Art Gallery, 2009 – Archive
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Explore the beauty of Igor Shulman’s 2009 collection of original oil and watercolor paintings. This archive features expressive figurative works, intimate portraits, ballet-inspired compositions, and dynamic musician scenes. Each painting conveys unique stories and emotions.
2009 Archive of Original Oil Paintings
The 2009 archive includes thematic collections: Men Collection, Ambiance Collection, Musician Collection, Ballet Collection, and Erotic & Nude Paintings. Each series demonstrates Shulman’s mastery of Realism, Impressionism, Expressionism, and Modern Figurative styles.
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39.4 W x 27.6 H in / 100 x 70 cm
31.5 W x 31.5 H in / 80 x 80 cm
39.4 W x 27.6 H in / 100 x 70 cm
It’s in Paris right now. See more about this painting
Men Collection – Igor Shulman speaks about his collection of paintings featuring men, stating that it is simpler for him to draw men than women. He explains that women are a mystery, while there is nothing magical or incredible about men. As a result, he tends to paint women more frequently, but still enjoys drawing men occasionally.
39.4 W x 27.6 H in / 100 x 70 cm
39.4 W x 27.6 H in / 100 x 70 cm
31.5 W x 31.5 H in / 80 x 80 cm
39.4 W x 27.6 H in / 100 x 70 cm
The Ambiance Collection of paintings by the artist aims to immerse the viewer in the painting’s atmosphere and evoke emotions. Each painting has a unique history and world that only the viewer can understand and connect with.
39.4 W x 39.4 H in / 100 x 100 cm
39.4 W x 39.4 H in / 100 x 100 cm
Alternative painting name is Intermission, 2015 OUT OF STOCK
27.56 W x 19.69 H in / 70 x 50 cm
Musician collection – it is a series of funny and touching cartoons featuring his musician friends after realizing his enjoyment in drawing cartoons. The main focus is on the musicians.
39.4 W x 27.6 H in / 100 x 70 cm
39.4 W x 27.6 H in / 100 x 70 cm
35.43 W x 47.24 H in / 90 x 120 cm
39.4 W x 39.4 H in / 100 x 100 cm
Sold lot #1023 on Auction: mutualart.com
34.65 W x 46 H in / 88 x 117 cm
Lot #374 on auction: mutualart.com
39.4 W x 27.6 H in / 100 x 70 cm
The Ballet Collection is a series of paintings inspired by the artist’s immersion in the world of ballet, thanks to his friendship with dancers in Prague. He found the experience of discovering a new world parallel to his own very intriguing and began to paint ballet. The text ends with a teaser for the second part of the story.
39.4 W x 39.4 H in / 100 x 100 cm
23.62 W x 55.12 H in / 60 x 140 cm
39.4 W x 39.4 H in / 100 x 100 cm
35.43 W x 47.24 H in / 90 x 120 cm
39.4 W x 39.4 H in / 100 x 100 cm
27.56 W x 39.37 H in / 70 x 100 cm
39.4 W x 39.4 H in / 100 x 100 cm
39.4 W x 39.4 H in / 100 x 100 cm
39.4 W x 39.4 H in / 100 x 100 cm
Erotic and Nude Paintings by Igor Shulman
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Pation Latina I
19.69 H x 19.69 W x 1.97″ x / 50 H x 50 W x 5 cm
Also known as Flamenco
“Pation Latina I (also known as Flamenco)” by Igor Shulman captures the intensity and elegance of a flamenco dancer caught in a moment of poised movement. At the center is a young woman in a flowing white dress, her posture strong and commanding. One arm rises overhead, the other rests near her hip, embodying both control and passion. Her dark hair frames a concentrated, determined expression, while a faint red accent at her wrist adds a touch of fire to the otherwise restrained palette.
The background is subdued, rendered in warm, earthy browns with soft blending that suggests the dim light of a stage or studio. This neutrality heightens the presence of the dancer, who appears illuminated from above, her dress glowing against the shadowed backdrop. The brushwork alternates between smooth passages in the background and more gestural strokes in the folds of the dress, lending a sense of rhythm and motion to the composition.
The mood is one of concentrated passion, evoking both discipline and emotional intensity. The dancer’s stance suggests not just performance but a private act of devotion to her art. The restrained colors and dramatic pose elevate the scene beyond simple representation, transforming it into a meditation on human energy, discipline, and grace. Symbolically, the white dress carries associations of purity and transcendence, while the flamenco itself stands as a metaphor for resilience, freedom, and expressive power.
