Volegov is a master of light, color, and perspective. I will describe the salient points of his works, always providing in the image a direct link to the artist's website for that work, in case you would like to purchase a print or poster.
We see here the center of a scene is a balance between the woman and the pillar/flowerpot. Typical of Volegov, there is only one notable splash of color, here provided by the purple flowers. The woman wears a flowing white dress, expressing purity, which we can also see in her serene face. Light shines pointedly beyond her, illuminating the area between her chin and her breasts. The light, in fact, forms a halo around her head, further drawing us into that peaceful place. Her gaze, as is frequently the case in a Volegov, is somewhere else. She is deep in contemplation, and as we linger in scene, so are we.
In contrast to the painting above, this is not a woman at peace. Her hand strikes a pained pose at her temple. Along her profile we see some combination of anger and sorrow on her face. The color in the scene comes to us in the red of her skirt and hair-tie. Everything else in our view is a muted earth-tone. This woman is hurting, and the master Volegov has put us there so completely that my heart aches that I cannot comfort her.
A perfect marriage between the title and the image. This woman may very well be asleep, so completely does Volegov depict her abandon upon this bed. The purple and red fabrics draping her nude body and flowing beneath her legs are as if primordial waters coursing and caressing her.
Volegov is such a master of the human form, that viewing the view landscapes or city scenes he produces is an interesting experience. It is notable that he here does not use the impressive nearly photo-realistic technique he is clearly capable of. The scene pulls us down that alley, which fades into a jumble of people and darkness. but just before, to the left, we see a brightly-lit colonnade. The sole distinct human figure in the frame is walking briskly past it, seemingly unconcerned with what, from our perspective is an object of interest. Volegov is a genius.
This is a truly remarkable painting. Quite atypical of a usual Volegov, the boy is breaking the fourth wall and looking directly at us, the viewer of the painting. The little girl is unconcerned with the book, looking off to her left, but tenderly pressed against her mother. Only the woman, Olga, has gaze fixed on the book she is ostensibly reading to the two children. She is modestly presented in a full length dress, displaying an exquisite combination of colors. From the spaghetti straps of the gown, and her golden tresses flowing over her left shoulder, to the tilt of her legs, she is, like so many Volegov subjects, a captivating woman of alluring beauty. And yet, placed in this scene, she is as if the Madonna with Child.
I will continue my exploration of Volegov's 2015 works in another post very soon.
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