Arkady Rylov

Arkady Alexandrovich Rylov (1870-1939) was a seminal figure in Russian art, a master landscape painter who provided a crucial bridge between the Silver Age of the late 19th century realism and the new Soviet school of painting. An Honored Artist of the RSFSR, his artistic education was of the highest order; he studied first at the Technical Design School of Baron von Stieglitz before entering the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he trained in the workshop of the legendary landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi. As an early member of the influential "Mir Iskusstva" (World of Art) movement, Rylov was at the forefront of Russian art during a period of profound change.

Rylov’s style evolved throughout his career, but he remained a master of the lyrical and heroic landscape. His intimate connection with nature is evident in an untitled landscape from the Lazare Gallery collection, which depicts a serene forest river. The work showcases his brilliant use of color and his ability to capture the fleeting effects of light on water, a skill inherited from his teacher, Kuindzhi. This deeply personal and poetic approach later expanded into a more monumental vision in what is perhaps his most famous work, "In the Blue Expanse" (1918). That iconic painting, with its powerful swans flying over a vast seascape, became a symbol of revolutionary freedom and is considered a foundational work of the Soviet school.

The legacy of Arkady Rylov is that of a national master, whose work is held in the permanent collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery and the State Russian Museum. He was an influential professor at the Academy of Arts for over twenty years, shaping future generations of painters. For the collector, owning a painting by Rylov is to acquire a work of immense historical importance. It represents a direct connection to the legendary Kuindzhi and the innovative "Mir Iskusstva" movement, created by an artist who defined the course of Russian landscape painting in the 20th century.