BENOIS Nikolay

April 19, 1901 (Oranienbaum St. Petersburg Province) - March 29, 1988 (Milan)

painter, graphic artist, set designer

Born to a family of artists. Son of the painter, watercolor, set designer, art historian Alexander Benois, grandson of the architect NL Benois, grandson of the architect AK Kavos, nephew of the architect L. H . Benois and watercolor Alb. Benois, a cousin of artists EE Lancere and Z. Serebryakova.

original artistic skills has led her father and DC Allegri in St. Petersburg. In 1913-1918 worked in a studio in New VI Shuhaeva and AE Yakovlev. In the late 1910's - early 1920's he studied at the Higher Art School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture at IAH - Petrograd state of free workshops - VHUTEMAS - VHUTEINe with D. Kardovsky, M. V. Matyushina, VE Tatlin, and others. While still a student he helped his father to work on a variety of stage productions for the Mariinsky Theater. In 1923, together with his son BM Kustodiev created a painting of the ceiling in the Petrograd cabaret "Berry". In 1922 and 1924 participated in the exhibitions "World of Art».

In 1920 he joined the Gosakteatry assistant decorator. Under the leadership of Allegri performed scenery on sketches Alexander Benois, MVDobuzhinsky, VA Shuko, Kustodiev. After immigrating to Italy became Allegri, with the help of Maxim Gorky, the main artist Gosakteatrov. He has designed productions "Northern warriors" H. Ibsen, Julius Caesar "and" The Merchant of Venice "by W. Shakespeare," Prince Alexei "Merezhkovsky for the Bolshoi Drama Theater, the ballet" The Seasons " Glazunov for the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, the operetta "Silva's Daughter" by I. Kalman, and "the dream girl" Theon for the Theater of Musical Comedy.

In 1924 left for Paris at the invitation of the National Opera. Has worked in the theater "Femina" and the theater-cabaret NF Baliyeva "Die Fledermaus", which designed the revue, I Miss my swiss and Amour et Hierarchie ( «Love on rank). In 1926 worked on ballets Ida Rubinstein in Paris.

From 1925 he lived in Italy. In 1926, in collaboration with director A. Sanin designed the opera Mussorgsky Khovanshchina "and" Boris Godunov "for the La Scala in Milan. In the same year, Maxim Gorky's visit to the island of Capri. In the early 1930's became the chief designer of the Royal Opera in Rome. At the same time cooperate with other major theaters - the Berlin opera ( "Sorochinskaya Fair" by Mussorgsky), the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires ( "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" by Rimsky-Korsakov).

in 1936 became director of the staging of La Scala in Milan, in his post 35 years. He created the sets and costumes for many operas, the best known of his work to the play "Mary of Egypt" O. Respighi (1936), "Samson et Dalila Saint-Saens," La Boheme "by G. Puccini (both -- 1949), "Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh" by Rimsky-Korsakov (1950), "Tristan and Isolde" by Wagner (1956), "Anna Boleyn" (1956) and "Mary Stuart" (1959) G. Donizetti's "Othello" (1959), "Rigoletto" (1961), "Aida" (1962), "Simon Bocanegra" (1965) G. Verdi, "The Queen of Spades" Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1960 ), "Atlantis" M. de Falla (1962).

In the 1940 - 1950 designed the series of performances with his father, who came to Milan. All participated in the design of nearly 300 performances. In 1956 Moscow hosted the exhibition of scenery and costumes by Nicholas Benoit Mussorgsky. In 1964 his works were exhibited at the Bolshoi Theater at the exhibition of paintings of the Museum of La Scala. At the invitation of the Bolshoi Theater designed the staging of the Britten "Midsummer Night's Dream" (1965) and Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera" (1978).

in 1975 became the first laureate of the "Golden Bibb" established for services in the field of scenography.

Nikolai Benoit - outstanding scene-painter, in his works developed miriskusnicheskie tradition scenography. He had a reputation as masters of exquisite combination of history and personal fantasy, created a spectacular stage illusions, very subtly connected with music.

Benoit works are in many museum and private collections, including the State Russian Museum, the Museum of La Scala and others.