Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka 1899-1969

One of the great prolific Russian illustrators and painters who managed to coexist with the Soviet power structure before, during, and after World War II.


Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, The Skiers, 1926

Deineka was obviously aware of the leading Swiss graphics of that period. 



Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, The Ode to Spring, 1927

This is quite typical for its time, world-wide sentimentality for the old values that had been losing ground in the era of flappers and jazz music.

 
Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, The Defense of Petrograd, 1928

Deneika's most popular work, stark and political.



Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, Panama, 1920-1930

This technique, on the other hand, reminds us of better known (to us) painters of those two decades between wars.


Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, Mother, 1932

A conventional pose in an entirely new direction. 



Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, In the Air, 1932

A beautiful painting, well ahead of its time as illustration for its composition.

Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, Alexander, 1934

Painting as illustration. A very good portrait and excellent composition, for its time and place.



Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, Jeune fille, 1934

I was drawn to this at first but then I had to decide if this is a painting, or a sketch for a painting, or simply an illustration. The fingers of the right hand make me uneasy, and then the left hand doesn't look all that much better. I guess it was the mood and her concentration that appealed to me.


 
Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, Near Water, 1935

I'll say the same for this. It's wonderfully simple -- less is more, and all that -- the brush scrubbing is distracting, but the mood is great and the colors seem to work well together. In the end I think that it's more of a painting than an illustration.

Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, Future Pilots, 1937

I don't get this one. There seems to be too much attention paid to their spinal columns and bad rendering of flesh as well as an awkward gesture of the future pilot on the right. Overworked, in my opinion.
 


Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, Woman in Red, 1939

An unusual portrait with great attention paid to her face, hair and makeup. Too bad he avoided an attempt on her left hand, which could have been a welcome addition and helped create a feeling for having been there for the sitting.

Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, Self Portrait, 1948

This is fascinating for what it tells us about Al at 49, obviously facing some sort of mid-life crisis. He thinks he's pretty hot, rolled-down socks and all, on his way for a shower and some steam. Perhaps.



Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, A Nude Model, 1951

Great rendering of mass despite a clumsy tummy roll and apparent fear of having to draw a hand. I don't know about the sunburn line on her back, there seems to be another line at mid-thigh, right, that could have happened during the original scan, or to the original drawing.



Alexander Alexandrovich Deineka, The Tractor Driver, 1958

I've deliberately avoided most of his political propaganda pieces in favor of his humanism. I like the fact that though he is not a slick painter, his compositions are so much more interesting than his colleagues engaged in pleasing their Soviet patrons.

Comments

[joyce]

When holding open a book I'm reading, I keep the three center fingers of my left hand on the cover side [supporting the book], with my pinky and thumb at the lower portion of the printed page. [thumb on the left, pinky on the right, holding the pages in place] My right hand remains free to turn pages or lend an assist to holding the book. The identical position seen in "Jeune Fille". From the artist's vantage point, her pinky has partially vanished to the unseen side of her book.

[Perkey]

This is such an interesting painting!

[Julie Eisenberg Janson]

your observations are compelling. thank you.