In 1932 Joseph Stalin Decreed That the Only Acceptable Form of Art Was

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The Early Years of Soviet Realism

by Cathy Locke

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, "Bathing the Ruddy Horse," 1912, oil on sheet

The creative fashion known equally Soviet Realism was conceptualized by Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) to brand his administration's propaganda. As early on as 1921 the Soviet regime had begun to shift their preferences away from the avant-garde Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) had favored to a more traditional approach. During the 1920s artists of the Russian advanced began feeling more and more pressure level from the Soviet ideologues forcing them to completely change their creative style. With the expiry of Lenin, and Stalin's emergence to power, art schools teaching theories of the Russian avant-garde were apace dissolved. Stalin wanted to distance himself from Lenin'south brand and was looking for something that went in a completely unlike management. Stalin began by making claims that Kazimir Malevich'south (1879-1935) suprematist work was "conservative" art and that the only art that could exist publicly exhibited had to accept "educational value." The large collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings in Russia were taken off their stretcher confined, rolled, then packed into trains and shipped off to Siberia, all because they contained no educational value. Fine artists began searching for subject matter to correspond the demands of Soviet censorship. Cartoon on Russia'due south history of icon art, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939) was ane of the first Russian artists to win fame for his painting,Bathing the Equus caballus in the 1920s. This genre painting of boys bathing their country horses in a river became a revolutionary icon during the early Soviet years. The red color typically associated with Russia took on a new political pregnant representing the new Soviet transformation. Soviet ideologues saw the painting equally a phone call for spiritual cleansing. Each generation of viewers since has projected their own historical traumas – forth with their expectations and hopes – on the picture.ⁱ The composition is made upwardly of contrasting large and small figures. The primal red horse is moving counter-clockwise disturbing the round flow of the figures in the groundwork. The cherry horse is literally larger than life, representing a change in direction that cannot exist ignored. It is believed that Petrov-Vodkin was influenced by the painting,Music andTrip the light fantastic by Henri Matisse (1869-1954), which had come to Moscow ane year prior to the cosmos ofBathing the Equus caballus. There are many ways to translate this painting, just one might exist that the big red horse depicts Stalin marching in his own direction while stirring the pond that Lenin had created.

Kazimir Malevich, "Girls in a Field," 1928-1929, oil on canvas

Steps to render to a traditional artistic style officially began with the adoption of Stalin's decree in Apr 1932 that dissolved all existing literature and arts organizations to form one unified creative marriage that dictated all creative output, including teaching. On August two, 1932 the Leningrad Union of Soviet Artists was born and ushered in the era of Soviet Realism. By 1934 the Russian congress had established guidelines for Soviet Realist art², which was every bit follows:

1. Proletarian: art relevant to the workers and understandable to them.
2. Typical: scenes of everyday life of the people.
3. Realistic: in the representational sense.
4. Partisan: supportive of the aims of the State and the Party.

Kazimir Malevich, "Head of a Peasant," 1928-1929, oil on canvas

Not all artists lined up to follow Stalin's censorship. Of course our favorite tragic hero, Kazimir Malevich, resisted. In his painting, Girls in a Field (1928), Malevich is making a statement on political oppression by depicting the figures in uniforms with no individuality. In his painting,Head of a Peasant (1928), nosotros see a face up with no mouth. Malevich is maxim, "Don't speak, and don't tell the truth." Stalin had his paintings confiscated and he was banned from creating and exhibiting such work. Malevich responded by maxim "art can advance and develop for art's sake lone. Fine art does not need u.s.a., and it never did." On September 20, 1930 Malevich was arrested and taken to prison. When he was released six months subsequently, he began to apply his talents to costume pattern.

Soviet Realism, also referred to as sotsrealism and Stalin's neoclassicism set out to create a brand new proletarian culture. Stalin's philosophy was that treasures previously simply available to the elite would at present be offered to the working class. In fact subcontract and factory workers were given an opportunity to spend a few weeks in a palace once a year.³During the age of sotsrealism many buildings were turned into palaces. A massive subway organization was built and designed to be the "People'south Palaces." The miracle of Stalin's neoclassicism defined non only art, but government and country planning. It became the job of the commissioner of teaching, Anatoly Lunacharsky (1875-1933), to envision Russia's new artistic brand and to enforce the government's start censorship organization. Artists of all types carried the brunt of this censorship. Ironically Lunacharsky, who had founded an avant-garde organization known as Proletkult during the Lenin years, now had to distance himself from such fine art. So all Russian artists began searching for ways to piece of work inside the guidelines of Soviet Realism. With a definite shift toward figurative piece of work fine artists began creating dramatized images of factory workers, new leaders, heroes and martyrs of the revolution. As well, meetings with state leaders, celebrations, sports and labor achievements all became new subjects for Russian artists. Even nonetheless life and landscape genres took on a new blazon of abundance on a g scale.

