Lilac 1953

Pyotr Konchalovsky painted ‘Lilac’ in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, sometime in the mid-20th century. Konchalovsky was a key member of the Jack of Diamonds group, who wanted to push Russian art beyond the Symbolism and Art Nouveau styles favored at the turn of the century. The bright colors and visible brushstrokes of this painting owe a clear debt to French Post-Impressionism. Yet, we might also ask: what does it mean to create a painting of flowers in the Soviet Union? This was a state that, institutionally, valued art that served the aims of the revolution. There would have been pressure to celebrate industry, technology, or the achievements of the working class. In this context, does a painting of flowers represent a retreat to more conservative values? Or does it make a more subtle comment on the importance of beauty and the value of the natural world, within an increasingly urbanized and industrialized society? These are the kinds of questions that social art historians ask. We can better understand the artistic choices made by Konchalovsky through careful archival research.