Art Exhibitions in Pre-Revolutionary Samara: Their Nature and Reception in the Press

Abstract

Between 1891 and 1916 some 23 exhibitions of works by artists of Samara were held in the city. Key to the organization was a circle of local artists, both professional and amateur. They sought to match the level of exhibitions in the two capitals, with private views, catalogues, large historical pictures and educational programs. Local reviewers remarked that, unlike other exhibitions (in both capital cities and the provinces), those in Samara — exhibitions “by those of the Volga” — had their own very recognizable “physiognomy”, for they were particularly rich in local landscapes along the banks of the river. Despite personal rivalries among the artists, a deficit of exhibits and difficulty finding suitable spaces, despite financial losses and the caustic, at times categorical and even rude criticism in the local press, the exhibitions took place almost each year. Yet for all the unique nature of these exhibitions in Samara — ambitious, held despite all obstacles, and with their own face and character — very little study has been made of them. This essay uses a broad range of primary sources, above all press reviews and advertisements in Samarian publications — to analyze their exhibition strategy, approaches to display, the choice of works and how these shows were perceived by local art critics.