22 May - 18 Jun 2014
Late night Thursdays until 21.00 (last entry 20.30)
West Wing
Free admission
The first UK exhibition dedicated to Viktor Popkov (1932-1974), one of the most significant artists of the 'Severe Style', showed a different, more personalised view of Soviet life than the traditional propagandist works. Somerset House hosted works from the Art Russe collection, as well as the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the Russian Museum in St Petersburg and other regional museums in Russia.
The complex historical context surrounding these paintings was recreated through the lens of Igor Palmin, whose accompanying photos provided the viewer with an understanding of the social and cultural backdrop that influenced the artist.