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[IMPORTANT GROUP OF YOUNG ARTISTS] III-ia vystavka kartin i skul’ptury: Obshchestvo Krug khudozhnikov. Russky muzei: Katalog [i.e. The Third Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture: The Society Circle of Artists. Russian Museum: Catalogue]

Item #294

Leningrad: o-vo “Krug khudozhnikov”, 1929. 12 pp. 17x13 cm. In original printed illustrated wrappers. Good, tears and creases of the wrappers, most
of the text block is detached, unprofessional restoration of the spine (inner side) and small tear of the rear wrapper, a few small tears of the lower margin of pages, previous owner’s marks in a shape of the cross in front of artists’ names (and ‘1942’ in two cases).

One of 1000 copies. Very rare.
This is an exhibition catalogue of an important avant-garde artists’ group which existed for a short period but left a visible mark.
The exhibition opened in April, 1929 in Russian Museum in Leningrad. A short foreword from the society’s board precedes the list of 183 works by 36 artists. Artists’ names are accompanied by the address of their workshop (which points to an additional purpose of the catalogue - to sell works). Titles of the works differ from each other - some have comments or materials meaning artists provided the information themselves, without any editorial. This is a great historical evidence of the early Leningrad’s art exhibitions being not only cultural and educational source but also the opportunity for artists to find buyers for their works.
The activity of the society «Circle of Artists» is one of the bright, unique and, at the same time, extremely characteristic phenomenon of its time. Among the numerous artistic associations of the 1920s, the «Circle of Artists» did not occupy a leading position, although the relevance and results of the creative daring of «circle people» aroused the most keen interest.

The society was founded in 1926 by 18 graduate students of VKhUTEIN, the «Circle of Artists» society at first combined mostly classmates. In the broadcast declaration young artists define the goal of their creative efforts: «creating the style of the epoch.» «Collectivism» and «unity of views» seem to them reliable guarantees of future success. Another argument, no less important, in favor of the decision to create a society was the declared «impossibility of participation in the existing in Leningrad artistic societies.» «We - the former left ...» - these words after the Moscow artists from the «Nozh» [i.e. Knife] could have been repeated by the Circle. These young artists had experienced the influence of the «left» and passed through the avant-garde school. Among them were V. Pakulin and A. Pakhomov, S. Kupreyanov, T. Gernet, M. Fedoricheva, D. Zagoskin, A. Poret, and others.

Soon, the «Circle of Artists» proclaims that in the search for an adequate time of the «style of the epoch», it puts on the forefront «the principle of a closely-knit team that exercises both general artistic and ideological education of its members and directs their practical work.» The main three exhibitions of the «Circle of Artists» took place in the halls of the Russian Museum in 1927, 1928, 1929 as part of the activities of the newly organized Department of New Trends, headed by Punin. Exhibitions were accompanied by lectures and debates, with reports by Punin, Tarabukin, Voinov and others. The apogee of their activity was the second exhibition, which, as recalled by the former «circle men», was visited by A.V. Lunacharsky.
Collectivism dominated the association’s activities: numerous meetings, discussions, views of sketches, reports preceded the exhibitions. This led to curious situations: the «collective method of leadership» forced Orekhov to paint over the face of his «Girl» (1927), because «it was too specific and contradicted the ruthless struggle that Circle conducted with manifestations of ‘everyday life’». In 1930, defending themselves against accusations of formalism, the «Circle» declared: «Our epoch must have its own style.» They felt «organic with the revolution,» and their sincere faith allowed them to create works that became a real epoch in the history of Russian art, the era of «Soviet romanticism.» The society existed till 1932.

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