Show of Works by Vladimir Vetrogonsky (1923-2002) and Andrei Vetrogonsky in St. Petersburg

The Academy Museum in St. Petersburg presents an exhibition of paintings and graphic works by Vladimir Vetrogonsky (1923-2002), the Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts,  People’s Artist of the Russian Federation and his son and pupil Andrei Vetrogonsky.

 

After graduating from I. Repin St. Petersburg State Academy Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture where he studied under noted graphic artists A.F. Pakhomov,  K.I. Rudakov, V.M. Konashevich, Vladimir Vetrogonsky started  his career with works on the theme of postwar rebirth of the country.  The retrospective includes his graphic series “Factory” (1952-1957) and “Miners” (1958-1960) full of optimism and faith in the future. The works of the 1960-s – 70s are represented by his cycle entitled My Native North-West. The display also includes highlights such as the artist’s water-color landscapes of mood created in the 1990s that sound like music due to his sincere feelings of admiration and worship of the nature.  

 

Vladimir Vetrogonsky  has left a large graphic heritage that is original and many-sided. It is represented by works in all the various graphic techniques.

 

Andrei Vetrogonsky, the youngest of Vladimir Vetrogonsky’s three sons, started learning painting in B. Ioganson St. Petersburg State Academy Art Lyceum. In 1981 he graduated from I. Repin St. Petersburg Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture where he majored in graphic art under his father. 

 

The artist’s likings are described in the epigraph for his creative work - “…it is what I got accustomed to…”, a  line from a poem by Alexander Dolsky.  He has been used to the modest nature and countryside of the North-West of Russia, to his native St. Petersburg. Andrei Vetrogonsky is more exactly a chamber artist. His art is not correlated with large-scale social problems, he sees beauty in the richness of everyday life, where everything is of its special importance: movements of a soul, conditions of nature, rhythms of a city.

 

The exposition features his landscapes, St. Petersburg cityscapes where one and the same place is often depicted in various seasons as well as still lives, in which Andrei Vetrogonsky uses things of clay and glass, exotic fruits, vegetables (“Still Life-98” 1998; “Still Life With a Cup From Vallauris” 2005; “Garlic” 2007).






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