A Russian art movement founded in 1890. It was created as a reaction to didactic realism of the wanderers. It embraced the doctrine of ‘art for the sake of art’ influenced by French Impressionism.
After the 1905 revolution, the Mir Ikusstva artists turned from interpretation of the natural world and into a decorative and linear style. At the time, it influenced book illustration, mural painting and sets for theatre and especially sets for the Russian ballet. The group consisted of artists: Alexander Benois, Leon Bakst, Golovin, Sudeikine, Konstantin Somov, and Nicholas Roerich.
Return to the art glossary
Return to entries beginning with M
