Geese-swans
Valentina Petrova's painting presents an enigmatic scene of an evening stroll through a forest. At the center of the composition is a scarlet sun reflected in the water, creating a stark contrast with the dark silhouettes of towering trees. These trees, like sentinels, rise majestically, creating an atmosphere of mystery and foreboding. Below, near the water, a figure in green clothing is accompanied by birds, adding a sense of movement and life to the scene. The use of muted green and brown tones gives the impression of twilight, as daylight gradually yields to night. The painting exudes not only visual but also emotional depth, inviting the viewer to ponder eternal questions of nature and human existence.
Valentina Petrova
Graphic artist. In 1948 she graduated from the graphic arts faculty of the Repin Institute, defending her thesis with distinction on illustrations for V. Gorbatov's book 'The Unconquered'. Since 1948 — a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. Since 1968 — Merited Artist of the RSFSR. She worked at Leningrad publishing houses and participated in exhibitions from 1950. She began working as an illustrator at Detgiz while still a student, and from 1950 created books in co-authorship with her husband at various publishing houses. She also had a lithographic studio where she created many autolithographs, including the 'Blockade' cycle of 1985, part of which she donated to the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. The large-format sheets of the cycle are a synthesis of impressions from the blockade years in a large compositional form and complex tonality. The composition 'Lecture on Art in an Air-Raid Shelter, Winter 1942' is particularly notable — it glorifies the heights of the human spirit, conveying the emotional authenticity of a time when deprivation and hunger could not prevent people from believing in beauty. Awards: Certificate of Honor from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR for creative work in book art, 30 April 1966. 1965 — Gold Medal at the Sholokhov competition at the Leipzig Exhibition. 1969 — First Prize of the Union of Artists of the USSR for a series of works about Lenin.