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Eastern European paintings have long fascinated American art collectors due mainly to their romance and scarcity. From the beginning of the Naturalist Movement in Russia in the 19th Century, Russian artists have stressed the importance of painting the world realistically. They have played out their political struggles and shown us the common, every day life of the average man. At the same time, they also show their pride in country by infusing their work with warmth and emotion. Their work is not idealised, but it is a true representation of their feelings towards their subjects.



With the advent of the latest generation of Russian artists, many Americans are now being treated to wonderful insights into the Russian soul. Tatiana Rhinevault is one such artist. Born in Moscow, in 1963, her first home was a charming one-story building near the Sokolniki park. Sadly, the arrival of the modern high-rise apartments of the 1970's forced the destruction of most of the small homes throughout the city. Only a handful of these homes have been preserved as antiquated museums. Tatiana's paintings invariably reflect her love for this more personal, simple lifestyle and its traditional architecture. While located in cities all around the world, the interiors in her paintings are warm, inviting and have a classical feel to them. Tatiana utilizes rich, dark colors in combination with diffused window light to create a calming, and yet magnetic space. Her work is deeply immersed in the Russian tradition of realism and naturalism; she creates windows through which one can see the beautiful streets and monuments of Europe.



At age 17, Tatiana found her first job in the arts as a make-up artist in the famous Vakhtangov Theatre on Old Arbat Street in Moscow. Tatiana says "I feel lucky that I grew up in Moscow because I had the opportunity any day to visit any number of museums, theaters, and concerts." Tatiana prides herself on the fact that the arts were such an influential part of her childhood. She sought out an artistic education from everyone and everything around her. Her brother, a musician, instilled in Tatiana a love for American jazz, and her friends included four lute players who played classical Renaissance compositions.



Tatiana's love of all of the Renaissance arts is continually reflected in her work. Most of her paintings include a musical instrument or score, paintbrushes or palette, or literature of some kind. More specifically, she often includes paintings within her paintings, in homage to the artists who gave her artistic inspiration, artists such as Vermeer and Rembrandt. The works of the old masters compliment Tatiana's style and composition. Her recognition of their influence on her life is thus two-fold: she paints in a similar style, and she adds their work into her own as an added reminder of the importance of classical training. In this way, Tatiana allows the viewer an even more intimate glimpse into her life. She expresses her love of painting with every brushstroke, as her own past unfolds in front of her.



Even though she traveled extensively throughout Russia with the theatre group, the exciting lifestyle that Tatiana was leading was at odds with her desire to attain her artistic dreams. In order to refocus her attention on her passion for painting, she competed for, and won, one of the few available spots as a student at the Moscow Art Institute. This is where she earned her Masters Degree in Art.



After graduating from the institute, she found work restoring icons in Moscow's old churches, as well as painting new ones. She has since visited and painted in many countries throughout Europe, including Hungary, Yugoslavia, France, Spain, Holland, and Italy.In 1990, she met her husband while working on a project for the US embassy in Moscow. He was a map maker from upstate New York who had hired Tatiana for the artwork on a map of her city. She moved with him to the United States and became a citizen in 1996. Tatiana has been part of the art community in both countries and considers it her lifelong love and occupation. She has already achieved great success here at Gallery Revel after only a short time and we expect that her following will continue to grow as time goes on.



Education-

Master's Degree in Art Education, Moscow State University



Commissions-
Moscow Map in English, for USA, British, Canadian and Australian embassies



Exhibitions-

Rochester, New YorkInternational Institute of Buffalo, New York

Princeton, New Jersey

Stratford, Connecticut

Petersburg, Virginia

Saratoga Springs, New York

Moscow, Russia

Belgrade, Yugoslavia

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