Sade Clown
27.56 H x 27.56 W x 1.97″ x / 70 H x 70 W x 5 cm
This original oil painting presents a solitary elderly clown, captured in a moment of quiet introspection. The main subject is a lean, aged performer whose face bears the lines and wrinkles of a life lived. His spiky red hair contrasts with the pale white makeup, red lips, and subtle black outlines around his eyes, highlighting both his outward persona and the vulnerability beneath the costume. He wears a simple white tank top, olive-green trousers, and a dark bow tie, slightly rumpled, emphasizing a casual, lived-in presence.
The setting is minimal, with a muted wash of warm browns and oranges forming the background. The low-key light softly models his features, casting gentle shadows that accentuate the textures of skin and clothing. This sparse, subdued space draws attention to the clown, isolating him in a reflective, almost melancholic atmosphere.
Shulman employs a realist style with expressive touches of impressionism, using visible brushstrokes and subtle tonal shifts to convey depth and texture. The careful balance of detail and painterly freedom allows both form and mood to emerge naturally.
The mood is contemplative and intimate, evoking a mixture of weariness, quiet strength, and resilience. The elderly clown, traditionally a figure of joy, here embodies the passage of time, the bittersweet nature of performance, and the dignity of experience. His posture and gaze suggest reflection on a long life of work, with the juxtaposition of mask and reality symbolizing the contrast between external presentation and internal truth. The painting explores themes of aging, mortality, endurance, and the quiet perseverance of spirit.
Konstantin
This 2009 portrait titled Konstantin, part of an ongoing series focusing on stage performers, presents an intimate profile study of an elderly clown. The figure is shown from the shoulders up, hunched slightly forward with his right hand resting against his chin in a classic posture of deep contemplation. Traces of traditional stage makeup remain around his eyes and jawline, contrasting against his pale skin, thinning white hair, and the deeply creased lines of an aged face. He wears a heavy, dark jacket paired with a patterned black and tan striped scarf draped loosely over his shoulder.
The background is executed with loose, sweeping brushwork that shifts from dark violet and deep indigo on the left into lighter, smoky greys on the right. A soft, hazy plume of smoke or mist drifts past the clown's face, introducing a sense of transience to the scene. Shulman directs a soft light source onto the front of the figure, illuminating the subtle transitions of the skin tones and the geometric pattern of the textile while leaving the back of his coat enveloped in heavy shadow. The sharp focus on the facial features and hand gestures contrasts with the fluid, painterly handling of the surrounding negative space. This contemporary figurative painting balances realism with expressive texture, capturing the quiet dignity, physical weariness, and emotional solitude of a private moment behind a public persona.
Roman
27.56 H x 27.56 W x 1.97″ x / 70 H x 70 W x 5 cm
This 2009 square-format oil painting, titled Roman, offers a compelling psychological study of a stage performer in a moment of rest. The composition focuses on a young man with a shaved head shown in profile, dressed in a simple black garment. He wears dramatic clown makeup consisting of stylized white fields over his eye and mouth, finished with sharp red lipstick. Rather than projecting comedic energy, his downcast gaze and soft facial expression signal heavy weariness and internal retreat. In his raised right hand, he holds a lit cigarette between his fingers, its slender shape echoing the elegant lines of his hand. From the left edge of the frame, a second hand reaches into the composition to touch the back of the performer's head, implying the presence of a stage assistant or a moment of external intervention.
Shulman sets the figure against an oppressive, flat black background that completely isolates the subject, heightening the intimacy of the scene. Along the absolute bottom edge, faint vertical strokes of deep blue and grey hint at a distant, out-of-focus cityscape or stage structure. The light source strikes the figure from the side, casting precise highlights across his features, the smooth surface of his skull, and the tendons of his raised arm. The artist employs smooth, refined brushwork to render the lifelike textures of skin and theatrical greasepaint with sculptural clarity. This contemporary figurative painting strips away the illusion of the stage, leaving a raw, honest reflection on identity, the burden of a public persona, and personal solitude.
The Coming...
