NARBUT Georgy (Egor) Ivanovich

February 25, 1886 (Narbutovka, Chernigov province) — May 23, 1920 (Kiev)

Graphic artist

Georgy Narbut was born to noble family; his father worked as an employee, his brother was a poet Vladimir Narbut. Narbut studied at the Glukhov gymnasium in 1896–1906. In 1906 Narbut moved to St. Petersburg. He attended St. Petersburg University, studied at the faculty of Oriental languages, later — at the faculty of philology. He did not get systematic art education. Narbut studied drawing by his own; he organized drawing evenings for artists-amateurs under the University. In the mid of the 1900s Narbut attended the Elizaveta Zvantseva School of Painting and Drawing in St. Petersburg, and studied under the guidance of L. S. Bakst, M. V. Dobuzhinsky, and K. A. Somov. Narbut often followed I. Y. Bilibin’s advices in art; the young artist rented a room from him. In 1909 Narbut moved to Munich and continued his education at the School of Simon Hollósy.

Narbut lived in St. Petersburg (Petrograd), since 1917 — in Kiev. Narbut worked in easel, book and magazine graphic art; he also created ex-libris. The artist worked for the publishing houses Shipovnik (“Dog-Rose”), the Community of St. Eugene, the publishing houses of M. O. Wolf, I. N. Knebel, R. Golike and A. Wilborg. Narbut drew illustrations for children’s books How the Mice Buried the Cat by V. A. Zhukovsky, Dance, Matvey, do not regret bast shoes (1910), Toys (1911), Fables by I. A. Krylov (1910, 1911), The Nightingale by H. C. Andersen (1912) and others. Narbut also designed the collected works Russian Icon (1913–1914), Galicia in Old Times. Essays about History of Architecture of the 12th — 17th Centuries (1915), Old Estates of Kharkov Province (1917), The Ukrainian Alphabet (1917). The artist worked for the magazines Apollon (“Apollo”), Gerboved (“The Heraldry Master”) in 1913–1915, the magazine Lukomorye (“Curved Seashore”) in 1914–1916. In 1919–1920 Narbut designed the magazines Mistetstvo (“Art”), Solntse Truda (“The Sun of Labour”), Zori (“Dawns”), Narodnoye Khozyaistvo Ukrainy (“National Economy of Ukraine”).

Since 1915 Narbut worked at the Department of Heraldry. He took part in creation of the Armorial of Little Russia (1913). Narbut was called up for military service; he served under the Red Cross. He created lubok pictures (lubok is Russian popular print) on military themes.

After the February Revolution of 1917, the artist became a member of the Special Conference on the Arts under the Russian Provisional Government.

Narbut taught at the Ukrainian Academy of Arts since 1917, was a professor, since 1918 — rector of the Academy. He headed the Ukrainian Expedition for procurement of state papers (1918–1919); he was also engaged in design of currency symbols, seals and postage stamps. Narbut created design of military uniform for the Ukrainian army; he also designed labels, packings, cards and manufactured products.