Bernstein (Bernstamm) Leopold Bernhard (Bernard) Adolfovich (Leib-Ber Abramovich)

April 20, 1859 (Riga) - 1939 (Paris)

sculptor, graphic artist

was born in the family of the merchant 2-nd guild. He spent his childhood in Riga, where he graduated from elementary school. In 1872 enrolled in a sculpture studio DI Jensen in St. Petersburg. Up to 1,877 attended the stucco class Drawing School Society for the Promotion of Artists. In 1876, for the ornamentation of the clay was awarded a small silver medal. In 1877-1884 as volnoslushayuschego studied at the IAH in AR von Bock, NA Leveretskogo, II Podozerova. In 1878 he was awarded a small silver medal for a bust of his father from life in 1880 - a small silver medal for sculpting sketches from nature in 1881 - a large silver medal for his busts of Dostoevsky and Dr. A. A. Krasowski. In the early 1880's performed about 30 busts of the Russian culture - IA Goncharov, Ivan Aivazovsky, AP Bogolyubov, AS Pushkin, Alexander Ostrovsky, A. Rubinstein and others.

In 1882 he traveled to Germany, also visited Florence and Rome. In 1883 he returned to St. Petersburg and continued his studies at IAH. In 1884, left school and went to Italy, where he enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence disciple of Rivalta.

In 1885 he returned to Russia. I became acquainted with the artist M. Zichy, on the advice of which went to Paris, worked for some time under the guidance M.-L. Mercier. For many years, was the chief sculptor and was in charge of the artistic part of the Museum of Wax A. Grevena.

lived in France, periodically coming to Russia. Participated in exhibitions of the Paris salon (from 1886), the international exhibitions in Venice (1895, 1897), Paris (1900), Liège (1905), Rome (1911). Held a solo exhibition in a Parisian gallery "J. Petit (1889). In 1891 he became a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1897 - an officer in 1908 - Commander of the Order.

worked in the field of easel and monumental sculpture. The main genre throughout the entire creation was a portrait. Participated in competitions for monuments Glinka (1903), Alexander II (1911) and Alexander III (1913) for St. Petersburg. Author monuments comedy E. Peyleronu in Paris (1906), H. Berlioz in Monte Carlo (1907), Flaubert in Rouen (1907), Pushkin at Tsarskoe Selo (installed in 1937), as well as sculptural compositions-monuments "Peter I and Louis XV» Peterhof (1902), "Peter I, rescuing drowning in Lakhta" in St. Petersburg (1907), "Peter I - the carpenter" in Saardame and Petersburg (1910), "Peter I, based on the tower in Vyborg (1910). Implemented a number of works on biblical and mythological subjects ( "First Arrow, 1889;" Christ and the Sinner, "1894;" Tamer of snakes ", 1895).

Bernstam - one of the greatest sculptors of the last third of XIX - beginning of the twentieth century, an outstanding portraitist. In his works appeared committed realist tradition, seeking primarily to achieve a likeness, came down to the smallest detail. In this case, aptly A. Tezi, "he unconsciously, in addition to their worship of realism, is imponderable, something which is invisible to others, something impressionnoe ... It is weightless and is that the flickering flame of individuality, the ferment of the spirit of each of the transmitted personality that so distinguishes his style portraits of another ... "(A. Tezi" In the studio of sculptor Bernshtama "//In the world of art. 1907. № 19. pp 8-10).

Bernshtama works are in many museum collections, particularly in the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Russian Museum, Versailles and others.