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The Rape Of Europa

Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov • Painting, 1910, 71×98 cm
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About the artwork
Art form: Painting
Subject and objects: Mythological scene
Style of art: Art Nouveau
Technique: Tempera
Materials: Cardboard
Date of creation: 1910
Size: 71×98 cm
Artwork in collection: Modern Irina Olikh
Artwork in selections: 142 selections

Description of the artwork «The Rape Of Europa»

Along with "IDA Rubinstein", "Abduction Of Europe" is the brightness and glory "late" Serov. Serov-modernist. Serov-"Parisian", which is experiencing a difficult "love affair" with Matisse. Serov, looking for new horizons. Serov, increasingly prefer the styling of the psychological (and anything else) authenticity, generosity and Matt tempera – vitality oil paints.

Untouched "decadent decay", it was accepted by contemporaries far more sympathetically than the long-suffering IDA. Dumping an ancient myth with a modernist tradition, Serov created a energetic, swift, bright tone masterpiece. Refined simplicity of lines, sniper restrained palette, rhythm, drive, breed, become – I think it was written fast, unaware doubt with a brush. A false sense. Serov worked on "Abduction of Europe" for three years, made at least six pattern options and, it seems, none of them managed to finish.

The idea of "Theft" had matured him during a trip to Greece, where he visited with By Lev Bakst in 1907. Friends visited the Parthenon, sailed to Crete, following approximately the same route that took the form of a bull, Zeus, survived the catharsis of the ruins of the Palace of Knossos. It would seem that here Serov saw everything that would be required for the work – he even saw the wagon, drawn by two white bulls, which immediately drew in its March album. Not at all: the Greek, the bulls seemed to the artist is not enough noble and mighty. He searched for a specimen of suitable dimensions in Spain - feeling dizzy, went to the bull ring and still came back with nothing. Fortune smiled on him in Italy: someone suggested Serov to ride to the village Orvieto famous bulls of epic proportions.

Now Serov was Zeus, but it was not Europe. He met her in Paris in the Studio of an artist friend Nicholas Dosekin. After the issue was resolved with the model, it remained to find a suitable sea.

Once in Domotkanovo Serov decided to paint "mermaid". Picturesque ponds there was more than enough, but mermaids – unfortunately – he has not met. Valentin tried everything: blushing, asked a cousin to take him "swimming", forced to pose in the pond the boys from the local peasants and even dipped in water, a plaster head of Venus – all in vain, the mermaid remained unwritten. Possessing superhuman powers of observation, Serov never relied on the imagination - only he was inspired by nature.

So wave "abduction of Europe" he spied in Italy, and another in Biarritz. To write the sea – conditional symbolic sea that only the lazy do not compare with the ermine of Royal robes – he had to go to the Windows roaring Atlantic ocean.

Greek experience. Italian bull. The Paris model. Above all this, the artist worked at his summer cottage in Finland. In 1910, he did what full could not be the Spanish king Charles V, or the European Council. Serov didn't kidnap Europe, similar to Zeus. He assembled it in pieces and put in a single majestic, pleasing the heart and the eye picture.

Author: Andrew Zimoglyadov
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