Overview

Galina Satonina (1905-2000) was the leading chess painter of the Soviet era. A multiple-time Kazan and Tatarstan ladies chess champion, she saw life as a game of chess, and her paintings speak the language of Caissa. She painted world champions and other famous players, ranging from early stars Philidor, Morphy and Anderssen, all the way through to Fischer, Karpov and Kasparov. Several of her paintings depict the chess pieces themselves and emotions felt during play, as well as different aspects of the game such as time-trouble and checkmate. Satonina's works were exhibited at Soviet-era world championship matches. They were widely written about in the Soviet and international chess press, including Shakhmaty v SSSR, 64 and Ceskoslovensky Sach. This full-color coffee-table book, based on original paintings from museum and private collections, was compiled by Dr. Vladimir Kudryavtsev, who has published many tomes on national and regional visual art of the Soviet and pre-Soviet periods. It additionally contains other works from Satonina's career as well as her unique life story.

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9785604784945

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Reviews

"""While the first half of Satonina's life certainly produced a splendid range of chess-related design and illustration, the full focus on the game only became apparent from the late 1960s onwards. It was then that a series of massive portraits, often dedicated to individual players but also firmly illustrating the demonic ideas brought by the game, flowed onto the scene. The colours and style unequivocally convey the sharpest messages... The book gives us a wonderful look into the work of an artist who had a truly holistic sense of the world. That she chose chess as a vehicle for exhibiting some of her beliefs and ideas is something of which the game can be proud."" - Peter O'Brien, British Chess Magazine, November 2023 ""Her style is immediately recognizable and very dramatic both in colors, style, and portrayal of invidiuals. The book is not cheap, but it is in hardcover with all the paintings reproduced in color, which makes it almost a bargain price. As a coffee table book, it more than serves its purpose, as it is immensely fascinating to leaf through. But the text inside the book adds another aspect and depth to the production, which also makes it an enjoyable read."" - FIDE Master Carsten Hansen, American Chess Magazine, July 2023 ""...a little unexpected treasure! Grandmaster of Avant-Garde by Vladimir Kudryavtsev (Elk and Ruby) is a lovely hardback and full-colour book, showcasing the chess-inspired art of Galina Satonina (1905-2000). While also a chess player and arbiter, Satonina was above all an artist and produced many paintings inspired by chess situations (Zugzwang, Smothered Mate, Time Trouble, The Fork) and chess players (such as Fischer, Karpov and Kasparov). I won't inflict my artistic opinions on you, but as a chess player I can say it's clear that Satonina had a deep affinity with the game. A number of her paintings will certainly stay etched in my memory as brilliant evocations of chess states of mind!"" - Grandmaster Matthew Sadler, New In Chess Magazine, September 2023. ""The 124 beautifully presented pictures shared within this book...are the most captivating I have ever seen. Ranging through themes such as checkmate, time-trouble, the chess pieces, and images of famous players from Morphy through to Kasparov, they are a tribute to an artist who had a way of seeing that was truly unique. It is little wonder that Galina's work was much admired in her lifetime and has made its way into the collections of many leading players, including Kasparov and Karpov. Tal was a particular fan... Two of my favourite Satonina pictures are Time Trouble and Fischer In America's grip. In the former, a white king stares in horror at a menacing red clock, with its flag on the brink of falling, perfectly conveying that feeling of paralysis we have all known, when action is desperately needed but the walls are closing in. The Fischer picture, painted in 1982, shows 'Fischer with a chess crown on one side, and skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty on the other, as symbols of America. Sadness, grief and melancholy in the champion's gaze highlight his life as it seemed at the time.' This is a lovely coffee-table book, filled with beautiful art and the fascinating story of an artist and chess player who deserves to always be remembered. Kudryavstev has done a fine job, and this work should be of interest to any player who wants to see visual representations of what it feels like to be a chess player. It would also make a terrific Christmas or birthday present. If you haven't previously heard of Galina Satonina, remember the name, and take the time to look at her art. It is worthy of the same immortal status as the finest of chess games."" - Ben Graff, Chess Moves, September 2023"

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