Tarkhov Nikolai

Nikolai Tarkhov was an important figure in the history of impressionism and one of the co-founders of the Mir Iskusstva (World of Art) group. He was born in 1871 in Moscow. His first works were displayed at the Mir Iskusstva exhibition in 1899. He left Russia for Paris the same year to study painting with French mentors. He quickly became known for a highly original brushstroke technique. He was at peak of his success in 1900’s, extensively exhibiting in Europe and Russia. However, impressionism had soon given way to cubo-futurism and abstract painting; Tarkhov’s unwillingness to concede to art dealers led to his subsequent oblivion. He died in 1930 in Orsay, France.  

Tarkhov’s biggest retrospective was held in the State Tretjakov Gallery, Moscow, in 2003. His works are in collections of the State Tretjakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg, and the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris.