Japonism

The French artist of Polish and Jewish origin was one of the most mysterious and mystical artists of the twentieth century, whose paintings are extremely ambiguous and are popular in the international art community. Balthus was one of those painters who cannot be clearly catalogued. He deliberately isolated himself from all the artistic trends that had succeeded in his time, in order, as he admitted, to achieve timeless realism.Baltus (Count Baltazar Klossowski) is known for his erotically charged images of teenage girls living in the world of their imagination and images. Therefore, his paintings are more reminiscent of magical realism with its fantastic world than surrealism. It is hard to say that the master’s painting was influenced by the prevailing fashion to return to realism - he initially used the techniques of the art of the Old Masters in order to create his own universe. His not always harmless and characteristic bourgeois interiors are just the conditions for depicting an ambiguous world populated by young people at the height of puberty, in which adults are not allowed, but can pervertedly intrude, as described in the scandalous work “Guitar Lesson”, which the New York MOMA first purchased, and soon got rid of. The artist actively resisted any attempts to create his biographical profile - in a telegram sent to the Tate Gallery, where a retrospective of his works was being prepared, he wrote in response to a request: “Balthus is an artist about whom nothing is known. Now let's see his work”.

A French Symbolist painter, sculptor and graphic artist, a member of the Nabi group. As a landscape painter, the author of plot paintings and a sculptor, Lacombe explored Symbolist themes and interpreted them in his own way. Paintings and sculptures by Georges Lacombe are included in the collections of many museums around the world.

A German painter, graphic artist and sculptor, a representative and theorist of the first in Germany association of expressionist "Bridge" ("Die Brücke", Dresden-Berlin), a participant in the "New Secession".639 works of the artist were removed from the galleries and museums of Germany being ranked as “degenerative art”. 25 of them were included in the exhibition of “degenerates”; hundreds of works were destroyed by the Nazis. The E. Kirchner Museum was opened in 1992 near Davos, where the artist lived for over 20 years; there is a collection of more than 1,400 paintings by the famous Expressionist.

An outstanding Austrian artist of Jewish origin, a decorator, a master of monumental painting, who played a big role in the development of Art Nouveau.His father was a hereditary jeweler from Bohemia, but did not have a stable income. His mother, Anna Finster, was a studious but not very successful musician. Gustav was the second of seven children of a Jewish family. Klimts were poor, in the early years of the Habsburg Empire, the work was not enough, especially for ethnic minorities. At an early age, Gustav and his two brothers, Ernst and Georg, showed their obvious artistic talents, and Gustav was noted as an exceptional draftsman.Gustav Klimt was one of the founders of the Vienna Secession - the association of progressive artists who protested against traditional painting. He became the first President of the Secession and the organizer of exhibitions of the society. Since 1898, Klimt had been collaborated with the art magazine named "Sacred Spring", in which the works of Symbolists Beardsley, Moreau, Puvi de Chavannes were published. The artist's work, aimed at introducing avant-garde trends in Austrian painting, played a key role in the development of the country's fine arts of the early twentieth century.

A Russian artist, stage-designer, philosopher, teacher and writer.Born into the family of famous St. Petersburg notary Konstantin Fedorovich Roerich. In his childhood, he studied with draftsman and sculptor M. Mikeshin.Roerich as a prominent public figure was the head of the association "World of Art", the founder of international movements "World through Culture", "Banner of Peace", the New York Institute of United Arts, the American International Center "Corona Mundi", the author of the Roerich Pact. The total list of organizations which Roerich was a member of, totals approximately 60.Roerich created approximately 7000 paintings, systematized in cycles and series (Old Russian, Mongolian and Tibetan, Himalayan, etc.), which are located in major museums, famous galleries of the world. The artist received prestigious awards not only in Russia, but also in Yugoslavia, France and Sweden. One of the oldest art educational institutions in St. Petersburg is the school named after N.K. Roerich.In the world, more than a dozen museums of Nicholas Roerich are open and functioning. Active is the Roerich’s movement "Agni Yoga" (Living Ethics).

An Impressionist artist and teacher, a member of the National Academy of Design, a chairman of the Society of American Artists.Born into the family of a successful merchant. From childhood, he was interested in painting, attending art classes of portrait painter Barton Hayes. His father planned to involve his son in the family business, but the young man was seriously interested in painting and decided to devote his life to it.William Merritt Chase developed his original style, becoming the ancestor of a new style in American painting. He was a member of the Impressionist group “Ten”, which was an alternative to the officially recognized art and promoted progressive trends in painting.He was known as a talented mentor, worked as a teacher of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, founded his own art school.William Chase was a successful artist. His creations were recognized by critics and popular among the public; numerous students developed and continued the artistic traditions of the master, creating contemporary, avant-garde, modernist art.

Polish artist, outstanding painter and graphic artist Wojciech Weis is one of the key figures of Polish modernism. Wojciech began to study as an artist in Lviv. Then he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow, at first as a free listener. Artist recognized and appreciated during his lifetime; he was a member of the Vienna Secession and the Society of Polish Artists, the professor and rector of the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts. The master had a huge influence on the development of Polish culture at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Despite all the titles and awards, Wojciech Weiss was in constant creative search, experimenting with a variety of techniques and trends in painting. The artist enriched Polish art with the latest European tendencies and contributed to the cultural rise of the country, which was called "Young Poland". The museum of the artist is opened in Krakow.

