In the summer of 1934, Narkompros (the People’s Commissariat for Education) sent Alexander Gerasimov on a trip abroad, which took four months. The artist visited Germany, France, Italy, and Turkey. His reason for traveling was to study the works of European masters, preserved in the collections of the best museums in the West, and to evaluate the state of contemporary art in Europe. The artist explored the sights of Berlin, Paris, Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice, and Istanbul with great interest.
Alexander Gerasimov spent two months in Paris, one of which was dedicated to visiting museums and sights, the other — to making watercolor sketches from nature on the streets. As luck would have it, he met another Russian artist in his friend’s workshop who had been settled in Paris for a long time. In his autobiographical book “Life of an Artist”, Alexander Gerasimov wrote, “At the same hour every morning, he came to pick me up, and we went out to work. He knew Paris like the back of his hand. It is definitely more fun to work together. We made two studies a day, sometimes more… Parisians got so used to an enormous number of artists working on the streets that no one paid any attention to them… After getting settled, I painted studies in squares and streets that were overcrowded with pedestrians, carriages, cars…”
In Paris, the artist created about 80 studies. Alexander Gerasimov recalled, “Usually, after the morning study, we went to the nearest cafe, and then set out in search of a new motif for the next study. We both painted in watercolor, oftentimes for three hours on end. ”
One of the watercolor works made in Paris is the painting “Paris. Moulin Rouge”. This sight of the French capital is located on Boulevard de Clichy near Pigalle Square. The Moulin Rouge cabaret is a temple of high-energy music and tantalizing dance. Oscar Wilde and Picasso loved to visit the Moulin Rouge in Paris, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec — the representative of an aristocratic family and a talented poster designer and graphic artist — was the main patron of the cabaret. While in France, Alexander Gerasimov took a great interest in learning about the traditions, main events and attractions of the city. The Moulin Rouge remains one of the most remarkable places in Paris to this day. The artist depicted the architectural buildings of this quarter: there, a mill stands out — a very characteristic detail of the sight. Bright signboards and colorful decorations — everything about this place attracts guests and Parisians themselves.
Alexander Gerasimov spent two months in Paris, one of which was dedicated to visiting museums and sights, the other — to making watercolor sketches from nature on the streets. As luck would have it, he met another Russian artist in his friend’s workshop who had been settled in Paris for a long time. In his autobiographical book “Life of an Artist”, Alexander Gerasimov wrote, “At the same hour every morning, he came to pick me up, and we went out to work. He knew Paris like the back of his hand. It is definitely more fun to work together. We made two studies a day, sometimes more… Parisians got so used to an enormous number of artists working on the streets that no one paid any attention to them… After getting settled, I painted studies in squares and streets that were overcrowded with pedestrians, carriages, cars…”
In Paris, the artist created about 80 studies. Alexander Gerasimov recalled, “Usually, after the morning study, we went to the nearest cafe, and then set out in search of a new motif for the next study. We both painted in watercolor, oftentimes for three hours on end. ”
One of the watercolor works made in Paris is the painting “Paris. Moulin Rouge”. This sight of the French capital is located on Boulevard de Clichy near Pigalle Square. The Moulin Rouge cabaret is a temple of high-energy music and tantalizing dance. Oscar Wilde and Picasso loved to visit the Moulin Rouge in Paris, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec — the representative of an aristocratic family and a talented poster designer and graphic artist — was the main patron of the cabaret. While in France, Alexander Gerasimov took a great interest in learning about the traditions, main events and attractions of the city. The Moulin Rouge remains one of the most remarkable places in Paris to this day. The artist depicted the architectural buildings of this quarter: there, a mill stands out — a very characteristic detail of the sight. Bright signboards and colorful decorations — everything about this place attracts guests and Parisians themselves.
