Between Heaven and Hell

by W. Bruce Lincoln

s/t: The Story of a Thousand Years of Artistic Life in Russia
This slim volume tackles an overwhelming subject: 1,000 years of Russian achievements in the arts, from medieval ikons to the novels of Tolstoy to the films of Eisenstein. Much has been written about the subject over the years, but Lincoln poses himself a slightly different task: to depict not so much the history of Russian arts as the history of the country's "artistic experience," including the "social and political forces" that shaped artistic creation. Author of such histories as Romanovs and Nicholas I, Lincoln ably provides the context such a task requires. Unfortunately, Lincoln's purple prose can sometimes be distracting. No one ever seems to merely wear a medal, they wear it "proudly"; a building is not simply painted turquoise when it can be "brilliant" turquoise. Here, for instance, is Lincoln on the music of Rimsky-Korsakov: "Oceans churned, storms thundered, the sun sparkled in wintry forests, and in the new warmth of spring nightingales sang and golden fish leaped from crystal streams." Overall, however, Lincoln's marriage of history and the arts is a happy one, demonstrating how the peculiarly Russian tension between East and West and between politics and the arts helped produce artistic works that were both uniquely beautiful and uniquely Russian.

Genres: History, Russia, Nonfiction, Art

528 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you know a subject well, you're likely to be a little more exacting in your critique and wanting a little something extra from a general work. I love Russian arts, especially the period from, say, Dostoevsky, up through NEP, especially the avant-garde music and poetry. You'll get some of that in this work, but probably not enough if you know a lot about it. For the layperson, this work is just fine. You'll learn a lot, probably more than you have room for in your aesthetic sensibilities, and will likely discover a lot of new stuff you've never heard of. For the non-beginner, you'll find some shocking shortcomings: Shostakovich reduced to a few pages (along with the superior Prokofiev); all those weird art movements are barely touched upon (all the -icists), and, perhaps the greatest, most sinful omission, Tarkovsky isn't even mentioned?!?? Isn't Andrei Rublev the greatest movie ever made?
Like I said, if you know and love Russian art, the negatives will seem to outweigh the positives. If you are interested in learning about Russian art, you couldn't find a better place to start.

[Robert Walkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to you compress/express a thousand years of Russian artists and their art in 450 pages? I don’t know, but Lincoln manages to do it. He gives overviews of artistic periods as well as what is going on politically. He also tells stories about the lives of specific artists, some well known in the West. Others not so well known. He covers a lot of the arts. Surprisingly I found his focus on architecture of the greatest interest. But Lincoln taught me new things about writers such as Tolstoi snd Dostoyevskii. I have two complaints. I wish there were more color reproductions of the beautiful art Lincoln talks about. I also wish Lincoln had written a final chapter summing up the 1000 years between heaven and hell. Also, more on Brodsky! (Ok, that’s three complaints. A great place to start if you know little about Russian history and the arts. And even if you do know a lot about the subject, this book is a great refresher course.

[Peter Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I undertook a Russian art elective while studying at art school and was fortunate enough to have a brilliant lecturer in the field. They included this book to the recommended reading list. It has contributing factor in a lifetime love of Russian art. Would definitely recommended to beginners and students of the field.

[Jennica Vegelahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came away from this book with countless new ones to read. Came away with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the novels I have read and a curiosity and excitement for the many I have not.

The sheer amount of ground covered in these pages is dizzying— a cross section of all manner of artists. The painters of realism, romanticism, baroque, Avant- garde, primitivism, cubo-futurist ?!, constructivism, rayonism.

Moving quickly through the centuries— artists and their contemporaries, their successors, their inspirations.

Hundreds of names waltz across the pages; framed by the context of their cultural and political place in time. Such as the mad burst of creativity during the early days of the Bolshevik Revolution when it was still uncertain what the future would look like // before Russia’s new leaders condemned it as “decadent”. Just as Ivan the terrible had decreed that art must serve the state, so Lenin demanded that art must serve the Revolution.

A great crash course for anyone curious about the evolution of art through history in a country that has given us so many greats.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweeping, marvellous overview of a thousand years of Russian history that is largely unknown and misunderstood in the West. Lincoln is a master of narrative history, drawing the reader into the lives of artists, as if they, too, have a seat around the samovar and are sharing tea. The ending is a little abrupt -- perhaps reflecting the uncertainty and upheaval of the formation of the new Russian Federation, and perhaps in acknowledgement that a new epoch in artistic history is about to begin, but had not, at the time of printing, really gotten underway. Overall, an excellent, informative read, and a must for anyone interested in Russian art and culture.

[Jubilee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This goes into the history of the arts in russia- which is pretty cool since I've admired russian writers in particular and thought this book would give me insight into them.
It's a stiff read, but I'm trying.

[Chelsea]

Partially read

[sardit]

When I’m a hundred pages in and we’re well into the 1800s, it’s not even five hundred years of history. Given I was significantly more interested in the early period than the later, done.