Paintings masterpieces of the world art. Paintings by great artists

If you think that all great artists are in the past, then you have no idea how wrong you are. In this article, you will learn about the most famous and talented artists of our time. And, believe me, their works will sit in your memory no less deeply than the works of the maestro from past eras.

Wojciech Babski

Wojciech Babski - modern Polish artist. He graduated from the Silesian Polytechnic Institute, but connected himself with. AT recent times draws mostly women. Focuses on the manifestation of emotions, seeks to obtain the greatest possible effect by simple means.

Loves color but often uses shades of black and gray to achieve best experience. Not afraid to experiment with new techniques. Recently, he has been gaining more and more popularity abroad, mainly in the UK, where he successfully sells his works, which can already be found in many private collections. In addition to art, he is interested in cosmology and philosophy. Listens to jazz. Currently lives and works in Katowice.

Warren Chang

Warren Chang is a contemporary American artist. Born in 1957 and raised in Monterey, California, he graduated magna cum laude from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in 1981 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fine Arts. For the next two decades he worked as an illustrator for various companies in California and New York before starting a career as a professional artist in 2009.

His realistic paintings can be divided into two main categories: biographical interior paintings and paintings depicting working people. His interest in this style of painting is rooted in the work of the 16th-century artist Jan Vermeer, and extends to objects, self-portraits, portraits of family members, friends, students, studio, classroom and home interiors. Its purpose is to realistic paintings create mood and emotion through light manipulation and the use of muted colors.

Chang became famous after the transition to traditional visual arts. Over the past 12 years, he has earned numerous awards and honors, the most prestigious being the Master Signature from the Oil Painters Association of America, the largest oil painting community in the United States. Only one person out of 50 is honored with the opportunity to receive this award. Currently, Warren lives in Monterey and works in his studio, he also teaches (known as a talented teacher) at the San Francisco Academy of the Arts.

Aurelio Bruni

Aurelio Bruni - italian artist. Born in Blair, October 15, 1955. Graduated with a degree in scenography from the Art Institute in Spoleto. As an artist, he is self-taught, as he independently “built the house of knowledge” on the foundation laid back in school. He began painting in oils at the age of 19. Currently lives and works in Umbria.

Bruni's early painting is rooted in surrealism, but over time he begins to focus on the proximity of lyrical romanticism and symbolism, reinforcing this combination with the exquisite refinement and purity of his characters. Animate and inanimate objects acquire equal dignity and look almost hyper-realistic, but at the same time, they do not hide behind a curtain, but allow you to see the essence of your soul. Versatility and sophistication, sensuality and loneliness, thoughtfulness and fruitfulness are the spirit of Aurelio Bruni, nourished by the splendor of art and the harmony of music.

Aleksander Balos

Alkasandr Balos is a contemporary Polish artist specializing in oil painting. Born in 1970 in Gliwice, Poland, but since 1989 he has been living and working in the USA, in the city of Shasta, California.

As a child, he studied art under the guidance of his father Jan, a self-taught artist and sculptor, so from early age, artistic activity received full support from both parents. In 1989, at the age of eighteen, Balos left Poland for the United States, where his schoolteacher and part-time artist Cathy Gaggliardi encouraged Alcasander to enroll in art school. Balos then received a full scholarship to the University of Milwaukee Wisconsin, where he studied painting with philosophy professor Harry Rosin.

After completing his studies in 1995 with a bachelor's degree, Balos moved to Chicago to study at the School of Fine Arts, whose methods are based on the work of Jacques-Louis David. figurative realism and portrait painting were most works of Balos in the 90s and early 2000s. Today, Balos uses the human figure to highlight the features and shortcomings of human existence, without offering any solutions.

The plot compositions of his paintings are intended to be independently interpreted by the viewer, only then the canvases will acquire their true temporal and subjective meaning. In 2005, the artist moved to Northern California, since then the scope of his work has expanded significantly and now includes freer methods of painting, including abstraction and various multimedia styles that help express the ideas and ideals of being through painting.

Alyssa Monks

Alyssa Monks - modern American artist. She was born in 1977 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. She became interested in painting when she was still a child. Studied at the New School in New York and State University Montclair, and graduated from Boston College in 1999, received a bachelor's degree. At the same time, she studied painting at the academy Lorenzo Medici in Florence.

Then she continued her studies under the program for a master's degree at the New York Academy of Art, in the Department of Figurative Art, graduating in 2001. She graduated from Fullerton College in 2006. For some time she lectured at universities and educational institutions throughout the country, teaching painting at the New York Academy of Art, as well as Montclair State University and Lyme Academy College of Art.

“Using filters such as glass, vinyl, water and steam, I distort the human body. These filters allow you to create large areas abstract design, with islands of color peeking through them - parts of the human body.

