Pavel Nikolayevich FILONOV
Born 1883, Moscow - Died 1941, Leningrad
Painter and graphic artist, poet, theoretician and searcher of art.
Work Biography
Work:
A Small House in Moscow. 1894.
Watercolor, graphite pencil on paper, 8.3x16.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Landscape. Wind. 1907.
Oil on cardboard, 20.5x30.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Icon of St.Ekaterina. 1908-1910.
Tempera on canvas mounted on wood, 27x18 cm.
Private collection,
Paris.
Heads. 1910.
Oil on cardboard, 28.5x47.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Peasant Family. 1910.
Watercolor, brown ink, Indian ink, feather, 6.2x17.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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They Have Nothing To Lose. 1911-1912.
Oil on paper, 96.5x76.2 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Musicians. 1912.
Indian ink, brush, graphite pencil on paper, 10.6x13.1 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Man and a Woman (Adam and Eve). 1912-1913.
Watercolor, brown ink, Indian ink, feather, brush on paper, 31x23.3 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Flowers. 1912-1913.
Graphite pencil on paper, 45.4x34 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
West and East. 1912-1913.
Oil on canvas, 39.5x46 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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The Gardener. 1912-1913.
Watercolor, brown ink, feather, brush, graphite pencil on paper, 49.1x50 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Hog. 1912-1913.
Oil on paper, 37.5x42.5 cm.
The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
The Yard-Keepers. 1913.
Watercolor, Indian ink, brush, graphite pencil on paper, 16.1x16 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Banquet of Kings. 1913.
Oil on canvas, 175x215 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Young Girl with a Flower. 1913.
Watercolor, brown ink, Indian ink, feather, brush, graphite pencil on paper, 20x20 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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Italian Fishermen. 1913.
Watercolor, graphite pencil on paper, 16.5x16.4 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A French Worker. 1913-1928.
Watercolor and pencil on paper, 20.2x15.3 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Untitled (The Riders). 1913.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather, brush, graphite pencil on paper, 23.8x28.8 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Fishermen Schooner. 1913-1914.
Oil on paper mounted on canvas, 106x100 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Shrovetide. 1913-1914.
Oil on canvas, 79x99 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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A Peasant Family (The Holy Family). 1914.
Oil on canvas, 159x128 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Dairy Women. 1914.
Oil on canvas, 117x152.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Magi. 1914.
Watercolor, brown ink, Indian ink, feather, brush on paper, 37x39.2 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Portrait of Evdokia Glebova (the artist's sister). 1914.
Watercolor, pencil on paper mounted on cardboard, 22.2x16.8 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The War with Germany. 1914-1915.
Oil on canvas, 176x156.3 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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Regeneration of Man. 1914-1915.
Oil on canvas, 116.5x154 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Party of Three at the Table. 1914-1915.
Oil on canvas, 98x101 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Portrait of E.N.Glebova (the Artist's Sister). 1915.
Oil on canvas, 117x152.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Portrait of Armand Frantzevich Aziber With His Son. 1915.
Oil on canvas, 115x83 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Untitled (St.George the Victorious). 1915.
Watercolor, gouache, Indian ink, feather, brush on paper, 25.4x28.3 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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The Dray-Men. 1915.
Watercolor, brown ink, Indian ink, feather, brush, graphite pencil on paper, 45x51.7 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Workers 1915-1916.
Watercolor, brown ink, Indian ink, feather on paper, 51.8x49.6 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Mother. 1916.
Watercolor, brown ink, Indian ink, feather, brush, graphite pencil on paper, 50.7x52 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Flowers of the World Flourishing. 1916. (From the series "Engagement to the World Flourishing")
Oil on canvas, 154.5x117 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Composition. 1916.
Oil on canvas, 71.1x88.9 cm.
Private collection.
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The Officers. 1916-1917.
Watercolor, gouache on paper, 20.8x33.4 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Oxen. Scene from the Life of Savages. 1918.
Oil on canvas, 62.5x80 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Escape to Egypt. 1918.
Oil on canvas, 71x88.9 cm.
Private collection.
A Head. 1918-1923.
Black and blue pencils on paper, 14.7x9.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A White Picture. 1919. (From the series "Engagement to the World Flourishing")
Oil on canvas, 72x89 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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Victory at Eternity. 1920-1921.
Oil on plywood, 41x37.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Composition (Cosmos?). 1920s.
Oil on canvas, 186x186 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Two Heads. 1920s.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 32.5x47 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Last Supper. 1920s.
Watercolor, Indian ink, brush on paper, 16x49.1 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Geometrical Construction. 1920s.
Watercolor on paper, 16.1x27.3 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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The Formula of the Revolution. 1920s.
Watercolor on paper, 73x84.3 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
October. Landscape. Formula. 1921.
Oil on plywood, 47x40.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Formula of the Universe. 1920-1922.
Watercolor on paper, 35.6x22.2 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Untitled (Heads, a Boot, a Fish). 1920s.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 22x23.3 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Living Head. 1923.
