Press releases

VITEBSK, 7 May (BelTA) – The art project "School of Paris: Artists from Belarus” will be officially launched at the Regional Art Museum of Vitebsk on 7 May, BelTA was told in the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee.

The exhibition includes Marc Chagall's best works: "The Lovers", one of the jewels of the corporate collection of Belgazprombank, and also paintings and graphic works. The public will be happy to see Chaim Soutine's “The Grands Pres at Chartres”. The exhibition will also feature the artworks of other well-known artists. The organizers promise to unveil a new painting which has recently been added to the art collection.

The exhibition in Vitebsk will stay open until 30 July, and then will travel to other cities.

The School of Paris refers to a group of artists who worked in Paris in the early 20th century in the styles of Post-Impressionism, Cubism and Fauvism. The group included artists like Pierre Bonnard, Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, Piet Mondrian and others. Many of them, including the artists from Belarus such as Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, Michel Kikoine, Pinchus Kremegne, Ossip Zadkine, Jakov Balgley, Ossip Lubitch, Yevgeny Zak, Robert Genin, worked in Paris between World Wars I and II. Alfred Boucher studios, known as La Ruche, where many of the artists worked, had a commemorative token expressing gratitude from the French community to the artists for a considerable contribution to the world of art. Among the names written on the token there are some of the Belarusian artists: Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, Ossip Zadkine.

The project to return the paintings by Belarus-born artists of the School of Paris has been initiated by Belgazprombank. Its corporate collection is the largest collection of works by expressionists of the School of Paris in Eastern and Central Europe.