Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This will be the resource book for art historians, galleries, auctioneers and students of Soviet art history.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

"Soviet painting and sculpture" encompasses a vast area, and the scope of this book is considerably narrower than the title suggests. In fact the volume is a reflection of recent interest in forms of realism in Soviet art. (A number of the artists surveyed have had active careers in the post-Soviet period.) Lavishly printed with copious illustrations, the book was produced with the assistance of the Art Russe Foundation, which is supported by Russian entrepreneur Andrei Filatov. The introductory material is by Ivan Lindsay (identified as an art dealer), and in it he defines the book's focus on Soviet realist art and tellingly includes a section entitled "The Soviet Art Market," suggesting the book's orientation toward the market. Organized chronologically, the book comprises four chapters (two on painting, two on sculpture), each beginning with a survey by one of the four contributors (all curators at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow or the Museum of Russian Art in St. Petersburg). Unfortunately, the introductory essays are in light gray print on glossy white stock, a format that reduces legibility. Each of the 58 artists is given a biographical page followed by illustrations (in many cases two works only). This presentation format conveys the impression of a celebratory volume designed primarily for browsing. Summing Up: Optional. Researchers and general readers. --William Craft Brumfield, Tulane University