29 September 2011. What Jews Have Given the Rodina… Isaak Levitan: The Painter of the Soul of the Lands of Rus’

By the Lake

Isaak Levitan

1893

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Her Pets

Isaak Levitan

1884

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An Autumn Day: Sokolniki

Isaak Levitan

1879

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Isaak Levitan (1860-1900), famous Russian artist

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Jews gave much to the Rodina, and not all their history in Russia was pogroms, shtetls, and persecution. Indeed, Jews were, and are, a vibrant and necessary part of the Great Russian tapestry. Over the Days of Awe, I’m going to present some parts of Jewish Russia that you might not know about. Isaak Levitan is one of the greatest Russian painters, and no educated Russian is unaware of his work. Levitan created the “mood landscape”, an evocation in colour of the Great Russian scene. He is the founder, along with Shishkin, of the present school of landscape paiting in Russia. Reflect on this… Levitan lived only some 40 years, yet, he left us some 1,000 canvasses.

Don’t let them tell you it was all Black Hundreds and drunken peasants… it twasn’t necessarily so. Raise a glass and cheer… here’s to one of the greats.

BMD 

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