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1875 - 1958

Konstantin Yuon

description

A Russian painter, master of landscape, art theorist and art critic, theater artist. The artist’s creative career and personal life were happy. He was successful from his student years, appreciated after the revolution, got various honours (prizes, orders, titles); he avoided all the persecutions that swept the country in waves. However, he was never an opportunist – the painter worked in his manner and mainly on “his” themes – landscapes and architecture, paying much less attention to plot and portrait painting.

The style of Konstantin Yuon, close to realism and moderate impressionism, acquired a certain colour either of symbolism or of primitivism, but always remained “living” and genuine.

Numerous works of the master are in the collections of large Russian museums and galleries; they are presented at regional and former republican museums of the post-Soviet territory.

Key ideas:

– Having learned some of the principles and techniques of French Impressionists, Yuon did not break close ties with the traditions of Russian Realism: he did not “dissolve” the shape of objects in the environment and did not abandon the prospect.
– Like Boris Kustodiev, Yuon loved Russian antiquity for its decorative brilliance, applied naive art techniques in his plot paintings.

– Yuon witnessed the discovery of Old Russian icon painting by restorers – those bright and clear colours that were discovered influenced the formation of the artist’s colouristic manner.

– The master loved the joy in nature and life; therefore, he mostly painted the sun, sparkling snow, colourful folk clothes and significant monuments of ancient Russian architecture surrounded by landscape. His main creative credo was, “The contemplation of nature and heaven is always an exalted blessing”.

– Working on paintings on historical themes, Yuon also presented them through landscapes. Generalizing the meanings, he strove to remain extremely plausible; it is typical for the artist’s late works that he created in the village of Ligachevo, near Moscow (the painter often worked there from 1908 to 1958, building himself a house-workshop).

– He created some paintings of his late period remembering his childhood and adolescence. They are characterized by a special lyricism because they are associated with the poetic perception of the life of the old pre-revolutionary Moscow, which brought up the artist. One of the paintings of 1946 is named particularly: “Feeding pigeons on Red Square in the years 1890-1900”.

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1875

1892

1900

1903

1905

1921

1925

1945

1948

1950

1957

1958

The birth of the artist

Konstantin Yuon was born on October 24, 1875, Moscow, Russian Empire.

Konstantin owes this unusual surname to his ancestors who came from Switzerland. In the completely Russified family of an insurance agent, he was the fourth child. The way of life in his family was typical of the Moscow intelligentsia.

He studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture

He studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where his teachers were such masters as N. Kasatkin, K. Savitsky and A. Arkhipov. After the main course, he stayed at the institution to learn from Valentin Serov, sometimes combining classes in his workshop with Levitan’s lessons. The audience noticed his student paintings; art lovers bought them at student exhibitions so eagerly that Yuon could earn some money for a trip to Russia and then to Europe.

Together with I. Dudin, he founded a private studio

Together with I. Dudin, he founded a private studio, Yuon taught there for 17 years (before the revolution). Such artists as A. Kuprin and V. Favorsky, V. Vatagin and A. Grishchenko, V. Mukhina, the Vesnins brothers and others attended those classes.

He became one of the organizers of the creative group "Union of Russian Artists"

He became one of the organizers of the creative group “Union of Russian Artists” (other central figures – A. Arkhipov, A. Rylov, I. Grabar), which tried to develop a peculiar style, contrasting it with Petersburgers who preferred symbolism. The artist was also one of the regular participants in the exhibitions of the World of Art.

Outraged by the "bloody Sunday" the artist went abroad

Outraged by the “bloody Sunday” the artist went abroad, participated in the famous Parisian exposition of Russian art arranged by S. Diaghilev, was elected a member of the Paris Autumn Salon. Soon he began to work as a theater decorator, actively collaborating with Sergei Diaghilev (in particular, he designed the opera Boris Godunov, which took place as a part of the Russian Seasons in Paris.

"New Planet" and "Domes and Swallows"

Created two of his most famous and completely different paintings, “New Planet” and “Domes and Swallows”. The second work was included in a large series of works that he created in the suburbs. The following year, an album with lithographs, succinctly named “Sergiev Posad”, was released.

Joined the AARR

Joined the AARR (Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia); the following year, he was awarded the title of Honored Artist.

Got the title of the People's Artist of Russia

Having received the Stalin Prize of the first degree with the wording “for outstanding achievements in art over many years” one year earlier, the artist was awarded orders and got the title of the People’s Artist of Russia.

He was appointed the director of the Research Institute of Theory and History of Fine Arts

Becoming an academician of the Academy of Arts, he was appointed the director of the Research Institute of Theory and History of Fine Arts at the USSR Academy of Arts. In addition to working in the painting genre, he continued designing theatrical productions and created graphic works.

The People's Artist of the USSR

Was awarded the highest title – the People’s Artist of the USSR. He worked a lot in the village of Ligachevo.

He assumed the position of the first secretary of the Union of Artists of the USSR

Having quitted teaching at the Surikov Art Institute in Moscow, where he worked for more than three years, he assumed the position of the first secretary of the Union of Artists of the USSR.