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1889 - 1953

Vera Mukhina

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A Russian sculptor-muralist, master of the portrait genre, as well as the author of innovative household plastics – vases, glasses, glass figurines.

The sculptor taught by prominent Russian and Parisian masters preferred the monumental genre and introduced some techniques of cubism and futurism into the sculpture. She became famous for her impressive monuments, the main of which is “Worker and Collective Farm Girl”, for which the author was awarded the Grand Prix at the International Exhibition in Paris. She also won the Venice Biennale.

Over the years, the artist was a member of the art associations “Monolith”, “Four Arts”, the Society of Russian sculptors, the “Team of Eight”, became an academician and got the title of People’s Artist of the USSR.

The sculptor created dozens of portraits of war heroes, scientists, artists, in which the image of outstanding people is realistic and emotional.

Vera Ignatyevna was awarded the USSR State Prize five times for individual works, orders and medals not only in her country. She taught at the sculptural faculties of several educational institutions, was an author of theoretical articles on monumental sculpture.

The Vera Mukhina Museum was opened in Feodosia, where she lived for a long time; a crater on Venus was named in her honour.

Key ideas:

– Vera Mukhina wrote, “Style will be born when the artist learns the ideals of his time, when he cannot feel otherwise and when the ideology of his people becomes his ideology”. In these words, she expressed the style of the country in which she lived.

– In her youth, Mukhina was impressed by the indefatigable temperament of O. Rodin, and he attracted her with the monumentality of his work. The general trends of creativity were pathos of power and greatness of scale, a tendency to volitional dynamics and the power of forms. These qualities made Mukhina a bright figure in Soviet official art.

– Her works are characterized by a metaphor of rapid impulse, overcoming and struggle – the hyperbolization of the physically tangible body mass, clearly developed great volumes came from there. As a result, they showed a balance of statics with a strong-willed effort, combined earthly heaviness and major enthusiasm with its transpersonal triumph.

– Throughout her life, Mukhina was interested in portraiture – she painted her relatives (her husband, A. Zamkov, his brothers and son), as well as outstanding people and heroes, most often in detail, without lyricism. However, a sense of holistic form allowed her to avoid excessive narration.

– Mukhina’s works became decorative when the author transformed her compositions into art glass. She gave an example of an innovative approach to the aesthetics of such household and interior objects as glasses, vases and figurines.

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1889

1908

1911

1912

1914

1925

1927

1930

1937

1941

1945

1950

1953

Vera Mukhina was born into a wealthy merchant family

Vera Mukhina was born into a wealthy merchant family. Her father was a merchant and a well-known philanthropist. She spent her childhood in Feodosia, where her father, who suffered from tuberculosis, brought Vera fearing for her health. In Feodosia, she received the first painting lessons at the studio of artist V.N. Tregubov.

Studied painting at the studio of K. F. Yuon

Studied painting at the studio of K. F. Yuon and in parallel attended the sculpture studio of N. A. Sinitsina. She met L. Popova and N. Udaltsova, who became her friends and associates.

She went to study at the less academic private school of I. Mashkov and I. Dudin

She went to study at the less academic private school of I. Mashkov and I. Dudin, where she studied for a year until she suffered a serious facial injury (riding a sled, crashed into a tree; her nose was broken by a branch).

Studied sculpture at the Grande Chaumiere studio

In Paris, she underwent several face plastic surgeries, studied sculpture at the Grande Chaumiere studio, where her teacher was E. A. Bourdelle; at the same time, studied drawing at a private school in Colorossi, attended the Academie des Baeux Arts, got acquainted with the cubist method of art at the La Palette Academy being a student of G. Metzinger and H. le Focognier. She first created sculptural portraits.

After returning to Russia, she took courses and worked as a nurse of mercy at hospitals

After returning to Russia, she took courses and worked as a nurse of mercy at hospitals. Later she created sculptural works, made sketches of sets and costumes for performances. She was engaged in the design of clothing models, collaborating with fashion designers N. Lamanova, A. Exter and L. Popova. In 1918, she married a surgeon A. Zamkov, who often was her model.

She received the Grand-Prix in Paris for a collection of cheap and practical clothes

Together with Exter, she received the Grand-Prix in Paris for a collection of cheap and practical clothes. She published the album “Art in Life” in collaboration with Lamanova. Joined the Society of Russian sculptors. She conducted modeling classes at the Moscow Art and Industrial College, taught sculpture at the Higher Art and Technical Institute.

«The Peasant»

At the exhibition dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution, she received the first prize and a paid trip to Paris for her sculpture the Peasant. In subsequent years, she participated in the design of expositions at the international exhibitions “Press” in Cologne, “Pushnin” in Leipzig, “Motherhood and Infancy” in Dresden.

The family was exiled to Voronezh

The family was exiled to Voronezh. She participated in the competition for the monument to T. Shevchenko in Kharkiv, designed the Palace of Culture of Voronezh. Two years later, having received a residence permit in Moscow, together with V. Favorsky and L. Bruni, she worked on the interiors in the Museum of Maternity Protection in Moscow. Before the war, she was engaged in the development of packaging, worked as a consultant at the Experimental Mirror Plant in Leningrad.

“Worker and Collective Farm Girl”

Won the competition for the sculptural decoration of the USSR pavilion at the International Exhibition in Paris. Her sculpture “Worker and Collective Farm Girl” was awarded the Grand Prix and the USSR State Prize (awarded in 1941). She worked on the parts of the monument “Salvation of Chelyuskinites” (not completed). In the following years, having won a competition to create a monument to M. Gorky, she worked on its embodiment. She won the competition for the sculptural decoration of the pavilion at the New York International Exhibition in 1939.

Created sculptural portraits of ballerinas Semenova and Ulanova

Created sculptural portraits of ballerinas Semenova and Ulanova. Was evacuated with her family to the Urals. Upon returning, she created a gallery of portraits of war heroes, for which she was awarded the title of People’s Artist of the USSR and a state prize in 1943.

Worked together with N. Zelinskaya and Z. Ivanova on the monument to M. Gorky in Moscow

Worked together with N. Zelinskaya and Z. Ivanova on the monument to M. Gorky in Moscow according to the project of her friend, sculptor I. Shadr, who died. She received another State Prize for the sculptural portrait of Academician A. Krylov. Soon she became a full member of the Academy of Arts and a member of its presidium.

Supervised the creation of the multi-figure composition “Demanding Peace”

Supervised the creation of the multi-figure composition “Demanding Peace” (N. Zelinskaya, Z. Ivanova, A. Sergeev, S. Kazakov worked in the team), for which she received the State Prize. Made “Female Torso” of glass. Two years later, she completed the final stage with the installation of a monument to M. Gorky in the city of Gorky.