpture. He created statuettes of famous artists such as Ilya Repin, Vasily Surikov, and many others. The figures of Vereshchagin and Shishkin can be seen here. He captured Vasily Vasilyevich in the creative process. Ginzburg preserved an interesting memory about Shishkin: he was extremely surprised at how the artist, with ‘such thick short fingers, manages to paint such astonishingly delicate landscapes!’” shared the specialist.
Dinner. By Leon Bakst. 1902
The audience first saw Dinner (or Lady in a Restaurant, as Bakst himself referred to the painting) at the World of Art fifth exhibition in 1903. It is believed that the artist was inspired by Anna, the flirtatious wife of artist Alexandre Benois. “It is a vivid example of Russian modernism with its characteristic features: asymmetry, graphic quality, and lack of balance,” listed Yelena Shaposhnikova. “All the lines are extremely expressive. Another distinctive feature is the monochrome palette, with no bright spots. One day, Bakst saw a lady in a restaurant and had the fleeting thought of creating such a composition. The lady bears some resemblance to Anna Benois, although it is not her portrait. When Bakst submitted the work to the exhibition, a scandal erupted: why is the lady sitting alone in a restaurant? This is immoral! Well-known art critic Stasov wrote that the woman in the painting had grimaces like those of a cat. However, Valentin Serov defended his friend, admitting that he liked the painting very much. Bakst later jokingly referred to it as Lady with Oranges, alluding to Serov’s Girl with Peaches.”By Yuliana Leonovich
