Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Самохва́лов; 21 August 1894 – 20 August 1971) was a Soviet Russian painter, watercolorist, graphic artist, illustrator, art teacher and Honored Arts Worker of the RSFSR, who lived and worked in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

. He was a member of the

Leningrad branch of Union of Artists of Russian Federation Union of Artists of Saint Petersburg (russian: Санкт-Петербургский Союз художников) was established on August 2, 1932, as a creative union of the Leningrad artists and arts critics. Prior to 1959, it was called " Le ...

, and was regarded as one of the founders and brightest representatives of the

Leningrad school of painting The Leningrad School of Painting (russian: Ленинградская школа живописи) is a phenomenon that refers to a large group of painters who developed in Leningrad around the reformed Academy of Arts in 1930–1950 and was uni ...

, most famous for his genre and portrait painting.

Biography

Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov was born on 21 August 1894 in the town of

Bezhetsk Bezhetsk (russian: Бе́жецк) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Bezhetsky District in Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the Mologa River at its confluence with the Ostrechina. Population: 29 ...

, located in the

Tver Governorate Tver Governorate (russian: Тверская губерния, ''Tverskaya guberniya'') was an administrative division (a ''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, Russian SFSR, which existed from 1796 ...

of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

. In 1914, Samokhvalov enrolled in the Higher Art School of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg. He studied under Vasily Beliaev, Gugo Zaleman,

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin Kuzma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin, (; November 5, Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O._S._24_October.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>O._S._24_October">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html"_;"title="nowiki/>Old_Styl ...

, and Vasily Shukhayev; among his teachers, the most important was Petrov-Vodkin, with his dimensional system of painting design and correlation of colour and form. Samokhvalov traveled with Petrov-Vodkin to

Samarkand fa, سمرقند , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from the top:Registan square, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, view inside Shah-i-Zinda, ...

in 1921 as a member of the Expedition of Institute for History of Material Culture, and it was a critical moment in his life and outlook. Another powerful influence on his style was his participation in the restoration process of Georgy's Cathrdral in

Staraya Ladoga Staraya Ladoga (russian: Ста́рая Ла́дога, p=ˈstarəjə ˈladəɡə, lit=Old Ladoga), known as Ladoga until 1704, is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River near ...

in 1926, where he discovered an ancient Russian painting. He graduated from Petrograd ''VKHUTEIN'' (known as the Ilya Repin Institute since 1944) in 1923. His diploma was ''"Dressing-down"'' (

State Russian Museum The State Russian Museum (russian: Государственный Русский музей), formerly the Russian Museum of His Imperial Majesty Alexander III (russian: Русский Музей Императора Александра III), on ...

), where he tried to use "spherical perspective" in the spirit of Petrov-Vodkin, and came close to

surrealism Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

. Samokhvalov had participated in art exhibitions since 1914, and in 1917 he took part in the exhibition of the

Mir iskusstva ''Mir iskusstva'' ( rus, «Мир искусства», p=ˈmʲir ɪˈskustvə, ''World of Art'') was a Russian magazine and the artistic movement it inspired and embodied, which was a major influence on the Russians who helped revolutionize Eur ...

. He painted portraits, genre and historical paintings, as well as monumental and easel painting, black-and-white art, sculpture, decorative and applied art, and illustrations for fiction and poetry. He produced book graphics from the middle of the 1920s, and began working with scenography in the 1930s at the Bolshoi Drama Theater and Russian State Pushkin Academy Drama Theater in Leningrad and Novosibirsk. He was very successful in images of heroes of labour and sport (''Conductressa'' (1928); ''Girl with the kernel'' (1933), famous watercoloured series ''Builder of Metro'' (1933—1934), all at

), all of which had peculiar surrealistic charm. He was the creator of a significant work of the Soviet Epoch of the 1930s with his painting ''Girl in T-shirt'' (1932). In 1937, it was awarded the gold medal at the International Art Fair in Paris, France. At the same time, Samokhvalov took two Grand-Prix awards for his panel ''Soviet Athletics'' and illustrations for ''

The History of a Town ''The History of a Town'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, История одного города, Istoriya odnogo goroda) is a 1870 novel by Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin. The plot presents the history of the town of Glupov (can be transl ...

'' by

Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin Mikhail Yevgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin ( rus, Михаи́л Евгра́фович Салтыко́в-Щедри́н, p=mʲɪxɐˈil jɪvˈɡrafəvʲɪtɕ səltɨˈkof ɕːɪˈdrʲin; – ), born Mikhail Yevgrafovich Saltykov and known during ...

