Looking Back on Russia

Stranded in America by the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Djeneeff faced the prospect of adapting to the conditions of a foreign culture, an unknown language, and a dauntingly complex art world. While struggling to make a living in New York, the artist frequently turned to recollections of Russia as if to affirm some continuity with his earlier life. Since he left nearly all his paintings and drawings behind, Djeneeff made replicas of some of these early works and painted typical Russian scenes for his own satisfaction.

One of many Russian landscapes that Djeneeff painted from memory, his view of the Moscow Kremlin emphasizes the irregular silhouette of the city with its hundreds of domes and bell towers. For most Russians, Moscow symbolized the Eastern and Slavic heritage of the nation, in contrast to the more orderly and Western-oriented Saint Petersburg. Although Djeneeff had studied and begun his career in Saint Petersburg, when he recalled his homeland, he more often turned to Moscow and provincial scenes: a snow covered mill, a wooden church at twilight, an orchard in spring.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW >>