McCarthey Gallery
Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery
 

Welcome to The McCarthey Gallery

The Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery is one of the foremost dealers in the United States dealing with Russian Impressionistic art.  The Gallery maintains an extensive inventory of collectible works by Russia's most respected artists during the period of 1930 to 1980.  The Gallery carefully selects paintings that are historically significant, original in composition, interesting in form and beautiful in their depiction of the human spirit.  We have been working in Russia for many years and have developed close personal relationships with many of the artists and their families.  Together with our associated gallery in Russia, Dacha Art, and our Russian partners, we maintain extremely close ties with the arts community in Russia and the former Soviet republics.  In addition to our Russian specialization, the TKM Gallery is proud to work with talented artists from other countries who have the spirit of the Russian art.

Read more about the McCarthey Gallery....

Read this Month's Newsletter....

  • McCarthey Gallery
  • McCarthey Gallery
  • McCarthey Gallery
  • McCarthey Gallery
  • McCarthey Gallery
  • McCarthey Gallery
  • McCarthey Gallery
  • McCarthey Gallery
  • McCarthey Gallery
  • McCarthey Gallery

Two Summer Auction Paintings!

Congratulations to B. Chen who placed the winning bid of $1,750 for last months silent auction painting, "The Spring Meadow", by Vladimir P. Krantz, Estimated at $5,000 to $6,000 and to M. Breidsprecher who placed the winning bid for "Spring in the Yard", by Vladimir Filippov, estimated at $4,000- $5,000.As our summer silent auction selections, we are pleased to present TWO beautifulworks by Top Soviet Artists,. "At the Canal Lock", by Yakov Dorofeevich Romas, Winner of the 1947 LENIN PRIZE, estimated at $8,000 to $10,000, and "Moscow View", by Vladimir Alekseevich Vasin, estimated at $2,000- $2,500.

We invite you to participate in the Summer Auction and thank everyone who placed bids last month. This is an exceptional opportunity to add astounding works by top Soviet Artists to your collection.

Remember, there is no reserve, at the end of the auction the high bids win!

Bids will be taken via telephone, or e-mail until 7:00 pm MST, Tuesday, July 15th. Follow all the bidding updates on the Gallery's website.

Please, e-mail bids only to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and make sure your receive confirmation of your bid. Note that you may place a maximum bid and the Gallery will bid on your behalf up to your maximum. By placing a maximum bid you will be assured you are not out bid at the last minute.

 Tel: 801-755-7072

email:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

website:   www.McCartheyGallery.net

 

Good luck!

 

Stephen Justesen, Gallery Director

6059 Romas

Romas, Yakov Dorofeevich
"At the Canal Lock"
31½'' x 39¼'', (80 x 100 cm)
1965, Oil on Canvas
Estimate $8,000 to $10,000- framed
Current Bid $3,750 by F. Silva, The Next Bid is $4,000

Yakov Dorofeevich Romas (1902-1969) was a distinguished Soviet artist whose work continues to captivate audiences. In 1947, Romas received the prestigious Stalin Prize for his painting "On the River," now proudly displayed in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

Yakov Romas' 1947 masterpiece painting, "On the River". The painting won the Stalin Prize.

The Stalin Prize was introduced in 1941 as Stalin's vision of a Soviet alternative to the Nobel Prize, with one of its coveted categories being 'arts and culture.' Winning this award brought significant professional recognition and substantial financial and tangible benefits to Soviet artists.

Years after Romas's passing, his family shared letters with visiting art dealers that revealed correspondence between Romas and his former professor, Sergey Gerasimov, a renowned artist and President of the Academy of Arts of the Soviet Union. These letters indicated that Romas initially declined the Stalin Prize but was persuaded by Gerasimov to accept it, facing the grim alternative of life in the gulag. Romas eventually accepted the prize but did not attend the award ceremony, citing poor health.

"On the Raft" marks a significant turning point in the artist's career, as before the war, they were primarily engaged in decorative art. In 1948, Romas was awarded the Stalin Prize for this masterpiece. The painting, displayed at the Institute of Russian Realist Art (with the original housed in the State Tretyakov Gallery), was specifically created for the office of Vasily Stalin.

The artist portrays everyday life as an idyllic scene, capturing the serene moments of tranquil rafters. The characters in the painting are seen setting the table, preparing for dinner, with fresh chowder seemingly boiling in the pot. Romas invites the viewer to appreciate the beauty of nature and the vast expanses of the Volga River. The river's curve stretches into the distance, symbolizing the journey that lies ahead for the characters. Romas explained the themes of his work, stating, "The sergeant has returned from the front line to his peaceful work and is recounting the recent military campaign to the rafters. The raft continues down the river to restore the areas devastated by the battles."

