Isaac Itkind's Mermaid

Isaak Yakovlevich Itkind • Sculpture, XX century
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About the artwork
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Art form: Sculpture
Subject and objects: Mythological scene
Materials: Wood
Date of creation: XX century
Owner: Kamila Aspan

Description of the artwork «Isaac Itkind's Mermaid»

The uniqueness of Itkind's creativity was in his genius to “see a soul in a piece of wood” as he often relayed to his creations. Isaac Itkind's Mermaid is a prime example of artistic genius.
Mermaids are beautiful fantasy creatures. They have been the muse of artists throughout the ages, trying to capture their beauty in artwork and sculpture.
Mermaids are mysterious and beautiful creatures, symbolizing the human connection to the sea, and our fascination with it. The mermaid is a complicated, graceful, strong, and delicate creature, inspiring our imaginations, and our sense of adventure and romance. Many aspects of the mermaid's striking features and personality were used to create Isaac Itkind's Mermaid that can be used to remind us of our love of the sea.
The fluid movement of a mermaid's tail reminds us of an underwater ballet, and like a ballerina, the mermaid is secretly strong. This mixture of strength and grace has inspired Itkind to create this masterwork.
Supremely beautiful, forever combing her hair, just beyond reach of men, mermaids have beckoned the adventurous to the unknown and the promise of forbidden fruits.
It is possible that Itkinds's sculpture of A Mermaid was inspired by Alexander Pushkin's poem The Mermaid which includes the following lines:

The moon walks on the cloudy floor;
And there’s the maiden—young, delightful,
Reclining on the spellbound shore.
She looks at him, her hair she brushes,
Smiles, sends him kisses sweet and wild,
Plays with the waves—caresses, splashes –
Now laughs, now whimpers like a child,
Moans tenderly, calls louder, louder…
“Here, monk, here, monk! To me, to me!”
Then vanishes in limpid water,
And all is silent instantly…

Some works of Isaac Itkind are publicly exhibited and some are kept in the Russian Museum, All-Russian Museum of Alexander Pushkin, the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, the Pushkin Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and Alma Ata Kasteev Museum and other Museums of France and the USA. During his life, Isaac Itkind was known as a very generous person who presented many of his sculptures to acquaintances and friends, therefore, the majority of his works created either lost or in private collections, and are extremely rare on the art market.
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