Portrait of the Sculptress, 1940 Vera Mukhina was without doubt the Soviet Union's greatest sculptress and assimilated many artistic concepts including Social Realism, Cubism and Futurism. She was an artist of tremendous creative drive and fiery temperament. Her most famous work is the stainless steel monumental sculpture 'Rabochy i Kolhoznitsa' ("The Worker and Collective-Farm Girl"). It is 79 feet (24 meters) in height and was first exhibited on top of the Soviet Pavilion at the Paris World's Fair (Exposition Internationale) in 1937. Produced in 65 separate laminated stainless steel pieces weighing 75 tonnes, it is now located close to the site of the All Russia Exhibition Center (VDNKh) in Moscow.
Vera Mukhina (1889-1953)
by Mikhail Nesterov
Sculpture at Paris Exhibition, 1937
Rabochy i Kolkhoznitsa
Rabochy i Kolkhoznitsa (close up)
The Worker and Collective-Farm Girl
Bread, 1939
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