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....

Our January Silent Auction Painting

For our January Silent Auction selection we are pleased to present a masterwork by one of Russia's most talented up-and-coming artists, and one of the Gallery's favorite painters, Vladimir V. Filippov. Vladimir has grown to be one of the most honored landscape artists painting in Russia today.

 Filippov was trained, and lives in the renowned Russian art village "Akademicheskaya Dacha" or Academic Dacha, halfway between Moscow and St Petersburg. For more than 130 years, this village has been almost a sacred place to Russian artists. Filippov was introduced to the McCarthey Gallery by the master painter Yuri Kugach (recently deceased at age 97) who was named as one of the top 10 artists of Russia in the twentieth century. Under this tutelage, Filippov has become a respected and sought after Russian artist.

Vladimir Filippov captures the native Russian countryside with a vivid intimacy attesting to a love of life spent close to the land. The contrasts and vividness of colors in "Spring on the Dubrovka River" shows Filippov's impressive skills and natural talent representing the Russian countryside. The shadow play as a central element in this work accentuates the wonder and beauty of winter the artist so masterfully captures. This painting would make a stunning addition to any collection or a great painting to start your collection.

Filippov, Vladimir Viktorovich
"Spring on the Dubrovka River"
15¾'' x 23½'', (40 x 60 cm)
2010, Oil on Board, Framed
Estimate $3,500 -$4,000, Current Bid $1,000, J. Rizner, Framed

We are thrilled to offer this opportunity to our Gallery clients to add this beautiful painting to their collection. We invite you to participate in this month's auction and thank everyone who placed bids last month especially J. Rizner and I. Bekichev who placed the winning bids in December's auction!

The current high bid is 1,000 by J. Rizner. The next bid is $1,250 followed by minimum increments of $250. 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, Friday, January 31st. Follow all the bidding updates on the Gallery's website.

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.

Good luck!

Stephen Justesen, Gallery Directoe

FULL IMAGE    FRAMED IMAGE    PLACE A BID

The Artist-Vladimir Viktorovich Filippov, b 1956

Vladimir V. Filippov was born in 1956 in Vyshniy Volochek. He spent his childhood in Novoye Kotchische Village, where such famous artists as brothers Sergei & Aleksei Tkachev lived. It was also not far from the Academic Dacha named after the great painter Ilya E. Repin. The Academic Dacha is a well-known Art Academy and artist community in Russia, and that creative atmosphere had a great influence on young Vladimir's creative future. Filippov spent long hours visiting artists in their studios and admiring great artists and their paintings. Since childhood Vladimir's dream was to become a great artist.

But at the beginning, Vladimir's way of life was sidetracked from art. Having graduated from the Railway Collage, he enrolled in the Soviet Army. After his demobilization, he entered the Agricultural Academy. However, he never abandoned his dream to become an artist. Vladimir painted his first water-colored still life from nature in the studio of Nikolai A. Sysoev, who was an honored artist of the Soviet Union. He painted with great vigor under Sysoev's direction. Later on in 1970, he became acquainted with Peter I. Strakhov and Peter's wife Lia A. Ostrovaya, who were famous artists in Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Peter Straknov made great contributions and progress in Vladimir's creative development. Since 1970, Vladimir Filippov has devoted his life to painting full time. He has been an enduring participant of all the local and regional exhibitions since 1980.

Since 1990, Filippov has trained and worked under the Russian Realist masters Yuri P. Kugach (senior) and his son Mikhail Y. Kugach, who is now head of the Kugach Studio and a full member of the Russian Academy of Arts. Also, Vladimir painted in the company of such wonderful artists as Grigory Chainikov and Andrei Zakharov. These artists and close friends have played an important role in Vladimir's development as an artist. Filippov is one of the few artists continuing the great tradition of Russian Realistic Art.

Vladimir Filippov has been a member of the Union of Russian Artists since 2003. His paintings are exhibited in the Museums of Mogilev and Bobruisk (Republic of Byelorussia), in the Museum of Harbin (China), in many private art collections in Russia, Czech Republic, Yugoslavia, Romania, Finland, Germany, China, and the USA.

Filippov works with the Moskvorechie Creative Association.

