Russian decorative arts 1917–1937

“Tolstoy offers an insightful look into the decorative arts of a culture that has been struggling for existence following the introduction of a new social order after the October Revolution of 1917. The resulting art and architecture, shown here, is reminiscent in scope of our own WPA projects of the 1930s. Arranged by broad categories, the text focuses on propaganda trains to posters, porcelain to textiles, furniture to handicrafts, and, indirectly, to the movements of Supremism and Constructivism. Along with representative works of Rodchenko, Danko, Exter, Tatlin, and Tchekhonin, scores of unfamiliar Russian artists are represented, revealing a history, unfamiliar to most, of early-20th-century Russian art. The only disappointment is the mediocre index, which lists unknown individuals rather than incorporating the names of movements, commissions, factories, and organizations”. Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City