OSTROUMOVA-LEBEDEVA Anna Petrovna

May 17, 1871 (St. Petersburg) — May 5, 1955 (Leningrad)

Graphic artist, painter

Anna Ostroumova was born to a family of high-ranking official, Senator P. I. Ostroumov. She finished gymnasium in St. Petersburg. Since 1885 she attended evening drawing classes under the Central School of Technical Drawing of Baron Alexander Stieglitz. In 1889–1892 Ostroumova studied at the School of Baron Stieglitz at the etching faculty under V. V. Matai, later at the faculty of painting under N. A. Novoskoltsev and G. M. Manizer. In 1892 she entered the Higher Art Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture under the Imperial Academy of Arts. Ostroumova studied under the guidance of P. P. Chistyakov, K. A. Savitsky; attended the workshops of I. E. Repin and Matai.

In 1898 Ostroumova-Lebedeva left the Academy, lived in Paris, attended the studio of J. Whistler. In 1899 she returned to St. Petersburg and continued to study at the Imperial Academy of Arts. In the same year Ostroumova joined the art society Mir Iskusstva (“World of Art”). In 1900 she graduated from the Academy with the title of an artist. In 1901 by the order of S. P. Dyagilev she made a series of engravings — 10 views of St. Petersburg. In 1905 chemist scientist S. V. Lebedev married her.

Ostroumova-Lebedeva travelled through Europe; in 1903 she visited Italy, in 1906 — France, in 1911 — Germany, in 1913 — the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.

She was engaged in book and magazine graphic art. In 1905 she collaborated with the magazine Zhupel (“Bugbear”). She designed the book St. Petersburg by V. Y. Kurbatov (1912) and The Soul of St. Petersburg by N. P. Antsiferov (1920). Ostroumova-Lebedeva exposed her works at the exhibitions of the Union of Russian Artists. In 1916 her first personal exhibition was held in St. Petersburg.

After the October revolution in 1917, Ostroumova-Lebedeva became a member of the Commission of experts at the National commissariat of education (Narkompros). In 1918–1922 she taught at the Higher Institute of Photography and Photo technique. Ostroumova-Lebedeva was an active participant of the art group Zhar-Tsvet (“Fiery Flower”). In 1924 she became a member of the society Four Arts. In 1920s she made an album of lithographs St. Petersburg, cycle of woodcuts Pavlovsk and a lot of watercolors with the views of St. Petersburg.

Since 1934 Ostroumova-Lebedeva lectured at Leningrad Institute of painting, architecture and sculpture. During the Great Patriotic War, she worked in blockade Leningrad; drew a series of expressive views of the city. In 1946 she was conferred the title of the People’s Artist of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic). In 1949 she was elected a member of the USSR Academy of Arts.

Ostroumova-Lebedeva was buried in the necropolis of masters of art in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Ostroumova-Lebedeva was a famous master of Russian graphic art. During her life she worked in different techniques; she was excellent watercolorist and lithographer. She became famous for her color woodcuts. Early works of the artist were similar to the Art Nouveau style.

Works by Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva are in many museum and private collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts and others.