Oil on canvas, 85x78 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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The Formula of the Universe. 1920-1928.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 21.6x24.7 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Formula of Contemporary Pedagogy of IZO (Fine Arts). 1923.
Indian ink, feather, brush on paper, 17.5x20 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Untitled. 1923.
Oil on canvas, 79x99 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Untitled (People and Animals). 1923-1924.
Indian ink, feather, graphite pencil on paper, 19.8x25.4 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Wolf-Cub. 1923-1924.
Indian ink, feather on paper, 24.6x23.8 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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A Family Portrait. 1924.
Watercolor on paper, 30.5x51.3 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Formula of Intervention. 1924.
Indian ink, feather on paper, 30.2x21.6 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Head. 1924.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 22.7x28.7 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Head. 1924.
Oil and gouache on paper, 49.2x39.2 cm.
The Ludwig Museum, Cologne, Germany.
A Head. 1924.
Indian ink on paper, 43.6x43 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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A Head. Ca 1924.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 21.4x14.8 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Heads. 1924.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 44.3x42.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Horses. 1924-1925.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 5.6x13.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Horses' Heads. 1924-1925.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather, graphite pencil, ink pencil on paper, 21.5x12.7 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The February Revolution. 1924-1926.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather, ink pencil on paper, 21.8x25.8 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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A Man in the World. 1925.
Oil on paper mounted on cardboard, 107x71.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Head. 1925.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 26.7x20.3 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Two Heads. 1925.
Oil on paper, 58x54 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Composition. 1925.
Oil on canvas, 44x35 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Heads. Numbers. 1925.
Indian ink, feather, graphite pencil on paper, 20.3x17.4 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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Two Heads. Rabbles. 1925.
Oil on paper, 70.5x44 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The First Soviets. 1925.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 21.8x23.6 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Formula of Imperialism. 1925.
Oil on paper, 69.2x38.2 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Beast (A Wolf-Cub). 1925.
Oil on paper, 71x69 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
East and West. 1925.
Oil, tempera, gouache on paper, 38.5x42 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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A Mechanic. 1925-1926.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 29x47.5 cm.
The Russian
Museum, St.Petersburg.
Animals. 1925-1926.
Oil on cardboard, 36x44 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Untitled (A Head). 1926.
Indian ink, feather graphite pencil on paper, 30x21.8 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Untitled (Nonobjective Composition). 1927-1929.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 44.8x61.9 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Composition. 1928-1929.
Oil on canvas, 71x83 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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The Narva Gates (In Leningrad). 1929.
Oil on paper, 88x62 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
GOELRO (Lenin's plan of electrification of Russia). 1930.
Sketch. Watercolor on paper, 44.5x35.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Head. 1930.
Oil on paper, 37.5x41 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Worker in a Cap. 1930.
Oil on cardboard, 58.5x37.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
A Head. 1930s.
Oil on paper, 74x64 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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Animals. 1930.
Oil on paper, 67.5x91 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Male Goat. 1930s.
Oil on paper, 80x62 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Kolkhoznik (A Collective Farmer). 1931.
Oil on canvas, 69.5x53 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Record-Seting Workers at the Factory "Krasnaya Zaria" (The Red Sunrise). 1931.
Oil on canvas, 66x91.5 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
The Tractor Department at the Putilovsky Works. 1931.
Oil on plywood, 71x96 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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Portrait of N.N.Glebov-Putilovsky. 1935-1936.
Watercolor, Indian ink, feather on paper, 59x46 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Portrait of I.V.Stalin. 1936.
Oil on canvas, 99x67 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Two Male Figures. 1938.
Oil on paper, 82x69 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Composition (A Raid). 1938 (?)
Oil on paper, 71x86.8 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Eleven Heads. 1938(?)
Oil on canvas, 82x72 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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After the Raid. 1938 (?)
Oil on paper, 74x64 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
Countenances (Faces on an Icon). 1940.
Oil on paper, 64x56 cm.
The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.
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Biography:
Pavel Nikolaevich Filonov was one of the few artists, who defined the creative work in the art of XX century; of those who were distinguished by their the very fanatic, fiery, brave devotion to the avant-garde art. He has observed severe self-discipline and renunciation, and never deviated from his system, the "Analitic Art". For a long time his heritage was the object of furious discussion and contrary opinions. Filonov rightly belongs to the circle of the reformers of the world art.
Since his youth, Filonov has lived an ascetic life, sleeping on a bed without a mattress, onbare boards; feeding on black bread and potatoes; smoking simple makhorka (a kind of shag); wearing an old army overcoat and boots. And he kept these very clean and orderly. He was likely out of life, on the level of experience and senses, not simple to understand for most people. And for a long time he was persecuted (in Russia this is the usual attitude to genius).
Not one single-person exhibition was ever held during the artist's life, nor for 25 years following his death, and his paintings were not included in expositions in Russia's museums.
Pavel Nikolayevich Filonov was born in 1888 in Moscow. His mother was a laundress, his father - a cabman. There were 6 children in the family: Ekaterina, Alexandra, Maria, Evdokia, Piotr and the youngest, Pavel.