However, the peaceful dinner scene is misleading, as the work of the rafters is fraught with danger. They must leap from one raft to another amidst the river's swift currents, dislodging congestion and navigating rapids. In some regions, rafting remains the only viable method to transport large quantities of wood, making it inevitable for rafters to face numerous challenges.

This month, the McCarthey Gallery is honored to feature Romas's painting "At the Canal Lock" as our main silent auction work. Romas's artistic journey began under the tutelage of some great Soviet artists and continued through his military service on a ship. Afterward, he devoted himself to fine art, focusing on river and maritime landscapes.

His extensive travels along the Volga and Kama rivers with fellow artists Aleksei Gritsai, Vladimir Meshkov, and Georgy Savitsky inspired "At the Canal Lock," where Romas depicts an idyllic and timeless Russian landscape with his unique style and flair.

Romas's paintings, including "On the River" and "At the Canal Lock," often portray everyday work scenes as serene and beautiful, inviting spectators to appreciate the natural beauty and vastness of the Volga River. He once described the themes of these paintings as follows: "The sergeant has returned from the front line to his peaceful work and is telling the rafters about the military campaign that recently finished. The boats flow on down the river to restore those places destroyed in the battles." However, "On the River" subtly reveals the dangers faced by rafters, who must navigate swift currents, dislodge congestion, and steer through rapids to transport wood, often encountering significant challenges.

Through his personal experiences and keen observations of the people, the light and the colors of the Volga River from which Romas created a distinctive palette of color and energy, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of art.

"At the Lock" would make a stunning addition to any collection! It is rare that we offer such and important work by one the Top Soviet Artists in the Silent Auction.

Remember, there is no reserve, at the end of the auction the high bid wins! Bids will be taken via telephone, or e-mail until 7:00 pm Tuesday July 15, MST. Follow all the bidding updates on the Gallery's website.

Please, e-mail bids only to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and make sure your receive confirmation of your bid. Note that you may place a maximum bid and the Gallery will bid on your behalf up to your maximum. By placing a maximum bid you will be assured you are not out bid at the last minute.

Tel: 801-755-7072
email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
website: www.McCartheyGallery.net

Stephen Justesen, Gallery Director

Read the Full Summer Newsletter
View Full Image
View Framed Image
Place Your Bid

6722 edit

Vasin, Vladimir Alekseevich
"Moscow View"
9'x 14½'', (23 x 37 cm)
1970, Oil on Board
Estimate $2,000 to $2,500- framed
Current Bid J. Sutton- $750, Next Bid is $1,000

A Quiet Glimpse: Vladimir Vasin's Moscow View

At just 9 by 14½ inches, Vladimir Alekseevich Vasin's Moscow View (1970) is a small painting that leaves a lasting impression. Though modest in scale, it captures the soul of a city with a calm reverence and a painterly sensibility that is distinctly Vasin's. Rendered in oil on board, the work unfolds in soft browns, muted ochres, and dusky grays—a palette that has come to define the artist's approach to landscape and urban scenes.

Vasin, a Soviet painter deeply devoted to the Russian landscape, brought the same emotional depth and compositional harmony to his cityscapes. Moscow View is not a grand or monumental vision of the capital; rather, it is an intimate moment, likely observed during one of the artist's quiet walks through the historic quarters of the city. There are no political slogans or crowds—just the quiet dignity of old architecture under a brooding sky, lit by the diffuse glow of a fading day.

What makes the painting so effective is Vasin's ability to evoke mood through restraint. His brushwork is soft, almost meditative, giving the impression of air gently wrapping itself around buildings and streets. There is a kind of visual hush in the piece, a silence that invites viewers to lean in and feel the atmosphere rather than simply see the place. In this way, Moscow View becomes not just a painting of a city, but a reflection of how we carry places within us—half seen, half remembered.

Though Vasin never sought fame beyond the Soviet art circles of his time, works like Moscow View remind us of the quiet power of observation. In a few measured strokes and subtle tones, he captured the poetry of everyday life—a Moscow not of spectacle, but of memory.

We invite you to participate in this month's auctions and thank everyone who placed bids 's last month. Remember, there is no reserve, at the end of the auction the high bid wins!

Bids will be taken via telephone, or e-mail until 7:00 pm MST, Tuesday, July 15th. Follow all the bidding updates on the Gallery's website.