The biggest representative of Post-impressionism and partially Symbolism; however, his early works were created in the style of impressionism. He is considered the forerunner and one of the pioneers of the art of modernism (in the broad sense of this term) not only in painting, but also in sculpture and graphics.Gauguin began painting as an amateur in the 1870s. Soon he actively participated in exhibitions. He became worldly famous only after his demise. And at the end of the 20th century, biographical films about his life were created.

A French painter, portraitist, graphic artist and sculptor, a founder of the first modernist movement - Impressionism (along with Claude Monet, Frédéric Bazille, Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro). He is deservedly considered the author of a sentimental portrait.

A French painter, graphic artist and designer, who entered the history of fine art as one of the brightest colorists of the late 19th – the first half of the 20th centuries.The artist was born into the family of a high-ranking official. Received a legal education, on which his parents insisted. Then he received an art education.Bonnard belongs to the second generation of French Impressionists. Together with J. Vuillard, P. Serusier and M. Denis, Bonnard organized the famous group of artists named "Nabis", whose members, admiring the art of Japanese engraving, sought to simplify painting, working with planes of pure color and avoiding the randomness inherent in the first wave of Impressionism. At the end of his life, Pierre Bonnard departed from the fundamental principles of "Nabis" and turned to more saturated color combinations, creating exquisite colorful compositions. The artist painted landscapes, still lifes, interiors in an easy impressionistic manner.

A French artist, graphic artist and designer. Representative of Symbolism and Art Nouveau, one of the founders of the group of artists "Nabis" (French "Nabis", from Hebrew "The Prophets").The works of Vuillard are referred to the genre of "intimism" for the striving for the poetization of everyday life. Paintings of Vuillard, covering not so many themes, differs in harmony and original tonal decision, which makes it quite recognizable even among other "nabists". The artist is famous not only for his paintings, but also for interesting monumental compositions. His frescoes can be seen in the foyer of the theater of the Champs Elysees, in the Palais de Chaillot and the Palace of Nations in Geneva.

A French artist, one of the founders and theoreticians of the Nabis group (from Hebrew "The Prophets"). Paul's father was the owner of a perfume factory and dreamed of making his son a merchant. However, at school young Serusier showed a penchant for fine arts and languages. A disciple and a faithful follower of Paul Gauguin. It was Serusier who introduced the work of the outstanding painter to his friends at the Academy of Art who adopted and applied new artistic principles in their work. In addition to paintings and graphics, Serusier created several theoretical works. One of them is "The ABC of Painting", where the artist presented his understanding of the basics of painting.

A Swiss artist, sculptor, illustrator and graphic artist, who also created numerous wall paintings. He signed his paintings with the pseudonym Emil Sinclair.Cuno Amiet was born into the family of an official (state archivist) in the canton of Solothurn, where he began to take painting lessons.The artist worked in the genres of landscape and portrait. Belongs to the post-impressionist art movement, was a member of the Pont-Aven School, the Nabis group and the Vienna Secession. He was an honorary Doctor of Arts at the University of Berne, as well as an honorary member of the Solothurn Union of Artists, and since 1906 actively participated in the Art Association "The Bridge" (Germany).

A Russian painter, who worked in Germany and Switzerland.Alexej was the fifth of eight children born into the family of a colonel in the Russian army. In the 1980s, he served as an officer in the imperial army. At the same time, he was a student of Ilya Repin, working in his workshop at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.He was a founding member of the association of Munich Expressionist artists "New Art Society" (Neue Künster Vereinigung), the group "Blue Horseman" ("Der Blaue Reiter"); starting in 1925, he was a member of the Blue Four ("Die Blauen Vier") - an association that actively collaborated with German and American art galleries and art dealers.

Spanish painter, graphic artist, sculptor, director and writer. One of the most famous figures in Surrealism, and author of “The Persistence of Memory”, one of the most famous paintings of the 20th century.Dalí started painting at the age of four. He created his first serious work at the age of ten. It was a small impressionistic landscape, painted on a wooden board with oil paints. Henceforth, Dali spent whole days sitting in a small, specially allocated room and painting pictures. “I wanted to be given the laundry under the roof of our house. I got it and made it my own workshop, decorating it in the way I preferred,” he remembered later. Moreover, he liked to analyze the works of famous artists. He wrote and published essays about the works of Velazquez, Goya, El Greco, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish and French artist, sculptor, graphic artist, theater artist, ceramicist and designer. He was the founder of Cubism (together with Georges Braque and Juan Gris), in which the three-dimensional body was drawn in an original manner - as a series of superimposed planes. Also, it is known that his paintings hold first place in “popularity” among thieves.

Mary Stevenson Cassatt was an American Impressionist. The main subjects of her works are the social and personal lives of women and motherhood.She started her creative career with works in the classical style but later joined the Impressionists. The primary mentor and close friend of the artist was Edgar Degas. A unique lyricism and naturalness distinguish the works of Mary Cassatt. Despite the positive mood of all her paintings, Mary Cassatt’s life was not so carefree. Unsupported by her father, she was unrecognised in the United States.

Edgar Degas was a French painter and one of the brightest representatives of the Impressionist movement. When he was young, his father prophesied the career of a lawyer. However, Degas was more interested in arts and admired the painting. The young artist was born into a rich aristocratic family and therefore could devote all his time to the arts without having to worry about money.

Claude Monet was the founder of French Impressionist painting.At the age of fifteen, Monet was known as a French cartoonist. In his school years, he liked to depict his teachers in an irreverent manner. Soon, many Parisians asked him to paint caricatures of certain people.

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is now among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. He created about 2,100 artworks, including landscapes, still lifes, portraits and self-portraits.