How art reflected the socialist utopia in the Soviet Union
A Paris exhibition shows how Russian art ranged from avant-garde to idealized socialist realism over the 1920s to 1940s. With more than 400 works, the show reflects how Soviet politics shaped visual representation.
Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin: 'Fantasy' (1925)
"Red: Art and utopia in the land of the Soviets," the new exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris, covers the period from the October Revolution of 1917 to the death of Stalin in 1953. It reveals how a free and diversified art scene under the Bolsheviks was silenced and instrumentalized by Stalin's regime. Pictured here is an avant-garde work with a eye-catching red-blue contrast by Petrov-Vodkin.
Isaak Brodsky: 'At the Coffin of the Leader' (1925)
Same year, but with a completely different theme: This painting depicts the burial of Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin in the Column Hall of the House of the Unions after his death in January 1924. The exhibition's various works from 1920s demonstrate the broad spectrum of styles and themes in the art of that era and how it was not dominated by aesthetic dogmas or propaganda.
Alexander Samokhvalov: 'The mobilized Komsomol' (1932)
When Josef Stalin gained absolute power over the USSR in 1927, demands on artists also changed. They were no longer to create abstract or austere constructivist works, but to depict the ideal socialist society. The exhibition shows how artworks from the 1930s portrayed workers or, as above, soldiers of the youth division of the Communist Party, the Komsomol, as well as the Soviet leader himself.
Rodchenko and Stepanova 'USSR in construction' (1935)
The married couple Alexander Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova depicted Stalin through this illustration for the large-format magazine "USSR in Construction." Rodchenko had primarily created avant-garde works during the 1920s. This piece exemplifies how the artists dealt with the changed political conditions. The work features extraordinary perspectives.
Alexander Deyneka: 'Lenin's day out with the children' (1938)
The way Deyneka's art changed between the 1920s and the 1940s is striking. Earlier works were characterized by constructivism, whereas his painting during the Stalin era was influenced by American realism. However, his favorite themes, which included proletarian workers, heroic warfare and idealized body depictions, remained similar through the years.
Alexander Deyneka: 'Absolute Freedom' (1944)
The socialist utopia was reflected in art through idealized representations of healthy and athletic bodies. Workers, soldiers, peasants, and athletes were all heroes of the proletariat. Deyneka depicted them repeatedly, which is why he is regarded as one of the main representatives of Socialist Realism. The exhibition "Red: Art and utopia in the land of Soviets" runs through July 1, 2019.