MATVEEV Alexander Terent'evich

August 13, 1878 (Saratov) - October 22, 1960 (Moscow)

sculptor, graphic artist arts and crafts.

born in a family of commercial employees. In 1896-1899 he studied at the Bogolyubov's drawing school in Saratov in VV Konovalov and TP Salvini-Barakki, while at Konovalova in the studio at Saratov Society of Fine Arts. In 1899 he enrolled in MUZhViZ as volnoslushayuschego student. Worked under the guidance of SM Volnukhin and PP Trubetskoy. In 1900-1901 was a small silver medal and a prize SM Tretyakov for sculptural sketches. In late 1902 dropped out from school without completing the course and not having received the title of the artist.

In 1901-1905 he worked in the ceramic workshop Mamontov "Abramtsevo" for Butyrskaya Gate in Moscow, in 1907-1912 - in art and ceramic workshop PK . Vaulina and O. Geldveyna in Kikerine near St. Petersburg. In the 1906-1907 scholarship fund ED Polenova engaged in private art studios in Paris. From 1912 he lived in St. Petersburg (Petrograd, Leningrad). In 1913-1914 he traveled to Italy and visited Florence, Rome, Naples.

exhibited his works at exhibitions of the Moscow Association of Artists (from 1905), "Blue Rose" (1907), "Crown" (from 1908). He was a member and exhibitor Associations Union of Russian Artists (from 1910), "World of Art" (from 1912), "The Knave of Diamonds" (from 1910). In early 1910-s has created a set of decorative and commemorative sculptures for the estate of J. Zhukovsky in Kuchuk-Something in the Crimea, in 1912 completed tombstone VE Borisov-Musatov in Tarusa. Took part in the sculptural decoration of the church in the estate of PI Kharitonenko Natalevka Kharkov province (1912), tenement houses in Petrograd (1913-1916). In 1917 led the sculpture workshop MUZhViZ and the Central School of Technical Drawing of Baron AL Stieglitz.

After the October Revolution of 1917 was a member of the College of Arts and the art industry under ISO Narcompros, was a member of the presidium of the Interim Committee of Commissioners of the Union of artists. In 1918, the plan of monumental propaganda carried out the monument to Marx in Petrograd (not preserved). In the 1920's created a series of figurines for the State Porcelain Factory in Leningrad and Novgorod State porcelain factory in Volkhov, which was awarded a gold medal at the International Exhibition of art and decorative arts in Paris in 1925.

In 1924 it became one of the founders of the association "Four Arts" in 1926 was a member of the Society of Russian sculptors. In 1918-1948 he taught at the Petrograd government free art educational workshops - the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Repin, in 1932-1934 was the director of the All-Russia Academy of Arts. In 1931 he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR. In the 1930 - 1940 worked on the design of the monument to Maxim Gorky, Chekhov, Pushkin and others.

In 1941, evacuated to Samarkand, from 1944 lived in Zagorsk, in 1946 he moved to Moscow. In 1940-1948 he taught at the Moscow State Art Institute.

in 1958-1959 in Moscow and Leningrad, went solo exhibition Matveeva.

Retrospective exhibition of works of masters to mark the 100 anniversary of his birth, held in 1978 in Leningrad, and in 1978-1979 - in Moscow.

Matveev - outstanding artist of the first half of the twentieth century, the largest representative of symbolism in sculpture. He has developed its own plastic style, characterized smooth, "fluidity" of lines, the apparent fragility, the instability of forms, ornamental. Chamber on the nature of sculpture masters unusually spiritual and poetic, in the subject works dominate the motives of peace, the ghost of sleep, reality and dreams. Matveev strove for harmony, balance, fusion with nature, believing that art should express the eternal truth, which is above the earth's vanity.

Matveeva works are in many museum and private collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Russian Museum, State Museum of Ceramics and Kuskovo XVIII century ", GMII im. Pushkin, Kiev museum of Russian art and others.