. Samokhvalov was a member of the "Krug" (1926–1929) and "October" (1930–1932) artists' associations, and was a member of the

Leningrad Union of Artists Union of Artists of Saint Petersburg (russian: Санкт-Петербургский Союз художников) was established on August 2, 1932, as a creative union of the Leningrad artists and arts critics. Prior to 1959, it was called " Le ...

beginning in 1932. His leading theme was Soviet youth. He was awarded an honorary title from the Honored Art Worker of Russian Federation in 1967. Samokhvalov created many genre and historical paintings by commission; among them were ''Sergey Kirov Greeting Parad of Athletes'' (1935,

), ''Appearance of Vladimir Lenin in All-Russian Congress of Soviets'' (1939,

), ''Parade of Victory'' (1947, sketch for

Palace of the Soviets The Palace of the Soviets (russian: Дворец Советов, ''Dvorets Sovetov'') was a project to construct a political convention center in Moscow on the site of the demolished Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The main function of the p ...

, private collection), ''Sergey Kirov and Iosif Stalin at the Building of Volkhov Power Station'' (1950, private collection, London), and others. Among his works also easel paintings: ''Vladimir Lenin and Iosif Stalin at the 2nd Congress of RSDLP'' (1939,

), ''Front Friends'' (1946), ''Stalingrad Resident'', ''Thinking of Battle Days'' (both 1948), ''Portrait of Yevgeny Mravinsky'' (1950), ''In the Sun'' (1953), ''Cafe "Gurzuf"'' (1956), ''Portrait of Maria Kleshar'' (1958). From 1948 to 1951, Samokhvalov taught in the monumental painting department at the ''Leningrad Higher School of Art and Industry named Vera Mukhina'', and he authored a memoir titled ''My Way of Creation'' (1977), ''At the Time of Restless Sun'' (1996). His personal exhibitions were in Leningrad (1963, 1968, 1975,

and "House of Writes"), Moscow (1964), Saint Petersburg (1994, 2014

), Tver (1994).''Александр Николаевич Самохвалов. Каталог выставки''. Тверь, Издательство «Приз», 1994. In 1967, Samokhvalov was awarded the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...

for outstanding contribution to development of Soviet art. Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov died in Leningrad on 20 August 1971. His paintings and graphics reside in the

State Tretyakov Gallery The State Tretyakov Gallery (russian: Государственная Третьяковская Галерея, ''Gosudarstvennaya Tretyâkovskaya Galereya''; abbreviated ГТГ, ''GTG'') is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, which is considered th ...

, other art museums, and private collections in Russia, Italy, France, the US, Japan, Germany, England and throughout the world.

Awards

* ''Gold Medal'' of

International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (french: Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes) was a World's fair held in Paris, France, from April to October 1925. It was designed by the Fren ...

, Paris, 1925 (for poster). * ''Grand Prix'' of

Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne The ''Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne'' (International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life) was held from 25 May to 25 November 1937 in Paris, France. Both the Palais de Chaillot, housing the Mus ...

, Paris, 1937 (for the Monumental painting "The Physical Culture of USSR"). * ''Grand Prix'' of

, Paris, 1937 (for the Illustration of the story of

"). * ''Gold Medal'' of

, Paris, 1937 (for the painting ''Girl in a T-shirt''). * ''

'', Moscow, 1967 (for outstanding contribution to development of the Soviet art).

References

Sources

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Тверь, Издательство «Приз», 1994. * ''Этюд в творчестве ленинградских художников. Выставка произведений. Каталог.'' СПб., Мемориальный музей Н. А. Некрасова, 1994. С.6. * ''Лирика в произведениях художников военного поколения. Живопись. Графика. Каталог.'' СПб., Мемориальный музей Н. А. Некрасова, 1995. С.6. * ''Самохвалов Александр Николаевич. В годы беспокойного солнца''. СПб., Всемирное слово, 1996. * ''Живопись 1940—1990 годов. Ленинградская школа. Выставка произведений''. СПб., Мемориальный музей Н. А. Некрасова, 1996. С.4. * ''Связь времён. 1932—1997. Художники — члены Санкт-Петербургского Союза художников России. Каталог выставки.'' СПб., ЦВЗ «Манеж», 1997. С.298. * ''Vern G. Swanson. Soviet Impressionism.'' Woodbridge, England, Antique Collectors' Club, 2001. Р.288. * ''Russian Fine & Decorative Art''. Dallas, Texas, Heritage Auction Galleries, November 14, 2008. Р.170. * ''Matthew C. Bown. Dictionary of 20th Century Russian and Soviet Painters 1900-1980s''. 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Инвестиции в советскую живопись: ленинградская школа'' // Петербургские искусствоведческие тетради. Вып. 31. СПб, 2014. С.54-60. * ''Alexander Samokhvalov. 1894—1971.'' Saint Petersburg, Palace Editions, 2014. {{DEFAULTSORT:Samokhvalov, Alexander Nikolayevich 1894 births 1971 deaths People from Bezhetsk People from Tver Governorate 20th-century Russian painters Russian male painters Soviet painters Russian watercolorists Leningrad School artists Members of the Leningrad Union of Artists Socialist realist artists Repin Institute of Arts alumni Imperial Academy of Arts alumni 20th-century Russian male artists

Biography

Awards

See also

References

Sources