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1883 - 1941

Pavel Filonov

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Synopsis:

A Russian painter and graphic artist, who officially called himself an artist-researcher. He was one of the famous leaders of the avant-garde in his country, a theorist and founder, as well as a practitioner and teacher of “analytical art”, a unique reforming movement that had a significant impact on the artistic mindsets of many creators of the first half of the 20th century.

Filonov brought elements of scientific knowledge into the vanguard movement and was engaged in combining different ways of knowing the world, relying on intuition. In fact, the artist, who had phenomenal abilities in abstracted thinking, developed a symbolic understanding of painting, the aim of which was to depict not only the object but also thoughts about it and the way of its transmission, that is, added self-reflection to symbolism.

Filonov had many followers and imitators, but the strength of his original “accomplishment” was difficult to achieve. Filonov’s “analytical art”, which formed the symbolist branch in the Russian avant-garde, was in opposition to constructivism and suprematism and came close to the surrealistic motives of European modernism.

The master’s works are popular in the art market and are constantly exhibited throughout the world. At the exhibition in the Paris center of G. Pompidou in 1990, eight works stolen from the Russian Museum were found; seven of them were returned after many years of negotiations.

Key ideas:

– In the first manifesto “Intimate Workshop of Painters” (Painted Pictures) in 1914, such key phrases as “world prosperity” appeared; the importance and self-worth of the picture, as well as the need to bring new horizons in the art of collective efforts, were affirmed.

– The creative process, according to Pavel Filonov, consists of brief single touches of the surface of the canvas or paper with a brush or a sharp pencil. The “point as an action unit” formula then went into the synthetic phase of work, which led to the final multilayer composition. The creation of a work of art thus became like the organic growth of a painting.

– In the “complete”, that is already finished picture, there is a connection of all the details between each other, while the duration of the drawing process materializes, according to Filonov’s theory, time as the fourth dimension of space.

– Creating portraits of his family members, Filonov painted their faces in accordance with the rules of realistic art and demonstrated high academic skills, as well as the ability to take into account the tastes of the model and convey character traits.

– In parallel with traditional portraits, the artist painted meaningless compositions. Avant-garde painters did not have such freedom in changing work methods; it means that Filonov knew the laws of craft perfectly and clearly separated it from experiments.

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1883

1897

1903

1908

1910

1912

1914

1916

1918

1922

1929

1931

1933

1941

The artist was born

Pavel Filonov was born on January 8, 1883 in Moscow, Russian Empire.

Graduated with honors from the city parish school in Moscow

Graduated with honors from the city parish school in Moscow, demonstrated outstanding abilities in all subjects, especially in drawing. The year before, the mother of the teenager died of phthisis.

Having moved to St. Petersburg, he entered painting workshops, finishing which he was engaged in “painting work” and attended evening drawing classes at the Society for the Promotion of Arts.

Studied at the private workshop of academician Dmitriev-Kavkazsky

Studied at the private workshop of academician Dmitriev-Kavkazsky; during the nest three years, he travelled to the Volga, Caucasus and Jerusalem.

He enrolled at a school at the Academy of Arts as a volunteer

Having made three unsuccessful attempts to enter the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, he enrolled at a school at the Academy of Arts as a volunteer, but voluntarily left it after a year and a half.

Participated in the exhibition of the "Union of Youth"

Participated in the exhibition of the “Union of Youth”, created with the participation of O. Rozanova, E. Guro and M. Matyushin. He considered the “Heads” created that winter as his first picture.

He wrote an article "Canon and the Law"

He wrote an article “Canon and the Law”, in which he clearly formulated the principles of analytical art, defined as anti-Cubism and built on the “organic” growth of a work of art. The artist traveled to Italy and France; the next year he painted the scenery for the tragedy “Vladimir Mayakovsky” in the St. Petersburg theater Luna Park.

"Intimate Workshop of Painters and Draftsmen "Complete Pictures"

Together with A. Kirillova, D. Kakabadze and others, he released the manifesto and program called “Intimate Workshop of Painters and Draftsmen “Complete Pictures” with a reproduction of Filonov’s “Feast of Kings” on the cover. That edition, in which the rehabilitation of painting was proclaimed, is the only document confirming the existence of the small community opposing methods of Malewicz and Tatlin. Created illustrations for the “Izbornik” by V. Khlebnikov, his close friend.

He was mobilized as a ranker to the Romanian front

He was mobilized as a ranker to the Romanian front; as a part of the Baltic Sea division, he actively participated in the revolution and then held the positions of a chairman of the Revolutionary Military Committee in Ismail and of a chairman of the Military Revolutionary Committee of the Baltic Division, etc.

“Mother” and “City Winner”

After returning to Petrograd, he participated in the First Free Exhibition of Artists of All Directions at the Winter Palace, presenting the important and conceptual avant-garde cycle “Entering the World Flourish” (22 works, 2 of which he presented to the state – “Mother” and “City Winner”).

His paintings regularly appeared at the expositions of the “Community of Artists”

His paintings regularly appeared at the expositions of the “Community of Artists”, were exhibited at the First Russian exhibition at the Diemen Gallery in Berlin. Filonov married E. Serebryakova; her youngest son became one of the first students and like-minded artist. Having acquired his own housing, soon Filonov began to conduct free classes at home.

The Russian Museum planned a personal exhibition of Filonov

The Russian Museum planned a personal exhibition of Filonov, his paintings (more than two hundred) hung in the museum for a year and 2 months, a catalog was prepared twice, discussions were held in the press based on closed viewing, but the exhibition was not held, despite the support of I. Brodsky.

The Academia Publishing House invited Filonov to illustrate the Kalevala epic

The Academia Publishing House invited Filonov to illustrate the Kalevala epic — it was accepted on the condition that his students would work with him. A. Poret and M. Tsybasov made the greatest number of illustrations. In memory of the work of the group, he painted the picture of the students “Udarniki of Analytical Art”.

He took part in the exhibitions “Artists of Russia for 15 years”

He took part in the exhibitions “Artists of Russia for 15 years”: there was a separate hall in Leningrad containing 80 works; 30 paintings were exhibited in Moscow. Later, he almost never exhibited his canvases. Until the end of his life, he supported by all means his own officially banned school of masters of analytical art (MAA).