“Renaissance,” Igor Kononov (1931–2011), ca. 1970s, a signed and numbered 33 x 23 inch hand-pulled collagraph (edition 71/200), featuring Kononov’s richly layered surrealist-architectural style, executed in textured intaglio with selective color.
“Renaissance” by Igor Kononov is an exceptional hand-pulled collagraph blending surrealism, architecture, and figurative mythology into a single, poetic composition. Rich with intricate textures, lace-like detailing, and delicately applied color, this limited-edition print (71/200) highlights Kononov’s mastery of collagraphy and his signature blend of Old World romanticism, Russian folklore, and European modernism. Highly collectible and visually arresting, “Renaissance” is ideal for admirers of narrative surrealism, Eastern European printmaking, and meticulously crafted fine-art editions.
Artwork Description
Medium & Technique
This original collagraph—created through Kononov’s distinctive process of building textured relief plates from fabrics, carvings, woven materials, and etched surfaces—was hand-pulled by the artist, ensuring precise fidelity to his conceptual vision. The image combines intaglio, relief, embossing, and hand coloring, all characteristic of Kononov’s 1970s technical vocabulary.
Imagery & Composition
“Renaissance” features a dream-like figure set before a fantastical architectural cityscape reminiscent of Mediterranean hill towns, Byzantine ornamentation, and Renaissance façades. The elongated female form, crowned with an elaborate bouquet of floral arabesques, evokes allegorical figures of rebirth, creativity, or spiritual awakening. Her arms cradle large roses rendered in delicate tonal shading—symbols of beauty, renewal, and artistic transformation.
The surrounding city is a tapestry of stacked houses, domes, arches, patterns, and labyrinthine stairways—each rendered with Kononov’s blend of precision drafting and whimsical surrealism. On the lower left, a stylized boat sails along water engraved with rhythmic, wave-like markings. Lace textures, architectural filigree, and fabric-like drapery reinforce the tactile richness of the collagraph plate.
Style & Period
Executed during Kononov’s peak American period, after emigrating from the Soviet Union, “Renaissance” reflects his synthesis of Russian graphic traditions, European art history, and modern surrealist narrative forms. The palette—muted blues, terracottas, cream, sage, and sienna—creates a contemplative harmony typical of his works referencing memory, mythology, and Old World culture.
Narrative & Inspiration
Kononov often created imagined worlds that echoed both homeland nostalgia and the new artistic freedoms of the West. “Renaissance” appears to articulate themes of rebirth, cultural continuity, and the restoration of beauty after disruption—a deeply personal symbolism for an artist stripped of his citizenship and reborn in the American art world.
Signature & Edition
Signed in graphite lower right, titled “Renaissance” at center, and numbered 71/200 lower left.
Biography of IGOR KONONOV (1931–2011)
Igor Kononov was born in Moscow in 1931, where he began rigorous artistic training under Kravchenko, one of the Soviet Union’s leading graphic artists, before completing his formal education at the Moscow Art Institute. His early life was steeped in Russia’s artistic intellectual circles, further enriched when he married Natalya Prager, daughter of prominent painter Vladimir Prager.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Kononov exhibited widely across the Soviet Union and internationally, with important showings in Montreal, and in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, earning multiple honorary awards ranging from best book illustration to best painting. His work was noted for its fusion of surrealism, folklore, and technical mastery at a time when Soviet artists faced increasing ideological constraints.
In 1975, Kononov’s artistic independence and international activity resulted in the Soviet state revoking his citizenship. He emigrated to the United States, living first in New York City and then in New Jersey. This exile profoundly shaped his art: layered textures, dream-cities, symbolic figures, Renaissance echoes, and mythic landscapes emerged as metaphors for displacement, memory, and reinvention.
In America, Kononov’s work achieved commercial and critical success. His prints were represented by notable galleries including:
The Hammer Gallery, New York
Somerset Art Association, Bedminster
Dow Jones & Co. (corporate collection), Princeton
Raphael Gallery, Newton
Winsor Gallery, Warren
Jane Richards Gallery, Fort Lee — including exhibitions with Salvador Dalí
He participated multiple times in ARTEXPO New York, and exhibited in the 155th Annual Exhibition of the National Academy of Design, solidifying his place within the American printmaking landscape.
Kononov was devoted to the integrity of his craft—personally pulling each print, ensuring his collagraph plates preserved their tactile intensity and conceptual purity.
His works now reside in private and international collections, treasured for their narrative depth, technical intricacy, and fusion of Russian and Western artistic traditions.
Igor Kononov (1931–2011), “Renaissance,” collagraph, 33 x 23 in., signed, titled, and numbered 71/200. A masterful surrealist composition featuring architectural motifs, floral symbolism, and Kononov’s signature textural collagraph technique. Excellent condition; from the rare edition of 200 hand-pulled prints.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Igor Kononov (1931–2011)
Title: Renaissance
Date: ca. 1970s
Medium: Hand-pulled Collagraph
Dimensions: 33 x 23 inches
Edition: 71/200
Signature: Signed lower right; titled center; numbered lower left
Authenticity: Verified as an original collagraph personally printed by Igor Kononov, consistent with known edition markings and plate characteristics.
Condition: Excellent; strong color, clear plate mark, no structural defects.
Provenance: Private collection, NYC → Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.
Estimated Value: See ranges below.
