ZVORYKIN Boris Vasilievich

October 1, 1872 (Moscow) — the beginning of 1942 (Paris)

Painter, graphic artist

Boris Zvorykin was born to a family of a merchant. He was interested in drawing from early childhood. He did not study at any art school or university. He probably attended Moscow School of painting, sculpture and architecture (MUZhVZ) as a noncredit student in early 1890s. Zvorykin was under the influence of drawings by E. D. Polenova, paintings by V. M. Vasnetsov, S. V. Malyutin.

Since 1898 Zvorykin created book illustrations for publishing houses of N. D. Sytin, A. I. Mamontov and I. N. Knebel in Moscow, A. F. Marks and A. A. Levinson in St. Petersburg. In 1906–1908 he collaborated with the magazine Vesy (“The Scales”). He also designed artistic and historical albums Lavras, Monasteries and Churches of Holy Russia (1909), Serfdom and Will (1911), In the Memory of the 100th Anniversary of the Patriotic War. 1812–1912 (1912), Annalistic and Illuminated Anthology of the House of the Romanovs (1913), Moscow (1914) and others. Zvorykin created design for Christmas and Easter cards and open letters. The series of cards Troublous times, Napoleon’s Invasion in 1812, Russian children, Russian bylinas, Hunting were published after the watercolors by Zvorykin. He exposed his works at the exhibition Art in books and posters in St. Petersburg (1911–1912).

Zvorykin worked by the orders of the Imperial Court, in particular he designed the menu card of the banquet in honor of French senators and deputies in Moscow (1910), in honor of arrival of British Trade Mission (1912).

Zvorykin was engaged in monumental painting. He decorated the walls of the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Simferopol (1910s, was lost). He took part in design of the Fedorovsky Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo, and gained gratitude of Nicholas II. In 1915 Zvorykin was one of the founders of the Society for the Rebirth of Artistic Rus.

After October revolution, Zvorykin was invited to design the Epistle of the Local Council on patriarchate reinstatement; he also created design of the patriarch’s seal and the epistle of Patriarch Tikhon to the heads of Christian churches abroad.
In 1918–1919 Zvorykin created covers for the magazine Krasnoarmeets (“Red Army Soldier”), designed literary miscellany Tvorchestvo (“Art”; Moscow – Petrograd; together with A. N. Benois and S. N. Chekhonin), books Early Rus in proverbs and sayings by V. Volzhenin, Christmas old man and Yaga and wild strawberry by V. A. Smirnov. Zvorykin created agitation poster The Battle of Red Knight with Dark Forces.

In 1921 Zvorykin immigrated to France, through the Crimea, Constantinople and Egypt, lived in Paris. Since 1921 he collaborated with the publishing house Piazza, in particular he designed the books Moscow and Village in Etchings and Lithographs by G. K. Lukomsky (1921); Confession by M. A. Bakunin (1921); The Golden Cockerel and Other Tales (1925), Boris Godunov (1927) by A. S. Pushkin, Poems by A. de Musset (1927) and others. In 1928 he took part in the exhibition Luxurious Book. 1923–1927 in Brussels.

In 1930s Zvorykin translated into French the Russian tales Snow Maiden, Vasilisa the Beautiful, Maria Morevna, the Firebird, and created illustrations and the stylized penscript for them (publication was realized in 1978). The illustrations became sketches for the series of 12 porcelain plates, which was issued in limited edition by Heinrich Porzellan Company (1980–1983). In 1935 Zvorykin drew a series of watercolors, depicting pre-revolutionary regimentals of the 1st Guard Cavalry Division. He also took active part in the society Ikona (“Icon”) in Paris.

Boris Zvorykin died in occupied Paris.

Boris Zvorykin is representative of Neo-Russian art movement of the first third of the 20th century. The artist was under the influence of I. Y. Bilibin, that’s why the art historian, and biographer of Bilibin, S. V. Golynets suggested that Zvorykin was “adroit mimic, and Bilibin’s shadow both in Russia and in France”. However English art critic M. Blumenfeld gave high praise to works by the artist: “All his works were painted according to the style of certain epoch. He suggested the style as the most important thing for unity of impressions, for satisfaction of aesthetic senses and for successful accomplishment. Zvorykin studied different styles of early arts, in particular the art of Russia.”

Paintings and drawings by Zvorykin are characterized by colorful and decorative details, stylization, ornamental motifs, but at the same time — by simplicity of colors, lack of smoothness and refinement of lines, which were typical for Bilibin’s works.

Works by Boris Zvorykin are in many museum and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.