BRODSKY Isaak Izrailevich

December 25, 1883 (Sofievka, Tavria province) — August 14, 1939 (Leningrad)

Painter, graphic artist

Isaak Brodsky was born to a family of tradesmen. In 1896–1902 he studied at Odessa art school under the Society for Encouragement of Fine Arts; he studied under the guidance of G. A. Ladyzhensky, K. K. Kostandi and L. D. Iorini. In 1902 Brodsky moved to St. Petersburg, entered the Higher Art Institute of painting, sculpture and architecture under the Imperial Academy of Arts (IAKh). Till 1903 he studied under Y. F. Tsionglinsky, later — in the studio of I. E. Repin. Since 1904 he exposed his works at the Spring exhibitions of IAKh. He also took part in the exhibitions of the New Society of Artists (1905) and Leonardo da Vinci society. Brodsky lived in St. Petersburg (Petrograd, Leningrad). Since 1906 he made trips to Pskov for creative work every year.

In 1908 Brodsky was conferred title of artist and awarded pensioner trip for the paintings Warm day and Portrait of L. M. Brodskaya. In 1909–1910 he made trips to Europe and Asia Minor as a pensioner of IAKh. In 1911 he visited Capri, where he stayed with Maxim Gorky.

In 1908 Brodsky joined the group Obshchina Khudozhnikov (“Artist Community”), in 1910 — the Society of South Russian Artists and the Union of Russian Artists; he took part in the exhibitions of the Union from 1908 till 1918. In 1909 Brodsky exposed his works at the exhibition of Moscow Society of Art Lovers, in 1911 — at the exhibition of the group Mir Iskusstva (“World of Art”) and the World exhibition in Rome. In the same year he was awarded the prize of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts for the painting Fairy tale. In 1913 he was awarded gold medal for the paintings Late autumn and Winter at the International art exhibition in Munich.

In 1911–1912 Brodsky collaborated with the magazine Vershina (“Height”); he was responsible for design of this magazine. During summer months of 1912 and 1915, he lived and worked in Kuokkala. In 1916–1917 he exposed his paintings at the exhibitions of the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions (TPKhV).

After October Revolution 1917, Brodsky became one of the founders of the art group Shestnadtsat (“Sixteen”). In 1920–1922 he participated in activities of the House of Arts in Petrograd. In 1921 the first personal exhibition of the master was held in Leningrad. In 1924 Brodsky’s painting The 2nd Congress of the Comintern (the Communist International) was exposed in the State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. In 1924 Brodsky joined the Association of the artists of Revolutionary Russia (AKhRR), in 1928 — the Society of painters, in 1930 — the group Tsekh Zhivopistsev (“The guild of painters”). In 1926 he visited Repin in Kuokkala. In 1930s he made several trips through the Soviet Union.

In 1929 the personal exhibition of the artist was held in Leningrad, and was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of his creative work. Brodsky worked by government orders; in 1930s he painted portraits of V. I. Lenin, I. V. Stalin, and M. Gorky. In 1932 he was invited as a professor at Leningrad Institute of painting, sculpture and architecture. In the same year he was conferred title of the Honoured Art Worker of RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic). In 1934 he was appointed director of the All-Russian Academy of Arts. In 1937 the painter was awarded Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris for the painting Speech of V. I. Lenin at the Putilov Plant (1929).

Retrospective exhibitions of Brodsky’s works were organized in 1941 in the State Russian Museum (1941), in the halls of the USSR Academy of Arts in Leningrad and in Moscow (1954–1955, 1974–1975, 1983–1984). The artist’s memoirs My creative way was published in 1965.

Isaak Brodsky was one of the leading representatives of the realism in Russian (Soviet) art of the first half of the 20th century. His early works of 1900s–1910s were close to art nouveau. They were characterized by decorative style, bright colors, small strokes, fine lines, and detailed composition of image. Brodsky painted portraits, landscapes and genre paintings in traditions of Russian realistic art school of the second half of the 19th century — the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1920s–1930s Brodsky painted compositions on history of Revolution, portraits of leaders in realism manner with restrained colors.

Works by Isaak Brodsky are in many museum and private collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.

There is the Museum-apartment of Brodsky in St. Petersburg. The exposition of the Museum consists of the works by the artist and pieces of art from his large collection.