Zolotoye Runo. 1906–1909.
At the Cradle of Avant-Garde
12 March 2008 – 11 May 2008

Dedicated to the artistic activities of the magazine Zolotoye Runo (Golden Fleece), this exhibit coincides with the 100th anniversary of the ambitious exhibition Zolotoye Runo Salon, which took place in Moscow in April, 1908. That exhibition presented Russian artists together with French masters of new and contemporary art movements from that time – Pavel Kuznetsov, Martiros Saryan, Pyotr Utkin, Nikolai Ulyanov, Mikhail Larionov, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cezanne, Henry Matisse, et al.

The current exhibit in the Tretyakov Gallery reflects Zolotoye Runo’s diverse activities, which served as the ideological centre of Russian symbolism and formed a new aesthetic ideal. The exhibition includes works by Mikhail Vrubel, Victor Borisov-Musatov, Konstantin Somov, Alexander Benois, Leon Bakst, and the artists of Blue Rose. The magazine’s concern for national heritage is demonstrated through various icons, as well as works by Alexander Ivanov, Alexei Venetsianov and his school, and Nikolai Ge. The exhibit presents over 200 works brought together from the art, graphic, and sculpture collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Hermitage Museum, the State Museum of Fine Arts, and private collections.

A special section is dedicated to Nikolai Ryabushinsky, editor and publisher of Zolotoye Runo. Here you will find items from the archives of Russkoye Zarubezhye (Russia Abroad), as well as unique examples of Russian publications from the early 20th century.

Mother and Child
Maurice Denis
Larger view

Woman in a Black Hat
Felix Vallotton
Larger view