My pictures are changing modern look to the already established, traditional postures and gestures of bathing women. They could tell an attentive viewer a lot about such seemingly self-evident things as the benefits of swimming, dancing, and so on. My characters are pressed against the glass of the shower cabin window, distorting their own body, realizing that they thereby influence the notorious male look at a naked woman. Thick layers of paint are mixed together to mimic glass, steam, water and flesh from afar. However, up close, delightful physical properties oil paint. By experimenting with layers of paint and color, I find the moment when abstract strokes become something else.

When I first started painting the human body, I was immediately fascinated and even obsessed with it and felt that I had to make my paintings as realistic as possible. I "professed" realism until it began to unravel and deconstruct itself. Now I am exploring the possibilities and potential of a style of painting where representational painting and abstraction meet – if both styles can coexist at the same moment in time, I will do it.”

Antonio Finelli

Italian artist - time watcher” – Antonio Finelli was born on February 23, 1985. Currently lives and works in Italy between Rome and Campobasso. His works have been exhibited in several galleries in Italy and abroad: Rome, Florence, Novara, Genoa, Palermo, Istanbul, Ankara, New York, and they can also be found in private and public collections.

Pencil drawings " Watcher of time” Antonio Finelli send us on an eternal journey through inner world human temporality and the rigorous analysis of this world associated with it, the main element of which is the passage through time and the traces it inflicts on the skin.

Finelli paints portraits of people of any age, gender and nationality, whose facial expressions indicate the passage through time, and the artist also hopes to find evidence of the ruthlessness of time on the bodies of his characters. Antonio defines his works with one, general title: “Self-portrait”, because in his pencil drawings he not only depicts a person, but allows the viewer to contemplate real results the passage of time within a person.

Flaminia Carloni

Flaminia Carloni is a 37-year-old Italian artist, the daughter of a diplomat. She has three children. Twelve years she lived in Rome, three years in England and France. Received a degree in art history from the BD School of Art. Then she received a diploma in the specialty restorer of works of art. Before finding her calling and devoting herself entirely to painting, she worked as a journalist, colorist, designer, and actress.

Flaminia's passion for painting arose as a child. Her main medium is oil because she loves “coiffer la pate” and also plays with the material. She learned a similar technique in the works of the artist Pascal Torua. Flaminia is inspired by the great masters of painting such as Balthus, Hopper, and François Legrand, as well as various art movements: street art, Chinese realism, surrealism and renaissance realism. Her favorite painter Caravaggio. Her dream is to discover the therapeutic power of art.

Denis Chernov

Denis Chernov is talented Ukrainian artist, was born in 1978 in Sambir, Lviv region, Ukraine. After graduating from Kharkov art school in 1998 he stayed in Kharkov, where he currently lives and works. He also studied at the Kharkov State Academy of Design and Arts, Department of Graphics, graduated in 2004.

He regularly participates in art exhibitions, on the this moment there were more than sixty of them, both in Ukraine and abroad. Most of Denis Chernov's works are kept in private collections in Ukraine, Russia, Italy, England, Spain, Greece, France, USA, Canada and Japan. Some of the works were sold at Christie's.

Denis works in a wide range of graphics and painting techniques. Pencil drawings are one of his favorite painting methods, a list of his topics pencil drawings also very diverse, he paints landscapes, portraits, nudes, genre compositions, book illustrations, literary and historical reconstructions and fantasies.

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 - May 2, 1519) - famous italian painter, architect, philosopher, musician, writer, explorer, mathematician, engineer, anatomist, inventor, and geologist. Known for his paintings, the most famous of which are The Last Supper and Mona Lisa, as well as numerous inventions that were far ahead of their time, but remained only on paper. In addition, Leonardo da Vinci made an important contribution to the development of anatomy, astronomy and technology.

Raphael Santi (March 28, 1483 – April 6, 1520) was a great Italian painter and architect active during the Renaissance, covering the period from the end of the 15th century to the early years of the 16th century. Raphael is traditionally considered one of the three great masters of this period, along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Many of his works are in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, in a room called Raphael's Stanza. Among others, here is his most famous work - “ Athenian school».

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (June 6, 1599 - August 6, 1660) - spanish artist, portrait painter, court painter of King Philip IV, greatest representative golden age of Spanish painting. In addition to numerous paintings depicting historical and cultural scenes from the past, he painted many portraits of the Spanish royal family, as well as other famous European figures. The most famous work of Velasquez is the painting "La Meninas" (or "Family of Philip IV") of 1656, located in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuseno Maria de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santisima Trinidad Martir Patricio Ruiz and Picasso (October 25, 1881 - April 8, 1973) is a world-famous Spanish artist and sculptor, the founder of the direction in fine arts - cubism. Considered one of the greatest artists influenced the development of fine arts in the 20th century. Experts, was recognized as the best artist among those who have lived over the past 100 years, as well as the most "expensive" in the world. During his life, Picasso created about 20 thousand works (according to other sources, 80 thousand).

Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890) was a famous Dutch painter who gained fame only after his death. According to many experts, Van Gogh is one of the greatest artists in history. European art, as well as one of the most prominent representatives post-impressionism. Author of more than 2,100 works of art, including 870 paintings, 1,000 drawings and 133 sketches. His numerous self-portraits, landscapes and portraits are among the most recognizable and expensive works of art in the world. Most famous work Vincent van Gogh is perhaps considered a series of paintings called "Sunflowers".

Michelangelo Buonarroti (March 6, 1475 - February 18, 1564) - the world-famous Italian sculptor, artist, architect, poet and thinker who left an indelible imprint on the whole world culture. The most famous work of the artist, perhaps, are the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Among his sculptures, the most famous are "Pieta" ("Lamentation of Christ") and "David". Of the works of architecture - the design of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. Interestingly, Michelangelo became the first representative of Western European art, whose biography was written during his lifetime.

In fourth place in the list of the most famous artists in the world is Masaccio (December 21, 1401-1428) - the great Italian artist who had a huge impact to other masters. Masaccio lived a very short life, so there is little biographical evidence about him. Only four of his frescoes have survived, which, without a doubt, are the work of Masaccio. Others are believed to have been destroyed. Masaccio's most famous work is the Trinity fresco in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy.

Peter Paul Rubens (June 28, 1577 – May 30, 1640) was a Flemish (South Dutch) painter, one of the greatest artists of the Baroque era, known for his extravagant style. Considered the most versatile artist of his time. In his works, Rubens emphasized and embodied vitality and color sensibility. He painted numerous portraits, landscapes and historical paintings with mythological, religious and allegorical subjects. The most famous work of Rubens is the triptych "Descent from the Cross" written in the period from 1610 to 1614 and brought the artist worldwide fame.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (September 29, 1571 – July 18, 1610) was a great Italian artist of the early Baroque period, the founder of European realistic painting of the 17th century. In his works, Caravaggio skillfully used the contrasts of light and shadow, focusing on details. Often depicted ordinary Romans, people from the streets and markets in the images of saints and Madonnas. Examples are "The Evangelist Matthew", "Bacchus", "Conversion of Saul", etc. One of the most famous paintings of the artist is "The Lute Player" (1595), which Caravaggio called the most successful piece of painting for him.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) - the famous Dutch painter and engraver, who is considered the greatest and most famous artist peace. Author of about 600 paintings, 300 etchings and 2 thousand drawings. Its characteristic feature is a masterful play with light effects and deep shadows. The most famous work of Rembrandt is the four-meter painting "Night Watch", written in 1642 and now stored in State Museum Amsterdam.

Share on social networks

). However, within the framework of this article, we will consider only subject art.

Historically, all genres were divided into high and low. To high genre or historical painting included works of a monumental nature, carrying some kind of morality, a significant idea, demonstrating historical, military events associated with religion, mythology or fiction.

To low genre included everything related to everyday life. These are still lifes, portraits, everyday painting, landscapes, animalism, images of naked people and so on.

Animalism (lat. animal - animal)

The animalistic genre arose in antiquity, when the first people painted predatory animals on the rocks. Gradually, this direction developed into independent genre, implying an expressive image of any animals. Animalists usually show a great interest in the animal world, for example, they can be excellent riders, keep pets, or simply study their habits for a long time. As a result of the artist's intention, animals can appear realistic or in the form of artistic images.

Among Russian artists, many were well versed in horses, for example, and. Yes, on famous painting Vasnetsov's "Heroes" heroic horses are depicted with the greatest skill: the suits, the behavior of animals, the bridles and their connection with riders are carefully thought out. Serov did not like people and considered the horse in many ways better than a man, which is why he often depicted it in a variety of scenes. although he painted animals, he did not consider himself an animal painter, therefore bears in his famous painting “Morning in pine forest"Created by animal painter K. Savitsky.

In tsarist times, portraits with pets, which were dear to man, became especially popular. For example, in the picture, Empress Catherine II appeared with her beloved dog. Animals were also present in the portraits of other Russian artists.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the domestic genre

history painting

This genre implies monumental paintings that are designed to convey to society a grandiose idea, any truth, morality or demonstrate significant events. It includes works on historical, mythological, religious themes, folklore, as well as military scenes.

