FILATOV FAMILY ART FUND PUBLISHES BOOK ON VIKTOR POPKOV TO KICK-START RUSSIAN MASTERS SERIES
01 Sep 13
The Filatov Family Art Fund is proud to announce the publication of Viktor Popkov - a Russian Painter of Genuis, which focuses on the life and works of one of the most celebrated Soviet artists. This book, published by Unicorn Press Ltd., is the first in a series of annual books on iconic Soviet artists aimed at promoting awareness and understanding of this period of Russian art among international audiences.
Viktor Popkov won the Grand Prix at the World Biennale in Paris in 1967, one of the most prestigious art awards in the world, when he was just 35 years old. His student works were bought by the State Tretyakov Gallery, the foremost depository of Russian fine art. His life was cut short when he was shot and killed in a tragic accident in Moscow in 1974.
The fully illustrated hardback book, written by the distinguished Russian artist and art historian Peter Kozorezenko Jr, is the first in-depth review of Viktor Popkov and commemorates his artistic accomplishments 80 years after his birth. The Filatov Family Art Fund commissioned the famous art book publisher to produce 3,000 copies of this prestigious new volume.
The Fund aims to publish a book each year about Russian artists who worked from about 1917 to 1991, mainly in the Socialist Realism style. Forthcoming subjects are likely to include Nicolai Fechin, the acclaimed Russian émigré painter, and Fyodor Reshetnikov, a prominent Soviet painter also known for his caricatures, among others. The aim is to promote awareness and appreciation for this art movement, which so far has been widely overlooked on the international stage.
The author, Peter Kozorezenko, said: "Popkov is a significant figure in Soviet and Russian art. His paintings were bought by the Tretyakov Gallery when he was just 27 which is a unique achievement. Popkov's works have been sold at major auctions, such as those held by Sotheby's, making him one of the most expensive figurative realist artist. People vote with their money and this shows there is real demand and interest in this talented artist".
Andrey Filatov
Peter Kozorezenko
Additional information:
Viktor Efimovich Popkov (1932 - 1974) was a famous Russian painter, graphic artist, portraitist, landscape and genre painter who in 1967 won the Grand Prix at the Paris Biennale, becoming one of the most celebrated Soviet artists of his time. He started his career during Nikita Khrushev's "Thaw" and was commissioned in the 1950s and 1960s to travel extensively around the country, visiting ambitious Soviet construction sites. His life was abruptly ended by a tragic accident in 1974 when he was mistakenly shot dead by the driver of an armoured car. In 1975 he was posthumously awarded The State Prize of the USSR.
Dr. Peter Kozorezenko Jr. is the author of "Viktor Popkov - A Russian Painter of Genius", as well as a distinguished Russian artist and art historian. He is a Doctor of Art Studies, a member of the Russian Academy of Arts, and the head of the restoration section of the Creative Union of Russia's Artists. He is very active in promoting art among the youth and has organised numerous exhibitions and youth art competitions.
