Item #276 [FIRST EXHIBITION OF THE 16 ART GROUP] Vystavka kartin shestnadtsati khudozhnikov: Catalogue [i.e. Art Exhibition of 16 Artists: Catalogue]

[FIRST EXHIBITION OF THE 16 ART GROUP] Vystavka kartin shestnadtsati khudozhnikov: Catalogue [i.e. Art Exhibition of 16 Artists: Catalogue]

Petrograd: Pechatnyi dvor, 1922. Item #276

12 pp. 15x11 cm. Issued without wrappers. With pencil markings on the first and last pages, Soviet bookshop’s stamps on the p.12. Otherwise near fine.

Extremely rare ephemera. One of 1000 copies.
This art show opened in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) with 180 works by art group called «Sixteen» (16) consisted of 16 artists: Belkin, Bobrovsky, Bobyshev, Brodsky, Voinov, Il’in, Kudriavtsev, Lakhovsky, Naumov, Okolovich, Rudnev, Rylov, Savinov, Sychiov, Feshin, Shillingovsky. Interesting that mostly all of them had address printed next to their names in the catalogue. This is a great historical evidence of St. Petersburg-Petrograd art exhibitions traditionally performed not only cultural and educational function, but also were the place where the buyer got acquainted with new works and agreed on the acquisition of paintings. Acting in Petrograd, the artists’ societies were essentially exhibition associations with a more or less constant circle of exhibitors.
Another strange thing about this catalogue is a lack of uniformity, almost like every artist provided whatever information he wanted to (dates, or techniques, or current owner, or name of the series). Two artists didn’t even exhibit with a note «works were not delivered for reasons beyond artist’s control».
A very curious little catalogue as an evidence of tough and changing times for art (e.g., the last year of famous Peredvizniki’s group) in a new Russia after the revolution and war. Art exhibitions of Petrograd during the post-revolutionary period reflected changes in society and art, attempts of the authorities to include fine art in the system of state relations, accompanied by a struggle of opinions and the presence of polar views on the main issues of cultural policy.

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