She

Alexander Korolev, She

Alexander Korolev graduated from the sculpture department of the College of Penza Art in 1981. He started painting in 1983 and produced She in 1997-a particularly productive year for the artist that resulted in several excellent works among which were Old Telephone, Holland, and Chestnut. Korolev has participated in a number of exhibitions in different cities such as San-Francisco, New York, and Berlin.

She breaks the mold of the over idealized woman that often appears in art. She is full figured and fleshy and looks unashamed out at the viewer with a similar expression as that of Victorine in Edouard Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass, 1862-63. She is bold and provocative - Korolev even exaggerates the curves of the female figure. On the other hand, the woman in this painting is not being objectified; instead, her demeanor seems natural and relaxed. Stylistically, the influence of Henri Matisse is extremely evident in the saturated, bright colors; the quick brushstrokes; and the liquidity of the human form. She even takes on a similar pose as that of Matisse’s Blue Nude, 1907. She portrays an intimate moment that celebrates the beauty and confidence of the everyday woman.