TARKHOV Nikolay Alexandrovich

January 20, 1871 (Moscow) — July 4, 1930 (Orsay, near Paris)

Painter, graphic artist

Tarkhov was born to a wealthy merchant family. He finished the Public School in Moscow, worked on the Brest railroad. Soon after he took an interest in art and decided to become a painter. In 1894 Tarkhov tried to enter Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZhVZ), but failed the exams. Tarkhov began to study on his own. In 1897 he worked at the studio of K. A. Korovin. In the same year he became acquainted with young artists P. V. Kuznetsov, P. I. Utkin, and N. D. Milioty. Tarkhov together with them made a trip to Paris. In 1897 he made his debut at the 15th exhibition of Moscow Society of Art Lovers. In 1899 he exposed his works at the exhibition of the group Mir Iskusstva (“World of Art”) in Moscow. Tarkhov prepared to enter St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. However, without taking the exams, he went again to Paris. Since 1899 he lived permanently in France, where he attended studios of J. Lawrence and L. Merron, and the School of Fine Arts. Tarkhov worked a lot in the open air, painted village and city landscapes, still lifes with flowers, fruits and vegetables, scenes of country life.

In 1900 Tarkhov achieved fame in Paris. His works were the same price as the works of the most prominent representatives of French art. Since 1901 Tarkhov became a permanent exhibitor of the Salon of Independents, since 1904 he exposed his works at the Autumn Salon, and in 1907 became a member of the jury of the Salon.

In 1904 Tarkhov married a Frenchwoman Marie-Yvonne Deuteille; three children were born to them. He participated in activities of an artistic circle which was grouped around E. S. Kruglikova and M. A. Voloshin. In 1906 he exposed his works at the exhibition of Russian Art, which was organized by Sergei Dyagilev and which initiated the famous Russian Seasons. In 1911 he bought a house and moved to the Parisian suburb Orsay. In the same year personal exhibition of the artist was held in the Vollard’s gallery, in 1909 — in the gallery Druet, in 1913 — at the Society of Arts in Frankfurt.

Even while living abroad, Tarkhov did not forget about his homeland: in 1903 he took part in the exhibition of the Union of Russian Artists, became the permanent member and the exhibitor of the Union until 1910. Since 1910 Tarkhov was a member of the group Mir Iskusstva. In 1909 and in 1910 Tarkhov exposed his works at the Salons of Vladimir Izdebsky. In 1910 personal exhibition of the artist was held at the editorial office of the magazine Apollon (“Apollo”). Art critics A. N. Benois and S. K. Makovsky highly rated this exhibition.

In the second half of 1910s, Tarkhov’s fame declined due to the change of artistic tastes of French society and Tarkhov’s reluctance to use services of art dealers. Despite that, Tarkhov’s works were exposed a lot. In 1919 after a break caused by the First World War, he participated in the Salon of Independents and the Autumn Salon again. In 1920s personal exhibition of the artist was held in the gallery Druet.

The last years of his life the artist spent in poverty and oblivion. He died of larynx cancer.

Posthumous exhibitions of Tarkhov were held in 1930 and in 1938 in Paris (the Autumn Salon, gallery Dinard), in 1980 — in Geneva (the Petit Palais Museum), in 1983 — in Moscow (the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts). In 2003 retrospective exhibition of Tarkhov’s works Independent Republic of Painting was held in the State Tretyakov Gallery; it was the biggest exposition since the day of the artist’s death.

Early Tarkhov’s works were closely related to the traditions of the Russian symbolism, decorative art, typical for representatives of the group Golubaya Roza (“Blue Rose”). Later, in Paris, he discovered the world of impressionism. However, impressionist works of the artist were not only imitation of the works of French masters, but his own recognizable style. Benois wrote, “It is easy to distinguish Tarkhov’s work even among thousands of paintings at once.” According to the expression of the art historian V. I. Rakitin, “Tarkhov was on the brink of Impressionism, Post-impressionism and Fauvism, maintaining his lyrical tone and individuality.”

After Tarkhov’s death, significant part of his works became a part of the collection of the Petit Palais Museum in Geneva. Works by Nikolay Tarkhov are also in the collections of Luxembourg Museum in Paris, the State Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg and many other private collections.