Tel: 801-755-7072
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
website: www.McCartheyGallery.net

Please, e-mail bids only to winfoMcCartheyGallery.net. Note that you may place a maximum bid and the Gallery will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid.

Good luck!

Stephen Justesen, Gallery Director

Read the Full Summer Newsletter
View Full Image
View Framed Image
Place Your Bid

 

 Featured Paintings! 

1884 Nechitailo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Nechitailo, Vasily Kirillovich
"Steelmaker"
1969; 78¼" x 31"
Oil on Canvas, Estimate $25.000

Vasili Kirillovich Nechitailo was born in Nikolaevskoe, the province of Rostov-on-Don, in 1915. In 1931 he began his study of art at the Krasnodar Art Tekhnikum where he remained until 1935. In 1935 the artist entered into preparatory art courses at the Surikov Institute. After approximately two years of preparation, Nechitailo enrolled in the Moscow Art Institute as a full time student under the tutelage of the revered professor Alexander Gerasimov. He attended the Institute from 1937 to 1942. The artist then enrolled in their graduate program in 1942. In 1943, while still attending the Surikov, Nechitailo and 11 other academically accomplished artists were evacuated to Samarkand, Uzbekistan for the duration of the war. It looked like Moscow might fall to the Germans so the Soviet government decided to evacuate their most promising artists who they saw as cultural assets. He returned and completed his graduate degree in 1944. He was honored with the opportunity to teach at the Surikov Institute from 1948 until 1956. Vasili Nechitailo began to actively exhibit in 1945. Nechitailo died in Moscow in 1980.

Picture5jpg

Awards: (partial list)

Named "People's Artist of Russia", 1965
Repin Prize, 1971
Member-correspondent of the Soviet Association of Artists, 1972

Exhibitions: (partial list)
1946- All-Union Art Exhibition", Moscow
1947- All-Union Art Exhibition", Moscow
1949- All-Union Art Exhibition", Moscow
1951- All-Union Art Exhibition", Moscow
1955- All-Union Art Exhibition", Moscow
1960- "Soviet Russia", Moscow
1964- Solo exhibition, Moscow
1982- Solo exhibition, Moscow
2003-2004- "In the Russian Tradition" Smithsonian Institution, his work Nude, Masha was included in the show

Collections: (partial list)
Krasnodar Art Museum
Historical Museum, Moscow, On Red Square
Tretyakov Gallery (Museum), Moscow
State Russian Museum
Museum of Fine Arts in Volgograd
Kiev Museum of Russian Art
Russian Art Museum, St. Petersburg
Museum of Russian Art, Minnesota
Russia Artists' Union
Tretyakov Gallery (Museum), Moscow
State Art Museum of Turkmenia Republic

Books: (partial list)
1998 — Socialist Realist Painting by Matthew Cullerne Bown, 1998 — p. 331, On Kuban Virgin Land, 1958, Oil on Canvas, 31.5 x 59 in., Private Collection

Additional Information:
Nechitailo is a cousin of the famous Kugach family of artists.

"He understood the beauty of the process of painting, and the techniques he developed, in many ways, defined the classical standards that continued the cultural traditions of Soviet and Russian Realist art. His landscapes are distinguished for their composition and color harmony as well as for their exquisite and laconic style. His portraits of laborers, all healthy and strong, reflect his optimistic view of the typical Soviet village and collective farm after the war. As one critic has noted, his extraordinary paintings of people form a collective portrait of his time."

-The Museum of Russian Art, Minnesota

2583a

Stasevich, Ivan Nikiforovich
"Baikal Lake, Fishermen Are Working"
13'' x 17¾'', (33 x 45 cm)
1956, Oil on Board, $6,000  

st

 Stasevich, Ivan Nikiforovich (1929- 1998)Honored Artist of Belarus 1985
Translated from the original Russian 

Ivan N. Stasevich, painter and honored artist of Byelorussia, was born on January 9, 1929 in the village of Medvednya, in Starodorozhensky district of Minsk region into a peasant family. During the war years, he became a fighter in the third brigade. He survived the blockade with the partisans. When Belarus was liberated, at the age of 15, he made enrolled in the motor-road unit of the 1st Belarusian Front. And during all the war years he drew war sheets, posters, road signs, the last of which is "To the Reichstag - 250 meters."

