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Igor Samsonov
"Joker", Igor Samsonov, Original Oil on Canvas, Surrealism, Figurative, 60.5x39

2023

About the Item

"The Joker" by Igor Samsonov is an Oil on Canvas painting measuring 60.5x39 and is a prime colorful example of figurative surrealism at its finest. His dark colors of deep blue and gold help set the mood of the story he is trying to tell. In this painting, the Joker who can be given any role (like in a deck of cards he can be given any value) is playing the role of an Emporer releasing gold and green monsters, threatening the world. His assistant is holding a pale blue sphere that symbolizes the globe. The other assistant behind him with a green and pink headdress is Columbina, a comic servant playing the tricky slave type. The white dove sitting on the screen represents peace and the image of the angel on the screen represents the hope and the divine will of humanity. Samsonov’s work is extremely modern, yet remains classical. His paintings are rich with symbolism and tell stories--some well-known, others created by Samsonov himself. He is particularly interested in the themes of transformation and power. Igor Samsonov was born in Voronezh, Russia in 1963. After earning a degree in mathematics from Voronezh State University, Samsonov began a job at the Institute of Research. Though he enjoyed math’s abstract side, he soon grew tired of mundane projects and routine formulas. He could no longer waste his artistic soul working a nine-to-five office job that he disliked. Inspired by Vincent van Gogh, Samsonov left his job after one year and applied to the exclusive Ilya Repin Leningrad Institute for Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. He was accepted in 1990 and had the great opportunity to study under some of the finest painters in Russia, including Oleg Eremeev, who was a great influence on him. From Eremeev, Samsonov learned the concept of “total art,” which says that an art piece is more than just the sum of its parts—that it must have the artist’s emotional signature. Samsonov began to understand that each painting must have a meaning, a personal message, an identity that would tell its audience, “This is a Samsonov!” He graduated from Repin in 1997. While influenced by great masters such as Francesca, Vermeer, Bosch, Rouseau, Gauguin, and Matisse, Samsonov has also developed his own unique style. He has now had paintings in exhibitions in Russia, Europe, and the U.S, and he continues to grow and evolve as an artist, always aspiring to create pure and total art.
  • Creator:
  • Creation Year:
    2023
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 60.5 in (153.67 cm)Width: 39 in (99.06 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
  • More Editions & Sizes:
    60.5x39 in. original stretched canvasPrice: $18,500
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Framing:
    Framing Options Available
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Dallas, TX
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1301212289252
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