The Accursed Kings Series by Igor Shulman | Expressionist Paintings of Royalty & Power

I began working on this project in 2006. I don’t exactly remember what triggered this unusual series for me. What inspired me? I call this project “Illustrations to Unwritten Tales” or “The Accursed Kings”. These are painterly sketches—my impressions of an unread, imagined world of strange kings, queens, and their heirs. All of them were meant to look as unhappy as possible. Perhaps I succeeded.

Two stylized queen figures, mother and daughter, in teal and pink gowns with crowns, set against a fiery red and orange textured background from Igor Shulman’s Accursed Kings Series. — ℹ
The Accursed Kings Series – Untitled (Mother and Daughter Queens) in details
This painting from Igor Shulman’s Accursed Kings Series depicts two stylized queen-like figures, possibly mother and daughter, set against a dramatic, fiery landscape. The taller queen wears a teal gown with a large white ruffled collar and a small golden crown, holding a small white object. The younger queen, in a pink gown, wears a smaller crown and carries a melancholic expression.

The background’s intense reds and oranges, combined with silhouetted dark trees, create an apocalyptic, dreamlike atmosphere. The figures’ elongated, caricature-like features and stiff postures suggest formality, power, and underlying tension. The painting explores themes of inheritance, rivalry, and the burdens of royalty, with a mood of quiet drama and foreboding.

The impasto technique and expressive brushwork add texture and vitality, while the surreal and expressionist style invites viewers to interpret the complex relationship and story behind these “accursed” monarchs.
**Untitled (Mother and Daughter Queens)**. Oil on Canvas
*27.56 x 27.56 in / 70 x 70 cm*

Expressionist oil painting of a king and queen with elongated features embracing against a fiery orange background filled with fleeing birds, from Igor Shulman’s Accursed Kings Series. — ℹ
The Accursed Kings Series – Untitled (King and Queen Embrace) in details
This painting shows a king and queen locked in a tense embrace against a fiery orange backdrop scattered with a flock of fleeing birds. The king, with a stern yet weary expression, wears a golden crown and a light blue robe. His hands, adorned with rings, hold the queen close, blending affection with a subtle grip of control. The queen, dressed in a pink gown with a large white ruffled collar, mirrors his stiffness but reveals a quiet vulnerability.

The background’s blazing orange, textured with thick brushstrokes, suggests a harsh, desolate land under threat. Dark birds scatter across the sky, their flight adding a restless energy and hinting at instability or loss. The light behind the couple highlights their figures, emphasizing their isolation and shared burden.

Igor Shulman’s expressive style exaggerates their elongated faces and formal postures, blending caricature with raw emotion. The painting speaks to the fragile nature of power and the uneasy bond between rulers facing forces beyond their control. The embrace feels both protective and desperate—a moment of human connection amid looming chaos.
**Untitled (King and Queen Embrace)**. Oil on Canvas
Expressionism
*27.56 x 27.56 in / 70 x 70 cm*

Expressionist oil painting of a weary, hunched king dragging a small dog across a fiery, desolate landscape, symbolizing loss and the fleeting nature of power, from Igor Shulman’s Accursed Kings Series. — ℹ
The Accursed Kings Series – Untitled (Forlorn King with Dog) in details
This expressive oil painting from Igor Shulman’s Accursed Kings Series portrays a forlorn king, stripped of his power and dignity, dragging a small, insignificant dog behind him. The king, an elderly man cloaked in a crimson robe with a fur-lined cape and a precarious golden crown, is hunched and weary, embodying defeat and sorrow. His downcast posture and shadowed face evoke profound disillusionment.

The background is a fiery, desolate landscape painted in blazing oranges and reds, textured with thick brushstrokes that suggest decay and the sunset of an era. A solitary leafless tree stands to the side, emphasizing the king’s isolation. A small white animal, possibly a lamb, walks ahead, indifferent to the king’s plight.

Shulman’s bold, expressionist style uses vivid color and visible brushwork to convey raw emotion rather than realistic detail. The painting’s mood is heavy with melancholy and resignation, reflecting on the inevitable decline of power and the loneliness that accompanies it.

Symbolically, the king represents authority and its fragility, the dog his dwindling influence or remaining loyalty, and the fiery landscape the end of a reign. This work is a poignant meditation on loss, mortality, and the impermanence of glory.
**Untitled (Forlorn King with Dog)**. Oil on Canvas
*27.56 x 27.56 in / 70 x 70 cm*

Expressionist oil painting of a crowned woman playing an accordion beside a golden birdcage with a dark bird, set against a fiery orange background, from Igor Shulman’s Accursed Kings Series. — ℹ
The Accursed Kings Series – Untitled (Accordion Player with Caged Bird) in details
This expressive oil painting from Igor Shulman’s Accursed Kings Series features a regal woman crowned atop her dark hair, playing an accordion with quiet contemplation. Her elongated, melancholic face and dark teal gown with a large white ruffled collar contrast vividly against a fiery orange background.

