Somov, Konstantin Andreyevich (1869-1939)

The artist's father, AI Somov, for many years held the post of curator of the collection of the Hermitage. The house was filled with paintings and drawings by old masters, who have long been expertly assembled host. Art is all here. Mother Konstantin Somov was a good musician and developed in their children an interest in singing, theater and painting. In one of the first drawings depict Luba's sister and mother at their easels.

In 1889 Somov enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts, the walls of which were before 1897 During this period there was a transformation of the old educational system of the Academy of Arts and Somov was enrolled in a workshop I. Repin .

 Here he created two of his paintings: "The lady at the pond" and "Lyudmila Tchernomor in the garden." They became interested in retrospectivism, elegiac, sophistication - what was later determined the style of the artist.

In 1897, without completing the full course of ACh Somov went to Paris, where he worked in the private studio of F. Colarossi and studied the works of art. At the same time with him in Paris, studied and worked A. Benoit , E. Lansere , A. Ostroumova and other "miriskusniki."

Especially approached Somov with Benoit, who wrote the first article about him that appeared in the magazine "World of Art" for 1898 In this article, art critic emphasized the influence on the work of German graphic Somov (O. Beardsley, Charles Conder, T. Heine) and the impact of the XVIII century French painting. (A. Watteau, N. de Larzhiler), "small Dutch" and Russian painting of the first half of the XIX century.

Back in Russia, Somov paid tribute to the portrait genre. He created portraits of his father (1897), NF Ober (1896), Alexandre Benois (1896) and A. Ostroumova (1901). The peak of creativity in this period was a portrait of the artist EM Martynovoj ("Lady in Blue", 1897-1900) depicted a landscape with flutists. Refinement and brokenness, spirituality and poetry of the image is fully consistent with the aesthetic credo of "World of Art", embodying the harmony of dreams and reality. A special place is occupied by Luba graphic portraits. Highlighter pen made with watercolor, gouache, colored pencils or whiting, they differ virtuoso technique, laconic composition and the subtlety of color solutions. These are portraits of poets Vladimir Ivanov (1906), Blok (1907), MA Kuzmin (1909), artists EELansere (1907), MVDobuzhinsky (1910) and others .

In addition to portrait drawing Somov worked in the field of book illustration. At the beginning of the XX century. Artists "World of Art", among whom was Somov, revived after long neglect this art form. Making books, all of its elements - font, size, trim, cover, screen savers and vignettes - should be integrated.