Konenkov Sergei Timofeevich

June 28, 1874 (d Upper Karakovichi Smolensk Province) - October 9, 1971 (Moscow)

sculptor, graphic artist.

Born into a peasant family. He graduated from high school in Roslavl. In 1892-1896 he studied at MUZhViZ in SI Ivanov and SM Volnukhin; graduated from college with a rank neklassnogo (free), painter. In 1897 the college sent abroad "to the account per Prize. S. Tretyakov, visited Germany, France and Italy. In 1899, a sculpture "Kamneboets" received from MUZhViZ big silver medal. In the same year entered the Higher Art School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture at IAH in the workshop VA Beklemisheva. In 1902 a statue of "Samson tearing the bonds received the title of artist-sculptor.

From 1903 he lived in Moscow. Lot of work on private orders: completed sculpture and interior design confectionery Filippova (1905), a dining room in the house MD Karpova (1910).

exhibited their works at exhibitions TPHV, the Moscow Association of Artists. He was a member of the New Society of Artists (from 1908), the Union of Russian Artists (from 1909). In 1907 began the so-called "forest series" - a series of sculptures made of wood, inspired by ancient mythology ( "Egor sandstone," 1907; "Stribog," 1910, "The old polevichok, 1910). Often returned to it in subsequent years. In 1910 he participated in the competition for the monument to Alexander II to St. Petersburg.

In 1912-1923 he traveled to Greece and Egypt, under the influence of ancient sculpture has created a number of marble torsos. In 1914 he rented a studio at Presnya, which has held three solo exhibitions (1916, 1916/1917 and 1917/1918). In 1916 he was elected a member of the IAH.

After the October Revolution, joined the department of plastic arts of the Commission for the Protection of cultural monuments and antiquities, he headed the union sculptors artists. In 1918-1922 headed the sculpture workshop of the Second State of free art workshops, then - VKhUTEMAS. He received the rank of professor.

According to the plan of monumental propaganda carried out a plaque "fell in the struggle for peace and brotherhood among peoples" to the Senate the Kremlin towers and the track "Stepan Razin with a band, which was installed on Calvary Red Square as a temporary monument. In 1923 he was recruited to design costly agricultural and handicraft industrial exhibition in Moscow. In the Soviet years participated in the exhibitions "World of Art", Union of Russian artists, was exhibited at the 4 th and 5 th State exhibitions of paintings and other.

the end of 1923 left the United States, accompanying an exhibition of Russian art, and remained in New York. Held solo exhibitions in New York in 1925 (gallery "Reinhardt") and 1927. He was a member of a religious community "Disciples of Christ", organized by the preacher CH.-T. Russell. Created in America, a series of large graphic compositions on the theme of the universe. He worked as a portrait, executed portraits of Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky (both - 1924), Fyodor Chaliapin, S. Rachmaninov (both - 1925), Pavlov (1930), Vladimir Mayakovsky, Pushkin (both - 1937), A. ; Einstein (1938), A. Toscanini (1941). In 1931-1934 on the order of the Supreme Court in Washington has created portraits of prominent American lawyers - redox Holmes, B. Kardado and H.-F. Stone. Continued as "a series of forest».

During the Second World War was a member of the Russian Committee, raised money to fund the Red Army. The summer of 1945 received permission to return to the Soviet Union, he settled in Moscow. The first time was subjected to critical attacks and charges of "formalism". In 1954 in Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev hosted the first exhibition after his return Konenkova to honor the 80-th birthday and 60 th anniversary of creative activity, after which the master's career was officially recognized in the USSR. In the same year, bypassing the rank of member-correspondent, he was elected a member of the USSR Academy of Arts. In 1957 awarded the Lenin Prize in 1958 - the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1964 - the Hero of Socialist Labor.

The most significant works of the late period are high relief frieze of the building for the Institute of Geochemistry, USSR Academy of Sciences in Moscow (1953-1954), a sculptural ensemble Musical Drama Theater in Petrozavodsk (1953-1954), projects monuments L. , Tolstoy and Lenin, to Moscow.

retrospective exhibition of works Konenkova was organized in 1976 in Moscow.

Konenkov - eminent sculptor of the twentieth century. In early works was close to the Art Nouveau style, passed through passion aesthetics of Symbolism, Neo-Classicism and neo-Russian style. Hence the main features of his creative manner - the desire for the decorative expressiveness of the image, concise lines and silhouette, impressionistic "agile" modeling, harping on the composition of motive incompleteness, the combination of different textures of wood and stone. In subsequent years, remained committed to individual style, although a number of recent works 1950 - 1960 correspond to the program of socialist realism.

Konenkova works are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Historical Museum, State Russian Museum. In Moscow, opened the museum-shop Konenkova.