[Special Exhibition] A Wealth of Beautiful Oil Paintings — "Romantic Russia: Masterpieces from The State Tretyakov Gallery" @ Bunkamura The Museum

I visited the “Romantic Russia: Masterpieces from The State Tretyakov Gallery” exhibition. The venue is Bunkamura The Museum.This is a special exhibition presenting 72 Russian paintings from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, all held by The State Tretyakov Gallery.

The exhibition is organized in the following four chapters.

　　Exhibition Structure　　　

Chapter 1: Romantic Landscapes
・1-1　Spring
・1-2　Summer
・1-3　Autumn
・1-4　Winter

Chapter 2: The People of Russia
・2-1　The Russian Mass
・2-2　Women

Chapter 3: The World of Children

Chapter 4: City and Life
・4-1　City Scenes
・4-2　The Everyday and the Festive

Chapter 1: Romantic Landscapes

Chapter 1 arranges works depicting the four seasons in order.
To help viewers deeply understand Russian nature, landscape paintings are displayed in the sequence of the “four seasons,” a concept deeply familiar to Japanese audiences.

Alexei Savrasov, Rural Landscape, 1867Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery — Alexei Savrasov, Rural Landscape, 1867
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Isaac Levitan, Spring. High Water, 1897Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery — Isaac Levitan, Spring. High Water, 1897
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Left: Abram Arkhipov, On the Way Back, 1896Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov GalleryRight: Isaac Levitan, Oak, 1880Oil on … — Left: Abram Arkhipov, On the Way Back, 1896
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery
Right: Isaac Levitan, Oak, 1880
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Mikhail Yakovlev, Still Life with Flowers, 1909 Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Nikolai Dubovskoy, Silence, 1890 Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov, Falling Leaves, 1900sOil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery — Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov, Falling Leaves, 1900s
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Vasily Baksheev, Rime, 1900 Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Alexei Savrasov, Frosted Forest, late 1880s–early 1890sOil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery — Alexei Savrasov, Frosted Forest, late 1880s–early 1890s
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Left: Mikhail Germashev, Snow Has Fallen, 1897Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery — Left: Mikhail Germashev, Snow Has Fallen, 1897
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Left: Viktor Vasnetsov, The Snow Maiden, 1899 Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov GalleryRight: Nikolai Samokish, Troika, c.… — Left: Viktor Vasnetsov, The Snow Maiden, 1899 Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery
Right: Nikolai Samokish, Troika, c. 1917 Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Chapter 2: The People of Russia

Ivan Kramskoi, Unknown Woman, 1883Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery — Ivan Kramskoi, Unknown Woman, 1883
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Ivan Kramskoi, Moonlit Night, 1880Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery — Ivan Kramskoi, Moonlit Night, 1880
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Chapter 3: The World of Children

Work on the left: Vasily Komarov, Portrait of Varya Khodasevich, 1900Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery — Work on the left: Vasily Komarov, Portrait of Varya Khodasevich, 1900
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Chapter 4: City and Life

Nikolai Gritsenko, View of Moscow from the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, 1896Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery — Nikolai Gritsenko, View of Moscow from the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, 1896
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Alexei Bogolyubov, View of the Smolny Monastery from Bolshaya Okhta1851(?), Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery — Alexei Bogolyubov, View of the Smolny Monastery from Bolshaya Okhta
1851(?), Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Konstantin Korovin, In a Boat, 1888Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery — Konstantin Korovin, In a Boat, 1888
Oil on canvas © The State Tretyakov Gallery

Gift Shop

Ordinary art exhibitions come with a gift shop attached, selling official catalogues and postcards, and this exhibition is no different.

The official catalogue is priced at 2,300 yen (tax included).

But the atmosphere feels a little different from a typical art exhibition. Perhaps because official Cheburashka merchandise is lined up on display.

Official character Cheburashka merchandise

Cute and soothing, Cheburashka is such an endearing character that a smile involuntarily crosses your face.

The kind of shop where you agonize over what to buy.

Russian folk crafts were also on display.

　　Summary　　　

・An exhibition captivated by a wealth of beautiful oil paintings
・The grand landscape paintings and the emotive portraits are wonderful
・Held at the Bunkamura Gallery, the overall space feels somewhat small in scale
・A gift shop where Cheburashka soothes the soul

Follow @burart_jp