At the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th one Paris was the major representor of such places, where women could be educated in the sphere of culture and practical art. That is why the region of Montparnasse still was attractive for women artists whose main passion was to create, such as painters, fashion models, writers, collectors, and other significant secular personalities. Among the students of the private schools and academies turned up to be Lyubov Popova, Alexandra Ekster, Mary Vasilieva, the very first Russian avant-gardists.
©Yaroslava Plaksina / Journalist Online
The center of creative Montparnasse was contingently established near the Vaven road cross in the “Rotonda” café. The young painters were allured by the policy of this place’s owners. There they could pay only for one cup of coffee and continuously work for several hours, while the owners of the workshop asked for unbearable sums. So, the walls of “Rotonda” soon became fully covered with the works of beginner painters, cause the owner frequently took the paintings instead of money. At a later date, lots of café’s guests became living legends, and even nowadays their names sound familiar for many of us: Gianna Ebutern, Kiki from Montparnasse, or Uki can be recognized by many of us.
©Yaroslava Plaksina / Journalist Online
The special hall of the exhibition is devoted to the creativity of Sonia Delaunay known for her numerous talents. In Parisian companies, she was known as a remarkable painter and graphic artist, but her special popularity was interconnected with her experiments in the sphere of design. When Sonya referred to fashion, she was not afraid of using questionable prints and she often produced multilayer fabrics by sewing patterns on top of each other. Soon her skill was noticed and adventurous faces began to use the patterns of her Simultaneous Atelier in their clothes.
Most of the works displayed in the halls of the Pushkin Museum are the property of European and American private collectors. In total, the exhibition will feature over 150 paintings and drawings, as well as sculptures, works of applied art, and art photographs.
The exhibition will run until October 3 and will be interesting both for those who want to deepen their knowledge of the Russian avant-garde and for visitors who are just about to begin their acquaintance with this milestone in art.
