ARTEMOFF Georgy Kalistratovich

February 17, 1892 (Uryupinskaya stanitsa, Don Voisko province) — July 7, 1965 (Revel, France)

Painter, graphic artist, sculptor, scene-designer

Georgy Artemoff came from a family of military doctor, ataman of the Cossack village Uryupinskaya. He studied at the Don military school of the emperor Alexander III in Novocherkassk (1899–1905), in the Drawing classes in Rostov-on-Don under the guidance of A. S. Chinenov (1907–1908). In 1910 Artemoff moved to Moscow; he became good friends with the artist S. N. Pimenov. In 1910–1913 Artemoff attended the classes of K. A. Korovin in his studio in Moscow School of painting, sculpture and architecture (MUZhVZ).

Georgy Artemoff worked as a sculptor and painter. He created female figures, animal sculptures; he also painted portraits and still lifes. In December 1911 the personal exhibition of Artemoff was held in Rostov-on-Don: about 50 paintings (portraits and still lifes). Till 1918 he took part in the exhibitions of the Rostov-Nakhichevan-On-Don Society of Fine Arts, till 1919 — in the exhibitions of the Salon in Rostov-on-Don. In 1913 Artemoff moved to Paris; there he met O. Zadkin, A. Modigliani, Ch. Soutine and other representatives of the art circle.

In the beginning of the First World War, Artemoff went into the 1st Foreign regiment as a volunteer; he was badly wounded in Champagne. He was awarded Military Cross and was referred to treatment in Savoie. At the end of 1917 Artemoff returned to Novocherkassk. He participated in the Civil War on the Green and White Guard’s side. In 1920 he was evacuated to Constantinople with the units of the White Army.

In Constantinople Artemoff met the artist L. A. Nikanorova, which became his wife later. He also became good friends with the film director V. Turzhansky. Artemoff was a member of Constantinople Union of Russian Artists; he participated in the exhibitions of the Union (1923).

In 1923 Artemoff moved to Paris as a participant of the First World War on French side. He together with Nikanorova, A. Minevrin, and S. N. Pimenov designed and decorated walls of the restaurant Caveau Caucasien (“The Caucasian Cellar”) in the Montmartre in style of the Russian folklore. In 1924 Artemoff together with Pimenov and Turzhansky took part in shooting the film Les Ombres Qui Passent (“The Passive Shadows”) by the director A. Volkoff in Corsica. Artemoff regularly visited Corsica; he rented a house in Bonifacio; he also had a ship Fransuaza. Artemoff maintained close contact with the Russian colony in France and with the participants of the White movement. He was on friendly terms with M. I. Tsvetaeva, F. S. Rozhankovsky, and Y. N. Reitlinger. In 1930 Artemoff bought a house in Clamart, the settlement of the Russian community.

Georgy Artemoff was a member of the Union of Russian artists in France and a member of the Association of Animal Painters. Since 1927 Artemoff exposed his works at the Salon of scene-designers. He became a member of this Salon in 1928. In 1930 exhibition of works of Artemoff and his wife was organized in the gallery R. Zivy. The painter also participated in the exhibition of the Russian art in the gallery La Renaissance. Artemoff was awarded a silver medal of the Society of French artists (1927), gold medals of the Salon of scene-designers (1928) and the World exhibition in Paris (1937). The personal exhibition of Artemoff was held in the gallery Chappe Lautier in Toulouse.

In 1938 Georgy Artemoff became a widower; he lived in Castelaudary in the south of France. He created chancel with sculptures, candlesticks, tabernacle, and stained-glass window for the church in Toulouse (was lost). In 1942 Artemoff married for the second time; his wife became the painter J. Astre, apprentice of M. Denis. They lived in Sorèze, in the Tarn department.

After the World War II, Artemoff was engaged mainly in painting. He painted different scenes, in particular maternity, harlequins, musicians, still lifes, religious compositions, and rarely — landscapes. In 1948 he was granted French citizenship. Since 1952 Artemoff lived in the house of his wife in Revel (Haute-Garonne department). From 1946 till 1958 about 20 personal exhibitions of Artemoff were held in Nice, Carcassonne, Cannes, Montpellier, Toulouse, and Paris. Posthumous and retrospective exhibitions of the artist were organized in Carcassonne (1968), Toulouse (1975, 1992), in the studio of Artemoff in Revel (1980), in Castres (1990), and in Bonifacio (1992).

Works by Georgy Artemoff are in many museum collections, including the National Museum of Modern Art and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. In Russian museum collections, works by Artemoff are only in Rostov Museum of Fine Arts in Rostov-on-Don.