Born 1878, Astrakhan - Died 1927, Leningrad

Painter, graphic artist, book illustrator, theatre designer, porcelain artist, sculptor

Work        Biography       

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Note: this artist was a member of the World of Art group, where you can view more of his painting and graphic work. Here are presented the works he created in the category of Mass and Agit Art.

Work

Biography:

Much has been said of Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev, by many renown artists and critics. Ilya Repin has called him an artist of "mighty stature in Russian painting". His works are known by their vibrant colors; their healthy, young, full-bodied Russian belles that remind many something of Rubens; his expressive Russian types series and genre paintings. He was a portrait painter of the top caliber, kind and warm to his subjects. A diverse and immensely taented artist, with a difficult fate.

Boris Kustodiev was born March 7^th 1878 in Astrakhan. His father, Mikhail Lukich, was a teacher of Russian, literature logic in a gymnasium for girls, but he died when Boris was about two years old, leaving a wife, Ekaterina Prokhorovna, and four children. They rented a small wing off a large house of a rich merchant, where the future artist observed the merchant lifestyle.

The boy went to the church school, then to the gymnasium, after which he was accepted for free to study in the Christian seminar as a son of a late teacher. But from a very early age he has shown an aptitude and avid interest for drawing. In 1887 the nine-year-old Boris has visited an exhibition of Peredvizhnik artists, and his decision to become an artist himself was born then and there.

In 1896 Kustodiev began to study with Vlasov (until 1903), whom he considered for the rest his life his best and most important teacher. Then he has left the seminar and went to St.Petersburg to study at the Academy of Arts, under Savinsky, Repin and Stelletsky (1896-1903). Repin has noticed him early and noted his talent, thoughtfulness and the attention with which he studied nature. The artist's early carreer began as a portraitist. Under Repin's guidance, the young Kustodiev for two years worked on and painted the right side of the monumental group portrait "Ceremonial Session of the State Council", for which he has made 25 portrait studies (completed in 1903). At the same time he painted the portrats of his contemporaries: I.Bilibin, for which he was awarded a gold medal at the Munich International exhibition in April 1901; D.Stelletzky, S.Nikolsky, D.Moldovtzev, V.Mate and others (1901-1902). He received many commisions for portraits.

In 1903 the artist graduated the Acadey with distinction. In January he has married Yulia Yevstasievna Proshinskaya, and in October the same year his first-born son, Kiril, was born. At the XXXI^st International Exhibition in Munich he was awarded the prize of the Vienna Artists Association.

In 1904 the family has visited France and Spain on a grant from the Academy of Arts. In Paris he has painted his renowned "Morning", a painting so obviously soaked with love and family warmth, the joy of a young mother. Returning home before the end of his scholarship, the artist makes up the time by travelling around Russia. Paintings such as "A Fair" attest to his search for his own unique style, and finding its beginnings in genre painting.

At the end of 1904 the artist returned to St.Petersburg and worked for the leftist journal "Zhupel" (Bugbear) alongside V.Serov, Y.Lancere and D.Kardovsky, and then, when it is closed down, for "Adskaya Pochta" (Infernal Post). He created numerous caricatures of Tzarist ministers and millitary cammanders. The cruel repression of the 1905 Revolution has left a deep impression on the artist, evident in drawings from that time, such as "Demonstration". In 1905 he has also illustrated a series of stories by Gogol, Tolstoy, Lermontov.

His daughter Irina was born in May 1905, and he began building a house with a workshop in a style of the Russian "terem" at the edge of the village Maurino, nearby Pavlovskoe and Vysokoe. The house was designed by D.Stelletzky and named "Terem".

In 1906 Kustodiev has began producing his genre paintings, which remained his unique personal style for the rest of his life. His commonplace themes encompassed Russian lifestyle of the merchants and the clerics, while he also continued to paint portraits.

In 1905 (until 1906) the artist becomes a member-founder of the NOKh group (Society of New Artists); in 1907 - a member of SRKh, in 1910 he joined the World of Art group, and then in 1923 the AKhR (Association of Artists of the Revolution) group.

In 1910 Kustodiev participated in exhibitions of Russian artists in Paris, Moscow, St.Petersburg and Kiev. Then at the international exhibition in Brussels he was awarded silver medal. At that time he was teaching at the workshop of E.S.Zarudnaya-Kavos in St.Petersburg, and working on the group portrait for the artists of the World of Art group. But the symptoms of serious illness set in: he began feeling sharp pain in his arm. A difficult operation was performed, but only relieved the pain a little. In 1911 his health deteriorated, at 33 the young and active artist was suddenly crippled with the terrible pain.

In 1911 Kustodiev first began his theatre work. His genre painting was evident here, too, in the vivid, colorful provinces, costumes and decorations.

In 1912 he went to Leysin for treatment. In 1913, after a period of rest nearby Cannes, he returned to St.Petersburg through Italy (Venice, Genua, Milan) and Germany (Drezden and Berlin). In Berlin the famous neurologist G.Oppenheim diagnosed a tumor in his spinal canal. Another operation was performed.

In 1914 his works were exhibited at the Bernheim gallery in Paris; at an international exhibition in Venice; at an international exhibition in Rome. He created several portraits, including sculpted busts of the writer F.Sologub and the poet A.Blok. Theatrical design "Wolves and Sheep" by Ostrovsky was made that year. In 1915 his health continued to deteriorate, he walked with crutches and worked in a sitting position. In 1916 another operation was unable to stop the setting paralisis of the lower half of the artist's body. He lay without movement for 2 months, but was unable to stop working, feeling his life force leaving him in that state. Against the recommendations of his doctors he began to work again and continued to work in a wheelchair.

In 1918-1919 along with the other artist of the World of Art group Kustodiev participated in decorating St.Petersburg for 1^st and 2^nd celebrations of the October Revolution.

In 1920 his fellow-artists fashioned a special easel for him, where the painting was hanging, possible to bring closer and move to right and left, so it could be adjusted for his tortured hand. In the 3-room apartment of the art collector Nothaft the first and only personal exhibition was held in the artist's life, where about 170 works were shown. That year he created his famous "Russian types" watercolor series, to be published in the album of same name in 1923.

In 1921 the first lithograph works were made. V.Voinov began to work on his monography about the artist, illustrated by him.

In 1922 he participated in the first Russian art exhibition in Berlin and in the international book exhibition in Florence. Illustrations in linocut technique were made and a number of portraits painted. In 1924 he participated in the international exhibitions in Venice and in Brussels, with his "Merchant's Wife at Tea" among other works; in exhibition of Russian art in New York. That year he has given his "Terem" house to the State "for cultural uses". He also created the theatre design for "Flea" by Leskov.

In 1925 at the international exhibition of artistic design in Paris Kustodiev was awarded an honorary diploma for his theatrical work and posters. He participated in international exhibitions in Pitsburg; of Russian art in Los Angeles; contemporary Russian artists in Toronto. And then in 1926 in the international theatrical exhibition in New York.

In February 1927 Boris Kustodiev was allowed to go to Germany for treatment at the clinic of Prof. O.Ferster. But on May 5^th 1927 he has taken ill, catching pneumonia. On May 28^th  the artist has died in Leningrad at the age of 49.

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