KUZNETSOV Konstantin Pavlovich

1863 (Zholino, Nizhny Novgorod province) — 1936 (Paris)

Painter, graphic artist, scene-designer

Konstantin Kuznetsov was born to wealthy family of ship owner. Since early childhood he studied painting and drawing by himself; he imitated manner of painting of such artists as I. I. Levitan and I. I. Shishkin. In 1897 and in 1900 Kuznetsov visited Paris, where he attended the School of F. Cormon. He was interested in art by French plain-air painters.

In early 1900s he moved to Paris, lived in the Montmartre, later — in the Montparnasse. Kuznetsov worked as a landscape painter; he painted landscapes of Paris and its suburbs, seascapes of Brittany. The portraits were painted very rarely. The artist painted on the themes of Russian history (Stepan Razin, 1924). He performed scene design for the opera Pelléas et Mélisande by Claude Debussy at the Opéra-Comique. In 1930s he was engaged in book graphic art; he drew illustrations for the books Viy by N. V. Gogol (1930), Rusalka and Tale of Tsar Saltan by A. S. Pushkin, and others.

Kuznetsov took part in the exhibitions of Moscow Association of Artists (MTKh) in Moscow and St. Petersburg (1903–1910, since 1905 — member of the Association). He exposed his works at the Salon of Independents, Autumn Salon, and the National Salon of Fine Arts. The personal exhibition of Kuznetsov was held in the gallery Marsan.

Retrospective exhibitions of the artist were organized in Paris (1937, 1964, 1965, and 1966).

Works by Konstantin Kuznetsov are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery.