Lake of meetings

The history of the painting.

Anatoli Gostev completed the painting "Lake of Meetings" in 2007 when his style of work as an artist seemed already established, as did his life in a house with a spacious and bright studio. The painting process was leisurely, and reflections on the simple beauty of the world clearly gave the artist pleasure.

Here is how the artist Anatoli Gostev remembers it:

On the shore of Staffelsee Lake, in the foothills of the Alps, not far from Munich - Murnau. There is a house where Kandinsky lived for five years with German artist Gabriele Münter. Today, this house is known as "Münterhaus," but it has a second name - "Russian House."

Here, Alexei Jawlensky and Marianne von Werefkin, Franz Marc and August Macke, Paul Klee and Heinrich Campendonk visited - it was the cradle of the "Blue Rider," and here, a new vision of painting was born. After breaking up with Kandinsky, Münter returned to this house and lived there until the end of her days. Many of Kandinsky's works remained with her. Later, risking her life, she saved them in the basement of this house from the Nazis, and then gave them to the Munich gallery in the Lenbachhaus, along with some of her own paintings and the paintings of other representatives of the "Blue Rider."

Wandering around the Staffelsee area, I felt their presence in this place. And it was there that the rethinking occurred: from copying nature to experiencing its content, to abstraction and conveying the essence of feelings. It was from these meetings with my Great Brothers - artists that the painting "Meeting Lake" was born - one of my paintings inspired by this great place.

- Anatoli Gostev

Impression of the painting:

The painting achieves the perfect balance of simplification without falling into uncontrolled abstraction. The landscape on the canvas creates the impression of "nothing superfluous," tempting with its vastness and simplicity. Looking at the painting, one feels compelled to walk to the line of mountains with the assurance that they won't encounter anyone along the way. Only later, in the distance, by the lake, will they meet the person they were leisurely walking towards across the emerald meadows.

Participation in exhibitions:

In 2021, the painting "Lake of meetings" was presented at the ART Climate Change exhibition, Novum Investments in Switzerland, Basel. Anatoli Gostev participated as a special, honorary guest.

The genius simplicity of form and color palette make it one of the best paintings by an artist who belongs to the vanishing era of true artistry. For Anatoli Gostev, the process of creating art through the prism of reflection and feeling had the greatest significance in life. He was a unique artist with an unparalleled style of depicting nature and objects in a simple manner.