Lev Iliich Tabenkin, Russian, born 1952, oil painting on canvas depicting a bearded vulture bird, 1988. Signed on the back side. Lev Iliich Tabenkin, a graduate of the Moscow Polygraphic Institute in 1975, is a genre painter whose work stands apart. Grotesque animal imagery and depictions of human passions, anxieties, and triumphs, act as powerful symbols of freedom, strength, suffering, and vulnerability. Tabenkins steadfast commitment to classical easel painting, where the artwork isn’t merely a decorative element, allows him to convey profound ideas without resorting to radical or overly stylized forms of expression. Modern Russian Fine Art, Expressionist Paintings, Wall Art, and Collectibles.