In ancient states, myths and legends were considered past events for a long time, so they were often depicted on frescoes or vases. Later artists began to separate the events from fiction, which was expressed primarily in the depiction of battle scenes. AT Ancient Rome, Egypt and Greece on the shields of victorious warriors often depicted scenes of heroic battles in order to demonstrate their triumph over the enemy.

In the Middle Ages, due to the dominance of church dogma, religious themes prevailed, in the Renaissance, society turned to the past mainly in order to glorify its states and rulers, and since the 18th century, this genre was often turned to educate young people. In Russia, the genre received mass distribution in the 19th century, when artists often tried to analyze the life of Russian society.

In the works of Russian artists, battle painting was presented, for example, and. Mythological and religious subjects in his paintings affected,. history painting dominated y, folklore - y.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the genre of historical painting

Still life (fr. nature - nature and morte - dead)

This genre of painting is associated with the depiction of inanimate objects. They can be flowers, fruits, dishes, game, kitchen utensils and other items, from which the artist often composes a composition according to his plan.

The first still lifes appeared in ancient countries. AT Ancient Egypt it was customary to depict offerings to the gods in the form of various dishes. At the same time, the recognition of the subject was in the first place, so the ancient artists did not particularly care about the chiaroscuro or texture of still life objects. In ancient Greece and Rome, flowers and fruits were found in paintings and in houses to decorate the interior, so that they were already depicted more reliably and picturesquely. The formation and flourishing of this genre falls on the 16th and 17th centuries, when still lifes began to contain hidden religious and other meanings. At the same time, their many varieties appeared, depending on the subject of the image (flower, fruit, scientist, etc.).

In Russia, the heyday of still life falls only in the 20th century, since before that it was used mainly for educational purposes. But this development was rapid and captured, including abstractionism with all its directions. For example, he created beautiful flower arrangements in, preferred, worked in and often “revived” his still lifes, giving the viewer the impression that the dishes were about to fall off the table or that all objects would now begin to rotate.

The objects depicted by the artists, of course, were also influenced by their theoretical views or worldview, state of mind. So, these were objects depicted according to the principle of spherical perspective discovered by him, and expressionist still lifes were striking in their drama.

Many Russian artists used still life mainly for educational purposes. So, not only honed artistic skill, but also conducted many experiments, laying out objects in different ways, working with light and color. experimented with the shape and color of the line, sometimes moving away from realism to pure primitivism, sometimes mixing both styles.

Other artists combined in still lifes what they depicted earlier and their favorite things. For example, in the paintings you can find his favorite vase, music notes and the portrait of his wife he created before, but he depicted flowers loved since childhood.

Many other Russian artists worked in the same genre, for example, and others.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the still life genre

Nude (fr. nudite - nudity, abbreviated nu)

This genre is designed to depict the beauty of the naked body and appeared even before our era. AT ancient world great attention was paid to physical development, since the survival of the entire human race depended on it. So, in ancient Greece, athletes traditionally competed naked so that boys and young men could see them perfectly. developed bodies and strived for the same physical perfection. Approximately in the VII-VI centuries. BC e. Nude male statues also appeared, personifying the physical power of a man. Female figures, on the contrary, always appeared before the audience in robes, since it was not customary to expose the female body.

In subsequent eras, attitudes towards naked bodies changed. So, in the days of Hellenism (from the end of the 6th century BC), endurance faded into the background, giving way to admiring male figure. At the same time, the first female nude figures began to appear. In the Baroque era, women with magnificent forms were considered ideal, during the Rococo era, sensuality became a priority, and in XIX-XX centuries paintings or sculptures with naked bodies (especially male) were often banned.

Russian artists have repeatedly turned to the nude genre in their works. So, these are dancers with theatrical attributes, these are posing girls or women in the center of monumental plots. This is a lot of sensual women, including in couples, this is a whole series of paintings depicting naked women in various activities, and this is girls full of innocence. Some, for example, depicted completely naked men, although such paintings were not welcomed by the society of their time.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the nude genre

Landscape (fr. Paysage, from pays - area)

In this genre, the priority is the image of natural or man-made environment: natural corners, types of cities, villages, monuments, etc. Depending on the selected object, natural, industrial, marine, rural, lyrical and other landscapes are distinguished.

The first landscapes of ancient artists were found in Neolithic rock art and were images of trees, rivers or lakes. Later, the natural motif was used to decorate the home. In the Middle Ages, the landscape was almost completely replaced by religious themes, and in the Renaissance, on the contrary, the harmonious relationship between man and nature came to the fore.

In Russia landscape painting developed from the 18th century and was initially limited (landscapes were created in this style, for example, and), but later a whole galaxy of talented Russian artists enriched this genre with techniques from different styles and directions. created the so-called discreet landscape, that is, instead of chasing spectacular views, he depicted the most intimate moments in Russian nature. and came to a lyrical landscape that struck the audience with a subtly conveyed mood.

And this is an epic landscape, when the viewer is shown all the grandeur of the surrounding world. endlessly turned to antiquity, E. Volkov knew how to turn any discreet landscape into a poetic picture, amazed the viewer with his wondrous light in landscapes, but could endlessly admire forest corners, parks, sunsets and convey this love to the viewer.

Each of the landscape painters focused on a landscape that fascinated him especially strongly. Many artists could not get past large-scale construction projects and painted a lot of industrial and urban landscapes. Among them are works

In early December 2011, new price records were set at Russian auctions in London. Summing up the results of the year, we have compiled a list of the most expensive works by Russian artists based on the results of auction sales.

33 most expensive k. Source: 33 most expensive k.

According to the ratings, the most expensive Russian artist is Mark Rothko. His White Center (1950), sold for 72.8 million dollars, in addition, ranks 12th in the list of the most expensive paintings in the world in general. However, Rothko was Jewish, born in Latvia, and left Russia at the age of 10. Is it fairwith a similar stretch chase for the records? Therefore, Rothko, as well as other emigrants who left Russia before becoming artists (for example, Tamara de Lempicki and Chaim Soutine), we deleted from the list.

No. 1. Kazimir Malevich - $60 million

The author of "Black Square" is too important a person for his works to be often found in the free market. So this picture came to auction in a very difficult way. In 1927, Malevich, about to arrange an exhibition, brought almost a hundred works from his Leningrad workshop to Berlin. However, he was urgently recalled to his homeland, and he left them for storage to the architect Hugo Hering. He saved the paintings during the difficult years of the fascist dictatorship, when they could well have been destroyed as "degenerate art", and in 1958, after Malevich's death, he sold them to the Stedelek State Museum (Holland).

AT early XXI century, a group of Malevich's heirs, almost forty people, began legal proceedings - because Hering was not the legal owner of the paintings. As a result, the museum gave them this painting, and will give away four more, which will surely cause a sensation at some auction. After all, Malevich is one of the most forged artists in the world, and the origin of the paintings from the Stedelek Museum is impeccable. And in January 2012, the heirs received another painting from that Berlin exhibition, taking it away from the Swiss museum.

#2 Wassily Kandinsky - $22.9 million

The auction price of a piece is affected by its reputation. It's not only big name artist, but also "provenance" (origin). An item from a famous private collection or good museum always worth more than a work from an anonymous collection. The "Fugue" comes from the famous Guggenheim Museum: once director Thomas Krenz removed this Kandinsky, a painting by Chagall and Modigliani from the museum collections, and put them up for sale. For some reason, with the money received, the museum acquired a collection of 200 works by American conceptualists. Krenz was condemned for a very long time for this decision.

This canvas of the father of abstractionism is curious in that it set a record back in 1990, when the auction halls of London and New York had not yet been filled with reckless Russian buyers. Thanks to this, by the way, it did not disappear into some very private collection in luxurious mansion, but is located in permanent exhibition in the private Beyeler Museum in Switzerland, where anyone can see it. A rare occasion for such a purchase!

No. 3. Alexei Yavlensky - 9.43 million pounds

Approximately $18.5 million was paid by an unknown buyer for a portrait depicting a girl from a village near Munich. Shokko is not a name, but a nickname. The model, coming to the artist's studio, each time asked for a cup of hot chocolate. So “Shokko” took root behind her.

The sold painting is included in his famous cycle"Race", depicting the domestic peasantry of the first quarter of the twentieth century. And, right, portraying with such mugs that it's scary to look at. Here, in the form of a shepherd, the peasant poet Nikolai Klyuev, the forerunner of Yesenin, is revealed. Among his poems there are the following: "In the fire, the scarlet flower has become deaf and faded - The light-brat is daring Far from the sweetheart."

No. 19. Konstantin Makovsky - 2.03 million pounds

Makovsky - salon painter, famous huge amount heads of hawthorns in kokoshniks and sundresses, as well as a picture "Children running from a thunderstorm", which at one time was constantly printed on gift boxes chocolates. His sweet historical paintings are in stable demand among Russian buyers.

The subject of this painting- Old Russian "kissing rite" Notable women on Ancient Russia it was not allowed to leave the women's half, and only for the sake of honored guests could they go out, bring a glass and (the most pleasant part) allow themselves to be kissed. Pay attention to the picture hanging on the wall: this is the image of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, one of the first equestrian portraits that appeared in Russia. Its composition, although it was brazenly copied from the European model, was considered unusually innovative and even shocking for that time.

