The landscape ‘Novodevichy Convent’ [‘New Maidens’ Monastery’] became the first work by Ilya Mashkov in the museum collection. The first exhibition where the painting was displayed was called “Mir iskusstva” [“The World of Art”]; it was arranged in 1914.
The landscape reflects the aesthetics of the “Jack of Diamonds”– a Moscow modernist art group that contributed a lot to the Russian art. Ilya Mashkov was one of the group founders, he defined directions of its artistic development, and became well known as its participant.
Painters who joined the “Jack of Diamonds” were inspired by European modernism, especially the latest French paintings, and national folk art. Young artists based their vision on traditions of the Russian lubok (popular print pictures), signboards, folk toys, and painted trays. They opposed naive scenes, simplified forms and bright colors of the Russian province art to the severe academic tradition.
The works of French artist Paul Cezanne influenced significantly the artistic style of the “jacks”. His adherents were called cezannists. Their works were characterized by contrasting colors, simplified geometric forms, and depicting of objects from several points of view. That technique distorted perspective, and it seemed that there was no more forefront or background.
The favorite genres of the “Jack of Diamonds” members were still life, landscape, and portrait. Mashkov was one of the most extraordinary members of the “Jack of Diamonds”. His paintings were recognizable due to bright contrasting colors, which combinations seemed to be aimed to resemble decorative and applied artworks, plain forms and lines, and simple composition.
The landscape reflects the aesthetics of the “Jack of Diamonds”– a Moscow modernist art group that contributed a lot to the Russian art. Ilya Mashkov was one of the group founders, he defined directions of its artistic development, and became well known as its participant.
Painters who joined the “Jack of Diamonds” were inspired by European modernism, especially the latest French paintings, and national folk art. Young artists based their vision on traditions of the Russian lubok (popular print pictures), signboards, folk toys, and painted trays. They opposed naive scenes, simplified forms and bright colors of the Russian province art to the severe academic tradition.
The works of French artist Paul Cezanne influenced significantly the artistic style of the “jacks”. His adherents were called cezannists. Their works were characterized by contrasting colors, simplified geometric forms, and depicting of objects from several points of view. That technique distorted perspective, and it seemed that there was no more forefront or background.
The favorite genres of the “Jack of Diamonds” members were still life, landscape, and portrait. Mashkov was one of the most extraordinary members of the “Jack of Diamonds”. His paintings were recognizable due to bright contrasting colors, which combinations seemed to be aimed to resemble decorative and applied artworks, plain forms and lines, and simple composition.
In 1913, when the painting “Novodevichy Convent” was created, primitivism already did not influence Mashkov’s art that much. The painting presents provoking combination of post-impressionism and modernism techniques — broad and relief brush-strokes, intensive colors, black outlines, and plain forms — and features of traditional composition belonging to classicism. Geometrically clear volume depiction and well-balanced composition make the landscape stable and monumental.
