Ilya Repin, Religious Procession in Kursk Governorate (detail)

Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Ilya Repin: Painting the Soul of Russia

at the Petit Palais, Paris

With Chris Boïcos

A towering figure in the Russian art world of his time, Repin took an interest in all aspects of culture, from literature to music and science. He was close to many of the famous Russian personalities of his day from Leo Tolstoy, to the composer Modest Mussorgsky, and the collector Pavel Tretyakov. Witness to the many upheavals that shook Russia during his lifetime, Repin was particularly attentive to the profound historical and social changes that shaped his country, echoing them through his work.

Thanks to an immersive design approach and exceptional loans, this exhibition transports visitors to the Russia of the Tsars and the beginning of revolution. It presents the diversity of subjects and styles developed by Repin over the course of his career, and his constant attempts to try to capture and define the soul of “Mother Russia.”

Ilya Repin: Painting the Soul of Russia

An exhibition at the Petit Palais, Paris - From 5 October 2021 to 23 January 2022