Art and Revolution: Ernst Neizvestny and the Role of the Artist
A wrenching portrait of the Russian sculptor and a tribute to the potential of political art

John Berger explores the life and work of Ernst Neizvestny, who, after clashing with Khrushchev, was excluded from the ranks of officially approved Soviet artists. Abandoned to obscurity, Neizvestny laboured to realize a monumental and very public vision of art. Exiled to the United States, he finally found recognition, returning to his homeland with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Berger’s account illuminates the very meaning of revolutionary art. In his struggle against official orthodoxy – which brought him into face-to-face conflict with Khrushchev himself – Neizvestny was fight-ing not for a merely personal or aesthetic vision, but for recognition of the social role of art. His sculptures earn a place in the world by reflecting the courage of a whole people, commemorating, in an age of mass suffering, the resistance and endurance of millions.
1146766992
Art and Revolution: Ernst Neizvestny and the Role of the Artist
A wrenching portrait of the Russian sculptor and a tribute to the potential of political art

John Berger explores the life and work of Ernst Neizvestny, who, after clashing with Khrushchev, was excluded from the ranks of officially approved Soviet artists. Abandoned to obscurity, Neizvestny laboured to realize a monumental and very public vision of art. Exiled to the United States, he finally found recognition, returning to his homeland with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Berger’s account illuminates the very meaning of revolutionary art. In his struggle against official orthodoxy – which brought him into face-to-face conflict with Khrushchev himself – Neizvestny was fight-ing not for a merely personal or aesthetic vision, but for recognition of the social role of art. His sculptures earn a place in the world by reflecting the courage of a whole people, commemorating, in an age of mass suffering, the resistance and endurance of millions.
19.95 Pre Order
Art and Revolution: Ernst Neizvestny and the Role of the Artist

Art and Revolution: Ernst Neizvestny and the Role of the Artist

by John Berger
Art and Revolution: Ernst Neizvestny and the Role of the Artist

Art and Revolution: Ernst Neizvestny and the Role of the Artist

by John Berger

Paperback

$19.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Available for Pre-Order. This item will be released on September 30, 2025

Related collections and offers


Overview

A wrenching portrait of the Russian sculptor and a tribute to the potential of political art

John Berger explores the life and work of Ernst Neizvestny, who, after clashing with Khrushchev, was excluded from the ranks of officially approved Soviet artists. Abandoned to obscurity, Neizvestny laboured to realize a monumental and very public vision of art. Exiled to the United States, he finally found recognition, returning to his homeland with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Berger’s account illuminates the very meaning of revolutionary art. In his struggle against official orthodoxy – which brought him into face-to-face conflict with Khrushchev himself – Neizvestny was fight-ing not for a merely personal or aesthetic vision, but for recognition of the social role of art. His sculptures earn a place in the world by reflecting the courage of a whole people, commemorating, in an age of mass suffering, the resistance and endurance of millions.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781804298596
Publisher: Verso Books
Publication date: 09/30/2025
Series: The Essential John Berger
Pages: 192
Product dimensions: 5.08(w) x 7.80(h) x (d)

About the Author

About The Author
Storyteller, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, dramatist and critic, John Berger (1926-2017) was one of the most internationally influential writers of the last fifty years. His many books include Ways of Seeing; the fiction trilogy Into Their Labours; Here Is Where We Meet; the Booker Prize-winning novel G; Hold Everything Dear; the Man Booker-longlisted From A to X; and A Seventh Man.
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews