Anatoly Slepyshev (1932–2016) The Violin Player, 1989

Oil on canvas " The Violin Player", 1989

Canvas size: 24 x 31 1/4 in. (61 x 79,5 cm)

Frame size: 30 x 36 3/4 in. (76 x 93,5 cm)

A striking and highly expressive composition by important Russian Nonconformist artist Anatoly Slepyshev. The painting depicts a mysterious theatrical gathering centered around a violin player surrounded by semi-abstract seated figures rendered with extraordinary emotional intensity and painterly freedom.

Built with vigorous impasto, sweeping palette-knife work, and dynamic gestural brushstrokes, the composition possesses exceptional movement and sculptural surface texture. Slepyshev masterfully dissolves figuration into abstraction while maintaining a powerful narrative presence — one of the defining qualities of his mature work.

Anatoly Slepyshev was among the notable figures of Moscow’s unofficial art scene, developing an independent and highly expressive visual language already by the 1960s–1970s. Working outside the constraints of official Soviet aesthetics, he became known for emotionally charged compositions balancing abstraction, symbolism, and theatrical figuration. His works are held in the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Russian Museum, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Zimmerli Art Museum, the Ludwig Collection, and the renowned George Costakis Collection.

The reverse bears handwritten inscriptions and dated dedication on the canvas. Presented in an elegant gilt frame.

Condition: Very good