Schr David Petrovich (1881-1948)

DP Schr - one of the key defining figures of Russian art in the late 1910's - early 1930's., Since its violent and controversial development. The environment in which it started life was not conducive to creativity, so he began to study late.

Was a student photographer, became interested in revolutionary ideas, in 1906 he emigrated to Vienna in 1907 - in Paris. Here at the School of Fine Arts, and then at the Academy A. Vitti studied painting. Beggar artist settled in the suburbs, in the round tower, nicknamed "Hive" and populated by the same poor young artists. Soon, many of them become famous. Their society was no less important school than the studio. Schr participates in exhibitions, looking for a way, soaking up the latest trends in French art. However, his Parisian work is still very patchy, inconsistent. Its distinctive art world, it forms only at the end of the Paris period of life.

When a revolution in Russia, Schr returns home. Here's political past and the Parisian artistic experience suddenly make him the head of the artistic policy of the country: the People's Commissar of Education Anatoly Lunacharsky, who knew the artist still in France, appointed him head of the Department Narcompros.

Next to the Schr - the most determined innovators. That they reject the first official art, all the more willing to cooperate with the new government. Of course, Schr also an innovator - paintings, which he began to exhibit, not like the usual old painting. But they are strictly fine and very specific. Almost always, it's still life, images of simple things. Nothing especially beautiful: a sponge and soap. A kerosene lamp. Knife. Bottle. Two herring on the plate, and half a loaf of bread ... One, the largest - three things rough and poor, on the bare emptiness of the canvas, the planar stressed, deprived and spatial depth, and unifying, enveloping atmosphere of items. Instead, emphasize the material, the structure of the surface of things: smooth wall and rough bread crust layered boards and slippery fish scales.

The artist even resorted to a relief - some images protrude from the surface of the canvas. Turning to the visually impaired, this painting excites more tactile, material-specific experience. Single items if they ask from it out into the living human hands. A simple still life full of dramatic tension, tells us about the elementary but essential human values. "All of his paintings have a story about daily bread, which we must lay up so little to live for, but over which it is necessary to suffer so much to get it" - said of Schr insightful art critic AM Efros. And the portrait of the artist connects with the maximum generalization of tactile-type specificity of the image: peasant girl ("Aniskov", 1926) with the same, "hungry", a still life on the table behind her, stern old farmer, majestic in the cold emptiness of a snowy field (" old ", 1925-26).

These are the images and the peasant in his movie "Agitator" (1927) - sublimely strict, insular, focused. The artist has achieved in its calm grandeur of ancient frescoes.

The main thing Shterenberg was painting, but he also designed productions, worked in the schedule - engraved, painted picture books, using the principles of planar schematic and children's art, much closer to his "adult" handwriting.

In the 1920s. Schr - a prominent figure in the artistic life of the country. He teaches, leads the OST, organizes international exhibitions, participates in art councils. But since the mid-1930s. his work is in sharp contrast with the changed state policy in the field of art. Attacks criticism seriously affected his later works. Only at the very end of his life in the sketch "biblical" (1947-48), the artist there has been a new pictorial language, began to show new dramatic intonation. Develop them he did not have time.