Sudeikin Sergey (1882-1946)

SY Sudeikin was born to a gendarmerie colonel. In 1897, he entered the Moscow School of Painting, but in 1902 was expelled for student shown in the exhibition are "obscene."

Already the first independent works Sudeykin with their romantic naivete, pearly tones were close to artists of the Symbolist. He illustrated M. Maeterlinck's drama "Death Tintagiles" (1903), worked with the magazine "Balance", participated in exhibitions of "Scarlet Rose" (1904) and "The Blue Rose" (1907), "Garland Stefanos" (1908).

In 1909 Sudeikin entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. At this time, the artist began a creative relationship with A. Benoit , and through him to others "World of Art."
In 1911 he became a member of the association "World of Art". The close friendship bound him with K. Somov . Largely on Somovskaya "Marquis" repelled Sudeikin in the works, also reproduced the pastoral scenes gallant era. "Pastoral" (1905), "The Garden of Harlequin," "Venice" (both 1907), "the North Poet" (1909), "Oriental Tale" (early 1910s) - is characterized by the titles of paintings Sudeykin. Romantic story often got him naive, primitive bast treatment, contained elements of parody, grotesque, theatrical.

His still lifes - "Saxon figures" (1911), "Flowers and Porcelain" (early 1910s), and others - in spite of their proximity to the still lifes of A. Golovin also resemble theatrical act, a scenic area. Subject theater more than once occurred in his painting. Sudeikin portrayed ballet and puppet theater, an Italian comedy and Russian Shrovetide ("Ballet Pastorale", "festivities", both 1906, "Carousel", 1910, "Petrushka", 1915, a series popular prints "Shrovetide heroes", the middle of the 1910s, etc.).

That theatrical decorative art has become the main business of the artist. He has collaborated with many theater people in those years. The first to bring it to the registration of opera performances at the Moscow theater "Hermitage" Mamontov. In 1905 Sudeikin with NN Sapunov designed the "Death Tintagiles" directed by Vsevolod Meyerhold for the Studio Theatre at Cook, in 1906 - M. Maeterlinck's drama "Sister Beatrice" at Theatre VF Co-Missarzhevskii in St. Petersburg. In 1911 he worked on the ballet performances of the Maly Drama Theatre in St. Petersburg and the comic opera MA Kuzmin "Fun virgins", set in the same place, in 1912, together with A. I Tairov - on the play "Wrong Side of Life" X . Benavente in the St. Petersburg Russian Drama Theatre.
in 1913. Sudeikin participated in the "Russian Seasons" in Paris, following the sets and costumes for the ballet "The Red Mask" Nikolai Tcherepnin and "The Tragedy of Salome" by F. Schmidt.

In the 1910s. Sudeikin becomes one of the central figures in the artistic life of St. Petersburg. He draws up a book of poems of his friend the poet Mikhail Kuzmin - "Chimes of Love" (1910), "Autumn Lake" (1912), involved in the productions of "towers of the theater" in the house of the poet V. Ivanov, in 1910 - 11 years . VE Meyerhold helps organize house interludes, in 1911, paints a wall cabaret "Stray Dog" in 1915, creates the decorative panels for theater-cabaret "Halt comedians."

In 1917 Sudeikin moved to the Crimea, and then, in 1919 - in Tiflis, where he and Georgian artists painted the zucchini "Himerioni."
In 1920, the artist went to Paris. Major works Sudeykin made ​​abroad, also belong to the stage. The artist worked with NF Baliev in its revival on French soil cabaret "Die Fledermaus," with "Russian opera" M. Kuznetsova, the theater, "Apollo", for Ballet Anna Pavlova designed the "Sleeping Beauty" Tchaikovsky and "Fairy Doll" by J. Bayer

Moving to the United States in 1923 did not change the focus of interest Sudeykin. He worked for the New York "Metropolitan Opera" where designed ballets Stravinsky "Petrushka" (1924), "The Nightingale" (1925), "The Wedding" (1929), "Sadko" NA Rimsky-Korsakov (1929), "The Flying Dutchman" by Wagner (1930) also collaborated with troupes of George Balan-rank and Fokine, performed the scenery for the film "Resurrection" (novel by L. Tolstoy) to Hollywood (1934-35). Recent years, a seriously ill artist spent in poverty. His creative powers were exhausted.