This painting was made in memory of Eugenia, Elena’s husband’s grandmother who passed away in summer 2021. Elena’s kids (Eugenia’s great-grandkids) picked this beautiful bouquet on the day she left this life and Elena painted them with a closed book that symbolizes the last chapter read of Eugenia’s life.
Oil on canvas, 2021
30×40 in
I’m from St.Petersburg, Russia, where winters are gloomy-grey and cold. It can be cloudy for 2 or more months without even a single sunny day. In December, at noon it’s not light yet and at 3 pm it’s dark already. Also, apart from many other big cities, St. Petersburg’s central districts were planned by Italian architects and built as a royal city. A lot of streets have, in fact, two or even 4 rows of buildings, but only the first one is visible from the outside.
Apparently, the first row looked beautiful and rich and was made for wealthy landlords. Then through an arch in a wall, you get to another building, less prestigious than the first row; and through another arch to another one, and so on. The yards of the buildings remind the shape of rectangular wells, and one of those is depicted here.
Oil on Canvas, 2011
16×20 in
Oil on gallery canvas, unframed, signed.
24×36 in
Artist: Elena Nahum Leroy