How a 16th-century painting of a burglary changed the life of Russian contemporary artist Konstantin Bessmertny
- Macau-based Konstantin Bessmertny was studying art restoration when he made a copy of 16th century painting Legend of Saint Eustace. Burglary
- The work gave him an idea – take the style of the old masters but apply it to contemporary subjects – and showed him small details change everything in a canvas
“Legend of Saint Eustace. Burglary”, by an unknown 16th century German artist, depicts the ransacking of the home of the second-century Roman general and Christian martyr, probably when he was exiled after converting to the religion; it hangs in the Primorye State Art Gallery in Vladivostok, Russia.
Macau-based, Russia-born contemporary artist Konstantin Bessmertny tells Richard Lord how it changed his life.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, most of the existing art was nationalised and sent to museums. The art in the Soviet Union was all social realism – depictions of workers and farmers in all their glory. They took everything from the rich people.
This painting was from the collection of Nabokov’s family (novelist Vladimir Nabokov came from a wealthy family of Russian nobility).
When I studied art, restoration and the technology of painting, I did a study copy of Legend of Saint Eustace. Burglary. The course was a very traditional one, going back to Catherine the Great’s time (the Russian empress reigned from 1762 to 1796), with a line of teachers and students going back to the Italian Renaissance.
We were learning how to restore antique works, and we spent six months making exact copies. This particular work comes from the 16th century, and it’s on wood. It was a very detailed process: we had to learn how to start with the wood, then apply the first primer, then the second primer, then tempera, applying about 10 layers of colour.
I like the narrative. It’s from a story of an early Christian saint. Not much is known about the story of the saint, but that is of secondary importance. It shows people getting into a rich person’s house.
You could apply it now – it could be interpreted in many ways. I realised that there’s no single meaning to a painting – you can suggest your own.
This work changed what I wanted to do as an artist. I thought, “This I could work with” – taking the style of the old masters but working on contemporary subjects.
I like to communicate with the intelligent viewer. I’m so tired of what contemporary art is delivering now. It’s become entertainment for the masses
When you’re copying a work, you have to change one small detail, make it smaller or bigger, and sign your name. I love narratives and the kind of small details that can change the meaning of a painting completely.
In some of my paintings, for example, you’ll find a beautiful, light room, a small dog – and a piece of s***. It’s a little detail that makes everything completely different.
I like to communicate with the intelligent viewer. I’m so tired of what contemporary art is delivering now. It’s become entertainment for the masses, and the intelligence level is low; I struggle to go around a contemporary art fair.
The advice I give students is: read books, watch movies, study history. It’s easy to paint, but an artist has to have something to say – an artist has to be a philosopher.
