I.A. Morozov’s art collection: the Russian context and the ways of Russian art

In the context of Russian art culture, Ivan Morozov occupies a position of distinction as a prominent collector of contemporary French and Russian art. The influence of his collection on the subsequent development of Russian art, most notably on the generation of young avant-garde artists, is indisputable in the present day. However, it was not until relatively recently that the full significance of the collection and the role of I.A. Morozov in the history of Russian culture was fully recognized. The period of Morozov’s immersion in the European art market, spanning approximately ten years from 1903, is of particular interest. Initially, he acquired “quiet” Impressionist canvases, and by 1913, his collection had grown to include signifi cant works by P. Picasso. It is notable that Morozov’s collection of major works of French new art developed at a time when the vast majority of the public rejected this painting. Modern European art was perceived in Russia as a result of decadence and degeneration. Consequently, the promotion of the works of Impressionists, Post-Impressionists, Cubists, Fauvists, and German Expressionists at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries appeared highly pertinent. Art magazines played an instrumental role in this movement, shaping the development of collecting in Russia. The most prolifi c phase of Morozov’s collecting of French avant-garde artists, now categorized as Post-Impressionists, occurred between 1906 and 1912. These artists exerted a profound and direct influence on Russian radical art. During this period, Morozov acquired works that would prove to be pivotal in shaping the future trajectory of Russian art. These acquisitions included pieces by the delicately Symbolist representatives of the Blue Rose association, as well as the naïve primitivist works of Larionov and Goncharova. A notable aspect of Morozov’s collection was the preponderance of Russian artworks over French masterpieces, with a ratio of approximately two to one. Notwithstanding, he was able to demonstrate, as early as the 1910s, a dialogue between the art of the two countries. In the contemporary context, the implications of the Morozov Collection on Russian painting are of equal signifi cance. This influence is attributable to the its accessibility to artists, among other factors.