Solomatkin Leonid

1837 (Sudzha Kursk province) - 1883 (St. Petersburg)

Painter, graphic artist

occurred from the middle class. Early orphan, a boy worked as a herdsman, cattle drovers, assistant to a traveling merchant. Teenager accompanied with chumaka carts on the steppes of Little Russia to the ports of the Black and Azov Seas. He visited the city of Taganrog, Odessa and Feodosia. In 1855, arrived in Moscow, where he soon found a patron in the person of the teacher MUZhViZ, the famous sculptor NA Ramazanova and stopped at his apartment. In 1855-1860 he studied at MUZhViZ E. Ya Vasiliev, AN Mokritskiy, SK Zaryanko. In 1861-1866 IAH attended classes in St. Petersburg as volnoslushayuschego student. He studied at the Hermitage works 'small' Dutch. In 1862 he was awarded a small silver medal for the painting "Nameday deacon, in 1864 - a large silver medal for the painting" Wassailers-policemen. In 1866 "in consideration of his good knowledge of painting" was the title of class artist of the 3rd degree.

lived in St. Petersburg, frequently traveled to Moscow and the provinces, including the Ukraine. He worked in the field of genre painting. Has exhibited his paintings at exhibitions in the halls of IAH (1861-1863), exhibitions Society for the Promotion of artists (1867-1868), the All-Russia industrial and art exhibition in Moscow (1882). Despite the success of his early works, some of which were acquired in the largest collection of Russian art, particularly in the collection of Pavel Tretyakov, PI Kharitonenko, I. Tereshchenko, Solomatkin craves. In recent years (1870 - 1880), suffering from addiction to alcohol, little work, mostly repeating and varying the plot 1860. Died in hospital for the poor.

Solomatkin - one of the greatest Russian artists of the second half of XIX century. In his works performed continuer of traditions PA Fedotov, has been influenced by Vasily Perov, and so-called "minor" genre painter 1850 - 1860. The works of artists dedicated to mostly urban life "bottom" and life descended artistic medium, often marked by good-natured humor and lyricism, somewhat naive and naive look. However, in their characters there is an urgent vitality, and sometimes grotesque bast. For painting style characterized by a sharp, somewhat dry and warm drawing bright saturated colors, reminiscent of variegation popular images.

Solomatkin works are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Russian Museum, Ulyanovsk Art Museum, National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus in Minsk, Odessa Art Museum and others.