8. Provenance Chain
Artist: Igor Kononov, Moscow → USA
First Owner: Private Collector, New York City
Second Owner: Private Collection, New York
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
“Renaissance,” Igor Kononov (1931–2011), ca. 1970s, a signed and numbered 33 x 23 inch hand-pulled collagraph (edition 71/200), featuring Kononov’s richly layered surrealist-architectural style, executed in textured intaglio with selective color.
“Renaissance” by Igor Kononov is an exceptional hand-pulled collagraph blending surrealism, architecture, and figurative mythology into a single, poetic composition. Rich with intricate textures, lace-like detailing, and delicately applied color, this limited-edition print (71/200) highlights Kononov’s mastery of collagraphy and his signature blend of Old World romanticism, Russian folklore, and European modernism. Highly collectible and visually arresting, “Renaissance” is ideal for admirers of narrative surrealism, Eastern European printmaking, and meticulously crafted fine-art editions.
Artwork Description
Medium & Technique
This original collagraph—created through Kononov’s distinctive process of building textured relief plates from fabrics, carvings, woven materials, and etched surfaces—was hand-pulled by the artist, ensuring precise fidelity to his conceptual vision. The image combines intaglio, relief, embossing, and hand coloring, all characteristic of Kononov’s 1970s technical vocabulary.
Imagery & Composition
“Renaissance” features a dream-like figure set before a fantastical architectural cityscape reminiscent of Mediterranean hill towns, Byzantine ornamentation, and Renaissance façades. The elongated female form, crowned with an elaborate bouquet of floral arabesques, evokes allegorical figures of rebirth, creativity, or spiritual awakening. Her arms cradle large roses rendered in delicate tonal shading—symbols of beauty, renewal, and artistic transformation.
The surrounding city is a tapestry of stacked houses, domes, arches, patterns, and labyrinthine stairways—each rendered with Kononov’s blend of precision drafting and whimsical surrealism. On the lower left, a stylized boat sails along water engraved with rhythmic, wave-like markings. Lace textures, architectural filigree, and fabric-like drapery reinforce the tactile richness of the collagraph plate.
Style & Period
Executed during Kononov’s peak American period, after emigrating from the Soviet Union, “Renaissance” reflects his synthesis of Russian graphic traditions, European art history, and modern surrealist narrative forms. The palette—muted blues, terracottas, cream, sage, and sienna—creates a contemplative harmony typical of his works referencing memory, mythology, and Old World culture.
Narrative & Inspiration
Kononov often created imagined worlds that echoed both homeland nostalgia and the new artistic freedoms of the West. “Renaissance” appears to articulate themes of rebirth, cultural continuity, and the restoration of beauty after disruption—a deeply personal symbolism for an artist stripped of his citizenship and reborn in the American art world.
Signature & Edition
Signed in graphite lower right, titled “Renaissance” at center, and numbered 71/200 lower left.
Biography of IGOR KONONOV (1931–2011)
Igor Kononov was born in Moscow in 1931, where he began rigorous artistic training under Kravchenko, one of the Soviet Union’s leading graphic artists, before completing his formal education at the Moscow Art Institute. His early life was steeped in Russia’s artistic intellectual circles, further enriched when he married Natalya Prager, daughter of prominent painter Vladimir Prager.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Kononov exhibited widely across the Soviet Union and internationally, with important showings in Montreal, and in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, earning multiple honorary awards ranging from best book illustration to best painting. His work was noted for its fusion of surrealism, folklore, and technical mastery at a time when Soviet artists faced increasing ideological constraints.
In 1975, Kononov’s artistic independence and international activity resulted in the Soviet state revoking his citizenship. He emigrated to the United States, living first in New York City and then in New Jersey. This exile profoundly shaped his art: layered textures, dream-cities, symbolic figures, Renaissance echoes, and mythic landscapes emerged as metaphors for displacement, memory, and reinvention.
In America, Kononov’s work achieved commercial and critical success. His prints were represented by notable galleries including:
The Hammer Gallery, New York
Somerset Art Association, Bedminster
Dow Jones & Co. (corporate collection), Princeton
Raphael Gallery, Newton
Winsor Gallery, Warren
Jane Richards Gallery, Fort Lee — including exhibitions with Salvador Dalí
He participated multiple times in ARTEXPO New York, and exhibited in the 155th Annual Exhibition of the National Academy of Design, solidifying his place within the American printmaking landscape.
Kononov was devoted to the integrity of his craft—personally pulling each print, ensuring his collagraph plates preserved their tactile intensity and conceptual purity.
His works now reside in private and international collections, treasured for their narrative depth, technical intricacy, and fusion of Russian and Western artistic traditions.
Igor Kononov (1931–2011), “Renaissance,” collagraph, 33 x 23 in., signed, titled, and numbered 71/200. A masterful surrealist composition featuring architectural motifs, floral symbolism, and Kononov’s signature textural collagraph technique. Excellent condition; from the rare edition of 200 hand-pulled prints.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Igor Kononov (1931–2011)
Title: Renaissance
Date: ca. 1970s
Medium: Hand-pulled Collagraph
Dimensions: 33 x 23 inches
Edition: 71/200
Signature: Signed lower right; titled center; numbered lower left
Authenticity: Verified as an original collagraph personally printed by Igor Kononov, consistent with known edition markings and plate characteristics.
Condition: Excellent; strong color, clear plate mark, no structural defects.
Provenance: Private collection, NYC → Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.
Estimated Value: See ranges below.
8. Provenance Chain
Artist: Igor Kononov, Moscow → USA
First Owner: Private Collector, New York City
Second Owner: Private Collection, New York
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
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