Art Russe and Lord Montagu of Beaulieu have signed an agreement to establish a permanent showcase of Russian art at Beaulieu. This gallery is just one of Art Russe’s projects aimed at increasing awareness of Russian and Soviet art.
About 25 artworks from the Art Russe collection will be displayed at Beaulieu, initially in Palace House. Thematic exhibitions at this new permanent gallery of Russian art will be renewed each quarter.
The Russian artworks selected for display at Beaulieu are part of Art Russe’s collection; the fund is headed by entrepreneur and philanthropist Andrey Filatov. Established in 2012, Art Russe aims to promote 20th century Russian art and increase awareness about this significant period in the history of Russian art with an international audience.
Beaulieu will display artworks from late 19th century to the 1990s, a period which most fully reflects the main stages of development of the Russian school of art. The exhibition will include works by Konstantin Maximov (Graduate, 1960), Mai Danzig (And the World Remembers its Saviors, 1951), Alexander Laktionov (Letter from the Front, 1951), Fyodor Reshetnikov (Low Marks Again, 1948-49), Nicholas Roerich (And We Are Not Afraid, 1922), Arcady Plastov (Botanic Lesson, 1938), Geli Korzhev (The Deserter and The Laundress, 1985-1990, Hammer and Sickle, 2003), Igor Obrosov (Greeting and Seeing off the Trains, 1980), Viktor Ivanov (Smokebreak, 1994) and others.
A selection of Art Russe’s masterpieces, including works by Nicholai Fechin and Nicholas Roehrich, will be on display at the Tower of London for private viewings in July, by invitation only. Art Russe’s collection compromises more than 200 paintings and sculptures by Russia’s most significant artists.
The decision by Beaulieu to establish a Russian gallery reflects growing interest in the Russian cultural heritage as an important component of the world’s art history.
Welcoming the Art Russe collection, Lord Montagu said: “In the past, many stately home owners, including my ancestors, collected art from around the world, and so it is entirely appropriate I should be continuing that tradition by hosting this collection at Beaulieu. Having seen some of the paintings myself, I have no doubt that they will add a new dimension to Beaulieu and will be much enjoyed by our visitors.”
