Konstantin Andreyevich Somov (November 18, 1869 - May 6, 1939) was a Russian painter and illustrator specializing in portraits and landscapes, who was a member of the "Mir Iskusstva" art association and collaborated with the magazine of the same name.
Somov painted many portraits, mostly on commission to earn money, but he gained fame as an artist who resurrected in his illustrations, often quite frank and immodest, the time of the gallant 18th century.
The book of the marquise. Illustration No. 8
In his drawings it is as if the rococo era had returned, when cavaliers courted frivolous ladies and aristocrats or the king organized splendid court balls where all those invited to them had fun and enjoyed life. Somov in his illustrations, in particular, in the courtly collection “The Book of the Marquise”, clearly inspired by the work of Boucher and Fragonard, they are good frivolous, but call them the embodiment of vulgarity can not be called, the skill of the artist is undeniable, and everything that is truly talented - not vulgar.
We will talk about Konstantin Somov, his artwork and life in this article.
The Book of the Marquess
Konstantin came from a well-to-do and respected noble family. His father Andrei Somov was a teacher, then worked in the Hermitage, and was clearly partial to art. He married a hereditary noblewoman Nadezhda Lobanova, received a four-story mansion as a dowry and lived at his pleasure. He had three children - Alexander, Konstantin and Anna, whom he brought up in the old noble traditions, where much attention was paid to the introduction to painting, literature and music.
Portrait of A.I. Somov, the artist's father
The house was often visited by artists, Andrei Somov himself collected paintings, and the position of senior curator in the Hermitage suggested a close acquaintance with art.
However, Konstantin, unlike his father, had no inclination to the exact sciences, so he had to leave the gymnasium. But there was still a love of painting, so he in 1888 began to study at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, and 6 years later in the studio of Ilya Repin.
In 1895 the first exhibition of Somov's artwork took place. He presented on it charcoal drawings painted with watercolors, and everyone liked them. Prominent art critic Alexander Benois wrote: “I asked Sergei Diaghilev to buy two of his sketches depicting an orchard. They are very good, it seems that we have a new artist, a true master of his craft, we are waiting for something wonderful from him”.
Rainbow
And then there was a trip to Paris - an almost obligatory point for the creative development of any self-respecting young artist. There Somov became acquainted with the graphics of European Art Nouveau, and at the same time admired the exquisite paintings of the Rococo era by Boucher and Fragonard. Much of what he saw he would later use in his artwork, combining the elegance and frivolity of rococo and laconism of European Art Nouveau.
Somov also became interested in collecting porcelain, and his designs were used to cast a wonderful frivolous statuette “The Lady Removing the Mask”.
Lady taking off her mask
In 1898, Somov became one of the founders of the artistic association “World of Art”, which partly competed with the Peredvizhniki, but at the same time attracted to its ranks artists who painted in a somewhat different style - rejecting critical realism and the desire to show the unsightly aspects of life of ordinary people, as in the iconic paintings of the Peredvizhniki and sought inspiration in the work of the past - the Baroque of the mid XVIII century and Empire late XVIII-early XIX century. And here Somov's drawings, inspired by the paintings of Rococo artists he saw in Paris, came to the right place.
Bathers in the sun
However, Somov also created illustrations for serious works, such as Gogol's novels “The Nose” and “Nevsky Prospekt”. He worked in the magazine “World of Art” - designed covers, illustrated, the popularity of this magazine was largely determined by the presence in it of excellent drawings by Konstantin Somov.
In 1903, at his personal exhibition Somov presented over 160 artworks, which deservedly drew praise from critics and lovers of quality illustrations.
Somov also became famous as an artist of “immodest” illustrations for a very popular collection of French sensual literature XVIII “The Book of the Marquise”. The Austrian critic Franz Bley, the publisher, decided to collect in one book all the “indecent” stories and essays by Voltaire, Casanova, Chénier and about 50 other artists and to supplement them with racy and frank drawings, which he ordered Somov to create.
The Book of the Marquess. Illustration
The book became very popular, survived many editions and brought its creators huge profits. However, Somov himself was not very enthusiastic about the illustrations and the book itself: “a corrupt, commercial thing, and how I am tired of all these frivolous illustrations, which, to my misfortune, I am so good at”.
From the revolution of 1917 Somov was not delighted, although a year later he took a high position as a professor at the Petrograd Art Workshops. And in 1923 he went to the United States as a representative of the “Russian Exhibition” and reasoned that abroad he - a nobleman and a representative of the creative intelligentsia will live not much better. That's why he stayed there and did not return home. In 1928, having saved money, bought an apartment in Paris, where he stayed to live and work. He paints portraits to order, creates illustrations, takes part in various exhibitions.
Portrait of composer Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov
It is possible that Somov sincerely yearned, as most emigrants do, for Russia, but unlike Zinaida Serebryakova or Konstantin Korovin, he managed to settle down perfectly well abroad and hardly regretted his decision to relocate from Russia.
Lady in Blue. Portrait of Elizaveta Martynova
And here with a personal life at Somov everything was difficult. Like our wonderful actor Yuri Bogatyryov Somov was a representative of non-traditional orientation. Even in grammar school, he wrote tender feelings for a classmate Dmitry Filosofov, perhaps because his father, out of sin, and took away from the gymnasium his overly amorous son. However, later at the turn of the century Somov, unlike Bogatyryov, did not suffer at all from his orientation - the time of decadence, the desire of many young people to oppose all the old moral principles contributed to the popularity of such relationships.
Boris Snezhkovsky
There was also a relationship with Walter Nouvel, who worked for the magazine “World of Art”. But later Nouvel became infatuated with Diaghilev.
And in 1910 Somov had an affair with the sitter Methodius Lukyanov, and it lasted until Methodius' death from tuberculosis in 1932.
After 7 years in Paris, Somov died and was buried in the Paris cemetery of St. Genevieve de Bois, and his paintings set records at foreign auctions - for example, the painting “Rainbow” sold for 3,716,000 pounds.
What do you think of Konstantin Somov's paintings and illustrations and does his orientation influence your attitude to the artist's work?
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