After the end of the war, in he enrolled in the Minsk Art College, graduating in 1952. He then left for Moscow and began his studies at the famed Suirikov Institute, graduating in 1958. His professors were noted artists G. M. Izergina, A. P. Mozalev, V. K. Tsvirko, and D. K. Mochalsky. His diploma work "In the Belarusian Swamps", which depicts the exit of partisans from the blockade, was exhibited at the All-Union art exhibition and was positively noted by critics. The subjects of fighting against Nazi remained very important for the artist in the subsequent years. There were such pictures as Life Everlasting, Oath (1965-1967), May (1945), and Happy Meeting (1969-1970). The subjects of the artist's pictures also reflected the optimistic attitudes of the post-war years, the years of construction work. In the 1960s, the artist worked at the construction site of Bratsk Hydropower Station where he painted portraits of wood-cutters, industrial landscapes and genre compositions, such as Angara, Angara (1960) and Winners of Padun Rapids (1961).

When he returned to Belarusia, the artist's creative work became closely connected with teaching. For many years, Stasevich worked in Minsk Institute of Theater and Art. An Associate Professor, and then a Professor of the Institute, he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Belarus 1985.

He was always attracted by people close to him, powerful characters, ebullient life energy. In landscape painting he embodied the views of the south and north of Belarus. Throughout his life, he visited almost the entire Soviet Union, he was also in Italy, France and Portugal.

I.N. Stasevich was an active participant of all Russia's and all Belarusian exhibitions. Before the independence of Belarus from Russia, he was a member of the USSR Union of Artists.

I. N. Stasevich's works are included in many public and private collections (Belarus, Russia, Algeria, England, Austria, Belgium, Germany, India, Italy, Canada and others); including the National art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian Union of artists, the Museum of modern fine arts in Minsk, Vitebsk Museum of M. Shmarova, the Belarusian Museum of the great Patriotic war, Svetlogorsk and Gomel Museums, the Museum P. Masherov, Vitebsk, and the Ministry of culture of Russia. including in the homeland of the artist in the Starodorozhsky District Historical and Ethnographic Museum there are over 70 of his works. 22 works of painting and graphics by the master are included in the collection of the National Art Museum I. N. Stasevich passed away on on September 11, 1998 at the age off 66.

 

Click to View Full Gallery Collection 

Russian & Soviet Impressionism
Russia's Rich Cultural Heritage

impressionism-homeRussia's rich cultural heritage represents the best of human creativity. Its literature, music, visual and performing arts and architecture are among the most profound, compelling and beautiful expressions of the human spirit.

Much of this rich heritage is well known in the United States, such as the writing of Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky, the music of Peter Tchaikovsky, Serge Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky, the painting of Ilya Repin and Vassily Kadinsky, the architecture of the Kremlin and State Hermitage Museum and the dance of the Bolshoi Ballet.

Less well known in this tradition of creativity is the painting of the Russian Impressionist period, lasting from approximately 1930 to 1980. Russian Impressionism made an important contribution to the cultural heritage of Russia, but until recently, little has been known of its beauty and quality and its leading artists because of Soviet isolationism. During this period much of the cultural life in the Communist Soviet Union was denied Western exposure. The demise of Communism, the lifting of the Iron Curtain and the movement towards freedom and democracy of the newly formed Commonwealth of Independent States has allowed the world the opportunity to experience a unique and important historical past through the art work.

It is now being collected and recognized by art historians, museum directors, curators and collectors as some of the best art produced in the twentieth century. 

"Soviet Impressionism"- Vern G. Swanson

From a unique set of circumstances that would be impossible to duplicate, Soviet Art from 1930 to 1980 was the 20th century's major realist school of painting. It powerfully expresses itself with a simple clarity of pictorial language, consummate adeptness and truthful portrayal of life. The Soviet artist acted as a willing collaborator with and portrayer of the aspirations of society. This contrasted with Western models where artists were typically alienated from their community. Acceptance will come, using the Soviet phrase, because it is "historically inevitable". It is already to a certain extent here with the pictures from the period increasingly passing through the sale rooms of Europe and North America. This book should give wider understanding of this underrated but artistically exciting movement in Soviet art.

Read more about Russian Impressionism...

New Salt Lake City Gallery & Wharehouse

Good News! We are now fully settled into our new Gallery and Warehouse in downtown Salt Lake City and are ready to show you some great Russian Impressionist art. The majority of the works in the new Gallery have never been exhibited before!

2 

 

Mailing Address: 54 B Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
Tel: 801.755.7072
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Hours: By appointment or 6- 9 pm for Gallery Stroll (the third Friday of every month)

 

Sign up for our FREE monthly newsletter.

Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery
444 Main Street
Park City, Utah 84060
Tel: 435-658-1691
Email: info@mccartheygallery.net