4. Alexander Kharitonov (Russian, 1932-1993) Composition surréaliste/ Surrealist composition signé des initiales cyrilliques "AH" et daté "60" (en bas à droite) huile sur toile 59.5 x 49cm (23 7/16 x 19 5/16in). signed with Cyrillic initials "AH" and dated "60" (lower right) oil on canvas Provenance Private European collection Alexander Kharitonov was partially self-taught and despite not having a complete professional education, passed several stages in his artistic development. His works are a fantastic kaleidoscope of lubok, Russian icons, symbolism, abstraction, and metaphysics. The artist's works can be separated into two main categories: fantasy and mystical or religious. This composition, created in 1960, refers to the so-called metaphysical period of the 1950s-1960s, when Kharitonov depicted fantasy scenes with underlying philosophical messages. Despite all the mysticism in his pieces, the artist was never particularly interested in such topics outside of his art as such, his paintings balanced on the brink of reality and grotesque, seeming unearthly, but not quite surreal. He avoided drastic plot contrasts with a dramatic confrontation of despair and hope, while remaining enigmatic. Kharitonov believed that «it is necessary to paint everything ordinary and make it extraordinary». Due to the transformation of ordinary objects and phenomena into new and incredible poetic forms his paintings took on a deeper meaning. That is why in the 1960s his paintings were filled with mystical characters and fantastical scenes which seem to tell a story, immersing the viewer into the otherworldly visions of the artist. Stylistically, the works of this period are a blend of naive art and the symbolism of the early 20th century. Kharitonov almost continues the theme of the artistic group «Blue Rose» in his paintings: the theme of dreams and fairy tales, which plunge the viewer into a world of the artists creation, and in the case of Kharitonov, show his characters, which seem to teeter on the edge of being comedic and disturbing. In the present painting, the artist uses familiar objects such as a siren and twigs to construct an unfamiliar monster and through the use of an ordinary background, the creature is contrasted making it stand out as out of place. This creates an overall uncanny image which is 'real' enough to allow the viewer to imagine this within our own world, while at the same time being seemingly surreal. Despite the use of bright colours, the picture is diluted with a note of anxiety and loneliness. The red cloak of the figure contrasts with the cold colour of the "Nordic" landscape. This background, with little shadow paired with the clouds above indicates an overcast day, which is often thought of as common, gloomy and monotonous. These contrasts the background both metaphorically and literally with the figure, which is full of bright highlights and deep shadows, and is most certainly not ordinary or common. This painting perfectly shows that through the use of paint and canvas, Kharitonov was able to express «beautiful» as «wonderful» and share his artistic outlook with the viewer.