Today at the State Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val, the first large-scale retrospective of Basil Vatagina

Today, at the State Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val, the first large-scale retrospective of Basil Basil Vatagina , the celebrated sculptor-animal and illustrator many books, including «Maugli» R. Kipling. The exhibition is devoted to 125 anniversary of the master and will run until February 15, 2009.

Vatagin Vasilii Alekseevich (1884-1969) stood at the origins of the current animals. However, bearing in mind vataginskuyu sculpture in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery, the public does not know the many facets of creative artists working in different kinds of art - from science to illustrate the monumental murals. Indeed, never before exhibited his paintings stored in the Darwin Museum. At the Jubilee in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the exhibition shows for the first time not as a scientific manual or decorative design, but as artistic phenomenon.

however, the viewer gets an opportunity to assess the role played by the artist in shaping the modern «Environment» look at the world. Today Vatagin-thinker particularly interesting: the nature of the sample seen in the perfection and harmony, he indicated earlier many moral and ethical issues related to nature, the relevance of which increases with each passing day.

image, to devote themselves to wildlife Vatagina forced two equal passions - science and art. Classes in painting, sculpture and graphics, it is combined with the activities of the scientist, zoologist, and exhibit began with a student years. Important role in the development of the master played KF Yuon , when a student of natural branch of Moscow State University Vatagin attended art school and Юона KF IO Dudina. Vatagin was initially surprised by negative reaction to the master drawings, good transmission life. Remembering Юона question: «Where's the art?», - Vatagin many years izzhival a scientist and naturalist, ensuring reliable, but a generalized image of animals.

artistic handwriting Vatagina formed including under the influence of impressions from a trip - to Russia, Greece, Italy, Germany, India and other material on the collection of exotic animals for the Moscow University, the next artist to do sketches in Western zoos Europe and studied the original art in the museums of the world. From the sculptures of ancient Egypt - the power of images and generalized vataginskih, expression and laconicism forms, refinement of the silhouette. Maestro Vatagina all the more surprising that the craft of sculptor, he mastered without special education, labor and processing of wood and stone acted alone, without aides.

Based on the fundamental knowledge of nature, a master of one of the first was introduced to the art of a new era for the concept of animal psychology. He notice plasticity and the characteristics of each animal, stressed the unique and characteristic, gives the image of the emotions. In the quest for expressive sculptor has used the possibility of different materials: marble, earthenware, terracotta, majolica, a carved bone. But all of them preferred to wood, which was carried away in 1910 after A. Golubkina and ST Konenkova (often their work at exhibitions in adjoining vataginskimi). Actively improving skills, knowledge of modern trends, on an equal footing with the professionals, he entered the Moscow Association of Artists (1909-1924) and the Society of Russian sculptor (1926-1932).

Retrospective based on the collections of two museums - the custodians of the largest collections Vatagina (TG and GDM) and covers all periods of his creativity. Among the best early works - relieves «Seated condor» and round sculpture «monkey» (both - 1908), «The ongoing elephant» (1911), «Eagle» (1913). The image of «animal dignity» Vatagina often painted with lyricism and gentle humor. Until the end of life of the artist has not lost the ability to maintain a dialogue with the animal world on the basis of sensitive understanding and respect, and meaningful in the later masterpieces «Bear, balancing on the ball» (1955), «Penguin with chicks» (1960).

Collection of the Museum Tarusa city where the artist lived from 1913 and was buried, and an archive of family Vataginyh helped the Tretyakov Gallery to describe a creative range of the master and the genre back the scope of his creativity. The opening for the viewer will be made in the 1920's «Portrait of V. Polenov» of Tarusa picture gallery and «Portrait of a mother» from the collections of the author's family.

inherent Vataginu-monumentality of sculpture, clarity of language reflected in its large graphics, and the work of painter-monumentalista. Many of the artist gave the design of exhibition spaces of museums: the History, the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University, but above all, Darwin. State Darwin Museum, where the artist worked for almost a lifetime, with 1908 to 1961, provided a gallery of over 60 paintings and graphic works created in 1920, 1950. Vivid pictures «Northern deer in transition» (1920), «Paradise Birds» (1930), «Puma in the jungle of Brazil» (1946) and others for the first time coming out of storage on the court audience.

exhibition, attended by about a hundred pieces, accompanied by a catalog, where a number of works of Vatagina first published archival photographs.

Source: mkrf.ru