The Coming... presents a solitary female figure emerging from a largely abstract field of pale, smoky forms. Her face appears at the centre of the composition, surrounded by dark hair, while both arms extend outward toward the edges of the canvas. Much of the figure's body remains concealed within layers of white, grey and muted blue paint, creating the impression that she is appearing from — or disappearing into — an indistinct atmosphere.
The composition is built around a strong contrast between the dark horizontal and irregular forms in the upper and middle sections and the much lighter passages that dominate the lower part of the painting. The woman's face provides the clearest point of definition. Her eyes are closed or lowered, giving the figure a quiet, inward quality despite the expansive gesture of her outstretched arms.
Shulman uses expressive, gestural brushwork throughout the painting. Broad passages of white and pale blue are layered with darker grey, charcoal and blue-black marks, while scratches, linear marks and irregular edges remain visible across the surface. The background does not describe a clearly identifiable location. Instead, it functions as an atmospheric space in which the figure seems to materialise.
The horizontal structure of the composition creates an unusual tension. Dark bands cross behind and around the figure, while lighter areas break through them in irregular shapes. This gives the painting a sense of movement without relying on a conventional narrative scene. The woman's extended arms become the main directional elements, opening the composition outward from the central face.
The title The Coming..., translated from Shulman's original Russian title «Приход...», deliberately remains unfinished. Rather than explaining what is arriving or appearing, the title leaves the subject open to interpretation. Combined with the partially obscured figure and atmospheric setting, the unfinished phrase reinforces the painting's sense of anticipation and emergence.
As an original 2009 figurative painting by Igor Shulman, The Coming... demonstrates his interest in combining recognizable human forms with loose, atmospheric passages of paint. The work sits between figurative painting and abstraction, allowing the figure to remain clearly present while much of the surrounding space is deliberately unresolved.
Princess Tarakanova
Princess Tarakanova presents a solitary woman in profile, facing left against a dark, undefined background. Her face is illuminated selectively, drawing attention to her upward gaze, while much of the figure remains concealed in shadow. Vertical dark bars cross the composition, partially obscuring her face and clothing and creating a strong visual structure between the viewer and the subject.
The restricted palette is built around deep browns, muted reds and purples, with lighter tones concentrated on the woman's face and patterned dress. The contrast between illuminated areas and darkness gives the original oil painting a quiet, enclosed atmosphere. Rather than providing a clearly defined interior or exterior setting, Shulman leaves the surrounding space largely open and atmospheric.
The painting demonstrates the artist's interest in light as a compositional element. Broad areas of shadow are balanced by smaller passages of carefully observed detail, particularly around the face, hair and clothing. Visible brushwork in the darker areas gives the surface a tactile quality, while the more controlled treatment of the figure anchors the composition in realism.
The bars introduce a sense of separation without establishing a single definitive narrative. They may be read simply as part of the setting, but they also create a visual suggestion of confinement or distance. The woman's upward gaze contrasts with this restricted space, leaving the relationship between the figure and her surroundings deliberately open to interpretation.
As a figurative painting, Princess Tarakanova combines realism with a strongly atmospheric treatment of light, making it characteristic of Igor Shulman's interest in portraiture, mood and the psychological presence of the human figure.
The Bride Without a Place
47.24 H x 35.43 W x 1.97″ x / 120 H x 90 W x 5 cm
Alternative name - The Bride
The Bride Without a Place is a figurative painting by Igor Shulman from 2009, presenting a solitary bride in a long white dress against a dark, textured background. The woman stands in profile, turned toward the right side of the composition. Her head is slightly lowered, and her expression is quiet and restrained. Rather than presenting a conventional wedding scene, Shulman isolates the figure and gives her an ambiguous, almost theatrical presence.
The bride's white dress dominates the lower and central areas of the painting. Its broad skirt extends diagonally across the canvas, creating a strong contrast with the deep brown and muted violet background. The fabric is not rendered with precise photographic detail. Instead, Shulman builds it through layered strokes of white, pale grey, lavender and soft pink, allowing sections of the underlying surface to remain visible. The lower edge of the dress becomes increasingly loose and fragmented, with paint extending beyond the main figure.
The woman's upper body is more clearly defined. Her dark hair is pulled back into a simple hairstyle, exposing the line of her neck and shoulders. One hand rests against the side of the dress while the other appears to gather or hold the fabric. Her posture is upright but not celebratory. There is a sense of pause, as though she has stopped momentarily rather than entered into a wedding ceremony.
