WILLIAMS Peter V.

April 17, 1902 (Moscow) - December 1, 1947 (Moscow).

painter, graphic artist, set designer.

born in the family of an American scientist-technologist VR Williams, who took Russian citizenship in 1896. From 1909 to attend a private school studio VN Meshkov. In 1918 he entered the medical faculty of Moscow University. In the same year, left him to devote himself entirely to art. In 1918-1924 he studied in the Second State of free art workshops (created on the basis of MUZhViZ), then - in VHUTEMAS KA Korovin, I. Mashkova, DP Shterenberg, Pyotr Konchalovsky, Kandinsky, AV Shevchenko. In 1922 he participated in the creation of the pilot of the Museum of Painterly Culture in 1922-1923 served as director of the Museum.

In 1924 came the group "Konkretivisty. In 1925 became a founding and active members of the Society of Artists, Studio Artists (OST), which in its charter proclaimed "revolutionary modernity and clarity in the choice of the plot", "desire to complete the picture. In Society, in addition to Williams, also included AA Deineka, Yuri Pimenov, AD Goncharov, A. Labas, D. P. Schr, NF Denisovsky and others. After the collapse of the OST in 1931, entered into a creative association "Izobrigada", whose members put forward the principle of "political realism».

Since 1929 began working as a theater artist. He has designed productions "Advertising" M. Watkins (1930), "Pickwick Papers" by Charles Dickens (1934), "Tartuffe" Jean-Baptiste Moliere (1939), "The Last Days (Pushkin)" M. And Bulgakov (1943) in the Moscow Art Theater, "La Traviata" by G. Verdi (1934), "Cio-Cio-Cio-San" by G. Puccini (1935) in Musical Theater. Nemirovich-Danchenko, "Romeo and Juliet" Prokofiev in the Leningrad Opera and Ballet. Kirov (1940), "Don Quixote" by Cervantes at Moscow Theater. Vakhtangov (1941).

Since 1937 worked as an artist at the Bolshoi Theater in 1941 - the main artist of the Bolshoi Theater. He created costumes and scenery for the opera, "Virgin Soil Upturned I. Dzerzhinsky (1937)," Ivan Susanin Glinka (1939), "Valkyrie" by Richard Wagner (1940 ), "La Traviata" Verdi's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" by G. Rossini (both - 1942), "Eugene Onegin" by Tchaikovsky (1944), ballet "The Caucasian Prisoner" BV ; Asafiev (1938), "Swan Lake" by Tchaikovsky (1941), The Scarlet Sails "V. Yurovsky (1942) and others. Three times he was awarded the State Prize of the USSR: in 1943 for the design of the opera "William Tell" by Rossini, in 1946 and 1947 for Prokofiev's "Cinderella" and "Romeo and Juliet" (all - in the Bolshoi Theater).

In 1944 he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR. In 1946-1947 he taught at the Moscow Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts, Professor.

Vvedenskoye buried at a cemetery in Moscow.

Williams - one of the leading masters of Soviet art in the first half of the twentieth century. In the artist's 1920 fully embodied the ideas and principles of art remains, it works this time is characterized by monumental compositions, letters expressiveness, dynamic rhythm and love of sharp angles, emphasized objectivity, brightness, contrast, color solutions ( "Portrait of , Meyerhold, 1925 "Acrobat", 1926 "Man in a Boat", 1927).

in 1930 focused on the theatrical and decorative art. For the first time in theatrical works of Williams dominated picturesque trends clearly and dynamically added to stage acting. In the late 1930's the artist's style has changed, to replace the experiments of the late 1920 - early 1930 came the classic architectural scenery of the portal frame.

Williams works are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Russian Museum, the State Central Theater Museum im. AA Bakhrushin and others.