BELSEN Yakov Yakovlevich (Jacobus Belsen; Belzens Jecabs)

6 (18) September 1870 (village of Vladimir province Paccino; in some sources — St.-Петербург) — 1937/1938 (new-Йорк)

Painter, graphic artist, sculptor, set designer

From the St. Petersburg Lutheran family; the son of the cook. He studied at the high school at reformed Church, then on the faculty of St.-Петербургского University; the IAH — Higher art Institute of painting, sculpture and architecture under the Imperial Academy of arts (1890-1894 Benois). He was awarded two small (1892) and two large (1893) silver medals; in 1894 he received the title of artist 3-й degree for the painting "Ghosts".

Lived in St. Petersburg (Petrograd). In 1900-10-е worked as a watercolorist; executed landscapes, compositions on subjects from classical history and mythology, portraits. The author works: "Channel", "the Last ray", "Market", "Autumn sun", "Evening", "Night in Finland", "Alley", "Poplar" (all @the end of the mdas 1890-х — 1900-е), "Autumn", "Valley" (both — 1910-е); watercolor series "Little preludes".

Created decorative panels. Engaged book graphics, ex libris. Worked in the technique of etching. Drew for the magazine "the Jester" (1899-1903), collaborated in the Expedition of storing state papers. Performed 100 рисунков to the novel "Eugene Onegin" А. С. Пушкина (St. Petersburg, 1897); performed covers of publications of the publishing house А. Ф. Маркса — complete works Г. И. Успенского (1908), П. И. Мельникова-Печерского (1909), К. Гамсуна (1910), Э. Ростана (1914). Illustrated books: "Entertaining botany" А. Цингера (Leningrad, 1927), "Mitse at the factory" К. Данца (М. — L., 1928).

Member of Russian art-промышленного society, member of society "Mossanovski Mondays".

From 1899 — participated in exhibitions. A member and Exhibitor: St-Петербургского society of artists (1899), the Society of Russian watercolorists (1899-1907, 1910), Association of artists (1905, 1907), New society of artists (1911-1913), non-party society of artists (1913-1915), Baku art society (1913-1914). Participated in Spring exhibitions (1900, 1901, 1903) and the exhibition of prints and drawings (1908) in the halls of the Imperial Academy of arts, "Art in the book and the poster" at the all-Russian Congress of artists (1911-1912) in St. Petersburg (Petrograd);, "the Art of Latvian artists" in Riga (1910), Petrograd (1915), Moscow (1916). He held his personal exhibition in St. Petersburg (1914).

he Taught at the Drawing school Society for the encouragement of arts (1895-1902), the Central school of technical drawing of Baron А. Л. Штиглица (1905-1917), the Institute of civil engineers in St. Petersburg (Petrograd).

About 1919, he emigrated to Berlin. He was engaged in political caricature and poster; has released an album of cartoons "Heroes of the time of troubles" (Berlin, 1921). Performed in the technique of etching compositions on the theme of Russian life, literary works, landscapes. About 1937 he moved to the United States. Worked as an artist-декоратором at the Metropolitan-опера.

After the emigration of the work exhibited at the exhibition "Russian portrait sign in the engraving" in Leningrad (1925). A posthumous exhibition was held in new-Йорке (1938).

Work is represented in several Museum collections, among them — Latvian art Museum in Riga.

Sources:
1. Kondakov С. Н. List of Russian artists. For the anniversary directory of the Imperial Academy of arts. St. Petersburg, 1914. S. 15.
2. Lacking О. Л., Makhrov К. В., Severyukhin Д. Я. Artists of the Russian Diaspora. 1917-1939. Biographical dictionary. St. Petersburg, 1999. Pp. 129-130.
3. Severyukhin Д. Я., Lacking О. Л. the Golden age of art associations in Russia and the USSR. Guide. St. Petersburg, 1992. S. 29.
4. Artists of the peoples of the USSR. Biobibliographic dictionary. M., 1970, vol. 1. S. 350.
5. antonia.lv