Artist Mashkov Ilya Ivanovich: biography, creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The brightest, most original artist of the 20th century, Mashkov Ilya Ivanovich lived an interesting, eventful life. He went through the influences of various artists, revolutionary searches and finding his place in art. His legacy today is several hundred works that are in many collections around the world.

Childhood and family

Mashkov Ilya Ivanovich was born in the village of Mikhailovskoye region of the Don Cossacks (today the Volgograd region) in a poor peasant family. Ilya was the eldest of nine children, and his parents, who were engaged in petty trade, did not have money for their children's studies. The boy, who from an early age showed great traction and ability to draw, was sent to a parochial school, but at the age of 11 he was taken away from there and sent to work so that he could help the family. He had to stand on his feet for 14 hours in a fruit vendor's shop, serving customers, he hated this job, but there was no choice.

Vocation and study

Later Ilya Mashkov went to work in a merchant's shop, the work was not easier, but here he was sometimes assigned to draw posters and signs. This occupation gave him great pleasure. In his free time, he redrawed pictures from magazines, made sketches of surrounding objects, birds. The boy loved to draw. Despite his extremely tight financial situation, he ordered a box of paints by mail. Once a teacher at the Borisoglebsk gymnasium spotted a drawing boy and asked him if he wanted to study. Ilya was very surprised, because he did not even suspect that drawing can be learned. So he began to receive the first skills and advice from a teacher from the gymnasium. This allowed him to understand his calling and set a goal - to become an artist.

In 1900 he entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Here he studies with outstanding teachers: K. Korovin, L. Pasternak, V. Serov, A. Vasnetsov. From the very first years of his studies, Mashkov showed an extraordinary talent and eccentric character. He was very fond of hyperbole, an excess of color, while he devoted a lot of time to mastering the technique of drawing, he was very efficient. As a poor student at the school, he was offered a part-time job, and since 1904 Mashkov began to give lessons, earning his living.

Revolutionary youth

Quite quickly Ilya Mashkov gets to his feet. In 1906, he built a workshop for himself in the building of the Polytechnic Society. It will become his creative home for the rest of his days. In 1907 he met Pyotr Konchalovsky, this meeting had a great influence on the artist. In 1908, the artist travels to Europe, visits France, England, Austria, Germany, Italy,Spain, where he gets acquainted with new trends in painting.

In 1910, Mashkov was expelled from the school, but by that time he had already found his way. The artist still works hard, takes lessons in the studio of K. Korovin, paints portraits and still lifes to order. He exhibited, including at the Salon in Paris, where his work is bought by the Russian philanthropist S. Morozov. Even then, Mashkov's paintings are distinguished by an unusual view of the world and surrounding objects. He is imbued with revolutionary ideas in Europe and longs to change Russian art.

Jack of Diamonds

In 1911, Ilya Mashkov, together with Pyotr Konchalovsky, founded the Jack of Diamonds art society. First, in 1910, an exhibition with that name was held, after which like-minded artists create a community of the same name. The name itself shocked the public, hinting at political prisoners. The Moscow painters set their goal to make a revolution in art, and they fully succeeded in this. They opposed the traditions of academicism and realism, proclaimed the dominance of impressionist, fauvist and cubist ideas.

Mashkov became one of the ideologists of the community. It was thanks to him that the “jacks” so often painted still lifes reminiscent of grocery store signs. Artists experimented with form and color. Unlike many avant-garde artists, Mashkov and comrades asserted objectivity in art. In 1911-14, the artist is the secretary of the society, participates in all of its exhibitions. In 1914, he leaves the "Jack of Diamonds" and goes forborder.

Mashkov and "World of Art"

On his return, Mashkov joins the "World of Art" - an association that has existed since the end of the 19th century and united the most prominent Russian artists. Just at this time, the group proclaims the possibility of creating a new classic, the main idea is the "New Academy" by A. Benois. The second half of the 10s of the twentieth century was difficult for the artists included in this community. Despite the fact that the World of Art is an association that has made a colossal contribution to Russian painting, at the time of Mashkov it was already, rather, a formal unity. But the artist participates in exhibitions and supports his comrades. During this period, Mashkov still works hard, but gradually comes to a new realism.

Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia

In 1925, Ilya Mashkov joins the new AHRR society, which preaches new, revolutionary ideals. In fact, he becomes one of the first ideologists of socialist realism. The artist is a member of the Association until its collapse in 1929. During this period, he paints pictures of a happy new life, portraits of production leaders, still lifes with an abundance of products. Moscow painters, former associates of Mashkov, do not understand his new ideals, many of them live in exile. Ilya Ivanovich remains in the USSR and fully supports the new ideas. In the 1930s, Mashkov painted ideologically correct paintings: “Greetings to the 17th Congress of the CPSU (b)”, “Soviet Bread”.

During the war Mashkovlives in Abramtsevo, paints portraits of soldiers and the wounded, home front workers. Late Mashkov presents his optimistic attitude to the audience. The well-known art critic Yakov Tugendhold said that in his works one can see "a he althy love for bright flesh and blood." He retained his taste for exaggeration until his last days.

Exhibition activity

Ilya Mashkov was very productive all his life, he also actively exhibited his works. He participated in many significant exhibitions of the early twentieth century. These are the events of the "Jack of Diamonds", "World of Art". In 1916, at the "Exhibition of Contemporary Russian Painting" he shows 70 works, it was the largest lifetime exhibition of Ilya Mashkov. Since the 1920s, the artist has exhibited a lot abroad: Venice, London, New York. In the 30s, the Soviet authorities were happy to carry Mashkov's paintings to all the largest cities in the world.

Pedagogical activity

For almost all his life, Ilya Mashkov, artist, painter, taught. Even in his youth, he developed his own method of teaching drawing and painting. His school, which he opened at the beginning of the 20th century, would later become the central studio of the AHRR. Among his students were Falk, Tatlin, Osmerkin, V. Mukhina.

After the revolution, the artist teaches a lot, working at various courses, at the Military Academy and VKHUTEIN.

Private life

Ilya Mashkov showed his love of life in everyday life. He was a great lover of ladies and married three times. Firsthis wife was Italian Sofia Arenzvari, Mashkov married her in 1905, a year later the only son of the artist Valentin was born. He became a design engineer, in 1937 he was repressed. The second wife in 1915 was the artist Fedorova Elena Fedorovna. The third wife was also an artist: in 1922 Mashkov married Maria Ivanovna Danilova.

Heritage and memory

Ilya Mashkov, whose paintings are extremely appreciated by art lovers, died on March 20, 1944 at his dacha in Abramtsevo. He left behind a great legacy. His paintings are today in the collections of 78 cities around the world. The artist's widow donated the largest collection to the Volgograd Art Museum. His paintings rarely appear at auctions and are sold for huge sums. Thus, the canvas "Flowers" was sold for 3.5 million dollars, and "Still Life with Fruit" - for 7.2 million dollars.

Mashkov's work is studied by art critics, books are dedicated to him. The museum in Volgograd bears his name. The memory of the artist does not disappear; exhibitions of his works are periodically held in major museums. So, in 2014, the late works of the artist were shown in Moscow, the exhibition was a great success.