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Collection Period: 20th century

The Eye of the Earth

Set against a background of geometric, abstract surfaces composed of fine parallel and cross‑hatched lines, with stars placed in the corners, a nude reclining woman appears at the center of an eye‑like form, surrounded by radiating lines. She supports herself on her elbows, and the navel and one nipple are rendered in stark white, standing out against the darker tones of the composition.

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The Mermaid

In the sea, above a stony seabed and surrounded by water rendered in geometric forms, a mermaid swims. Only the human parts of her body are shown—the hands, which have fin‑like fingers, and the breasts—while the rest of her form is that of a fish.

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The Hermitage Pavilion at Peterhof

Within the gardens of Peterhof, on a small island, stands the Hermitage Pavilion. Designed by Johann Braunstein and built by Peter the Great after 1721, it was intended as a secluded dining space for the Tsar and his closest associates. Distinguished by its pink stonework and square Corinthian columns, the building contains a large dining hall on the upper floor, with a kitchen and service rooms on the ground level. As dawn or sunset light filters through the pavilion’s expansive windows, the shifting tones of the foliage and the architecture create an atmosphere of quiet serenity and...

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View of the Grand Cascade and the Samson Fountain

The scene depicts the Grand Cascade and the Samson Fountain in the gardens of the Peterhof Palace in Saint Petersburg at sunset, with the deep blue of the sky reflected in both the water and the palace in the distance. In the foreground stands one of the gilded mermaid fountains surrounding the Samson basin. At the center rises the gilded statue of Samson defeating the lion, the monumental fountain for which the ensemble is renowned. Between the fountain and the palace stretches the Grand Cascade, adorned with its series of golden sculptures.

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Self‑Portrait with Cat

Self‑portrait of the printmaker Nadia Baljak, shown en face. The upper part of her body is visible as she sits behind a chair, resting her right hand on its back, which is draped with a cloth. A Siamese cat sits on the chair.

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The Blacksmith

Inside a blacksmith’s workshop, three smiths are at work — one in the background, one behind the central figure, and a third in the foreground. They hold large tongs as they work together over the burning forge. Beneath the ventilation hood, they grip a heated metal piece, softening it in the fire before shaping it.  

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Untitled

A frontal self‑portrait of the printmaker set against a background filled with symbolic forms: two representations of the Hand of Fatima, two geometric female figures, an animal, a pair of fish, and an unidentified object. The artist appears en face, wearing a turban adorned with jewelry, large hanging earrings, and a wide necklace with pendants shaped like two crescents flanking a central fish. A pleated veil falls from the turban and spreads softly over her shoulders.

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