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1892 - 1956

Jean Pougny

description

A Russian Italian-born artist who worked in France for many years. Repin’s pupil and a brilliant representative of the Russian avant-garde in the early period of his creative work, Jean Pougny worked in the manner of Fauvism and lyrical primitivism in the longer Parisian period of his career.

He was the organizer and sponsor of such avant-garde exhibitions as “Tram B” and the last futuristic exhibition “0, 10”. In collaboration with his wife, artist Ksenia Boguslavskaya, he wrote a manifesto declaring the liberation of creativity from semantic content. Together with Malewicz, he gave a lecture on “Cubism – Futurism – Suprematism” and became a founding member of the union “Freedom to Art” and the community “0, 10”.

He was a professor at the Petrograd free art workshops, collaborated with the newspaper “The Art of the Commune”, at the invitation of Marc Chagall taught at the Vitebsk Folk art school. Having emigrated to Germany, he wrote a controversial book “Modern Art”, which contained not only biased analysis, but also sharp criticism of non-subject matter.

Becoming a French citizen, he was twice awarded the Legion of Honor. Pougny’s work of different periods is represented at many museums around the world – except for Russia; those are in France, the United States, Great Britain and other countries.

Key ideas:

– The evolution of Pougny’s work was mostly defined by his constant inner contradictions. His emotional, close to expressionistic artistic temperament made him suddenly shift from the early style of synthetic Fauvism to canvases in the style of analytical, non-objective art. However, later he returned to colorful still lifes and scenes.

– Being greatly inspired by the introduction of real materials into futuristic and cubist collages, he created relief designs and subsequently transferred elements and principles into abstract pictorial compositions.

– Before the exhibition “0,10” (1915, Saint Petersburg), Pougny together with Malewicz, Boguslavsky, Kliun described the artistic credo common to them, “Paintings are a new concept of real but abstract elements, and therefore they are devoid of customary meanings”. In collaboration with Kazimierz, Pougny wrote lecture-report “Cubism-Futurism-Suprematism”, which asserted the “topness” of the new art.

– In the Berlin period of his creative career (early 1920s), Pougny considered it necessary to declare his condemnation of his own Suprematist achievements, which, from the point of view of art history, does not cancel or diminish their values.

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1892

1900

1910

1912

1914

1915

1917

1919

1921

1924

1928

1940

1946

1956

The artist was born

Jean Pougny was born into the family of famous musicians: his grandfather headed the Paris Opera, then wrote ballets for Russian imperial theaters.

Took private lessons from I. Repin

Received an elementary art education – took private lessons from I. Repin. However, at the insistence of his father, he studied for eight years at the St. Petersburg and Nikolaev Military Academies.

Studies at private academies of Julian and Colarossi

His first trip to Paris and studies at private academies of Julian and Colarossi. The aspiring artist discovered many innovators at once – Cezanne, the Fauves, and Nabis.

He returned to St. Petersburg

Having visited Italy, he returned to St. Petersburg. He made friends with Futurists Burliuks, Mayakovsky, Khlebnikov, Kulbin, Malewicz and exhibited paintings created in a new style at the exhibition of the Union of Youth. The following year, he married artist-designer Ksenia Boguslavskaya, whom he met in Paris and who became his avant-garde associate and publisher.

He became interested in Cubism

Traveled to Paris a second time and became interested in Cubism, exhibited his works at the Salon of Independent for the first time. Created a cover for the futuristic almanac “Roaring Parnassus”, which was published at the expense of K. Boguslavskaya and was arrested by censorship.

Returned to Russia

Returned to Russia, became the main sponsor and co-organizer of the scandalous futuristic exhibitions “Tram B”, “0.10”. The Petersburg apartment of Pougny was a meeting place for avant-garde artists and Futurist poets. In January 1916, he and Malewicz held a lecture at the hall of the Tenishev School with the lecture “Cubism-Futurism-Suprematism”.

He became an exhibitor of the “Jack of Diamonds” exhibition

He became an exhibitor of the “Jack of Diamonds” exhibition and a founding member of the “Freedom to Art” union. The following year, he participated in the major exhibition “Russian Landscape” in Petrograd. The following year, he was appointed professor at the free workshops of Petrograd.

He became a professor at the Art Institute of Vitebsk

At the invitation of M. Chagall, he became a professor at the Art Institute of Vitebsk. The following year, the Pougny couple moved to Germany, where they lived and worked for three and a half years.

The artist’s personal exposition

The artist’s personal exposition was presented at the Sturm-Galerie; it was organized by its owner, Herwart Walden. The retrospective exposition represented all periods of his creative career; there were 215 works – pictorial and graphic. Later in Berlin, the program text “Modern painting” (1923) was published, the meaning of which is “settling scores” with non-objective painting.

He finally settled down in Paris

He finally settled down in Paris and exhibited his paintings at the salon of the Tuileries almost every year. His joint exhibition with K. Boguslavsky at the Barbazanges gallery was held next year. Pougny’s style gradually approached that lyrical primitivism, which was his main style during the rest of his career and was close in spirit to the works of P. Bonnard and E. Vuillard.

The exhibitions

After the major exhibition of modern arts in Leningrad (1927), he took part in several significant exhibitions: the International exhibition in Brussels, the presentation of Modern French art in Moscow, and the exhibition at the Bernheim Gallery.

He moved to the south of France

In connection with the occupation, he moved to the south of France, in Antibes. Two years of work allowed him to hold a large personal opening day at the L. Carré Gallery on his return to Paris.

Received French citizenship

Received French citizenship and the following year was awarded the first order of the Legion of Honor. The artist was awarded the second officer’s order of the Legion of Honor in 1952. Participated in the show “In Honor of Victory”, organized by the France-USSR Committee. At the invitation of UNESCO, he presented his works at the international exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art and at the Exhibition of Contemporary French Art at the Luxembourg Museum.