13 large wall pictorial compositions were created by the Russian artist in the Soviet 1930-е years by order of the American authorities. Now they decided to paint. The plot causes dissatisfaction of national minorities

the Story of the frescoes, located in the school named after the first President of the United States, — "Life of George Washington". They are made in a time when the requirements of political correctness was much lower. In 1930-х years the US government — customer of the frescoes — showed political shortsightedness and missed the redundant historical accuracy in the story. The mural prominently depicts the colonists killed an Indian and in a small area (not much in the foreground) depicts black slaves on the plantation of Washington. In addition, one of the frescoes is the scene in the market where African-Americans are depicted in the role of movers.

of Course, the frescoes have no sympathy for the slave owners or hunters for the scalps. The artist is the suspect. On the contrary. I read that by this time Victor M. Arnautov already sympathetic to the Communists, was a disciple and collaborator of Diego Rivera. Yes, he worked in a completely different historical conditions. Let me remind you that twenty years after the creation of murals in the United States were segregated by race: different locations for black and white in public transport, private schools, and even different tanks for drinking water. The Supreme Court began to recognize this shameful practice illegal only in the mid-1950-х years. And in fact, it took many more years to equal rights occurred de facto. Today social structures have dramatically changed. The discontent of African Americans and native Americans, including a claim to historical subjects in painting, a responsible person to ignore are not at risk. Once they hate — will be removed. In General, despite the protests of the academic community, the fate of the mural in San Arnautova-Франциско already decided that her school will not. The press assumes that your soul, like destroy. But this is not accurate. Perhaps we will focus on conservation under an opaque layer, or even the correct transfer of the frescoes. Indirectly this is evidenced by the amount of money allegedly allocated for the work with the mural — more than 600 000 dollars. Such expensive paint does not happen.

Viktor Arnautov (1896-1979), according to biographies on our website, — hero of the First world war, the commander of the squadron, was awarded the George cross. In the Civil war for the white army of Kolchak in Siberia. In 1920-е moved to Harbin.From there to San-Франциско, in 1925 he studied in the U.S. at the art school. In 1929 he moved to Mexico to learn from Rivera. Under the guidance of a teacher, he did murals for the building of the Ministry of health, the National and Governor's palaces in Mexico city. Back in the US, made a mural for the clinic in Palo Alto (1932), a Memorial tower in memory of firefighter — heroes of the 1906 earthquake, (1934-1938) and the ill-fated school. John. Washington (1936) in San-Франциско. In the late thirties he became a Professor at Stanford University, taught there for many years. Interesting fact: in 1938-м Arnautov joined the Communist party USA. In 1941-1945 headed the Russo-американское society in aid of the red Army. Formally, the white Russian, in 1961, he visited the Soviet Union in the group of immigrants, and two years later settled permanently, received Soviet citizenship and joined the Union of artists of the USSR.

Works Arnautova many years are sold in the us and at the Russian auctions. Our database — nearly two dozen results. The most expensive work on a public auction — "Collectors drain" of 1944, sold at Butterfield auction in San-Франциско in 1998 for 4 $ 800. The artist is not very expensive. In recent years, from the auction of his small oil landscape and picturesque still-lifes were sold in the area of $ 1,000. In Russia his paintings meet at the auction rare. But the prices are roughly the same. In 2016, a small American oil periods at the auction of the Auction was bought for 42 500 rubles.

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI

Source: meduza.io