Lev Kropivnitsky

(27.08.1922 - 26.05.1994)

 

Painter, graphic artist.

Lev Kropivnitsky was born to a family of the artists E. L. Kropivnitsky and O. A. Potapova.

Firstly he studied painting and drawing under the guidance of his parents. In 1939 Kropivnitsky entered Moscow Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts (MIPiDI). In 1941–1944 he served in the army; because of severe wound, he was removed from active service as an invalid, and he returned to Moscow.

 

Since 1945 Kropivnitsky continued studying at the Institute (under A. Deineka), but in 1946 he was arrested on a charge of belonging to anti-Soviet terrorist organization (he endured punishment together with B. Sveshnikov). He served nine-year term in the prison camps of Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) and Kazakhstan. Kropivnitsky was discharged in 1954 without departure from Balkhash city, where he worked as an artist and stage director in local house of culture; he also headed studio of arts.

 

After rehabilitation in 1956, Kropivnitsky returned to Moscow.

Since late 1950s he worked at the Combine of decorative and applied arts. There he created posters, and exhibitional design for different exhibitions and museums (the State Literature Museum and the Alexander Pushkin Museum in Moscow, the Leo Tolstoy Museum-Estate at Yasnaya Polyana, the T. G. Shevchenko Museum in Kiev, the A. N. Ostrovsky Museum in Shchelykov and others). Kropivnitsky was involved in book graphics and art criticism; more than 10 articles by the artist were published in the Decorative Art magazine.

In late 1950s — early 1960s Kropivnitsky began to paint in abstract impressionism manner. “Non-figurative painting gave me opportunity to be closer to the reality, to explain the essences of things, to comprehend everything important that we can’t perceive with our five senses. I realized that our modernity was the whole set of dramatic accomplishments, psychological tension and intellectual oversaturation. I tried and am trying now, on the basis of what we have lived through and experienced, to create a painting form, suitable to the spirit of our times and the psychology of our century.” (Lev Kropivnitsky, 1965).

The painter participated in many exhibitions.

 

Lev Kropivnitsky's work has been offered at auction multiple times, with realized prices ranging from $247 USD to $38,182 USD, depending on the size and medium of the artwork. The current record price for this artist at auction is $38,182 USD for "COMPOSITION", sold at Artcurial in 2012.

Lev Kropivnitsky - Oil paintings

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