(Murom, Russia 1875–1941) Pogulianka (Tryst of the Village Youth) , on the reverse confirmation of authenticity issued by the artist’s grandson and dated 2008, oil on canvas, 165 x 268 cm, framed, (Rei)

Provenance: Family of the artist to 2008; Private collection, Prague. Ivan Kulikov: Ivan Kulikov was significant representative of the Russian School of painting in the first half of the 20th century. He came from a farming family in Murom, a small town 300 kms east of Moscow. He was educated as a visiting student at the Imperial Academy of Art (Studio of Vladimir Makowskis and Ilja Repin) . It was Repin who played a decisive role in the fate of the young artist; from 1907-13 Kulikov worked with Repin on the monumental painting „The Ceremonial Sitting of the State Govenment“ (Russian Museum, St. Petersburg) . Official recognition - a travel bursary from the Academy of Art, medals from international exhibitions and the title of academician - did not greatly change the lifestyle of this painter who remained close to his farming origins. He lived in Murom and visited Moscow and St. Petersburg solely for exhibitions. In 1919 the artist donated his large ethnographic collection and many of his works to his home town, thereby founding the Murom Museum of Local History and Art. Kulikov was one of those Russian artists who dedicated their work to their national themes. The large scale composition „Tryst of the Village Youth“ demonstrates Kulikov‘s deep understanding of the conventions and folk costumes of his native region, the govenorate of Vladimir. The painting has a thin coat of primer which was a technical peculiarity of Kulikov‘s style. Ivan Kulikov‘s works can be found in the Museum of Local History and Art in Murom, in the Tretjakow Gallery in Moscow, in the Russian State Museum in St. Petersburg and in many other museums in Russia. The artist once again dedicated himself to the subject of „Tryst of the Village Youth“ in a monumental work painted in 1928. (Murom Museum of Local History and Art) We are grateful to Dr Olga Sugrobova-Roth for her assistance in cataloguing this work.