No. 20. Svyatoslav Roerich - $2.99 ​​million

The son of Nicholas Roerich left Russia as a teenager. Lived in England, USA, India. Like his father, he was interested in Eastern philosophy. Like his father, he painted many paintings on Indian themes. In general, his father occupied a huge place in his life - he painted more than thirty of his portraits. This picture was created in India, where the clan settled in the middle of the century. Paintings by Svyatoslav Roerich rarely appear at auctions, and in Moscow the works of the famous dynasty can be seen in the halls of the Museum of the East, to which the authors presented them, as well as in the museum museum "International Center of the Roerichs", which is located in a luxurious noble estate right behind the Pushkin Museum. Both museums do not like each other very much: the Oriental Museum claims both the building and the collections of the Roerich Center.

No. 21 Ivan Shishkin - £1.87m

The main Russian landscape painter spent three consecutive summers on Valaam and left many images of this area. This work is a little gloomy and does not look like a classic Shishkin. But this is explained by the fact that the picture refers to his early period when he did not find his style and was strongly influenced by the Düsseldorf school of landscape, in which he studied.

We have already mentioned this Düsseldorf school above, in the recipe for a fake "Aivazovsky". " Shishkins" are made according to the same scheme, for example, in 2004 at Sotheby's exhibited "Landscape with a Stream" of the painter's Düsseldorf period. It was estimated at $ 1 million and was confirmed by the examination of the Tretyakov Gallery. An hour before the sale, the lot was removed - it turned out to be a painting by another student of this school, the Dutchman Marinus Adrian Kukkuk, bought in Sweden for 65 thousand dollars.

No. 22. Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin - 1.83 million pounds

A portrait of a boy with an icon of the Virgin was found in a private collection in Chicago. After it was handed over to the auction house, experts began research in an attempt to determine its origin. It turned out that the painting was at exhibitions in 1922 and 1932. In the 1930s, the artist's works traveled around the States as part of an exhibition of Russian art. Perhaps it was then that the owners acquired this painting.

Note the empty space on the wall behind the boy. At first, the author thought to write a window with a green landscape there. This would have balanced the picture both in terms of composition and colors - the grass would have something in common with the green tunic of the Mother of God (by the way, according to the canon, it should be blue). Why Petrov-Vodkin painted over the window is unknown.

No. 23. Nicholas Roerich - 1.76 million pounds

Before visiting Shambhala and beginning to correspond with the Dalai Lama, Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich specialized quite successfully in the Old Russian theme and even made ballet sketches for the Russian Seasons. The sold lot belongs to this period. Pictured scene - miraculous phenomenon over the water, which is observed by a Russian monk, most likely - Sergius of Radonezh. It is curious that the picture was painted in the same year as another vision of Sergius (then the youth Bartholomew), appearing in our list above. The stylistic difference is enormous.

Roerich painted many paintings and the lion's share of them - in India. He donated several pieces to the Indian Institute of Agricultural Research. Recently two of them, "Himalaya, Kanchenjunga" and "Sunset, Kashmir appeared at an auction in London. It was only then that the Institute's junior researchers noticed that they had been robbed. In January 2011, Indians applied to a London court for permission to investigate the crime in England. The interest of thieves in Roerich's heritage is understandable, because there is a demand.

No. 24. Lyubov Popova- 1.7 million pounds

Lyubov Popova died young, so she failed to become famous like another Amazonian avant-garde Natalya Goncharova. Yes, and her legacy is smaller - therefore, it is difficult to find her work for sale. After her death, a detailed inventory of the paintings was compiled. This still life long years was known only from a black-and-white reproduction until it surfaced in a private collection, being the most significant work artists in private hands. Pay attention to the Zhostovo tray - maybe this is a hint of Popova's taste for folk crafts. She came from a family of an Ivanovo merchant who was engaged in fabrics, and she herself created many sketches of propaganda textiles based on Russian traditions.

No. 25. Aristarkh Lentulov - 1.7 million pounds

Lentulov entered the history of the Russian avant-garde with a memorable image of St. Basil's Cathedral - either cubism, or a patchwork quilt. In this landscape, he tries to break up space in a similar way, but it doesn't come out as exciting. Actually, therefore Basil the Blessed» in the Tretyakov Gallery, and this picture- in the art market. Still, once museum workers had the opportunity to skim the cream.

No. 26. Alexei Bogolyubov - 1.58 million pounds

Selling it little-known artist, albeit a favorite landscape painter of Tsar Alexander III, for such crazy money - a symptom of market frenzy on the eve of the 2008 crisis. Then Russian collectors were ready to buy even minor masters. Moreover, first-class artists rarely sell.

