Mikhail Sokolov (1931-1998) was a highly skilled Moscow artist and the son of the renowned academician of painting, Nikolay Sokolov. His elite art education began at the Moscow Intermediate Art School in 1943, and he later attended both the Leningrad Repin Institute and the prestigious Surikov Institute in Moscow, where he studied under Professor V.P. Efanov, graduating in 1957. In 1958, he became a member of both the Moscow Artists' Guild and the Journalists' Guild of the USSR, embarking on a unique dual career.
Sokolov was a versatile artist who adhered to the Russian cultural tradition of realism while remaining non-ideological in his personal work. Publicly, he was a skilled caricaturist for the famous satirical magazine Krokodil, a role he began in 1957. In his private studio, however, he was a master of landscape and still life. This can be seen in the works included in our collection. His painting "A Mill on the River Ozerkye" is a classic Russian landscape, capturing a peaceful, rural scene with a gentle, realist touch. In "The Ship," he turns his attention to a more industrial subject, yet still imbues the scene with a sense of quiet dignity and atmosphere.
Throughout his life, Sokolov traveled extensively, painting landscapes of old Russian cities and churches, and also painting abroad. For the collector, a work by Mikhail Sokolov offers a unique value. It represents the personal, sincere vision of a classically trained artist from a major artistic dynasty who was also a well-known public caricaturist. His paintings are a window into the private, non-political world of a versatile and masterfully skilled Soviet artist.
The artist's works can be found in museums and private collections in Russia and abroad. Tretyakov Gallery Museum
