Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939)
Petrov-Vodkin was born into a family of shoemakers and became one himself. He didn’t intend to become an artist, but getting acquainted with writing sparked an interest in the young man. He travelled to St Petersburg to begin his proper studies. Many of his works were not welcomed by critics; they were labelled as blasphemous and too erotic. It was after his graduation that he completed one of his iconic works, Bathing of a Red Horse, seen as an omen of the upcoming changes in society. Toward the end of his life, Petrov-Vodkin was sick and turned to literature rather than painting. His work was still in demand in Soviet Russia, and he was elected the first president of the Leningrad Union of Artists.
- Bathing of a Red Horse | © Wikimedia Commons