Perhaps this picture was sent as a gift to some official: it has a suitable plot, because the Cathedral of Christ the Savior has long ceased to be just a church, and has become a symbol. And a flattering origin - the picture was kept in the royal palace. Pay attention to the details: the brick Kremlin tower is covered with white plaster, and the hill inside the Kremlin is completely unfurnished. Well, why bother trying? In the 1870s, Petersburg was the capital, not Moscow, and the Kremlin was not the residence.

No. 27. Isaac Levitan - 1.56 million pounds

Completely atypical for Levitan, the work was sold at the same auction as Bogolyubov's painting, but it turned out to be cheaper. This is due, of course, to the fact that the picture does not look like "Levitan ". Its authorship, however, is indisputable, a similar plot is in the Dnepropetrovsk Museum. 40,000 light bulbs, with which the Kremlin was decorated, were lit in honor of the coronation of Nicholas II. In a few days, the Khodynka disaster will happen.

No. 28. Arkhip Kuindzhi - $3 million

The famous landscape painter painted three similar paintings. The first is in the Tretyakov Gallery, the third is in the State Museum of Belarus. The second, presented at the auction, was intended for Prince Pavel Pavlovich Demidov-San Donato. This representative of the famous Ural dynasty lived in a villa near Florence. In general, the Demidovs, having become Italian princes, had fun as best they could. For example, Paul's uncle, from whom he inherited the princely title, was so rich and noble that he married the niece of Napoleon Bonaparte, and once in bad mood carved her. The poor lady struggled to get a divorce. The picture, however, did not get to Demidov, it was acquired by the Ukrainian sugar factory Tereshchenko.

No. 29. Konstantin Korovin- 1.497 million pounds

Impressionists a very “light”, sweeping style of writing is inherent. Korovin is the main Russian impressionist. It is very popular among scammers; according to rumors, the number of fakes at auctions reaches 80%. If a painting from a private collection was exhibited on personal exhibition artist in the famous state museum, then her reputation is strengthened, and at the next auction she costs much more. In 2012 Tretyakov Gallery plans a large-scale exhibition of Korovin. Maybe there will be works from private collections. This paragraph is an example of the manipulation of the reader's mind by the example of listing facts that do not have a direct logical connection between them.

• Please note that from March 26 to August 12, 2012 the Tretyakov Gallery promises to arrangeKorovin's exhibition . Read more about the biography of the most charming of the Silver Age artists. in our review vernissages of the State Tretyakov Gallery in 2012.

No. 30. Yuri Annenkov - $2.26 million

Annenkov managed to emigrate in 1924 and made a good career in the West. For example, in 1954 he was nominated for an Oscar as a costume designer for the film "Madame de..." The most famous of his early Soviet portraits- the faces are cubist, faceted, but completely recognizable. For example, he repeatedly drew Leon Trotsky in this way - and even repeated the drawing many years later from memory, when the Times magazine wanted to decorate the cover with him.

The character depicted in the record portrait is the writer Tikhonov-Serebrov. He entered the history of Russian literature mainly through his close friendship with. So close that, according to dirty rumors, the artist's wife Varvara Shaikevich even gave birth to a daughter from the great proletarian writer. It is not very noticeable on the reproduction, but the portrait is made in the collage technique: glass and plaster go over the layer of oil paint, and even a real doorbell is attached.

#31 Lev Lagorio - £1.47m

Another minor landscape painter, for some reason sold for a record price. One of the indicators of the success of the auction is the excess of the estimate ("assessment") - the minimum price that the experts of the auction house set for the lot. The estimate of this landscape was 300-400 thousand pounds, and it was sold 4 times more expensive. As one London auctioneer said: "Happiness is when two Russian oligarchs compete for the same subject.

No. 32. Viktor Vasnetsov - 1.1 million pounds

The heroes of steel calling card back in the 1870s. He returns to his star theme, like other veterans of Russian painting, during the years of the young Soviet republic - both for financial reasons and to feel in demand again. This picture is the author's repetition "Ilya Muromets" (1915), which is kept in the House-Museum of the Artist (on Prospekt Mira).

No. 33. Eric Bulatov - 1.084 million pounds

The second living artist on our list (he also said that for an artist The best way to raise the price of your work is to die). By the way, this is the Soviet Warhol, underground and anti-communist. He worked in the genre of Sots Art, which was created by the Soviet underground, as our version of Pop Art. "Glory to the CPSU" is one of the most famous works artist. According to his own explanations, the letters here symbolize the lattice that blocks the sky from us, that is, freedom.

Bonus: Zinaida Serebryakova - £1.07m

Serebryakova loved to paint nude women, self-portraits and her four children. This ideal feminist world is harmonious and calm, which cannot be said about the life of the artist herself, who with difficulty escaped from Russia after the revolution and spent a lot of energy to get her children out of there.

