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1889 - 1970

Nathan Altman

description

A Ukrainian artist of Jewish origin, who lived and worked in Russia for a long time. He was a portrait master, graphic illustrator, sculptor and theatre artist. The prominent avant-garde artist was a founding member of Russian cubism, a member of such significant creative groups as The World of Art and The Union of Youth, one of the founders of the Jewish Society for the Promotion of Arts. He was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia in 1968.

Key ideas:

– Like other avant-garde artists, Altman believed that new forms that would be proper for modern content should replace the traditional methods of easel painting in his era. He looked for such forms in various art movements and trends, manoeuvring from well-mastered Realism to Cubism and pointless Symbolism.

– The works of the early period of his work created under the influence of Cubism are spectacular in composition, perfected in drawing and impeccable in colour. In 1915, the artist’s most famous portrait in a Cubist manner, “Anna Akhmatova”, caused a sensation. Nathan depicted the poet and woman of the futuristic epoch using the urban rhythm. This typically mundane and at the same time avant-garde portrait most accurately characterizes the artist’s ability to mix styles so organically that the aesthetic justification of the method raises no doubt.

– The artist searched for “his art”; in his paintings, colour problems gradually changed to volume problems. He was interested in the very construction of things, and he paid attention to sculpture, building busts (“The Head of a Young Jew”) on approximately the same division of the volume as he did in painting. Moreover, in his very expressive sculptures, the author combines such various plastic materials as bronze, forged copper, wood.

– Experimenting with materials and techniques, Altman followed the spirit of those times: he replaced the canvas with boards, then the paint with mastic or pieces of paper, mixed the paint with gypsum and even ground. He was also interested in experiments with texture, a combination of elements of various types of art in one painting. Thus, large-scale panels were created where abstract planes characteristic of Suprematism were combined with poster inscriptions.

– Nathan Altman became, like M. Chagall, one of the prominent cultural figures of the “Jewish Renaissance”, showing interest in the new embodiment of the motifs and symbols of Jewish folklore. Graphic cycles “Jewish Graphics”, “Pictures of Nathan Altman” are built on animalistic semi-fantastic themes using original fonts and ornaments.

– The compositions are heraldic, closed and symmetrical – this is how the manner of graphics characteristic of only Altman appeared. The covers, posters and stamps that he created reveal the information enclosed in them through graphic symbols. The elements of cubism, at first often present in them are replaced by Constructivism, not only as a more modern style, but also as giving the opportunity to build an original symbolic scheme. Altman was true to himself – he unexpectedly but harmoniously placed a realistically painted dove with a conditional image of other information elements in the “History of my dovecote”.

– As a stage designer, Altman was very diverse; he saw the design of the production after “reading” the play himself; sometimes there are no decorations on the stage but constructions of various geometric shapes that indicate the architecture or interior.

– In the last years of his life, Nathan’s paintings were “memoirs” – he made variants, free copies of his works, made compositions from the motifs of previously designed plays.

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1889

1902 - 1907

1910 - 1911

1911 - 1912

1913 - 1917

1918 - 1921

1921 - 1925

1928 - 1933

1934 - 1937

1940

1950 - 1960

1970

Nathan Altman was born

Nathan Altman was born on December 22 into a wealthy Jewish family in Vinnytsia: his father was engaged in petty trading, and his mother worked as a castellan at a hospital. From the age of 4, he was raised by his grandmother, because the mother of the future artist went abroad for good after the death of the head of the family from phthisis.

He studied fine art

He studied fine art (his teachers were Konstandi and Ladyzhensky) and sculpture (teachers Iorini and Marmont) at the Odessa Art College. After 1906, he took part in exhibitions.

Showed his first creations at the exhibition of the "Fellowship of South Russian Artists"

Showed his first creations at the exhibition of the “Fellowship of South Russian Artists” (Odessa); continued his education at the Vasilyeva private studio in Paris. He presented his Odessa works at the Salon of the National Society of Fine Arts in Paris.

In Vinnytsia, he worked as the chief artist at a theatre

In Vinnytsia, he worked as the chief artist at a theatre, published a series of brochures “Vinnytsia in caricatures”. In order to have, as a Jew, the right to reside in St. Petersburg, he received a diploma in art in Berdichev (signage painter) and moved to the northern capital of Russia, where, while working as a journeyman at a stained glass workshop, he actively participated in the foundation and activities of the Jewish Society for the Promotion of Arts, tried his hand at scenography, sculpture and graphics (in particular, industrial).

Created a series of "Jewish Graphics"

Created a series of “Jewish Graphics”; three times became a participant in the exhibitions of the World of Art, twice exhibited his works with the Union of Youth; participated in the Last Futuristic Exhibition 0.10 and the exposition of the Jack of Diamonds group of 1916. He taught at the studio of M. Bernstein. Debuted as a theater decorator at the cabaret “Comedian’s Halt”. He designed a grandiose installation for the streets and squares of Petrograd on the first anniversary of the October Revolution.

Taught as a professor at the Free Art Education Studios

Taught as a professor at the Free Art Education Studios. He created several sculptural and graphic portraits of Lenin and was appointed a head of the painting department at the People’s Commissariat of Education. He worked hard for several theaters. An “Exhibition of Three” was held (Altman, Shterenberg, Chagall: artists who worked at the Jewish Theater with director A. Granovsky).

In the Moscow Jewish State Theater, he designed performances

In the Moscow Jewish State Theater, he designed performances, replacing Chagall who had left. Collaborated with the Vakhtangov Theater Studio and designed the “Mystery Buff” by Mayakovsky. Together with Granovsky, Mikhoels, Babel and others, he conceived the film “Jewish Happiness” based on the work by Sholem Aleichem, offering to depict Vinnytsia, where the “Jerusalem” area was preserved in its original form. Participated in the International Exhibition Art Deco (1925, “Contemporary Industrial and Decorative Art”) in Paris.

Married ballerina I. Degas

Married ballerina I. Degas, whose portrait became the best in the artist’s legacy (they divorced in 1935). He went on tour with a Jewish guest theater to Europe and stayed in Paris. He designed the production of A. Barbus (Theater of International Action). Participated in the Paris exhibitions of the Young Europe Society and created illustrations for the Old Testament.

Annually exhibited his work at the "Association of Revolutionary Writers and Artists

Annually exhibited his work at the “Association of Revolutionary Writers and Artists”. Returning to the USSR, he married Irina Schegoleva, a daughter of V. Ternavtsev. In the atmosphere of Stalinist terror, he moved away from easel painting, was engaged in the design of bookplates, postage stamps and book graphics (in particular, illustrations for Gogol’s Petersburg Tales).

While the evacuation, he lived in Perm

While the evacuation, he lived in Perm. Collaborated with G. Kozintsev (the director of the Leningrad Opera House), painted anti-fascist cartoons for newspapers. After the war, he made excellent illustrations for the works of Sholem Aleichem.

During a short “thaw”, he received the title of Honored.

Continued cooperation with Kozintsev, performing scenography for many productions. The last successful work of Altman was the costume designs for the feature film “Don Quixote” (1955). During a short “thaw”, he received the title of Honored. In 1969, the first and only lifetime personal exhibition of his works was held (Leningrad, then Moscow).

He died on December 12 in Leningrad

He died on December 12 in Leningrad, was buried in Komarovsky Necropolis next to A. Akhmatova, whose faithful friend he was until the end of her life.