Viktor Dmitrievich Pivovarov's The Temptation of St. Anthony I (1967) represents a significant work from his transitional period between illustration and painting. Created during the period of continued Soviet artistic restrictions after Stalin’s death, this monotype emerges from a time when unofficial artists were developing alternative visual languages to explore spiritual and existential themes. The work’s religious subject matter, unusual in Soviet-era art, reflects both Pivovarov’s interest in metaphysical themes and his connection to the emerging Soviet Nonconformist movement of the early 1960s. The title itself references the biblical tale of St. Anthony, who is often depicted in art as battling inner struggles and external temptations, a theme that resonates with the tension and complexity of Pivovarov’s symbolic language.
The composition employs a striking arrangement of surrealist elements across a horizontal plane. To the left is an abstract figure rendered in bold, fluid lines, their eyes drooping and ears morphing into multiple horn-like forms, evoking both anguish and mutation. The central wavelike pattern of sound dominates the middle ground, visually suggesting the intangible pull of temptation or spiritual conflict. This is flanked by geometric and organic forms, including a heart shape and angular elements, each layered with symbolic potential. The interplay between these forms and the artist’s manipulation of positive and negative space creates a dreamlike narrative flow, suggesting a fragmented but deeply personal interpretation of St. Anthony's trials. Vessel-like shapes, linear patterns, and ambiguous symbols float in an indeterminate space, reinforcing the work's exploration of inner turmoil.
The monotype technique allows Pivovarov to achieve rich tonal variations, evident in the varying densities of black ink against the light ground. His gestural approach combines controlled linear elements with more expressive, painterly areas, creating a dynamic tension throughout the work. This tension mirrors the psychological nature of the temptation narrative, with defined forms juxtaposed against shadowy, ambiguous areas that seem to dissolve into uncertainty. The unpredictability of the medium complements the chaotic and surreal nature of the scene, underscoring the internal struggle between clarity and confusion that the title evokes.
Pivovarov, trained at the Moscow Art and Industrial School and the Moscow Printing Institute, brought a sophisticated understanding of graphic techniques to this early work. Pivovarov’s works are held in many collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, the Prague National Gallery, and the Ludwig Forum Museum in Aachen, Germany. Since his first collective exhibition in 1979, he has gained international acclaim through significant shows, including his 1984 Prague debut and the landmark Metampsychosis exhibition at L-Gallery in 1993. Beyond visual art, Pivovarov has contributed as editor-in-chief of Výtvarné umění magazine and through his leadership of Pi-P-Art in Prague.
