Robert Rafaelovich Falk

Robrt Rafaelovich Falk (1886-1958) was a Russian painter and founding member of the Jack of Diamonds group, a collective of young artists who aimed to fuse the post-impressionistic innovations of Western Europe with the themes and styles of Russian folk art. Even among a group filled with admirers of Cézanne, Falk was a particuarly fervent acolyte of the Frenchman, whose influence on Falk's ouvre is quite strong. Known for his bold brushstrokes and bold color choices, Falk fell out of favor with a Soviet government who favored socialist realism, but his work was championed by a new generation of modern artists in Russia following the Khrushchev Thaw and continues to be much admired today.