The background is deliberately sparse. A large field of reddish brown, mauve and muted purple surrounds the figure, with visible scratches, linear marks and variations in the paint surface. These marks give the background a tactile quality and prevent it from becoming a flat backdrop. The roughness of the surface contrasts with the lightness of the dress.
Shulman's treatment of the figure combines observed realism with expressive painterly passages. The face, hands and exposed skin are carefully constructed with subtle tonal transitions, while the dress and background are handled more freely. The contrast between defined anatomy and loosely worked areas is characteristic of a painting that focuses as much on atmosphere and gesture as on physical description.
The title The Bride Without a Place introduces an element of uncertainty into an otherwise recognizable image. The painting contains the visual language of a bride—a white dress, formal posture and restrained appearance—but provides no wedding setting, partner or clear destination. She occupies the canvas alone, surrounded by an expansive, undefined space.
The result is a quiet and somewhat enigmatic figurative work. The white dress becomes the central visual presence, while the dark surrounding field creates a strong sense of separation. Shulman leaves the narrative open, allowing the viewer to consider the bride not simply as a participant in a wedding, but as an isolated figure suspended in an undefined moment.
My Pelican
My Pelican presents a young woman in profile alongside a white pelican, set against an expansive field of muted blue. The woman wears a pale blue sleeveless dress, with her dark hair pulled back, and looks towards the bird while holding one hand near her chest and the other near her lips. The pelican stands on a dark horizontal element beside her, creating a simple visual connection between the two figures.
The composition is deliberately restrained. There is little indication of a specific location, and the broad blue background gives the scene an almost weightless quality. The cool blue of the dress and background is balanced by the warmer tones of the woman's skin and dark hair, while the white plumage of the pelican provides another quiet contrast.
Light is used softly rather than dramatically. The woman's face, shoulder and arms are carefully modelled, with subtle transitions between light and shadow. The pelican is treated with loose, feathery brushwork that gives its body a tactile quality without distracting from the overall simplicity of the composition. The visible handling of oil paint, particularly in the figure and highlights, combines careful observation with a painterly surface.
As an original oil painting, My Pelican has a quiet, contemplative character. The woman's gesture and the bird's upward-facing posture create a moment of shared attention, although the painting leaves the subject of that attention unexplained. This ambiguity is an important part of the work: rather than presenting a fixed narrative, Shulman places a human figure and an animal together in a sparse setting and allows their relationship to remain open to interpretation.
The work is a distinctive example of Igor Shulman's figurative painting from 2009, combining realism with an atmospheric treatment of space, restrained color and understated human-animal interaction.
The Boy
The Boy is a quiet figurative painting centered on the back and shoulders of a young boy. Shulman avoids a conventional portrait view, presenting the child from behind and leaving his face almost entirely unseen. The composition therefore focuses on posture, skin, light and the relationship between the figure and the surrounding painted surface.
The boy occupies the right side of the canvas, his head turned slightly away from the viewer. His short reddish-brown hair catches the light, while the exposed back and shoulders are rendered in pale flesh tones with warm pink, peach and muted ochre accents. The simplified treatment of the body preserves the natural structure of the shoulders, spine and arms without excessive detail.
Much of the visual interest comes from the contrast between the softly illuminated figure and the heavily worked background. Behind the boy is an atmospheric field of muted blue, grey, mauve and dusty rose. Shulman has left numerous visible marks across this surface: short directional strokes, scratched lines and areas where the paint has been worked back into the ground. These marks give the background a tactile quality and prevent it from becoming a conventional setting.
The composition is deliberately sparse. There are no identifiable objects or surroundings to establish a specific location. Instead, the boy appears against an open, abstract space. The strong division between the cool background and the warmer tones of the figure draws attention immediately to the child's body and the subtle turn of his head.
Shulman's handling of the figure is restrained and painterly. Edges are softened in places, while other areas of the body are defined through changes in light rather than sharp outlines. The result is a contemporary figurative approach in which the physical presence of the subject remains clear while the surrounding space stays deliberately unresolved.
The painting has a contemplative, intimate quality. By showing the child from behind, Shulman creates a sense of distance and privacy rather than direct confrontation with the viewer. The absence of a visible expression shifts the emphasis away from portrait likeness and toward the quiet physical presence of the young figure.
Some archived artworks may be available as prints upon request. Learn more.