Igor Grabar, 1871-1960

The Collection of opera singer Shtepanka Petrova (1909-1972), Prague

Igor Grabar was one of Russia's most prominent artists and art historians, patron of the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow from 1913, and editor of the monumental work The History of Russian Art which he published as director of the Institute of Arts of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Grabar was born in Budapest, but at the age of five his family moved to Russia, where he developed an interest in the arts and later enrolled in the St Petersburg Academy of Arts to study under Ilya Repin. At the turn of the century Grabar travelled to Germany and, upon his return, became fascinated by the beauty of the Russian countryside all over again. This found its reflection in his art and indeed landscapes became Grabar's favourite genre during this period. Grabar preferred working in plein air in order to capture the atmospheric effects of nature, which are evident in the offered lot. Like many of his contemporaries, Grabar was influenced by Impressionism and Neo-impressionism, however he did not wish to blindly imitate the French masters, creating instead a uniquely Russian feel in his landscape painting. Spring Landscape is painted in bright but gentle colours and perfectly conveys the joyful emotions that filled artist's heart at the moment of the awakening of spring in the Russian countryside.