ANTONOV Fedor Vasilievich

April 5 (18), 1904 (Tambov) — 1991 (Moscow)

Painter, graphic artist, textile artist

Fedor Antonov studied at Tambov Art School — the State Free Art Studios under the guidance of N. M. Shevchenko (1916–1921). In 1922–1929 he studied at the Higher State Artistic and Technical Workshops (VKhUTEMAS) —  the Higher Art Technical Institute (VKhUTEIN) at the painting and textile faculties under A. E. Arkhipov, D. A. Shcherbinovsky, S. V. Gerasimov. Since 1925, while studying, Antonov created drawings for textile, since 1927 — for wallpapers.

Antonov lived in Moscow, worked as a portrait and landscape painter, created theme compositions.

In late 1920s — early 1930s Antonov was sent on missions in order to gather material for creative work. He visited the state farm Chakva, the oil enterprise Grozneft; he also traveled to the Crimea. In 1931 Antonov participated in creation of the panel The workmen’s settlement by the sketch of A. A. Deineka for the building of the People’s Commissariat for Agriculture (Narkomzem) in Moscow. In 1930s Antonov created a series of paintings, dedicated to the Soviet youth: Holiday (1931), New mode of life (1932), Love (1933), Rest of the collective farm’s youth (1935), Wedding in the working family (1938) and others. In 1940s Antonov created a series of drawings The Great Patriotic War.

Since 1928 Antonov participated in many exhibitions, including the 1st exhibition of the Youth Organization under the Association of the artists of Revolutionary Russia (OMAKhRR). In 1927–1932 Antonov was a member of the Society of Easel Artists (OST), but he did not participate in the exhibitions of the Society. After breakup of OST, in 1932 Antonov joined the group Izobrigada (“Group of art workers”). He took part in different exhibitions: The Soviet textile (1928); Iskusstvo v Massi (“Art into the Masses”, 1929, under AKhR, the Association of the artists of the Revolution); exhibitions of works of artists, sent on a mission to the regions of the industrial building and collective farms (1931, 1932); exhibition of monumental painting in Moscow (1932–1934); exhibitions of the Soviet art in Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Bulgaria, Germany and others. The personal exhibitions of the artist were held in Moscow in 1934, 1954, and 1964.

Anronov lectured in Moscow Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts (MIPiDI) in 1948–1952. Since 1953 he taught in Moscow State Textile Institute; since 1957 — professor. He was conferred title of the Honored Artist (1966) and the People’s Artist (1975) of RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic).

Works by Fedor Antonov are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, Perm Art Gallery and others.