Isaak Brodsky, "Lenin in the Smolny," 1930, oil on canvas

An Early Success

The painting, Lenin in Smolnyby Isaak Brodsky (1883-1939), became an iconic artwork symbolizing the early years of Soviet Realism. The painting was done after Lenin's decease and was intended to canonize the image of the leader of the world proletariat. Copies of this painting were reproduced in the millions and hung in all the great Soviet institutions. Lenin disliked posing for paintings and had to exist convinced past Lunacharsky that Brodsky was 1 of the most talented artists of their time. In fact, Brodsky had been the star educatee of i of Russian federation'southward greatest painters, Ilya Repin (1844-1930). Since 1917 Brodsky had dedicated himself to painting revolutionary art and had created an entire serial on Lenin prior to paintingLenin in Smolny.Though painted in 1930, Lenin in Smolny, "takes us back to the showtime few months of the Soviet regime, when, from mid-November 1917 until March 10, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars and Lenin's office were situated inside the Smolny Found*."⁴ In stark contrast to the opulence of the previous tsarist regime, Brodsky depicts a minor surround that works to dilate the silence in the room. The figure is drawn well-nigh life size, which enhances the feeling that the viewer is right before the leader. Lenin is lost in his work and wrapped in shadow that literally blends him into the room. This is not a typical portrait from the 1800s, but a argument filled with emotional feeling. The myth surrounding this leader was his keen chapters for piece of work; therefore this portrait doesn't illustrate his physical form but his contribution to Soviet policies. Lenin is surrounded past darkness that is contrasted past the humble white cloths draped over the two armchairs. The vacant armchair symbolizes the emptiness of the room emphasizing a deep feeling of loneliness. The artist paints every item right up to the electricity cabling and outlet. Two years later he paintedLenin in Smolny, Brodsky became the manager of the Constitute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture and was awarded a large apartment on Arts Square in St. Petersburg.

Alexander Deineka, "Fabric Workers," 1927, oil on canvas

Alexander Samokhvalov, "Conductress," 1928, tempera on sheet

Artistic Transformation

Many of the post-revolutionary wave of artists initially attempted to retain some form of freedom in their work. An creative style called Soviet Modernism emerged during the advanced years before Soviet Realism. Stalin was creating a centrally planned command economy and equally a result the state underwent a period of rapid industrialization. Artists of Soviet Modernism were influenced by this industrialization and began working with this theme.Textile Workers (1927) by Alexander Deineka (1899-1969) andConductress (1928) by Alexander Samokhvalov (1897-1971) are two examples of paintings that thematically corresponded to the spirit of Stalin's new age, nonetheless stylistically are known every bit Soviet Modernism because they align more closely with the avant-garde. Soviet Modernist artists shared the desire to create a new representative aesthetic in traditional forms of painting; merely to Soviet authorities their style had not developed far plenty. Artists were supposed to extol the achievements of Socialism and the wisdom of the Political party leadership, teaching citizens to beloved the motherland and exercise all they could for its well-being.

Alexander Deineka, "Goalkeeper," 1934, oil on canvas

The Unifying Themes

The discipline of sports became pop in the 1930s due to the fact that Russia was preparing for war and the citizens needed to unite for a common cause. Both Deineka and Samokhvalov turned to the subject of sports for their paintings. InGoalkeeper (1934) Deineka defies gravity and gives the viewer the feeling of endless space. "Deineka presents a charged moment, a few seconds that could be recorded simply with a camera… Rushing for the ball, the goalkeeper seems to hang between earth and sky, and to his viewers' eyes, his fall is turned into a wearisome flying…"⁵ Deineka flattens shapes and exaggerates size in his paintings of the 1930s to create monumental art. In doing so Deineka transforms the sports scene into a world where giants alive and are honored as heroes.

Alexander Samokhvalov, "Daughter with Shot Put," 1933, oil on sail

Samokhvalov also worked with the subject of sports, simply focused on women. During the period of Soviet Realism women are depicted equally male person forms entirely devoid of eroticism. Artists had to create a new prototype of the emancipated adult female, equal to a human being. In Samokhvalov'due southDaughter with Shot Put we see a strong young daughter filled with energy. Bathed in sunlight she becomes an emissary, a bright "cosmic" light for the future. "In the art of the 1930s,Girl with Shot Putwas a rare attempt, in Socialist Realist art, to combine the aboriginal and Renaissance platonic of amount with ideas of symbolic generalization. This was the kind of Socialist Realism of which Anatoly Lunacharsky had dreamt. Lunacharsky saw Soviet art as a mixture of 'potent, convincing realism' and 'transparent symbolism in its decorative and monumental forms.'"⁶

Alexander Samokhvalov, "Militarized Komsomol," 1932-33, oil and tempera on canvas​

Another subject that Samokhvalov infused women into was the preparation for state of war against Germany. In his very stylized painting,Militarized Komsomol,nosotros run into women learning the skills necessary to be soldiers. "I always saw concrete culture as happiness at existing, the happiness that creates the potential to overcome obstacles in the struggle for the construction of a new life," the artist wrote.⁷ A master of traditional forms of painting Samokhvalov was able to create a dynamic monumental quality in his piece of work. InMilitarized Komsomolhe takes the serious activity of learning to fight and creates a scene of vivacious poetry of everyday life.

