Nikolai KALMAKOV
Amazones
1928
Gouache on paper laid on cardboard, 45 x 53 cm
Signed with the artist’s cypher and dated 1928
Nikolai Kalmakov was a Russian symbolist painter, graphic artist, and set designer. His work is characterized by motifs dealing with spirituality, occultism, and sexuality. He was born in Nervi, Italy in 1873, and died in Chelles, France in 1955.
Kalmakov’s paintings are often dreamlike and otherworldly, with a strong focus on the female form. He was a master of color and light, and his paintings are full of lush detail. His work is a fascinating and often disturbing exploration of the human psyche. His paintings are full of symbolism and hidden meanings, and they continue to captivate viewers today.
Bibliography:
Kalmakoff, L’Ange de l’Abîme 1873-1955 et les peinture du Mir Iskousstva [exhibition catalogue], Paris, 1986
J. Bowlt, Yu. Balybina, Nikolai Kalmakov and the labyrinth of decadence 1873-1955, Moscow, 2008, p. 255, illustrated
Exhibitions:
Paris, Musée-galerie de la Seita, Kalmakoff, L’Ange de l’Abîme 1873-1955 et les peintures du Mir iskousstva, 26 March – 17 May 1986