Lot 17: Trizna, from the St Olga series

KONDRATENKO, GAVRIIL 1854-1924 Trizna, from the St Olga series , signed. Oil on canvas, 63 by 98 cm.
Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by the expert V. Petrov.

Exhibited: Exhibition of Paintings by G. Kondratenko "In Honour of St Olga" , Imperial Academy of Science, 1910.

Literature: Exhibition catalogue, Exhibition of Paintings by G. Kondratenko "In Honour of St Olga" , Imperial Academy of Science, 1910, No. 8, listed.

Trizna by Gavriil Kondratenko displays the style for which he achieved success and popularity among the Academic salon habitués of St Petersburg. The subject of twilit and nocturnal landscapes attracted the artist, inspiring his improvisations with the use of staffage and lighting effects.

Trizna , in which Kondratenko gave expression to his passion for Ancient Rus and Russian antiquity, belongs to this category. The use of historical and mythical subjects in a naturalistic manner was popular among artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially among members of the Abramtsevo group. Their dreams of reviving the high culture of the past and of creating a new "grand style" based on it enriched their art with vivid images and expressive techniques.