Petr Ossovsky in his studio in the 1960's

Petr. Ossovsky and Victor Ivanov were sent by the Soviet government in 1961 to Cuba to make some records of their ally.  The trip resulted in an well known collection of works by both Ivanov and Ossovski.  Ossovski became interested in the genetic mix of the peoples they encountered in Cuba and made a series of portraits whose facial types he found unusual such as this arresting portrait of a good looking Guerrilla Fighter.  According to Ossovski, despite language propblems, they were made welcome in Cuba, and speaking about the trip in 2006 he recalled it with fond memories.  He said he painted this man becuase he was struck by his blue eyes.

Petr Pavlovich Ossovsky was born in 1925 in Malaya Viska, near Elizavetgrad, Ukraine. He studied at Moscow Intermediate Art School 1940-44 and Moscow Art Institute/Surikov Institute 1944-50.  He became a member of the USSR Union of Artists and was active in Moscow becoming a founding member of the post war 'Severe school' of painting with P. Nikonov, N. Andronov and V. Popkov.

Ossovsky began exhibiting in 1954. Important shows includde All-Union Art Exhibition, Moscow, 1955 and Soviet Russia, Moscow , 1960. He painted thematic works, compositional portraits and landscapes. Well known works include "On the Edge of Town" (1958; Ordzhonikidze Art Museum)and "Fisherman over the Pskov Lake" (1968-75; Tretyakov).  His works are well represented in major Russian museums.

The artist with Victor Ivanov 1960's 

In May 2010 an exbibition was organized to mark his 85th anniversary at the Russian Academy of Fine Arts in Moscow.  During his career Ossovsky was awarded the People’s Artist of the USSR, winner of the USSR State Prize and M. Sholokhov International Prize, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts and Honorary Citizen of the City of Pskov.  The exhibition featured a retrospective of paintings and drawings created by the artist during the 70 years of his creative life.

The show included the master’s canvases, portraits, landscapes, sketches and drawings, as well as mixed works from his trips to Cuba, Mexico, Poland,  Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria.  

“The historical space of time in the middle of the 1920s has revealed the world a generation which I am happy to belong to. An important civic mission fell to its lot – together with the people of this country to defeat the enemy in the Great Patriotic War and to create the culture and art of the second half of the 20th century. People of the war generation, talented, honest and incorruptible, with a huge moral potential have surrounded me for my long life in art," Peter Ossovsky said, “This generation, called “men of the 1960s”, that breathed the ozone purified from the war burning has enriched the treasure house of spiritual values by masterpieces of literature, cinema, theater, music and fine arts and left the future generations examples of selfless service to Russia and its national culture.”

At the exhibition The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin decorated the People’s Artist of the USSR, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts Peter Ossovsky with the Order For Services to Motherland 3rd Rank for his significant contribution to the promotion of Russian Fine Arts and his lifetime achievements.