Introducing St. Petersburg, part of our new Lentulov’s Cityscapes series. The original painting, titled Monastery, was created in 1917 using oil on canvas. Depicting a bishop’s courtyard in the New Jerusalem Monastery in Russia, its rich, vibrant colours and striking, geometric composition immediately drew us in to this piece.
The artist, Aristarkh Lentulov (1882–1943), was a major Russian avant-garde painter with a Cubist orientation. He also honed his talents as a set designer, which can easily be seen when you look at this painting’s bold shapes and almost theatrical sense of depth.
Born in the town of Nizhny Lomov in Penza Oblast, Russia, Lentulov began studying art at a young age before moving to a private studio in St. Petersburg in 1906. His fascination with Cubism grew alongside his involvement in the Knave of Diamonds group, which he co-founded in 1909. For several years, this group was at the forefront of Russia’s avant-garde movement. Lentulov began blending the spatial ideas of Cubism with the vibrant palette of Fauvism and the decorative patterns of folk art, a combination that became his signature style.
This design marks a new artistic direction for Paperblanks, embracing a more avant-garde aesthetic than our usual covers. We are excited to reach art lovers who gravitate toward Cubism, bold geometry, and expressive colour. We are delighted to spotlight Lentulov’s work at the height of his creative peak and bring a fresh cover design to our Fall 2025 collection.
St. Petersburg is available as a softcover journal, bookmark, canvas bag, 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle, and pencil.
