ART RUSSE ACQUIRES OSSOVSKI’S 'RAINBOW TRYPTICH'
04 Aug 14
ART RUSSE has acquired "Rainbow Triptych" (2006), a key work by the influential artist Petr Ossovski. A member of the generation of artists known as "the men of the sixties", he was one of the founders of the severe style along with Viktor Popkov. The series of three paintings is an excellent example of his famous triptych style and focuses on one of his favourite subjects - fishing boats.
The artist was born to a family of fishermen and the series depicts old wooden fishing boats on the shore. The central panel is comprised of two boats, lying on their sides in a thunderstorm with a horizon in the background lit red with the colours of the sunset. The side panels show two different ruined boats under cloudy skies with bright sun rays and rainbows. The setting of the paintings, depicting empty sand beaches with calm dark water, is a unifying feature of the paintings. The emptiness of the desolate landscapes and striking contrast of the weather conditions across the different panels gives a sense of existentialism and even fatalism. According to the artist, this triptych is a portrayal of contemporary Russia.
The triptych, acquired from the artist, was displayed at the Russian Museum and the Russian Academy of Arts in 2010 in an exhibition that marked Ossovski's 85th birthday. The painting is included in the illustrated exhibition catalogue of the Russian Academy of Arts.
Petr Ossovski (born 1925). Born into a family of fishermen in Malaya Viska, near Elizavetgrad, Ukraine, Ossovski studied at Moscow Intermediate Art School from 1940 - 1944 and Moscow Surikov Art Institute from 1944 - 1950. He became a member of the Union of Artists and was active in the Moscow art scene. He was a founding member of the post war "Severe Style" alongside the artist Viktor Popkov and others including Nikolai Andronov, Geli Korzhev, and Pavel Nikonov. His works are owned by major Russian museums.
Rainbow Triptych (2006). Petr Ossovski. Oil on canvas. 96 x 140cm, 136 x 140cm, 96 x 140cm.
Right panel
Left panel
