Samohvalov Alexander Nikolayevich (1894-1971)

"I am an artist who lives rough emotional life, modernity" - so formulated his credo AN Samohvalov in the biographical novel "My career path." Indeed, the modern world of the artist, building a new life, a new life, miropoznanie that moment fascinated artist seeking to reflect their experiences.

Born on Samohvalov Tver land, where he spent his childhood. He soon became addicted to drawing, under the direction of a school teacher wrote sketches in nature.
In 1914 he enrolled in the architecture department of the High School of Art at the Academy of Arts. Comprehending the wisdom of the architectural profession, started painting, color.
in 1918 was forced to suspend classes and went to his native Bezhetsk, where he participated in the design of large scale celebrations devoted to the October Revolution.

After returning in 1919 in Petrograd Samohvalov enters the painting department of the State Free Art Studios, the studio K. Petrov-Vodkin . The spatial system of constructing a picture, developed by Petrov-Vodkin, the search for relationships of color and form captivated the young artist. The expression of his vision, a sense of the dynamics of time it became indispensable companion Samohvalova.

Journey to Samarkand in 1921 and the work of the expedition of the Institute of History of Material Culture, which included and K. Petrov-Vodkin , emerging artist experienced a change in his outlook and work. Indeed, in the works of Samarkand period and completed on return, you can already see the hand of an adult, self-thinking man, is well established artist ("Shah-i-Zinda", "At the source. Samarkand", "Seller of Water", "Insomnia", " Afrasiab ", all 1921).

Equally strong impression on Samohvalova part in the work on the restoration of the Cathedral of St. George in Staraya Ladoga (1926), where he was captivated by the ancient frescoes. Taking almost unconditionally construction of a socialist society, Samohvalov actively involved in the artistic life of the state, bringing together their most creative challenges, discoveries and revelations from "folk-grounds." That he is the software product of the Soviet art of the 1930s. - "Girl in a T-shirt" (1932). In this work embodied the desire of the artist to create the image of a contemporary, to form a new society "in work, in deed," "the triumph achieved," expressed understanding of his artistic goals, was realized monumental fresco-sense reality. You can admire the skill of the artist is not to flatter any age or nature, the ability to identify the main thing that allowed contemporaries to admire the way created "spirit of the times", and we, the descendants, to see this cold, sharp glance is not the girl, and the builder of socialist society, the hard and dedicated alien to all human.