Within the picture collection at Little Hall is a work painted jointly by the Russian artist, Leonid Brailovsky (1867 – 1937) and his wife Rimma Nikitichna (1877-1959). Painted in a modernist style, It is one of the most unusual paintings in the collection at Little Hall, the majority of which are in the old master manner. It is also unconventional in that it was painted by two artists and is signed by both. It is again unusual in the way the buildings and people it depicts are distorted in a manner similar to that captured through a fish-eye camera lens. The unnaturalistic portrayal of the figures in the painting draws on the stylised imagery of Russian icons.
The Brailovsky’s painting at Little Hall, which depicts the traditional architecture of Russia, reflects Leonid’s training as an architect. He studied architecture in St. Petersburg. He also used the skills of his profession to record the ancient buildings of his homeland and studied and copied fresco paintings within some of the finest Russian Orthodox churches in Russia. In 1900, he copied old frescoes in the churches of Laroslav, Rostov and Novgorod. The influence of these works can be seen in Leonid and Rimma’s work. During his training Leonid also travelled extensively, in Egypt, France, Italy, Germany and England.
Later both Leonid and Rimma developed successful careers in, teaching and designing stage sets and costumes. Patrons included the Bolshoi (Grand) Theatre for whom Leonid produced costume designs for Mozart’s opera Don Juan. The Brailovsky’s comfortable life in Russia came to an end as a result of the 1917 Revolution, following which the couple moved to Latvia. For a time they lived in Constantinople before moving to Belgrade where for three years they were again involved with theatrical stage design. They settled in Rome in 1925.
It was in Rome that the couple painted the picture now in the Little Hall collection. It is one of a series of paintings that were collectively titled ‘Visions of Old Russia’. These paintings drew upon the couples extensive studies of early Russian architecture, decoration, ornamentation and icons. The Brailovsky’s were inspired when producing the Vison series by the splendour of Russian brocades, the spotless purity of the snow, the grandeur of court banquets, the calm blue nights and bright joyous colouring of the Russian holidays. The couples aim was to capture in oils these objects and moments in all their detail and in a manner the icon-painters had before them. The Vision series portrays Russia as if it were a fairy land, sumptuous and brilliant in colour, fantastic and unique in architectural form and blending the severity of Byzantine art with that of Tartary.
While in exile the couple exhibited in many cities in Europe. Rimma also held solo exhibitions in Paris (1930) and the Vatican (1932). The couple were involved in the creation of the Museum of Russian Religious Art In the Vatican. It was probably on one of the Gayer-Anderson’s visits to Rome that they purchased the Brailovsky painting now at Little Hall. Leonid died in Rome in 1937 and Rimma remained there until her death in 1959. Their works are in the museum collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, the Russian Museum, the Museum of the Sorbonne in Paris, the Vatican Museums and others. Prior to fleeing Russia Leonid designed Anton Chekhov’s tombstone in the Moscow Cemetery.
Costume design for the opera Don Juan by W.A. Mozart. Museum: Bolshoi Theatre Museum, Moscow. Leonid Brailovsky.
Painting, 1930s, signed by Leonid and Rimma Brailovsky. It is one of a series of paintings by Leonid and Rimma in the ‘Visions of Old Russia’ series. The Vision series portrays Russia as if it were a fairy land, sumptuous and brilliant in colour.