Zinovi Popov

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Zinovi Popov was born in 1924 in a small village in Penza, Russia. His love for Russian Art painting began at an early age after being wounded in the war. He returned home in 1947 and began working in the Artist's Union, there he cultivated his artistic abilities. In 1949 Zinovi Popov entered the art college in Penza. After graduating from the college he moved to Voronezh, Russia and began teaching at the Academy of Art.

Zinovi Popov always strived to find his own way and in 1954 his works were submitted to the Union of Artists in Voronezh, and accepted in 1960. He began exhibiting in local, regional and Soviet exhibitions.

Zinovi Popov focused on plein air paintings, and he is also know for his captivating and colorful portraits. Throughout his early years he developed a style that was recognized then and is now by many enthusiasts of Russian paintings.

In the 1970's Zinovi Popov became the director of the Artist's Union and caused a great stir for abandoning the Soviet traditions of painting. He was at this time considered a genious and his technique was unsurpassable due to his color palette and the lush vibrant use of color that has become his trademark.

Zinovi Popov died in the 1980's at the age of 59, his personal exhibitions at the Kromskoi Museum in Voronezh contained over 130 paintings, including landscapes, portraits and still life, all depicting everyday life in the villages surrounding Voronezh. It was always his opinion that his landscapes were his favorites.

Meeting his wife on several occassions over the past years and as recent as May, 2007 and hearing the stories of their life together and seeing the tears run down her face as she speaks of her husband and friend will always be one of my greatest memories of knowing of and understanding an artist that I was never priviledged to meet. These stories are paintings within themselves, I can only imagine what the painting would be.

Mrs. Popov continues to live in Voronezh and works in the Artist's Union there.
Zinovi Popov's paintings are in museums and collections in Russia, Germany, Italy, and the USA.

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Sketch, "Model"	Sketch,"Horses"	"Winter in the Tractor Yard"
"Village"	"Autumn"	"Rostov Velikiy Bells"
"Winter"	"Autumn"