In the wardrobe
This work by Valentina Petrova is an expressive use of charcoal to create an intimate and observational depiction of an indoor scene. The artist employs simple yet expressive lines to capture the figures and setting, giving the composition a sense of dynamism and realism. The central figure appears to be a woman raising her hand to her face, perhaps in an act of drinking or contemplation. The other figures and the environment create a sense of the variety of everyday life, conveying the atmosphere of a room with its textures and shapes. The work conveys a mood of focus and transience, as if the viewer has caught a moment in life. Petrova skillfully manages the contrast of light and shadow, adding depth and drama to the scene. The emotional richness and technical simplicity make this piece intriguing both for art enthusiasts and collectors who appreciate the nuances of graphic works.
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.