Aristarkh Lentulov was a Russian painter, representative of the avant-garde, one of the founders and participants of the Moscow group ‘Jack of Diamonds’. The students of Konstantin Korovin, ‘jackdiamonds’, inherited from their teacher the love for the joyful side of life. Their means of expression were based on folk art and included a signboard, peasant utensils, and toys. They also followed the latest French developments in painting. Their work consisted mainly of still-lifes, portraits, landscapes, and folk pantings.
Lentulov was considered the most daring experimenter. His painting took elements from the European avant-garde, and combined it with the tradition of ancient Russian architecture, icon painting and amateur prints. Such bizarre combination is present in the painting ‘Society at the Table’. As in many other works of the artist, there is an element of theatricality, and the subject of the nude female. In the foreground, in a striped blouse, the artist portrayed himself. The composition used fruits, flowers and vessels, creating a game of breaking lines and planes. The decorativeness of the painting is reinforced with bronze and aluminum paints. Despite the deformation and bright colored planes, the objects and figures do not lose their realistic interpretation.
Before the revolution, the canvas belonged to famous collector Isajan Isadjanov, who collected many avant-garde works, and the paintings of the Jack of Diamonds’ artists in particular.
He purchased paintings mainly at exhibitions and personally from the artists he was closely acquainted with. His collection has become a valuable collection of modern painting. He bought the diptych “Women and Fruits” at the exhibition in 1917. In 1919, Isadjanov’s collection was nationalized, the 7th Proletarian Museum named after Lunacharsky was created, later it was disbanded, and the paintings were transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery and peripheral museums. In 1927, the Vrubel Museum received four ‘jackdiamonds’ works from the Isadjanov collection. Among them is the right side of the diptych ‘Society at the table’. The left part, with the name ‘Tea Party’, was sent to the Ryazan Art Museum.
Lentulov was considered the most daring experimenter. His painting took elements from the European avant-garde, and combined it with the tradition of ancient Russian architecture, icon painting and amateur prints. Such bizarre combination is present in the painting ‘Society at the Table’. As in many other works of the artist, there is an element of theatricality, and the subject of the nude female. In the foreground, in a striped blouse, the artist portrayed himself. The composition used fruits, flowers and vessels, creating a game of breaking lines and planes. The decorativeness of the painting is reinforced with bronze and aluminum paints. Despite the deformation and bright colored planes, the objects and figures do not lose their realistic interpretation.
Before the revolution, the canvas belonged to famous collector Isajan Isadjanov, who collected many avant-garde works, and the paintings of the Jack of Diamonds’ artists in particular.
He purchased paintings mainly at exhibitions and personally from the artists he was closely acquainted with. His collection has become a valuable collection of modern painting. He bought the diptych “Women and Fruits” at the exhibition in 1917. In 1919, Isadjanov’s collection was nationalized, the 7th Proletarian Museum named after Lunacharsky was created, later it was disbanded, and the paintings were transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery and peripheral museums. In 1927, the Vrubel Museum received four ‘jackdiamonds’ works from the Isadjanov collection. Among them is the right side of the diptych ‘Society at the table’. The left part, with the name ‘Tea Party’, was sent to the Ryazan Art Museum.
