LAPSHINE Georges Alexandrovich

April 7, 1885 (Moscow) — October 29, 1950 (Paris)

Painter, graphic artist, scene-designer

In 1900s Lapshine studied at the Stroganov School of Industrial Art. From 1906 till 1914 Lapshine visited France almost every year. In France he studied at the School of F. Cormon and the studio of G. Lhermitte in Paris.

In 1911 Lapshine became one of the founders-members of the society Svobodnoye Tvorchestvo (“Free Art”). Till 1918 he regularly participated in the exhibition of the society. In 1913 Lapshine founded his own private school-studio in Moscow.

After revolution Lapshine became a member of the Professional Union of Moscow painters. In 1918 he exposed his works at the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions (TPKhV).

In 1922 Lapshine immigrated to Germany, lived in Italy; in 1924 he moved to Paris. Lapshine worked in the Cote d’Azur, in Versailles, in Venice, in the Pyrenees. He designed the performances of Opera Comique in Paris, the Barcelona Opera, the National Theatre of Lithuania, the performances at the all-night cabaret Folies-Bergère in Paris and Sesame in Monte Carlo.

Since 1925 Lapshine exposed his paintings at the Salon of Independents. In 1929 he was a member of the Society of independent artists; in 1931 he became a member of the Society of French artists.

Lapshine was also famous as a singer tenor. He worked at the Russian Opera in Paris. As a stage director he put on the stage of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden the performance The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh.

Lapshine painted landscapes, in which he successfully combined impressionism style and the technique of old masters.

Works by Georges Lapshine are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan in Kazan and many private collections.