Viktor Barth (1887-1954) was a Russian artist, art theorist. He was born in Velichavoe in Stavropol Governorate, Moscow.

The artist graduated from the non-classical secondary school in Sumy (1905). From 1906 till 1911 he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture where he got acquainted with M. Larionov, N. Goncharova, D. Burliuk, V. Mayakovsky. In 1911 he was expelled, as he wrote himself “for disavowal of school dogmatics and discipline”, though he received a title of the teacher of painting. Since 1911 he studied at the School of Art under the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts and at the Institute of Art under the Russian Academy of Arts (currently Illya Repin Leningrad Institute for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture) and was also expelled. In 1910s he was known as a painter of avant-garde, organizer and participant of exhibitions Jack of Diamonds (1910-1911), Donkey’s Tail (1912), Michel (1913). Barth’s works of art of that period were influenced by M. Larionov and neo-primitivism. He published his work The Theory of Composition In Painting in the journal Mlechnyi Put’ (Via Lactea). He also participated in the exhibition A Hundred From Parnassus in the café Le Parnasse in 1921, in the exhibitions of Russian artists in the gallery Whitechapel in London (1921), in the exhibitions in Paris galleries La Licorne (1923), T. Carmine (1924), A. Manteau (1928), Zak (1929), d’Alignan (1931), as well as in Prague exhibition of Russian painting in 1935. He also took part in exhibitions in Paris salons such as: Society of Independent Artists (1922, 1925, 1926), Autumn Salon (1928) and Tuileries (1930). After returning to the USSR he was engaged in illustrations of books. He created a number of lithographies named Moscow In The Past and Present (1943-1948). Since 1951 V. Barth drew tutorials. His works of art can be found in Mayakovsky State Museum.

       
Still life, 1920-1930-th
Oil on canvas; 50 х 73 cm