Joseph Chaiko, "Football Players", 1928-38, Bronze

As the way of Soviet Realism began to take shape there was quite a large number of first-class sculptures produced. Ane of the earliest and virtually successful pieces wasFootball Players(1928-38) by sculptor Joseph Chaikov (1888-1979), who enjoyed international fame for his piece of work during his lifetime. Chaikov was a descendant from a family unit of Jews from Kiev. His faith restricted him from being immune to report in Russian federation, so he went to Paris and studied at the studio of the sculptor Naum Aronson (1872-1943). Later on his studies he became office of an international group of Jewish artists that included Marc Chagall (1887-1985), Nathan Altman (1889-1970) and David Shterenberg (1881-1948).Football Players was a regime commission for the International Exhibition of 1939. The actual casting was quite the technology feat as both characters are in movement, with one leaning at an extreme angle. Chaikov worked with the concept of tense equilibrium in a dynamic limerick as a driving forcefulness in his art.

Sara Lebedeva, "Girl with a Butterfly", 1936, Statuary

Girl with a Butterfly (1936) by Sara Lebedeva (1892-1967) was commissioned as part of the full general plan for the reconstruction of Moscow. "The programme placed special emphasis on breaking cities down into squares and parks, and on adorning them with sports-related works of monumental and decorative sculpture."⁸Girl with a Butterflywas one of the works used to decorate Gorky Park in Moscow. This sculpture creates a remainder between the vital force of nature and physical strength manifested in human action. Lebedeva'south young girl has a tangible sense of heaviness, though she still exudes a childish nature through the human activity of carrying a butterfly. The original sculpture in Gorky Park is made out of cement; the statuary was created to preserve the work and is merely exhibited indoors.

Summary
Overall the artists working in the style of Soviet Realism began feeling their stride once they started with the concept of Russia in motility. Subject field matters like sports and preparing for war brought the people of Russia together to unite in a common goal. These works were successful in extolling the achievements of Russia'south citizens. Their work created a feeling of well-existence and patriotism for the motherland.

Sources:

* Smolny Constitute for Young Noble Ladies in Leningrad

1. Anna Dikovich, Sergey Yepikhin, Alyona Rasskazova, Kirill Svetlyakov, Natalia Sidorova, Sofia Terekhova, Yana Shklyarskaya and Galina Shubina;The Land Tretyakov Gallery at Krymsky Val: A Guide to Russian Art of the 20^th Century; Paulsen Moscow, 2015, page 88.
2. Juraga, Dubravka and Booker, Keith One thousand.Socialist Cultures East and West. Praeger, 2002, p.68
3. Anna Dikovich, Sergey Yepikhin, Alyona Rasskazova, Kirill Svetlyakov, Natalia Sidorova, Sofia Terekhova, Yana Shklyarskaya and Galina Shubina;The Land Tretyakov Gallery at Krymsky Val: A Guide to Russian Art of the 20^th Century; Paulsen Moscow, 2015, page 141.
4. Anna Dikovich, Sergey Yepikhin, Alyona Rasskazova, Kirill Svetlyakov, Natalia Sidorova, Sofia Terekhova, Yana Shklyarskaya and Galina Shubina;The State Tretyakov Gallery at Krymsky Val: A Guide to Russian Art of the xx^th Century; Paulsen Moscow, 2015, page 152.
5. Anna Dikovich, Sergey Yepikhin, Alyona Rasskazova, Kirill Svetlyakov, Natalia Sidorova, Sofia Terekhova, Yana Shklyarskaya and Galina Shubina;The State Tretyakov Gallery at Krymsky Val: A Guide to Russian Art of the 20^th Century; Paulsen Moscow, 2015, page 144.
6. Anna Dikovich, Sergey Yepikhin, Alyona Rasskazova, Kirill Svetlyakov, Natalia Sidorova, Sofia Terekhova, Yana Shklyarskaya and Galina Shubina;The Land Tretyakov Gallery at Krymsky Val: A Guide to Russian Art of the 20^th Century; Paulsen Moscow, 2015, page 146.
7. Anna Dikovich, Sergey Yepikhin, Alyona Rasskazova, Kirill Svetlyakov, Natalia Sidorova, Sofia Terekhova, Yana Shklyarskaya and Galina Shubina;The State Tretyakov Gallery at Krymsky Val: A Guide to Russian Art of the 20^th Century; Paulsen Moscow, 2015, folio 168.

About the Writer
Cathy Locke is an award-winning fine art painter, professor, and published writer, who specializes in Russian art of the 19th and 20th centuries. Cathy is also the editor of Musings-on-Fine art.org.

Cathy Locke'due south artwork – www.cathylocke.com

browningmiscacer.blogspot.com

Source: https://musings-on-art.org/soviet-realism-1930s

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