"Nude" is not an oil painting, but a pastel drawing. This is the most expensive Russian drawing. Such a high amount paid for graphics is comparable to the prices for Impressionist drawings and caused great surprise at Sotheby's, who started trading with 150 thousand pounds sterling, and received a million.

The list is based on the prices indicated on the official websites of the auction houses. This price is the sum of the net worth (voiced when the hammer comes down), and« buyer's premium" (additional percentage of the auction house). Other sources may indicate "pure» price. The dollar to pound exchange rate often fluctuates, so British and American lots are located relative to each other with approximate accuracy (we are not Forbes).

Additions and corrections to our list are welcome.

The names and works of these artists will be known for centuries.

10 Leonardo da Vinci (1492 - 1619)

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci went down in history as an outstanding architect, inventor, researcher, philosopher, mathematician, writer, musician, and, of course, an artist. His masterpieces "Mona Lisa" and " Last Supper are known all over the world. They also note his merits in other sciences - in geology, astronomy and anatomy.

9 Raphael Santi (1483 - 1520)

The Italian Rafael Santi, a representative of the Renaissance (late XV - early XVI centuries), was one of the the greatest painters and architects. One of his famous works– The "School of Athens" is now in the Vatican, in the Apostolic Palace. The name of Raphael stands next to the names of the great artists of the era, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

8 Diego Velazquez (1599 - 1660)

Diego de Silva y Velasquez is famous for his portraits. The Spanish painter became popular thanks to a large number works depicting the royal family, historical events and famous European personalities, which deserved to be considered one of the symbols of the golden age of painting. Velazquez worked on his paintings at the court of King Philip the Fourth, painting his most famous painting"Las Meninas", depicting his family.

7 Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)

Compatriot Diego Velaquez Picasso made an invaluable contribution to the visual arts of the twentieth century. He laid the foundation for a completely new direction in painting - cubism. His painting and sculpture have given him the title of the best and "most expensive" artist of the last century. The number of his works cannot be counted - it is measured in tens of thousands.

6 Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890)

Ranked sixth overall famous painter Vincent Willem van Gogh from the Netherlands. Unfortunately, his fame as one of the most prominent post-impressionists, he acquired after his death. His works are distinguished by a unique, recognizable style. Van Gogh's paintings: landscapes, portraits and self-portraits are valued incredibly highly. During his life, Vincent van Gogn wrote more than 2100 works, among them his series of works "Sunflowers" is especially distinguished.

5 Michelangelo (1475 - 1564)

The Italian Michelangelo Buonarroti brilliantly became famous for his works in sculpture, painting, architecture. He is also a famous philosopher and poet, who had a huge impact on the entire culture of mankind. The creations of Michelangelo - the sculptures "Pieta" and "David" are among the most famous in the world. But his frescoes, which are on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, undoubtedly gained great fame. Michelangelo also designed the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, leaving his mark on architecture.

4 Masaccio (1401 - 1428)

The outstanding mystery artist Masaccio, about whose biography we know very little, contributed invaluable contribution into the visual arts, inspiring many artists. The life of this artist was cut short very quickly, but even during this period of time, Masaccio left a great cultural heritage. His fresco "Trinity" in Italy, in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, is one of the four surviving frescoes that have become world famous. There is an opinion that the rest of his works by Masaccio could not be preserved intact and were destroyed.

3 Peter Paul Rubens (1577 - 1640)

The “bronze” of our rating rightfully goes to Peter Paul Rubens, an artist from the Southern Netherlands who worked in the Baroque era and became famous for his special style. Rubens brilliantly conveyed colors on canvas, his paintings fascinated with their liveliness. Everyone, looking at his paintings, could find something of his own - in landscapes, portraits. Rubens also painted historical paintings that tell about myths or religious subjects. Carefully painted over four years, the triptych "Descent from the Cross" won the attention of the whole world. The special style of painting of Rubens glorified him all over the world.

2 Caravaggio (1571 -1610)

The second place in the rating was given to another Italian artist who worked in the early baroque era, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, who founded European realism. He loved to paint ordinary people from the streets, carefully concentrating on important details: the play of light and shadow, colors and contrast. He depicted them in religious, holy images. As Caravaggio himself mentioned, he was proud of his Lute Player, written at the very end of the 16th century. Also mentioned are his paintings "Conversion of Saul", "Matthew the Evangelist", "Bacchus" and others.

1 Rembrandt (1606-1669)

The honorable first place is occupied by the world-famous Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. The artist liked to experiment with chiaroscuro in his works. His works number about three thousand various paintings, drawings and etchings. At the moment, the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum houses the most famous work Rembrandt - the painting "Night Watch", completed in the middle of the seventeenth century and having gigantic dimensions - four meters.