Petrov-Vodkin Kuzma Sergeevich

November 6, 1878 (Khvalynsk Saratov province) - February 5, 1939 (Leningrad)

painter, graphic artist, muralist, art theorist.

born in the family of a shoemaker. Initial education in the workshop of painter, then studied in art classes in Samara (1892-1895) by F. E. Burov. He continued his education at the Central School of Technical Drawing of Baron Alexander Stieglitz in St. Petersburg (1895-1897). In 1897 entered MUZhViZ, worked in Serov, NA Kasatkin, KN Gorsky, A. Arkhipov, L. Pasternak. In 1900, he worked at a ceramic factory NP Sorokhtina Vsekhsvyatskoj village near Moscow.

In 1901, he traveled to Europe, visited Warsaw, Prague, Leipzig, Munich, where he attended school Aschbe. In 1902, for the painting "Family cobbler" was awarded a medal. In the same year, together with the PV Kuznetsov and PS Utkin participated in the decoration of the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in Saratov (majolica painting and destroyed in 1904), in 1903-1904 created the sketches majolica for registration clinics RR Vreden in St. Petersburg.

In 1904 he graduated with the rank MUZhViZ neklassnogo artist. Made a trip to London, in 1905-1906 - in Italy, in 1907 - in North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, the Sahara Desert) and the Pyrenees. In 1906-1908 repeatedly visited in France, studied at the School of R. Kolarossi and other private academies in Paris.

After returning to Russia in 1908 lived in St. Petersburg. In 1909 in the magazine "Apollo" was held the first exhibition of Petrov-Vodkin, which exhibited paintings sketches and drawings travels to Paris, the Pyrenees, in Africa.

Since 1910 (until 1923) - and a permanent member of the exponential renewed "World of Art". At the exhibitions "World of Art" 1912 and 1913 in Moscow, showed pictures of "Bathing the Red Horse" and "Mother", who had great success. Participated in exhibitions of the Union of Russian Artists. In 1910-1917 he taught at the School of Elizabeth Zvantseva, as well as on courses of mutual welfare of the Society of Russian Artists (1911-1912). In 1910 he completed the painting of the church of Basil Zlatoverkh Ovruch, in 1913 - Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt, in 1913-1914 the Russian Church in the Italian city of Bari, in 1914-1915 - the Trinity Cathedral in the city of Sumy.

in 1911-1912 participated in the All-Russia Congress of artists. In 1913, collaborated with theater KN Nezlobin in Moscow. Traveled to the Caucasus, in 1916, visited Ferapontovo and Cyril-Belozersky Monastery.

After the revolution, participated in the commission on the reform of the Academy of Arts. Taught sequentially in Petrograd (Leningrad) State of free art workshops VHUTEMAS, VHUTEINe, Academy of Arts. With his students engaged in festive decoration Petrograd to the first anniversary of the October Revolution. Exhibited his works at the First State Free Exhibition of works of art in 1919 in Petrograd. In 1920 the Petrograd House of Arts held a retrospective exhibition of the artist.

In 1921 traveled to Samarkand with the expedition of the Academy of History of Material Culture, the result was a book of essays "Samarkand", illustrated travel sketches of the artist. In 1924-1925 traveled to France, from which brought a large number of drawings in ink and sepia. Since 1925 - founding member and exhibitor of association "4 Arts" in 1927 - an honorary member of the French Astronomical Society.

From 1927 he lived in Tsarskoe Selo, near Leningrad. In 1931 became part AHRR. In 1930 collaborated with the State Academic Drama Theater, created designs productions "The Brothers Karamazov Fyodor Dostoevsky (not implemented) and" The Marriage of Figaro "PO Beaumarchais.

In 1930 was published autobiographical book Petrov-Vodkin "Khvalynsk", and in 1933 - "Space Euclid. In 1936 the State Russian Museum in Leningrad, and a year later in Moscow were solo exhibitions of works of Petrov-Vodkin.

Posthumous retrospective exhibitions creativity Petrov-Vodkin was organized in 1966, 1978, 1980 in the State Russian Museum in 1966 - the State Tretyakov Gallery. In 1967 was prepared by a traveling exhibition of works of masters, presented in Saratov, Kiev, Kursk, Riga, Yerevan, Prague, Bucharest, Sofia, in 1971 - in Warsaw and Budapest.

Petrov-Vodkin - one of the most significant artists of the first third of the twentieth century. In the early period was strongly influenced by Symbolism and Art Nouveau, especially the works of such masters as V. Borisov-Musatov, F. von Stuck, P. Puvis de Chavannes, Maurice Denis. In 1910-s has developed his own style, close neoakademizmu in which he said careful study of Italian paintings of the early Renaissance, interest in Russian icon painting and the French post-Impressionism (in particular, to the creation of Gauguin and Matisse). Develop and actively employed in his artistic practice the theory of "spherical perspective", in which, through the use of multiple points of view (a definite system of camera angles, turning the planes to the viewer), managed to cover a vast space to emphasize the moment of movement, and combine in a single composition from various episodes. In 1920 continued to deal with perspective, composition and color: sought to unite all forms and plans for a picture with the three primary colors: red, blue and yellow ( "trehtsvetki"). He gave the corresponding coloristic their students assignments, creating his own school.

Creativity Petrov-Vodkin represented in the collections of many Russian museums. The most important collections of paintings and graphic works by the artist have the State Tretyakov Gallery and the State Russian Museum.