Sergey Solomko

Solomko S. (1855 - 1928) - Russian artist (since 1910 has lived and worked in Paris). Creativity Sołomko came to us mainly due to the pre-revolutionary open letter (Postcard). Perhaps, in the entire history of Russian art there is not one such artist, whose work is on view at the specialists would be so polar.

His work is of extreme antipathy like contemporary art critics and art historians in the Soviet era. And those and others accused him of "haberdashery realism" in decadence, vulgarity, trying to "please the tastes of the crowd." However, there were many ardent fans of his unique creative manner. The world of images created by the artist may or may not like, but it would be unfair to deny the artist in his personality. As a professional artist Sołomko started in complex, pivotal era of Russian art. Wanderers authority was still unquestioned, but the general public has become bored of their small bytovizma in genre painting. Such a situation could not give rise to art associations defending fundamentally new ideals. Representatives of the new trends in Russian art became known as decadent, and very soon the word was almost decadent dirty. Decadents believed that only complete departure from the illustration of political or social aspects of life is the freedom of creativity, to which they aspire. Prominent artist and art historian at the time Grabar called Sołomko "general decadence, decadence and mysticism." A storm of indignation that gripped the artistic environment, however, will have no impact on the work of Sołomko nor its perception by the public. When at the end of the 19th century in Russia began to appear numerous magazines, Sergei straw and Elizabeth Boehm became the most famous representatives of a new genre of art - a magazine illustration. Their drawings and watercolors especially often published in the "Cornfield" - a magazine for family reading. Most of these works later replicated on postcards, buyers were not experts and ordinary people, perceiving subjects Sołomko as beautiful and clear "picture". Perhaps that is why straw and painted scenes from the Old Russian life with the epics, fabulous architecture, bright, colorful costumes. The artist, in fact, played a social order, skillfully taking advantage of the current situation. Such stories of his "Waiting for response", "Declaration of love", "the fence", "Joker" and many others reflect the experiences familiar to everyone, casts nostalgic memories, touched secret chord soul. Seeing them, people forget about the hardships of life and immersed in warm romantic world. The other side of creativity Sołomko were symbolic allegory. If Western culture symbolism was naturally the development of art, the Russian painting has always been considered an ideal realism. Therefore care "in a dream world" is in Russia more critics than supporters. Symbolic allegory Sołomko mainly devoted to various episodes of the reign of the Romanov dynasty. Much fruitful work Sołomko on illustrations for the Russian fairy tales, the works of Pushkin and Lermontov, mythological subjects, making posters. But criticism of the persistent constancy did not want to recognize that an artist of outstanding ability. Social upheavals - the 1905 revolution, the October Revolution, World War I - the public was not allowed to adequately assess the artist, was not reflected in his work these events. Artistic heritage Sołomko never not been studied in detail. With a huge interest in his drawings and watercolors, straw remains little known artist. Illustrations Sołomko preserved only in pre-revolutionary publications and old postcards, known only to those who collect them. However, no matter how vulgar to present expert handwriting Sołomko art, his work is inseparable from the artistic heritage of the pre-revolutionary Russia.