Cats and Dogs in Soviet Art: Workers, Teachers, Friends

The Museum of Russian Art presents an exhibition of forty paintings featuring cats and dogs, on loan from The Raymond and Susan Johnson Collection of 20^th Century Russian art and other private American collections. Thirteen of these have never been shown before and will be displayed in an American museum for the first time. 

Painted by both renowned and lesser recognized artists of the Soviet era, these masterful works depict domesticated animals and their various interactions with humans. In world art, portrayals of pets have historically been endowed with rich symbolism: dogs could be symbols of loyalty, status, or vigilance, while cats are often associated with domesticity, but, on some occasions, the otherworldly, the ominous, and the mystical. 

Soviet art metabolizes age-old traditions and brings new and additional meanings into the mix. As behooves Soviet cats and dogs in a Proletarian State, these amiable creatures are portrayed contributing to the communal life of a socialist collective. We see dogs resting by a dog sled, pulling ice from a frozen river, or tending cattle. Children’s pets teach their little masters to be caregivers, and cats become friends of retired collective farmers giving them consolation in their advanced age. 

Also included in this exhibition are Soviet-era porcelain figurines from TMORA collection. These rare sculptural pieces were produced at various Soviet porcelain factories, including the famed Lomonosov (formerly Imperial) Porcelain Factory in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).

The Museum gives its thanks to the outstanding collectors with a keen eye for quality who generously share their art through gifts and loans. We are especially grateful to those whose contributions made this exhibition possible: Susan and Ray Johnson, Rose Brady, Duane Engstrom, and Loren Bough.