Yury Annenkov was the son of a member of Narodnaya Volya, who was serving his exile in Petropavlovsk. The family came to St. Petersburg in 1893.
1889 - 1974
Yury Annenkov
description
A Russian avant-garde artist, graphic illustrator, an outstanding figure of theater and cinema and writer. The style of the creator in fine art was revealed in the harmonious combination of Modern, Cubism and Futurism with the techniques of traditional painting.
Annenkov’s significant gallery of acutely characteristic portraits of painters and writers, politicians and artists was formed – in 1922, 80 paintings that convey the appearance of key figures of the time – Akhmatova and Meyerhold, Pasternak and Mayakovsky, Remizov and Gorky, Zamyatin and Khlebnikov, Trotsky, Lunacharsky, Zinoviev and others – were included in the album “Portraits”. He was awarded the first prize for a portrait of Lenin in 1924 – it was printed on banknotes and stamps.
It is impossible to overestimate his innovative contribution to the scenography of both Russian and French theaters. Working with Stanislavsky, Meyerhold, Komissarzhevsky, Baliev, Annenkov first put forward and embodied the idea of pointless kinetically changing scenery. As a film artist, he was awarded the Oscar.
Boris Temiryazev created dramatic and prosaic works, journalism and memoirs “Diary of my meetings” under a pseudonym. Having written vivid and not always complimentary memories of Blok, Gorky, Mayakovsky, Zamyatin, Akhmatova, Pasternak became an author who was forbidden to publish his works in the USSR.
Key ideas:
– Yuri Annenkov, who did not receive a systematic art education, was to some extent the heir to the St. Petersburg style of the world of art, especially in graphic works.
– The developed his own style, at the same time close to Expressionism, Cubofuturism and Art Nouveau. It was mostly seen in the portrait genre. Artist Boris Grigoriev, whose influence Annenkov did not hide, had a similar style characterized by art critics as a “new synthesis”.
– Consciously rejecting the principles of some clear schools and art movements, Annenkov was addicted to the illusionistic effects of form and used the techniques of cubism and futurism in a simple way.
– As a bright innovator, Yuri Pavlovich appeared in scenography – he not only a peculiar manifesto of the abstract theater Rhythmic scenery (1919), and then the article “Theater to the End”, but also for the first time introduced moving scenery, changing lighting.
– The top of the book art of Yuri Annenkov are ornamental-clear and at the same time romantic-surreal illustrations for the poem “The Twelve” (1918), created in his creative union with the author of the poem, A. Blok. Chukovsky’s book “Moidodyr” with illustrations by Annenkov (the first one was published in 1923) was republished many times.
– In the late Paris period, he painted landscapes of suburbs, interiors, and female portraits in a characteristic flat and decorative manner. In them, a mature master adhered to the freedom of colour spots, using coloured outline contours.
1889
1905
1908
1909
1911
1913
1918
1920
1923
1924
1927
1934
1955
1966
1969
1974
The birth of the artist
He was expelled from the state gymnasium
For political cartoons for an illegal journal, he was expelled from the state gymnasium (12th St. Petersburg) and then studied at Stolbtsov’s private gymnasium.
Met his village neighbor in Kuokkala, I. Repin
Met his village neighbor in Kuokkala, I. Repin, who became the most respected master for the beginning artist. Having entered the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, in parallel with M. Chagall, he studied at the studio of S. Seidenberg.
Attended classes at the Stieglitz school
In the summer, he worked with Chagall on sketches in Borovichi, unable to pass the exam at the Academy of Arts, took lessons from J. Zionglinsky and attended classes at the Stieglitz school.
Studied at the Parisian workshops of M. Denis and F. Vallotton
Studied at the Parisian workshops of M. Denis and F. Vallotton, attended two Academies in Paris – Grand Chaumiere and La Pallette. The influence of Cubism and Futurism, which came into fashion, became noticeable in his works. He spent the next summer working on his sketches in Brittany, where he drew fish and plants of the sea for the dissertation of zoologist Bei-Nafilian (defended at the Sorbonne).
The artist’s debut took place at the Salon of Independents
The artist’s debut took place at the Salon of Independents (he presented his paintings “Evening” and “Landscape”), returned to St. Petersburg, , performed his first theatrical artwork (“Nomo sapiens” performance for the Crooked Mirror Theater) and made several covers and illustrations for the “Satyricon” magazine.
He was a member of the World of Art association
He was a member of the World of Art association, designed the first edition of the poem by A. Blok “Twelve” in the style of cubism, often collaborated with publishers, worked in graphics and in the portrait genre.
He was appointed professor at the Moscow Academy of Arts
He was appointed professor at the Moscow Academy of Arts. Later he exhibited a large series of “Portraits” at the exhibition “World of Art”.
Painted a series of portraits of political figures
Painted a series of portraits of political figures (Trotsky, Kamenev, Radek, Zinoviev, Kerensky, Lunacharsky and others) to order. The images were included in the album “Seventeen Portraits”, which was released at the State Publishing House in 1926. Two years later, the album was everywhere confiscated on the order of Stalin (the artist depicted him as well) and destroyed.
He became a founding member of the Society of Easel Artists
He became a founding member of the Society of Easel Artists, won the first prize in the competition for the best portrait of Lenin for the state signs. He traveled to Venice as an exhibitor of the XIV International Art Exhibition and the subsequent International Exhibition of Art and Decorative Art in Paris, after which he did not return to his homeland, settled in Paris.
The artist’s graphics were presented at the “Art of the Book” fashion show in Leipzig
The artist’s graphics were presented at the “Art of the Book” fashion show in Leipzig, a personal exhibition was held at the Biller Gallery in Paris. The following year, his personal exhibition was held at the gallery Catherine Schman (Paris); the artist took part in the vernissage “Contemporary French Art” in Moscow.
The solo exhibitions
Shortly after the exhibition “Contemporary Russian Art” in Philadelphia, his solo exhibitions were held in two at the galleries of Paris. The artist became interested in cinema, for over 20 years he designed the scenery for 50 films. For 10 consecutive years, he was elected president of the trade union “Syndicate of Technicians of French Cinema”.
Received an Academy Award for his work for the film “Madame de ...”
Received an Academy Award for his work for the film “Madame de …” directed by M. Ofühls. In the USSR, a film about Modigliani with the name “Montparnasse”, designed by the artist in 1957 (directed by Jacques Becker), was very famous. The master worked as a production designer on both French and West German television.
“Diary of my meetings. The cycle of tragedies”
The artist’s collection “Diary of my meetings. The cycle of tragedies”, the distribution of which was banned in the USSR, was published in New York (first was reprinted in the master’s motherland in 1991).
Designed books by A. Solzhenitsyn at YMCA-Press
Designed books by A. Solzhenitsyn at YMCA-Press. Until the end of his life, he combined easel painting with graphics classes. Many French magazines reproduced his landscapes of the suburbs of Paris, interiors, and female portraits. In total, he designed more than 60 plays, ballets and operas for French theaters.
The death of the artist
Yury Annenkov died on July 12 in 1974 in Paris, France.