RUSSIA: Russian atists show country's political elite in painting based on famous early 20-century canvas

Record ID: 754751

  • Title: RUSSIA: Russian atists show country's political elite in painting based on famous early 20-century canvas
  • Date: 25th November 2005
  • Summary: PAN OF THE PAINTING " THE SESSION OF THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY"
  • Embargoed: 10th December 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVAD9XH20BXEJXA2GR6KG34RZPHX
  • Story Text: It took three years to the Russian artists Sergei Kalinin and Farid Bogdalov to complete their project - four by nine meters large painting 'Session of the Federal Assembly'.
    The inspiration for the project came from the work of a famous Russian artist of the 19-20th century Ilya Repin. His work 'Ceremonial Sitting of the State Council on May 7, 1901' exhibited in the Russian museum in Saint-Petersburg, shows the most significant political figures in the pre-revolution Russia.
    Kalinin and Bogdalov have decided to depict today's Russia political elite in a painting based on Repin's work. But who to include? The artists say it was the most difficult problem. But they found an interesting solution. They have created a website which listed 1500 names of people famous in various fields - politics, business, artists. Those who got most votes were selected - altogether 70 people.
    Apart from the large painting, the artists have also created dozens of individual portraits, sketches and photographs. They say that the project is not political, but purely artistic and consider it a success.
    But the Moscow art crowd who gathered in one of the city's most expensive hotels for the final stage of the project - the auction - didn't seem to be as enthusiastic. 'Session of the Federal Assembly', the starting price of which was one million dollars, was not sold.
    The public proved much more enthusiastic about individual portraits. Vladimir Putin went for 23000 USD, Patriarch Alexii II for 22000USD, a sketch of jailed Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky was bought for only 1500 dollars, but nobody bid for the portrait of ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, including him.
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