Blue Rose

(Golubaia Roza), a short-lived art association, organized in Moscow in 1907. It derived its name from an exhibition of the same name, held in 1907 by the magazine Zolotoe runo (Golden Fleece). The exhibition was a reflection of decadent tendencies in Russian art of the period before the revolution. Typical features of the works of its participant’s (N. P. Krymov, P. V. Kuznetsov, A. T. Matveev, N. N. Sapunov, M. S. Sar’ian, S. Iu. Sudeikin, P. S. Utkin, and A. V. Fonvizin) were flat contours, decorative styliza-tion of forms, lyric images, and oriental motifs, reflecting mystical and symbolic strivings. A mood of hopeless sadness and melancholy was achieved by the use of soft and whimsical lineal rhythms and toned-down color combinations. The Blue Rose style was greatly influenced by the legacy of V. E. Borisov-Musatov. Many Blue Rose followers soon repudiated the group’s decadent principles. In the 1910’s and especially following the Great October Socialist Revolution, their work developed monumental and decorative qualities and began to manifest an increased desire to embody impressions of reality and to create a harmonious, generalized, and synthetic image of the world. A number of former members of the Blue Rose (Krymov. Kuznetsov, Matveev, Sar’ian) subsequently became eminent masters of Soviet art.