CollectionRussia

Russia was a source of inspiration and fascination for Charles Menge. He never physically went there, but he loved to travel through the music, literature, history, art and architecture in photo-illustrated books that can be a testimony in various forms to the reality of this country. He thus immersed himself in the soul and spirit of this country. A very religious nation with a rich history of conquests, wars and revolutions that inspired the artist in the creation of a number of paintings. Charles Menge was born three years after the Russian Revolution and witnessed the Second World War and the rise and fall of Communism. These dramatic and intense events in their resonance and impact on the world have helped to shape the history of our Humanity. They also left their mark on the painter.
Charles Menge was very sensitive to the human condition, its happiness, its beliefs, its hopes, its sufferings, its destiny. This is how he was able to put the Human at the center of his thoughts and of some of his paintings. Russia does not mince its words when it comes to treating its citizens and making them obey, and its population is distinctly represented as victims, executioners, religious figures, members of the government, and sometimes in a sarcastic and ironic manner.