AGAFONOV Evgeny Andreevich

January 29 (February 11), 1879 (Kharkov) — June 12, 1955 (Ansonia, Connecticut, USA)

Painter, graphic artist, scene-designer

Evgeny Agafonov was born to family of a merchant. He got his first art education in St. Petersburg Academy of Arts in 1899–1907. He studied under the guidance of P. Kovalevsky and F. A. Roubaud. In 1910 Agafonov was awarded gold medal for the painting Draymen at the regional South Russia exhibition in Ekaterinoslav.

In 1905–1907 during Revolution, Agafonov illustrated Kharkov satirical magazines Shtyk (“Bayonet”), Mech (“Sword”), Zloy Dukh (“Malignant Demon”) and others. In March 1906 Agafonov together with A. N. Grot, V. D. and D. D. Burlyuk participated in the 7th exhibition of the Cirlce of Kharkov artists (1900–1908). Since 1908 he exposed his works at the exhibitions of the Association of Kharkov artists, at the exhibition of the group Zveno (“Link”) in Kiev (1908), in Rostov-on-Don and Kursk.

In 1909 Agafonov founded the experimental theatre Blue Eye in Kharkov on the basis of the avant-garde studio Blue Lily. He designed a lot of performances for this theatre, including The Stranger by A. Blok. The theatre worked only two seasons and was closed in February 1911.

Later Agafonov left the Association of Kharkov artists and organized avant-garde group Koltso (“The Ring”, 1911–1914). Members of the group were A. N. Grot, A. M. Zagonov, N. R. Savvin, M. S. Fedorov, E. A. Shteinberg and others. In 1913 Agafonov joined the group Bubnovy Valet (“Jack of Diamonds”), took part in the exhibitions of the group in St. Petersburg.

Agafonov participated in the First World War; in 1918 he returned to Kharkov. In the same year he designed covers of the Theatre Magazine. 

Agafonov joined the group Khudozhestvenny Tsekh (“The Art Guild”); in 1918–1919 he together with M. A. Voloshin, Mane-Katz, and E. A. Shteinberg took part in the exhibitions of the group. In 1919 Agafonov lectured as an art critic in the studio of painting and drawing under the ProletCult (Proletarian Culture). He also exposed his works at the First exhibition of the Art department of Kharkov Soviet of worker’s deputies.

Evgeny Agafonov painted a lot of portraits: portrait of the Lieutenant P. P. Schmidt’s lawyer A. Alekseev (1906), portrait of the actress V. F. Komissarzhevskaya (1908). In his paintings Agafonov often used Ukraine national motifs: The portrait of Mr. B., Girls (1908), Many-colored on greenery and others. He also painted landscapes, drew sketches and drawings.

In early 1920s Agafonov immigrated to the USA. He was engaged in easel painting, graphic art and advertising. He exposed his works at the exhibitions of the Society of independent artists (1929) and in the French gallery in New York (1931), in the Greenwich public library (1939), and in Derby, Connecticut (1943). Personal exhibitions of the artist were held in the Cas-Delbaut gallery in New York (1931).

Works by Evgeny Agafonov, which the artist left in Kharkov, were kept in Kharkov Art Museum. During the Great Patriotic War, the greater part of his works was lost. Only several drawings and theatre designs remained in Kharkov Art Museum.