Russian Painters: The Years of Art Nouveau

In the first decade of the twentieth century Russian painting opened up like a bursting dam, behind which had massed all the current revolutionary art movements of Europe. On one hand it developed a version of art nouveau, on another it became involved with theatre, set decoration, and book design. Artists such as Alexander Benois, Kazimir Malevich, and Marc Chagall took other personal directions. Groups emerged with names like the Blue Rose, the Link, the Triangle and the World of Art, and there were Russian versions of the Symbolists. Some of these were to become international figures in twentieth century art, and in a couple of decades Russian art was to take an honored place in the world.