DOBUZHINSKY Rostislav Mstislavich

on March 21 (3 April) 1903 (St-Петербург) — on June 23, 2000 (Paris)

the Artist of the theatre

the Eldest son М. В. Добужинского and pianist Е. О. Добужинской the brother of artist В. М. Добужинского. Original art education was under the guidance of his father, and copied his theatrical sketches. In 1908, he traveled with his parents in France, England, Germany, Holland. He studied at a private school К. И. Мая together with Н. А. Бенуа in the State free art studios in Petrograd (1918-1920) in the Studio Д. Н. Кардовского.

Together Н. А. Бенуа and О. О. Аллегри (Junior) worked as an assistant, then — artist-декоратором in Big drama and Studio theatres, from 1922 — Young theatre, which staged performances in factories.

In December 1924 together with his family emigrated to Lithuania. Together with his father worked on the scenery for the Opera "Queen of spades" П. И. Чайковского for the Lithuanian state theatre in Kaunas.

In 1925 he moved to Paris. He studied at the National school of decorative arts (1925-1927). Performed decorations for companies Ж. Питоева theater-кабаре "the Bat" Н. Ф. Балиева Swedish ballet and Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo. Fulfilled orders for making costumes, masks and accessories for theatre and film in theatre-декорационной workshop created by his wife, actress В. Н. Копняевой (Dobujinsky), together with В. А. Стравинской. Collaborated in Studio art advertising "Splint" М. Корнфельда that drew posters for the film Studio "Moon-фильм," sang the drawings for wrapping paper company Я. Маковского.

Helped П. Ф. Челищеву in the design of the play "Ondine" on the play Ж. Жироду for the Director Л. Жуве (1939).

during the Second world war, remained in Paris. Collaborated with artists-декораторами К. Бераром, Л. Фини L. de Nobile. After the war he opened together with his wife own workshop for theatrical scenery; worked for theaters "Grand-Опера", "Opera-Комик", "Comedy-Франсез", "Covent-Гарден", Opera houses of Amsterdam, Stockholm. Participated in creation of films "Fun" М. Офюльса (1951), "Witches of Salem" Р. Руло (1957), "Marco Polo" Р. Леви (1961), "Tortola" Ж. Павио (1963), the taming of the shrew Ф. Дзеффирелли (1967).

Created the illustrations for several books in Russian and Serbian languages; worked in the publishing house YMCA-Press.

From 1983 he worked with his partner and assistant С. Лютиль; the workshop was engaged in the decoration of the apartments, the restoration of the Palace interiors. After his father's death (1957) had established together with his brother the International society of friends of art М. В. Добужинского. Engaged in the popularization of the work of his father, prepared a monograph (Mstislav V. Dobuzhinsky. New York — Paris, 1971) and the book of his memoirs, engaged in the device of exhibitions.

he was Buried at the cemetery Saint-Женевьев-де-Буа near Paris.

Sources:

1. Lacking О. Л., Makhrov К. В., Severyukhin Д. Я. Artists of the Russian Diaspora. 1917-1939. Biographical dictionary. St. Petersburg, 1999. S. 265.

2. Russian expatriates in France. 1919-2000. Biographical dictionary. M., 2008, vol. 1. P. 496-497.