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Through the grace of a serendipitous recommendation while I was on another mission, I had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Russian Art today, in Minneapolis, during an exhibition of realistic works. In turn, I very highly recommend a visit by anyone within three hours' drive of the Cities, or by anyone who will be in the vicinity in the next two months.
The image attached is a sad reproduction of a postcard, but I still think it's worth seeing here. I found the composition exquisite. This is "In the Palace of Culture Ballet Class," by Nadezhda K. Kornienko. 1956, 61-1/4 by 71-3/8 in.
In another composition, I might have thought that the young ballerina's gaze was focused into too small a part of the frame. But it is very easy to imagine an unseen "audience" here, much in the way that a perfect short story suggests events that occurred prior to its opening line and extending beyond its conclusion.
By exquisite I mean that I understand that everything in the painting is important, but I only care for and react to the subject ballerina. For the artist to shepherd that focus is, in my estimation, masterful.
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