The Academic Dacha: The Spiritual Heart of Soviet Art

Russia has a long tradition of the great master painters giving apprenticeship to the best of the next generation thereby keeping the venerated Russian tradition of realism alive. That is the case between the legendary Russian master painter Yuri Petrovich Kugach and his student, Vladimir Viktorovich Filippov. They lived and worked in the legendary artistic community of Academic Dacha.

About halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg close to Tver, is the small village of "Akademichka" (or in English, "Academic Dacha"). It is about 10 kilometers off the main road, nestled in the Russian forest and graced by the shimmering Lake Mistino. The village has been the spiritual heart of Russian art since the village was founded in 1884. It has been the seasonal home of many of the great Russian artists over the last century and a half. The Academic Dacha initially served as a country refuge for impoverished or ailing artists from the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Over time, the area increasingly became a favorite with students and professors who came to paint landscapes in the open air. The setting so appealed to artists, that many spent the greater part of their lives there, purchasing small country homes (dachas) nearby. From Repin to Levitan to Kugach and countless other greats, this small village has been painted more and has inspired more great art than any other place in Russia.

Even today, in this idyllic setting, many great artists still call Academic Dacha home. The place has been the residence of Yuri Petrovich Kugach (who recently passed away at the age of 97) since 1951. Over the years, Yuri Petrovich was a generous mentor to several promising artists. Kugach, who was named one of 'Russia's top twenty artists of the twenty first century', introduced us to one of his students in 2011, Vladimir Filippov. Yuri Petrovich told us that Vladimir was his finest student ever. Kugach told us that Filippov's soul was imbued with Russia's nature. He said that "while you can teach technique, color and composition---an artist's ability to 'feel' the land is unteachable." Kugach said that the instinct of greatness is genetic and that Filippov has that very rare natural talent.

The Academic Dacha

Nestled in the serene countryside near the village of Vyshny Volochyok, the Academic Dacha served as a creative sanctuary for generations of Soviet artists. Established in the late 19th century by the Imperial Academy of Arts and later embraced by the Soviet Union, this retreat became the beating heart of Russian art, fostering collaboration, inspiration, and innovation.

A Haven for Creativity

Surrounded by forests, rivers, and lakes, the dacha offered an idyllic escape from the bustling cities and ideological pressures of Soviet life. Artists from across the USSR gathered here to paint en plein air, capturing the beauty of rural Russia in vivid Impressionist and realist styles. The tranquil environment encouraged experimentation, while the camaraderie among peers created a fertile ground for artistic growth.

A Home for Masters and Hopefuls Alike

From renowned painters like Yuri Kugach and the Tkachev brothers to emerging talents, the Academic Dacha was a hub where established masters mentored young artists. It was a place where Soviet Impressionism flourished, its focus on light, texture, and the everyday lives of the Soviet people resonating deeply with the artists who worked there.

 Art Beyond Politics

Although artists were expected to align their work with Socialist Realist ideals, the dacha allowed for a degree of creative freedom. Here, art could focus less on ideology and more on celebrating the timeless beauty of nature and the human spirit. Many iconic works, reflecting both the struggles and joys of Soviet life, were born in this sanctuary.

A Legacy of Inspiration

Today, the Academic Dacha stands as a symbol of the resilience and brilliance of Soviet art. Its legacy continues to inspire new generations, reminding us of the power of creativity to thrive even in challenging times. For many, it remains the spiritual heart of Russian artistic tradition—a place where nature and art come together in perfect harmony.

Yuri P. Kugach, 1917- 2013, In his studio at the Academic Dacha 2008

The Master- Yuri Petrovich Kugach

Yuri Kugach is one of the premier 20th century Russian Realist painters. He is known in Russia and around the world for his paintings of the Russian countryside and his amazing skill of depicting space, form and feeling in his paintings. He received the USSR's highest honors for his work, taught at the renowned Surikov Institute of Art in Moscow, and founded the Moscow River School.

Yuri Kugachs' talents were considered so valuable that, during World War Two, the Soviet government evacuated him and ten other artists to Uzbekistan to escape the Nazi onslaught.

In 1951 Yuri moved to the Tver region-renowned for its scenic countryside-to instruct at the House of Artists of Russia. Themes of nature and village life are a powerful and unifying principle in much Russian art. As avant-garde art began to rise in the estimation of critics, it too helped preserve the realist tradition.

Vladimir Filippov with Yuri Kugach in Kugach's studio, 2010

Russian & Soviet Impressionism
Russia's Rich Cultural Heritage

Russia'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...