CHEMESOV Evgraf Petrovich

1737 (d Ozerki Penza province) - August 30, 1765 (St. Petersburg)

engraver, painter.

occurred from the impoverished gentry. From 1753 to 1759 was in the military service in the rank of lieutenant. Acquired a reputation as a draftsman, carrying copies of the pen with French engravings. Ability to draw Chemesova were seen by the President of the Academy of Fine Arts II Shuvalov, who led his regiment in the newly established Academy Engraving class. He studied at Berlin's most famous wizard, GF Schmidt, who worked in Russia on contract.

In 1862, when he was still a student Chemesov was awarded the title of academician of the portrait of the Empress Elizabeth of the original AP Rotary. In 1762, after the departure from St. Petersburg Schmidt, head of the class of Engraving and print shop. A conference secretary IAH. During employment etching ill "throat with tuberculosis, summers spent on the estate Shuvalov.

In January 1765 was dismissed on his own petition and enlisted in the Cabinet of Her Imperial Majesty to the post of court engraver, but to work because of illness has not commenced.

died at the age of 28 years. Buried in the cemetery of Alexander Nevsky Monastery.

Chemesov - a prominent Russian engraver of the middle of the XVIII century, develops in his works the line of the chamber of the portrait. His artistic legacy has only fourteen works, but they belong to the absolute masterpieces of engraving art of his time. The manner Chemesova different artistic and technical methods - variety: he was working tool, etching needle, chisel or a dry needle on the board or etched with acid to combine all these techniques, each time seeking the expressive texture of his engravings. The tone of his works, usually transparent or silvery soft silvery-gray.

In art Chemesova clearly manifested the idea of classicism, which is primarily reflected in the composition and nature of the construction of frames. Engraver skillfully reworked baroque originals, thereby ensuring greater coherence and clarity of the image, better characteristics of the facial image. He was considered one of the best artists of his time, in addition to prints and to paint. However, drawings and paintings of the wizard is now almost unknown.

number of portraits exist in several states, differing dedicatory inscriptions, or parts. These are the portraits of Peter I with pictures J.-M. Nattier (1759, 2 states), with a picture of Catherine II Rotary P. (1762, 5 states), Grigory Orlov work with J. Develli (1764, 2 states), K. E. Sievers in the portrait of Rotary (1764, 2 states). Moreover, the presence of an inscription largely determines the collector value of the work: there are also a fairly rare (for example, the portrait of Catherine II with a dedication in Greek), and more common. Also known proofs (before signatures or inscriptions), and later reprints of the XIX century, which are usually printed with the already erased the board and therefore are less intensity of tone compared to the earlier plates.

Even in the later works imprints Chemesova valued very highly. In 1878 the famous explorer and collector of prints DA Rovinsky issued album "Russian engraver Chemesov. To him were applied reproductions of his portraits, executed heliographic way A. Skamoni, outwardly little different from the prints with boards Chemesova. At today's antique market, such heliogravire sometimes occur as genuine prints (some of heliogravire slightly different from etchings Chemesova board size).

Chemesova works are in many museum and private collections, including the State Russian Museum, State Hermitage, the Pushkin Museum im. Pushkin State Museum of History, the State Tretyakov Gallery and others.