LENTULOV Aristarkh Vasilievich

March 26 (according to other information — January 4), 1882 (Vorona, Penza province, according to other information — Nizhneye Lomovo and Chernaya Pyatina) — April 15, 1943 (Moscow)

Painter, graphic artist, scene-designer

Lantulov was born to a family of priest. He studied at Penza theological school and seminary (1889–1898). Later he studied at Penza art school named after N. D. Seliverstov (1898–1900, 1905–1906), studied under the guidance of N. K. Gradkovsky, P. I. Korovin, A, F. Afanasiev. In 1901–1905 Lentulov lived in Kiev, since 1903 attended Kiev art school and studied under V. Menk and N. Pimonenko.

In 1906 Lentulov moved to St. Petersburg, continued his education at the private workshop of D. N. Kardovsky. In 1907–1908 he participated in avant-garde exhibitions Stefanos and Venok (“Wreath”). In 1909 Lentulov moved to Moscow. In 1910 he together with I. I. Mashkov, P. P. Konchalovsky, A.V. Kuprin, M. F. Larionov and R. R. Falk founded the group Bubnovy Valet (“Jack of Diamonds”). The first exhibition of the group was held in the same year. Since 1910 Lentulov regularly exposed his works at the exhibitions of the renewal group Mir Iskusstva (“World of Art”).

In 1911–1912 Lentulov made a trip to Italy and France. In Paris he studied at the Palette Academy under H. Le Fauconnier and J. Metzinger. Lentulov met F. Leger and R. Delaunay. In Italy he took an interest in works of futurists.

In 1912 Lentulov exposed his first cubist works. In 1913 he painted Basil Fool for Christ. In 1913–1916 he created a series of paintings and drawings, in which he used the motifs of Old Russian architectonics (f. e. The ringing of bells. The bell tower of Ivan the Great).

In 1914 Lentulov together with K. S. Malevich and V. V. Mayakovsky worked with the publishing house Segodnyashniy Lubok (“Popular print today”). In 1916 Lentulov began to work as a scene-designer; he designed the performance The Merry Wives of Windsor by W. Shakespeare at Moscow Chamber Opera Theatre (stage director A. Y. Tairov). After revolution Lentulov created costume and scene designs for some chamber and experimental performances, such as Prometheus by A. N. Scriabin at the Bolshoi Theatre, Demon by A. G. Rubinstein at the Theatre named after the Mossovet (Moscow municipal council), The Tales of Hoffmann by J. Offenbach at the New Theatre and The Stranger by A. Blok in the café Pittoresque. In 1919–1920 Lentulov worked on the design of the ballet The Firebird by I. F. Stravinsky for the Bolshoi Theatre (the performance was not realized).

In 1917 Lentulov took part in the interior design of the café Pittoresque, literary art cabaret Poet’s Café in Moscow.

Lentulov was a member of the College under the Department of Fine Arts of the National commissariat of education (Narkompros). He participated in decoration of Moscow city to the First of May in 1918. In 1919–1920 Lentulov was a member of the academic council in the Institute of Art Culture (Inkhuk). In 1918–1920 he lectured at the faculty of monumental decorative painting in the First State Free Art Studios; in 1920–1927 he was a professor at the Higher State Artistic and Technical Workshops (VKhUTEMAS), in 1927–1934 — at the Higher Art Technical institute (VKhUTEIN).

In 1925 Lentulov was one of the founders-members of the group Moscow painters. In 1926 he became a member of the Association of the artists of Revolutionary Russia (AKhRR). In 1928 Lentulov founded the Society of Moscow painters; a lot of members were painters of the group Bubnovy Valet (“Jack of Diamonds”). The first personal exhibition of Lentulov was held in 1933.

During last years of his life (1937–1943) Lentulov lectured at Moscow Art Institute.

In 1968 the retrospective exhibition of works of the master was organized in Moscow.

Lentulov was one of the significant painters of 1910s–1920s. His manner of painting was formed in early 1910s under the influence of cubism, futurism, fauvism, expressionism and orphism, whish he combined with Old Russian architectonics, icon painting and lubok style (popular print). Lentulov created his own recognizable style. In early 1920s his manner of painting changed: he turned to tone painting; from large pictures to chamber works. In 1930s he painted industrial landscapes, portraits, still lifes, which were close to the esthetics of socialist realism.

Works by Aristarkh Lentulov are in many museum collections in Russia and abroad, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the State Russian Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. There is a Memorial Museum of Lentulov in Penza Art Gallery.