Chestnyakov Yefim and Dmitry Shagin: Russian primitives in the ways of Leo Tolstoy fifty and a hundred years later
ARTinvestment.RU   04 мая 2018

The exhibition, prepared by the Moscow gallery "vellum", opened at the Museum-усадьбе L. N. Tolstoy "Yasnaya Polyana"

26 April — 17 June 2018
Museum-усадьба L. N. Tolstoy "Yasnaya Polyana"
the Tula region, Shchekinsky R-н, p/o Yasnaya Polyana

in the gallery "vellum" long-standing contacts with regional museums, therefore challenging the concept of the exhibition project met with understanding and support colleagues-музейщиков of Tula and Yasnaya Polyana.

the Exhibition presents around forty works by the two artists — Yefim V. Chestnyakov (1874-1961) and Shagin Dmitry Vladimirovich (1957).

Efim Chestnyakov, born in Kaluga province, which the countrymen have helped to be a disciple of the great Ilya Repin — friend of Leo Tolstoy. Returning to his native village, Yefim Chestnyakov sought to ensure that his art was clear and close to the villagers. He painted their portraits and arranged for children the magic theatre, remaining at the same time a farmer and a rural teacher. "Creativity bright, amazing artist Yefim Chestnyakov, — writes Love Agafonov, — stands out against the background of the rapid development of Russian art of the early twentieth century. What attracts even the untrained viewer? Extraordinary sense of color and kindness that permeates all his works, whether it be a portrait or a fairy tale created on the canvas. Despite the fact that the artist's life was not too successful, and in his work no aggression and dull hopelessness inherent in unrealized people."

Dmitry Shagin, the seminal artist, permanent head and the inspirer of the movement of the legendary "Mitkov", in the mid-eighties of the twentieth century, along with friends set out to make art spoke the language not only enriches the soul, but also warming the heart. Now, over thirty years later, the painting "the main Mitka", as before, give a simple and intuitive feeling of happiness from the events of the ordinary and the fabulous, sometimes impossible, but certainly desirable.

At the opening ceremony spoke about what unites peasants, rural teachers Yefim Chestnyakova, founder and head of legendary art movement "Mitka" Dmitry Shagin and Leo Tolstoy, folk art and continuing traditions of Russian primitives.

Source: press-релиз gallery "vellum"