Congratulations to L. Williams who placed the winning bid of $2,000 for October's silent auction painting, "Evening is Coming, by Georgy V. Kibardin, estimated at $4,500- $5,500.

For our November silent auction, we are pleased to offer a rare work, "The Mushroom Places" by one of the great Russian landscape painters, Vladimir Pavlovich Krantz.

Krantz painted almost exclusively landscapes and was a true master of the "lyrical landscape", a genre in which the landscape becomes a mirror for human emotions.

Krantz considered Nature as his main teacher and was drawn to the simple beauty of the Northern Russian forests and the seascapes of the Crimea. He preferred painting "ala prima," finishing his landscapes in one day. He painted with a unique eye towards nature's mystery, and his works rivet the eye by their romantic mood and masterful technique. Krantz had a special gift for capturing the special light that filters the Russian wilderness, each season bringing its own distinct glow and drawing the viewer into the landscape.

This is one of the few times we have offered a museum quality work by a highly respected and important artist in the silent auction. Estimated at $5,500 to $6,500 with a current bid of $2,750. This is indeed a rare opportunity not to miss and a great way to start the Holiday Season.

Vladimir P. Krantz, "The Mushroom Places"
19¾'' x 27½'', (50 x 70 cm), 1982, Oil on Board
Estimated at $5,500 to $6,500, Winning Bid $2,750 by N. Nero

"The Mushroom Places" depicting a water-meadow in the Russian countryside, is beautiful example of the "lyrical landscape" style, and is a classic example of the Peredvizhniki or Itinerant tradition of landscape painting, associated with the famous Russian masters Alexie Savrosov, and Isaac Levitan. Vladimir Krantz was a true master of the lyrical landscape. His art is immediately recognizable as it rivets the eye by the romantic mood and a masterful technique.

We invite you to participate in this month's auction and thank everyone who placed bids 's last month. This is a rare opportunity to add a beautiful work by a highly acclaimed artist to your collection. Estimated at $5,500 to $6,500, the current high bid is just $2,750! The next bid is $3,000, followed by minimum bidding increments of $250. Remember, there is no reserve, at the end of the auction the high bid wins!

Bids will be taken via telephone, or e-mail until 7:00 pm MST, Tuesday December 1st. Follow all the bidding updates on the Gallery's website.

Note that you may place a maximum bid and the Gallery will bid on your behalf up to your maximum. By placing a maximum bid, you will be assured you are not out bid at the last minute.

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Vladimir Pavlovich Krantz
(1913-2003) Mozdok, Northern Caucasia

Vladimir Pavlovich Krantz was born February 17, 1913, in Mozdok, North Caucasus. His mother's origin was Cossack, and his father came from nobility. His ancestor, German-born Von Rosen Krantz, was exiled to the Caucasus after the December uprising in Petersburg in 1825.

Krantz showed his talent early when he began studying at the atelier of a local painter, A. Turbin. After finishing secondary school, he worked as a draftsman and received a recommendation to the Academy of Fine Arts in Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Just before the entrance exams, Krantz showed his sketches to the rector of the Academy, Isaak Brodsky, a prominent Soviet artist, who saw his talent and gladly admitted Krantz to the Academy.

Unfortunately, typhoid prevented him from entering that year. However, the next year in 1935 Krantz entered the Architectural department of the Leningrad Civil Engineering Institute and graduated in 1940. After graduating he worked as an artist-decorator and painted on his own.

In 1941 Krantz was drafted into the Red Army and took part in the second world war against Nazi Germany and its allies. He registered as a volunteer to the front but was selected to be teacher with the Air Force Academy and was sent to remote Tajikistan to teach at a school of aircraft mechanics. After the war, Krantz returned to his work as an architect in the Painting and Design Group, where he was focused on the rebuilding the destroyed Leningrad. During that time Krantz perfected his art in the studio of the famed Leningrad artist and art educator S. Nevelshtein, a staunch follower of the realistic traditions.

Krantz painted the modest beauty of the Russian forests and seascapes of the Crimea, working at the Academic Dacha in Tver province outside of Moscow. During that he became acquainted with many famous artists. This time enriched Krantz's artistic horizons and enriched skills. Among them were well-known Master of Landscape painting Nikolai Timkov, Dmitry Maevsky, Ivan Varichev, Vladimir Ovchinnikov. Among them was the famous Soviet painter and academician Vecheslav Zagonek, who once presented Krantz his sketch with an inscription: "To the student surpassing the teacher."

One of Krantz's favorite places to paint was the ancient Russian town of Staraja Ladoga in the Petersburg Region. Krantz began exhibiting the works he painted there in 1957. Krantz later gained acclaim with several one-man shows in the 1970's he was recognized by the public.
The Japanese collector Yoko Nakamura acquired a series of Krantz's landscapes, which led to international recognition.

Krantz was a member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists (before 1992 named as the Leningrad branch of Union of Artists of Russian Federation) since 1972. His personal exhibitions were in Leningrad in 1964, 1977, and 1991, and in Saint Petersburg in 1992, 1995, and in 2002.

Vladimir Pavlovich Krantz died in Saint Petersburg on July 20, 2003. His paintings are included in art museums and private collections in Russia, Japan, the United States, Germany, and throughout the world.

Vladimir Pavlovich Krantz
Born 17 February 1913 in Mozdok, Northern Caucas.
In 1940 V. Krantz graduated from the Architectural department of Leningrad Building Institute.
Since 1957 he has participated in Art Exhibitions.
Joined the LOSKH (Leningrad Union of Artists of the RSFSR) in 1972.
Member of LCRAU since 1972.
Modern Soviet painting exhibition. Gekkoso Gallery. Tokyo, 1977.
Ecole de Saint-Petersburg. Drouot Richelieu. 13 Mars. Paris, 1992.
Personal Exhibitions in Leningrad (1964, 1977, 1991) and St. Petersburg (1992, 1995, 2002).
Paintings by Vladimir Krantz are in the State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg), Museum of the Siege of Leningrad (St. Petersburg), regional Russian museums and private collections in Russia, Japan, Germany, France, Belgium, Finland, and the USA.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Modern Soviet painting exhibition. Gekkoso Gallery. Tokyo, 1977. Ecole de Saint-Petersburg. Drouot Richelieu. 13 Mars 1992. Paris, 1992.

In 2013, the St. Petersburg Union of Artists held a solo exhibition of Krantz's works to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Vladimir KRANTZ - Master Russian Landscape Painting

Text by Julia Svistunova and James G.Tylich, 2002.
A colorful collection of paintings of the popular Russian artist from the Leningrad school Vladimir Krantz (1913-2003) seasonally depicting the Russian lyrical landscape.

Includes a biography and photographs of artist.
Published in Russia by "Iskusstvo Rossii" edition,
58 color plates, 74 pages, soft cover, 8,2 x 8,6 inches.

"Unknown Socialist Realism. The Leningrad School" 
by Sergey Ivanov

The book is a first inclusive publication on the history of the Leningrad School, one of the brightest and significant phenomena in the Soviet Art of 1930-1980 that strongly influenced its contents and development. The book outlines basic periods of the school's evolution from the period that preceded its formation in the early 1930s up to the early 1990s. Paintings reproduced in the publication belong to large Russian and foreign private collections