Beside her hangs a golden birdcage containing a small dark bird, symbolizing confinement and lost freedom. The thick, impasto brushstrokes and vibrant colors create a dynamic tension between captivity and artistic expression.

Shulman’s style blends expressionism with folk art influences, using bold colors and textured paint to evoke raw emotion. The painting captures a complex mood of melancholy mixed with resilience, reflecting the struggle between creative spirit and imposed limitations. The crown and birdcage symbolize both power and restriction, while the accordion represents the bittersweet persistence of creativity even in confinement.
**Untitled (Accordion Player with Caged Bird)**. Oil on Canvas

Expressionist oil painting of a regal king with an elongated face holding a purple cat, seated on a dark throne against a fiery red background, from Igor Shulman’s Accursed Kings Series. — ℹ
The Accursed Kings Series – Untitled (King with Purple Cat) in details
This expressive oil painting from Igor Shulman’s Accursed Kings Series portrays a regal king seated on a richly detailed dark throne, holding a large purple cat crowned atop its head. The king’s elongated face, serious expression, and slightly askew golden crown contrast with the vibrant colors of his mustard-yellow robe and the fiery red, textured background.

The background’s bold reds and rough textures evoke chaos and upheaval, while the detailed rendering of the king’s attire and the cat’s fur adds depth and focus. Shulman’s style blends realism with cartoonish exaggeration, using thick impasto and expressive brushstrokes to create dynamic energy.

The painting explores the absurdity of power and the unexpected bonds that can form in isolation. The king’s weary demeanor and the cat’s direct gaze suggest a complex relationship, highlighting themes of loneliness, authority, and companionship in unlikely places.
**Untitled (King with Purple Cat)**. Oil on Canvas

Expressionist oil painting of two kings seated on ornate green thrones against a fiery red and orange background, symbolizing power, legacy, and responsibility, from Igor Shulman’s Accursed Kings Series. — ℹ
The Accursed Kings Series – Untitled (Two Kings on Thrones) in details
This expressive oil painting from Igor Shulman’s Accursed Kings Series portrays two kings seated on richly detailed green thrones, set against a dramatic fiery red and orange backdrop. The older king, dressed in a vibrant pink robe adorned with gold stars and a white fur collar, holds a metallic orb and wears a gold crown. His elongated face carries a stern, fatigued expression, embodying authority weighed down by responsibility.

Beside him, the younger king wears a bright blue robe and a similar crown, his posture formal but less assured, reflecting apprehension and the heavy burden of succession. The fiery background, rendered with thick impasto brushstrokes, suggests turmoil and conflict within their kingdom.

Shulman’s style blends contemporary realism with expressionism, using bold colors, exaggerated forms, and textured surfaces to convey emotional depth. The painting captures the solemnity and complexity of power, legacy, and the emotional toll of leadership, inviting viewers to reflect on the challenges faced by those who rule.
**Untitled (Two Kings on Thrones)**. Oil on Canvas

All Art Collections

Here you’ll find a variety of Igor Shulman’s art collections, each one showing a different side of his work. From chandeliers and dresses to still lifes and portraits, every collection has its own mood and story. Take a look and see which one catches your eye — these pieces capture moments and feelings in a way that’s both honest and personal.

Chandeliers Collection. Vol. 1
Dresses collection. Vol1
Still Life Collection. Part #1
Gravity. Vol1
After Party Collection #1
Station collection
Erotica. Vol1
Musician Collection
Jews Collection. Serie #2
Men Collection
My Animals Collection
Jews Collection
Ambiance Collection. Serie #2
Ambiance Collection. Serie #1
My Fishes
Birds’ Collection. Part #2
Bird’s Collection. Part #1
New Icon Collection
The Ballet Serie #2
Antiglamour
The Ballet Serie #1

The Accursed Kings Series

All Art Collections

Memory Card

Sea Song

Etude #165

Emotional Portrait

White Simphony

White Simphony

Take Off

First Snow

Christmas Rat

A Carefree Plein Air

Evening Etude

Louboutin Etude 2

Louboutin Etude 1

Morning Sketch

The Limits of Pleasure

Floating Sneakers

Just Shoes 2

Just Sneakers 2

Chandelier #9. Harmony

Memory of a Dress

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