10 paintings by Pyotr Konchalovsky you should know

In 1895, at an exhibition in Moscow, the then 19-year-old artist first encountered Impressionism: Claude Monet's ‘Haystacks’ made a particularly strong impression on him. After studying for several years at the Académie Rodolphe Julian in Paris and then at the School of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, he developed his own approach to work. Anything he didn't like, anything that didn't measure up to the ideal, he destroyed. He even didn't spare his diploma work, the painting ‘Fishermen Pulling Their Nets’. He later said: "I approach each painting as if it were a brand-new, unbroken horse. I never do anything twice."

1. ‘Grape Harvest’, 1909

Another trip to Paris became a turning point in his search for style: Konchalovsky became increasingly captivated by Impressionism. His works reveal the influence of Matisse, Van Gogh and, especially, Cézanne, to whom he "clung… like a drowning man to a straw" and whose manner of depicting nature was close to his heart. In 1909, he painted four vibrant panels depicting the grape harvest to order.

2. Portrait of artist Georgy Yakulov, 1910

Konchalovsky believed that without searching for an artistic method, it was impossible to create one's own style. He tried to learn something new at every opportunity, including from his father-in-law, artist Vasily Surikov, with whom he traveled to Spain. Among the works created during this period was a portrait of Georgy Yakulov. He deliberately avoided "smoothing" the image, focusing on the character.

3. ‘Family Portrait’, 1911

Soon, Konchalovsky painted his first family portrait. The stark colors – black and white, contrasting with red and green – are emphasized by a Chinese painting on the wall with delicate shades of pink and bluish-green.

Over the course of his life, the artist created a whole gallery of images of his closest family members. Their image and painting style evolved, but one thing remained constant: the sense of an important support system in the artist's life.

4. Self-portrait, 1912

In Fall 1911, the artist co-founded the ‘Jack of Diamonds’ association. Its members included Ilya Mashkov, Aristarkh Lentulov and Robert Falk. Drawing on realistic painting, they sought new modes of self-expression, drawing inspiration from Cubism, Post-Impressionism and Fauvism. One of the sources of creative ideas for the ‘Jack of Diamonds’ group was Cézanne. But, Konchalovsky didn't blindly imitate him, instead creating his own vibrant, lively style.

5. Portrait of Natalia Konchalovskaya as a Child, 1915–1916

In Summer 1914, the artist went to the front during World War I and only completed his service in 1917. These few years became the trigger for the transition from Impressionism to Realism. A work from that period – a portrait of his daughter – was purchased by the Tretyakov Gallery.

6. ‘Bridge in Nara’, 1918

After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, the artist did not emigrate. In the 1920s, he taught at the avant-garde ‘VKHUTEMAS-VKHUTEIN’ and visited Europe again, where he exhibited in Paris. He spent his summers in Abramtsevo, near Moscow, where he painted many landscapes. He admitted that he wanted "to create a living landscape in which the trees don't simply stick out, stuck into the ground… but logically grow out of the earth, like the old masters, so that the viewer can feel their roots".

7. "Novgorodians," 1925

The artist also spent several summers in Veliky Novgorod, where he created paintings depicting the daily life of the local residents. Whether peasants returning from the fair, fishermen in a sailboat or a group sitting around a table, his subjects were not stilted, but alive, each with their own emotion.

8. ‘Lilacs in a Basket (Heroic)’, 1933

In the early 1930s, the artist purchased an estate in Kaluga Region, where he spent time from spring to late fall. An old lilac garden grew in Bugry, which became a new source of inspiration for him. He often painted lilacs, calling them the great teachers of artists.

9. Portrait of Vsevolod Meyerhold (1938)

At the estate, he created a gallery of portraits of Soviet cultural figures. He painted director Vsevolod Meyerhold during a difficult period: his theater was closed, less than a year before his arrest. Against the backdrop of a bright carpet, the figure of the recumbent director in a black suit, accompanied by his beloved fox terrier, seems especially dramatic.

10. ‘Floor Polisher’, 1946

During the Great Patriotic War, Konchalovsky continued to work, including creating sets for theatrical productions. He died in 1956 at his dacha in Bugry. The artist was 79 years old.

*You can learn even more about the artist's life and work in the ‘Garden in Bloom’ exhibition, which is on display at the Russian Museum until September 14, 2026.