1878 -1939 · Khvalynsk, Moscow, Paris, Saint Petersburg and spherical perspective

Iconic colors, curved space and monumental figures make Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin a singular renovator of Russian painting.

Kuzma Sergeyevich Petrov-Vodkin was born in 1878 in Khvalynsk, on the Volga. After initial local training, he studied in Moscow with Valentin Serov then traveled to Europe and North Africa. Russian icons, Italian frescoes, Puvis de Chavannes, Matisse and modern painting nourish a personal synthesis. Petrov-Vodkin develops a so-called spherical perspective: curved horizons, high points of view and inclined planes give the impression that the scene follows the surface of the globe. The Bath of the Red Horse, painted in 1912, becomes his most famous image. The Red Horse Bath, painted in 1912, becomes his most famous image. The intense red of the animal, the nudity of the young rider and the cold water produce a symbol whose contemporaries perceive prophetic power. After the Revolution, the artist taught, wrote and continued portraits and still lifes. His Portrait of Anna Akhmatova combines psychological restraint, clear drawing and almost iconic space. In his self-portraits, the frontal gaze affirms a moral presence. Suffering from tuberculosis, he turns more towards literature while continuing to defend a painting constructed by color and cosmic vision. The "Kouzma Petrov-Vodkine" selection notably compares The Bath of the Red Horse and Portrait of Anna Akhmatova.

Petrov-Vodkin bends space to broaden the gaze: the figure belongs to the painting, to the earth and to a larger history.