PAVEL KUZNETSOV (1878–1968) Costume Design

signed in Cyrillic ‘P. K.’ (lower right) watercolour on paper 20.5 × 14.5 cm Pavel Kuznetsov studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (1897–1904) under Valentin Serov and Konstantin Korovin, and was strongly influenced by Viktor Borisov-Musatov. Kuznetsov was one of the organisers of the exhibitions Scarlet Rose (1904) and Blue Rose (1907), which became central to the development of Russian Symbolism. Kuznetsov also worked briefly as a theatre designer. In 1914 he collaborated with Alexander Tairov on the first production of the Moscow Kamerny Theatre, Sakuntala by Kalidasa, for which he created stage and costume designs. Although theatre remained a relatively small part of his career, these works reflect the same poetic and decorative sensibility that characterises his painting. His works are held in major museum collections including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, and the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum.