"Woman's Head" a portrait by Victor Arnautoff

[D. Allan]

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[D. Allan]

Victor Mikail Arnautoff 1896-1979. Russian. Bay Area Depression era painter.

He came to America through China with his wife and children and studied at the California School of Fine Arts before going to Mexico to assist the muralist Diego Rivera.

He taught at Stanford University 1939- 1963 then returned to Russia for the rest of his life.

[D. Allan]

It's a peaceful reflective moment the artist shows us. One wonders - was she always so calm? - gaze very long and you may begin to wonder how would she wear a smile? Beautifully, no doubt!

See more of his work at: http://www.helfenfinearts.com/biogs/arnautoffFset.html

[Gail]

I love the orange in her hair and her lips. They are natural stopping places for the eye as you wander around the painting.

[John317]

Victor Mikail Arnautoff 1896-1979. Russian. Bay Area Depression era painter.

He came to America through China with his wife and children and studied at the California School of Fine Arts before going to Mexico to assist the muralist Diego Rivera.

He taught at Stanford University 1939- 1963 then returned to Russia for the rest of his life.

WElcome back, D. Allen. When I had dinner with Neil the other week, I asked him about you, where you were. We had no idea what happened to you.

So now that you are back, I hope you keep the great portraits and other art-forms flowing. Very good painting. I had never even heard of the Russian, Arnautoff, but am very happy to learn that he left us this example of his considerable abilities.

I wonder what year he returned to Russia and why he chose to-- that is, whether politics had anything to do with it, or whether maybe it was just because he missed his mother country. I suspect the latter.

[Gail]

Surely Diego Rivera got himself into trouble, namely in the U.S., for his Communist stance. Perhaps these painters parted company around this time. It would be interesting to find out.

[D. Allan]

Thank you, John, for your welcome back.

Arnautoff went back to Russia after he retired from teaching, about 1963. I wonder if he painted after that.

Gail, i like the orange too, esp. on her lips. Also greatly admire her long, straight aristocratic nose. Watch her carefully, any minute she is likely to turn her head slightly (still in her hand) and wink at us.

[D. Allan]

Story here about Arnautoff by William Mandel. Human interest story

[John317]

I find it interesting that Arnautoff was a California water-colorist; that he worked in the WPA (Federal Arts Project) and that he also taught at California College of Arts. I checked out some of his other paintings and am very impressed. I live in a place in Southern Ca. that was known in its heyday (1930 and 1940s) as an art colony where the California water-colorists of that day liked to work.

Love the paintings on these links:

http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/search/ArtistKeywords.aspx?searchtype=KEYWORDS&artist=4567

This one shows the Russian influence, similar to some photographs by Russian by Rodchenko, a well-known artist in the 1920s and 30s.

http://www.askart.com/askart/artist.aspx?artist=4567

http://www.masters-of-photography.com/R/rodchenko/rodchenko.html

[D. Allan]

Thanks for the links, John! I esp. like the photo of 'Stepanova smoking a cigarette' From the look in her eyes she must love the photographer.

She's at this link: Stepanova

I have seen some paintings by Rodchenko, but I didn't realize he was such a great photographer. Thanks! Have you seen these? Rodchenko on Artnet

[John317]

Love that picture of "Stepanova smoking a Cigarette." My kind of photo, so natural and spontaneous.

I've seen most of those portraits, such as the one of the Russian Vladimir Mayakovsky, the Marxist, Bolshevik Poet. He liked to experiment with perspective, often from above.

Poems by Mayakovsky:

http://www.marxists.org/subject/art/literature/mayakovsky/

Attitude to A Miss

That night was to decide

if she and I

were to be lovers.

Under cover

of darkness

no one would see, you see.

I bent over her, it’s the truth,

and as I did,

it’s the truth, I swear it,

I said

like a kindly parent:

“Passion’s a precipice –

so won’t you please

move away?

Move away,

please!”

He committed suicide in 1930.