“Olive Grove in the Mountains” from the collection of the Pskov Museum Reserve was painted by Léon Samoylovich Bakst, a renowned Russian Art Nouveau artist, scene and costume designer.

This is an oil painting. It was transferred to the Pskov Art Gallery from the State Russian Museum in 1930.

In the spring of 1903, Léon Bakst traveled through Italy and the south of France. During this period, he resided in the seaside resort of Menton, 30 kilometers from Nice, and was working on the stage set for the play “Oedipus at Colonus” where he was a scene and costume designer. According to his biographers, Léon Bakst strove to paint the scenic locations that he would later recreate on stage. He took numerous sketches of olive groves and accompanied them with handwritten notes. He wrote,

The painting from the museum collection depicts a panoramic view of an olive grove. It features a complex color palette brought together by a silver hue. The trees are characterized by pearl, gray, and blue shades. The artist interpreted the landscape in accordance with the principles of the Art Nouveau style.

Between 1883 and 1887, Léon Bakst studied under Carl Bogdanovich Wenig (Carl Gottlieb Wenig), a Russian painter and professor of history and portrait painting at the Imperial Academy of Arts. Later, from 1893 to 1896, Léon Bakst worked under the guidance of the Finnish painter Albert Edelfelt. He also studied watercolor painting with the help of the architect and artist Albert Nikolayevich Benois, who became his friend in the 1890s. Later, both artists became members of the Mir iskusstva (World of Art) association.

In the 1890s, Léon Bakst worked in Germany, Italy, Spain, and other countries. From 1902 onwards, he collaborated with theaters in St. Petersburg, working on stage design and creating costumes for performances.

Between 1906 and 1910, Léon Bakst headed the art school of the artist Yelizaveta Nikolayevna Zvantseva in St. Petersburg. In 1910, he relocated to Paris where he became the artistic director at the non-repertory company of Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev. As a scene designer for Parisian theaters, Bakst created costumes for the ballet in one act “The Blue God” and the choreographic drama “Tamara”, based on the eponymous poem by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov.