The artist and graphic artist Max Avadievich Birshtein (1914–2000) is one of the creative personalities whose artistic life was inextricably linked with Tarusa. Since the 1960s, he and his wife, artist Nina Vatolina (the author of the famous poster ‘Don’t talk! ’), spent in Tarusa their summer time and drew inspiration for creativity. Born in Kiev, Birshtein graduated from the Surikov Moscow State Art Institute, where his teachers were painters Igor Grabar and Dmitry Mochalsky. In his pictorial manner, the influence of the work of artists Robert Falk and Alexander Deineka is noticeable.
The artist worked in several genres: landscape, interior, still life, portrait, often combining them in one composition. His works, created in the 1950s-60s, were the result of his travels to the North of Russia and Central Asia, where he painted from life, and was interested in the life of local peoples. In 1968 he took part in exhibitions of Soviet artists in Europe and the USA, Japan and Senegal. His works are in the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, regional museums, as well as numerous private collections in Europe, the USA and Japan.
Birshtein was inspired by the art of French impressionism and adopted his methods of displaying the light-air environment and his work with color. His works are distinguished by a wealth of colors, while the artist often chooses the main color, around which he builds a range of secondary ones.
“The Portrait of the Pianist Marina Shashiashvili” from the collection of the Tarusa Art Gallery is one of his many works depicting famous artists of their time. Shown is an elegant young woman sitting on a chair. Birshtein faithfully conveys the characteristic features of the model’s face, an expressive look, a clear silhouette of the hairstyle. The pose of the heroine and the composition of the painting evoke involuntary associations with avant-garde portraits, in particular with the portrait of Anna Akhmatova by Nathan Altman. As bright color accents, the author uses the pianist’s original jacket, the design of which consists of two triangles of saturated colors - yellow and dark emerald. The background of the picture is not drawn, but is a harmonious color combination with the depicted figure.
The artist worked in several genres: landscape, interior, still life, portrait, often combining them in one composition. His works, created in the 1950s-60s, were the result of his travels to the North of Russia and Central Asia, where he painted from life, and was interested in the life of local peoples. In 1968 he took part in exhibitions of Soviet artists in Europe and the USA, Japan and Senegal. His works are in the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, regional museums, as well as numerous private collections in Europe, the USA and Japan.
Birshtein was inspired by the art of French impressionism and adopted his methods of displaying the light-air environment and his work with color. His works are distinguished by a wealth of colors, while the artist often chooses the main color, around which he builds a range of secondary ones.
“The Portrait of the Pianist Marina Shashiashvili” from the collection of the Tarusa Art Gallery is one of his many works depicting famous artists of their time. Shown is an elegant young woman sitting on a chair. Birshtein faithfully conveys the characteristic features of the model’s face, an expressive look, a clear silhouette of the hairstyle. The pose of the heroine and the composition of the painting evoke involuntary associations with avant-garde portraits, in particular with the portrait of Anna Akhmatova by Nathan Altman. As bright color accents, the author uses the pianist’s original jacket, the design of which consists of two triangles of saturated colors - yellow and dark emerald. The background of the picture is not drawn, but is a harmonious color combination with the depicted figure.
