Artist Somov Konstantin Andreevich: biography, creativity

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

When the artist Somov suddenly pops up in memory, a poetic portrait of a sad girl also appears nearby. For the author of the article, he is the calling card of the painter. Let's start the review with him.

Portrait of Elizabeth Mikhailovna Martynova

Later, when the portrait ends up in the State Tretyakov Gallery, it will be briefly called "Lady in Blue". By this time, when the portrait was painted, that is, in the years 1897-1900, the painter had found his own way in art and was confident in his abilities. This poetic look creates a new image of perfect femininity, its peak, which is in no way combined with gray everyday life or everyday bustle.

In the foreground of a conditional park, near a lushly overgrown shrub with leaves touched by wilting, stands a young woman in ancient lace, a heavily decolleted dress made of faded blue moiré. She is spiritualized by a tragedy unknown to us, which broke her. Her hand with a volume of poetry is lowered helplessly. The woman's left hand is helplessly raised to her chest. She is lonely and sad. "Lady in Blue" is fragile, pale and thin. A sickly blush covers her cheeks. Despite the stylization of the costume, she is perceived as a modern person whose spiritual world is complicated. The figure of the model with a thin neck and sloping shoulders acquires a special grace against the background of the deepening evening and grayish clouds running across the sky. Why does she have such poignant melancholy, deep sadness in her eyes, sorrow in her tender, unsmiling lips? The future artist Martynova was known to everyone as a cheerful and cheerful person. The artist Somov was able to see the inner beyond the outer. Four years after the portrait was painted, Elizaveta Mikhailovna will die of tuberculosis.

The sophistication of the model is wonderfully conveyed by pictorial means: the finest colorful nuances appear due to glazing, bluish shadows that fall on the face and bare shoulders are transparent.

The genre scene in the background and the dense bush further fence off the "Lady Beautifu" from the world.

The youth of the painter

We will briefly outline his life path. Somov Konstantin Andreevich (1869-1939) was born in St. Petersburg in the family of the curator of the Hermitage, Ivan Andreevich and Nadezhda Konstantinovna Somov. His mother was an educated person and an excellent musician. Two sons grew up in a creative environment: Vladimir and Konstantin - and daughter Anna. K. Somov studied at the K. Maya gymnasium, where the basis was a friendly atmosphere. He did not graduate from this educational institution, since he was not given natural subjects in any way. In the gymnasium, he met V. Nouvel, D. Filosofov, A. Benois. The latter in every possible way supported the burgeoning talent and helped the unsure ofyoung Somov believe in himself.

Becoming an artist

For four years, the future Russian painter learned the basics of drawing and color at the Academy, and then continued his studies with I. E. Repin. He was not satisfied with the images of the Wanderers, since at the turn of the epochs he did not see anything new in them: all the same democracy and social enlightenment. Reality repulsed him. Somov plunged into the atmosphere of the 18th century rococo, the music of Gluck and Mozart, languid gavottes and minuets, memoirs, poetry and prose of that time. The sources of inspiration for him were old albums, on the pages of which he found characteristic visual signs of poses, gaits, gestures, costumes, hairstyles.

The artist did not want to become a copyist. This artistic language could reveal the soul of modern man. That period of time can not be called puritanical. An example is placed above: “Silhouette. Kiss”, which will be included later in the “Book of the Marquise” in a slightly different version.

Paris at the end of the 19th century

During 97-98 the artist Somov lived and studied in Paris. He became interested in the art of Watteau, Largillière, Fragonard and modern Pre-Raphaelites: O. Beardsley and D. Whitler. It was an esthete to the tips of the nails. Together with Benois, he sought out old pictures from book dealers, which depicted absurdities and curiosities. He, like all Symbolists, was afraid to appear ridiculous with his ladies and gentlemen, Harlequins, Columbines, Pierrot, and covered himself with a mask of irony.

Return to Russia

In 1899, K. Somov returned fully formedPetersburg and completed the portrait of E. M. Martynova described above. Continuing the theme of femininity, Konstantin Somov fills his paintings with erotica: "Echo of the Past", "Lady in a Pink Dress", "Sleeping Woman in a Blue Dress", "Sorceress", "Colombina".

He leaves no room for affectation and pretense, but demonstrates not the best, but the fatal qualities of a woman, their false and destructive side. To paraphrase the criticism of his time, we can say that the artist Somov from the Madonna created Eve the seductress.

Harmony in creativity

Landscapes painted from nature are always the exact opposite of his conditional masquerade and puppet characters. He seeks and transfers to the canvas all the most fragile and elusive: the ghostly light of white nights, the glare of the sun on the delicate grass.

