GORBATOV Konstantin Ivanovich

May 5, 1876 (Stavropol, Samara province) — May 24, 1945 (Berlin)

Painter, graphic artist

Konstantin Gorbatov was born to a family of pharmacist. In 1891–1895 he studied at F. E. Burov’s Classes of painting and drawing in Samara, later — at Riga Polytecnic Institute under the guidance of J. Clark and at V. O. Blum’s School of drawing and painting (1896–1903). In 1903 Gorbatov entered the Higher Art Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture under the Imperial Academy of Arts (IAKh). He studied at the faculty of architecture, then since 1904 — at the faculty of painting in the studio of A. A. Kiselev and N. N. Dubovsky. During his study, Gorbatov often visited Old Russian towns. In 1905–1906 he collaborated as a caricaturist with magazines Sekira (“Poleaxe”), Zhalo (“Sting”), Zarnitza (“Summer Lightning”); he signed his works with initials Г (“G”) and Г. К. (“G. K.”). In 1911 Gorbatov was conferred the title of an artist and was awarded pensioner trip abroad for two years.

In 1911–1913 Gorbatov was a pensioner of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Italy and Spain. He visited Maxim Gorky on the Island of Capri. After returning Gorbatov lived in St. Petersburg (Petrograd). He worked as a landscape painter; he painted portraits, still lifes and genre paintings rarely. Gorbatov exposed his works at the academic exhibitions (1906–1916), exhibitions of the Society of Russian Watercolorists (1906–1911), exhibitions of Moscow Society of Art Lovers (1908), the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions (TPKhV, 1906–1922, with intervals), and exhibitions of the Society of Independent Artists (1906). In 1910 Gorbatov was awarded the second prize at the Spring exhibition of the Imperial Academy of Arts for his painting Fish market on the Pskova River, in 1913 — gold medal at the International art exhibition in Munich for graduating work Reaching the shore, in 1916 — the first prize named after A. I. Kuindzhi for the painting Home place.

Gorbatov was a member of the A. I. Kuindzhi Society of Artists (since 1910), the Jewish Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (EOPKh, since 1916) and the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions (TPKhV, since 1917). In 1914–1915 the painter worked as an illustrator in the magazine Vershina (“Height”). Works by Gorbatov were often reproduced in the magazines Niva (“Field”, 1909–1916), Lukomorye (“Curved Seashore”), Stolitsa I Usadba (“Capital and Estate”, 1914), and Solntse Rossii (“The Sun of Russia”, 1911–1917).

After October Revolution Gorbatov participated in the First State Independent Art Exhibition in Petrograd (1919), the exhibition of paintings of Russian artists in Pskov (1920), the 1st, 3rd and 5th exhibitions of the group Obshchina Khudozhnikov (“Artist Community”) in Petrograd (1921–1922).

In 1922 Gorbatov emigrated, lived on the Island of Capri, in 1926 moved to Berlin. Almost every year he traveled to Italy; in 1928 he visited I. E. Repin in Kuokkala; in 1934–1935 he made a trip to Palestine, in 1935 — to London. Personal exhibitions of the artist were held in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne (1929), Dresden, Rome, Copenhagen, London and The Hague. He took part in the exhibitions of Russian art in The Hague (1924), Pittsburgh (1925), Cologne (1929), and Berlin (1930). During the World War II, he lived in Berlin without quitting the place.

Konstantin Gorbatov was one of significant Russian painters of the first third of the 20th century, who had recognizable style of painting and characteristic subject matter. In his art, Gorbatov was close to the masters of the Union of Russian Artists; he used a lot of impressionistic methods. He also was under the influence of symbolism. Favorite motifs of his paintings were Old Russian towns with churches and cloisters, nature of Russian North, Volga landscapes, and places of provincial villages. His works were characterized by free manner of painting, large strokes of the brush, and fresh colors.

Works by Konstantin Gorbatov are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, Serpukhov History and Art Museum, the Museum of History, Architecture and Fine Arts New Jerusalem and others.