Pavel has began drawing very early, at the age of 3-4 years; he was copying from other people's pictures, sweet boxes and cigarette packs. His father has died in 1887. At the age of 6, Pavel was earning money himself, dancing in café-chantan scenes. In 1896 his mother has died, and the children moved to Petersburg, to live with the sister Alexandra, who was married to a prosperous engineer and gave Pavel and the others a decent education.
From 1897 Pasha Filonov studied at house-painting workshop of the School of the OPKh (Society for the Encouragement of the Arts), St.Petersburg. This school prepared master-carvers, ornament and stucco molding painters. This was not enough, and from 1898 Pavel has taken drawing classes in the evenings, as well. In 1901 Filonov has received the diploma of master-painter, and was working at different jobs, from coloring walls and roofs to restoration work for the "Pompeyan" plafonds in the Hermitage.
In 1903 the young Filonov has flunked the examinations for the Academy of Arts, and joined the private studio of Dmitriev-Kavkazsky (1903-1908). Three times he attempted to enroll into the Academy - and failed. During the years of learning in the studio, he has persistently studied the anatomy of people and animals. In the summers he traveled to the Volga, Caucasus, Old Aphon, Jerusalem and made many drawings and paintings from nature there.
At last, in 1908 Filonov was admitted as unattached student into the Academy of Arts, and studied under Zaleman, Miasoyedov, Tvorozhnikov, Savinsky, Zionglinsky. His works from nature have caught the attention of the students and the professors by their unusualness, with full likeness they was executed in reds, or blues, or greens, or orange paints. That did not conform to the Academy standards, and Filonov was dismissed "for influencing lewdness of his work". Filonov protested the decision of the rector Beklemishev, was rehabilitated, but after studying for two years he has left the Academy (1910).
In 1910-1911 he created his first paintings and drawings on the principle of "being made" (sdelannosti).
From 1910 the artist was a member of the Union of Youth and a founding member of the group Union of Artists (1910 -1913).
In 1912 he has traveled for 6 months in Austria, Italy and France. A part of the way he has gone on foot, paying for the food and shelter by his watercolors and drawings, sometimes sleeping in the cow-sheds or under bushes.
Filonov has written the article "Kanon i Zakon" (The Canon and the Law), the first explanation of the principles of "Analitical Art" (1912).
Together with I.Shkolnik he has designed the décor for the tragedy "Vladimir Mayakovsky", staged at the Luna Park Theatre, St.Petersburg, 1913.
In 1914 Filonov has published a manifesto of analytical painting, "Sdelannye kartiny" (The Made Paintings), and illustrated the futurist books "Growling Parnace" and "Izbornik stikhov" (Poems) by Velimir Khlebnikov.
In 1914-1915 he has published a neologism poem "Propeven' o prorosli mirovoi" (song about a world verdure).
He has served in the Army, at the Romanian front (1916-1918).
After his return to Petrograd, Filonov has taught at the SVOMAS (Free Workshops) in 1918-1920.
He was a member of the GINKhUK (State Institute of Artistic Culture) and headed the ideological department of Petrograd Academy (1923).
In 1924 the artist has married E.Serebriakova.
Filonov has established the group MAI (Masters of Analytical Art) in 1925. It was the school of Filonov's pupils and followers. Under his leadership, they have executed stage design for "The Revisor" by N.Gogol (producer I.Terentiev, the Press House, Leningrad, 1927) and Agit-stage "Korol Gaikin I" in the club of Vassiliev Metalists (Leningrad, 1929).
In 1931-1933 Filonov's group has worked on illustration for "Kalevala" (Karelian-Finnish epics about the feats of mythological country, Kalev) for the publishing house "Academia". (At the end of 1930s, the whole staff of "Academia" was repressed, many of the books was destroyed, and today this book is very rare. I have it and will include these series in the category Filonov's school).
Pavel Nikolayevich Filonov died on December 3rd 1943, in the besieged Leningrad. He died of hunger, cold and illness. Later his sister has transferred his paintings and graphic works into the possession of the State Russian Museum, and so nearly all of them are there.
Exhibitions, in which Filonov has taken part: Union of Youth (St.Peterburg,1911, 1913), The Donkey's Tail group (Moscow,1912), the First free State exhibition of work of art (Petrograd, Winter Palace, 1919), periodical exhibitions of the Community of Artists (Petrograd, 1921, 1922), exhibition of painting and sculpture (garden of Peoole House, 1922), the First Russian Art exhibition (Berlin, 1922), Russian exhibition (Holland, 1922), exhibition of paintings of Petrograd artists of all movements 1918-1923 (Petrograd, Academy of Arts, 1923), the Anniversary Exhibition "RSFSR Artists by 15 years" (Leningrad, the Russian Museum, 1932), the exhibition of portrait (Leningrad, Artist's House, 1933), the exhibition of the Leningrad Artist's House (Leningrad, House of Culture named First Five-Year Plan, 1933), exhibition of artists-tourists (Leningrad, Scientists House, 1933.
His one-man shows in Leningrad (1929-1930) was never opened, and was held post mortem in Novosibirsk (1967) and Leningrad (1988).