So appeared in 1919 a masterpiece written by Konstantin Somov - "Rainbow". This year is terrible for the country, and the landscape is serene, filled with peace and radiant light. After a thunderstorm, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, flooded everything with its rays, and a rainbow appeared. She is admired by women under umbrellas: raindrops are still pouring from birch trees at the slightest breath of wind. The whiteness of the trunks, the openwork ligature of foliage and leaves, the bright fresh greens of young grass washed by rain, the freedom and small bushes enchant the viewer.

Gallant scenes

The theatrical canvas, which was written by Konstantin Somov - "Harlequin and the Lady", introduces us to a world full of conventions, where feelings are hidden behind a mask. Do they exist? Isn't it all in the gamelove? A fleeting infatuation, coquetry, when you need to fall in love easily and beautifully, without touching the depths of the soul, today into one, and tomorrow into another.

The lady and the gentleman are walking in the depths of the alley, but their counterparts, Harlequin and Columbine, who are just cardboard dolls, come to the fore. The artist uses gouache and watercolor, either saturating the painting with color or masterfully making it transparent. It is filled with magic and caustic irony over cutesy manners. Exquisite theatrical scenery that surrounds the heroes: hanging branches create an arch, fantastic fireworks sparkle in the night. Next to the Harlequin, who has revealed his face by removing his mask, is a basket of artificial flowers. The whole work is very impressive due to the contrasting colors, the play of lights, the sophistication of the toilets.

Gay

Now you won't surprise anyone with this. But we will not delve into the juicy details of the artist's life. Let's just say that in his life there were hobbies and a strong passionate love for Methodius Georgievich Lukyanov, who then fell ill and slowly died of tuberculosis. He died in Paris in 1932. One of my hobbies was Mikhail Kuzmin.

By the time he met Somov, he made his debut with the scandalous story "Wings". Unlike K. Somov, Kuzmin was promiscuous in communications. He wanted the artist to paint his portrait. The portrait was painted in 1909. This is another frozen and somewhat arrogant mask. The face is unnaturalwhite. It creates a contrast with a bright scarlet tie. M. Voloshin saw in his eyes the sadness of centuries, and A. Blok - an anachronism.

After the revolution

In 1918, a complete edition with erotic drawings made by Konstantin Somov, "The Book of the Marquise", was published. The illustrations for it are very reminiscent of Aubrey Beardsley, only in color. This book was first published in 1907 in German. Expanded and supplemented, it was published in France in the 18th year, and the most complete latest edition appeared in Russia. In it, fragments from the literary works of various authors of the "gallant age" were provided with illustrations made by a Russian painter. She instantly sold out and became a rare rare edition. Since we are not in India, where lingams are found at every step, we will give one of the most modest illustrations.

Somov Konstantin Andreevich worked engraving metal, and then painted the drawing with watercolors. Somov's subtle taste saved him from pornography. Charming shamelessness, frivolity and intense sensuality are all present in the book. A simple enumeration of some names gives an idea of the nature of the drawings: "Kiss", "Persistent lover", "Alcove". The artist is not a direct illustrator of the text. With his drawings, he was ahead of the book "Lady Chatterley's Lover", which was published with a scandal in the 28th year.

Self-portrait

The artist often painted himself in different years of his life. But on any he is a dandy. His clothes are exquisite, the color is restrained. In his youth and in his later years, the artist carefullystares at himself coldly and distantly.

It is interesting his work of 1934, where the main part in the foreground is occupied by a still life. In front of us is a dressing table. A fading rose stands in a low crystal vase. So immediately there is an association with the sunset of life. He is 65 years old. Nearby are elegant bow ties, a brush for clothes, there are several crystal bottles with expensive colognes, which are partially used. In the depths there is a mirror on which no light falls. It is in him that the viewer sees a part of the face with silvered gray hair. The look is strict and deliberately darkened. All details are selected with the utmost care.

Emigration

In 1923, K. Somov went to the USA for an exhibition. The master did not like America, but he did not want to return to Russia either. In the 25th year, he moved to Paris, where he still continued to work. He loved and knew this city. Apparently, he did not experience painful nostalgia. He, like everyone else, was worried about the impending war, and in addition, the disease of his legs progressed. But creative life was revived by the discovery of the secrets of the old masters. The painter successfully worked on still lifes. He died suddenly in 1939 on the eve of the war. Konstantin Somov, whose biography as a whole was formed from creative searches, was forgotten for a long time. It was rediscovered at the end of the 20th century.

Interesting facts

• Two paintings by K. Somov broke all price records at auctions. In 2006, the "Russian Pastoral" (1922) went for two million four hundred thousand euros, and a year later"Rainbow" was bought for three million seven hundred thousand €.
• E. Martynova (“The Lady in Blue”) begged K. Somov not to sell her portrait to anyone. She did not want anyone and everyone to be able to penetrate her soul. E. Martynova even asked to simply burn it. Still, the portrait was sold to the State Tretyakov Gallery.