Filipp Malyavin
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Filipp Andreevich Malyavin (; – December 23, 1940) was a Russian painter and
draftsman A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman, drafting technician, or CAD technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawi ...
."Russian Art Week returns to London despite political challenges"
''Russia Beyond the Headlines''. Retrieved 2017-04-30. Trained in icon-painting as well as having studied under the great Russian realist painter
Ilya Repin Ilya Yefimovich Repin ( – 29 September 1930) was a Russian painter, born in what is today Ukraine. He became one of the most renowned artists in Russian Empire, Russia in the 19th century. His major works include ''Barge Haulers on the Volga' ...
, Malyavin is unusual among the Russian artists of the time for having a peasant background. It is possibly due to this that his paintings often depict peasant life, and his most famous work, ''Whirlwind'', shows peasant women dancing.


Biography

Filipp Malyavin was born in the large village of Kazanka (
Samara Governorate Samara Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, located in the Volga Region. It existed from 1850 to 1928; its capital was in Samara Samara, formerly known as Kuybyshev ...
, now Totsky District,
Orenburg Oblast Orenburg Oblast (also Orenburzhye) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), mainly located in Eastern Europe. Its administrative center is the city of Orenburg. From 1938 to 1957, it bore the name Chkalov Oblast in honor of Valery Chkal ...
), into a poor peasant family with many children. Even as a child, he was drawn towards art, drawing and creating clay figurines of birds and animals from the age of five. The village was visited by traveling monks, who would bring with them icons from
Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism. The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...
, in
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. Fascinated by the icons, Malyavin convinced his parents to allow him to go to Athos to study icon-painting. At the age of sixteen, he traveled to Greece with a monk from Athos, his journey financed by the villagers themselves. Although the monasteries at Athos were famed for their vast collections of Greek manuscripts and books, the art of icon painting was not actually practiced there. Malyavin was disappointed to learn that they only made copies of Russian icons. Having used up his money and thus unable to return to Russia, Malyavin entered the monastery as a novice, and was charged with painting icons and murals. This continued until 1891, when Malyavin met Vladimir Beklemishev, a Russian
sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
and professor at the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts who was on a visit to Athos. Beklemishev was greatly impressed by Malyavin's work and invited him to Petersburg. In March 1892, Malyavin arrived in St. Petersburg and, with Beklemishev's help, was enrolled in the Academy of Arts. Due to the Academy reforms of 1894, Malyavin was able to choose his own teacher after completing the Academy curriculum. His options included such great artists as
Vladimir Makovsky Vladimir Yegorovich Makovsky (; – 21 February 1920) was a Russian painter, art collector, and teacher. Biography Makovsky was the son of collector, Egor Ivanovich Makovsky, who was one of the founders of the Moscow Art School. Vladimir ha ...
and
Arkhip Kuindzhi Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi ( ; ; – ) was a Russian landscape painter. Date of birth Kuindzhi's exact date of birth is not known. Although it was believed that he was born in 1842, the latest discoveries in archives suggest that he was born i ...
. However, Malyavin applied for, and was accepted into, the studio of Russian realist
Ilya Repin Ilya Yefimovich Repin ( – 29 September 1930) was a Russian painter, born in what is today Ukraine. He became one of the most renowned artists in Russian Empire, Russia in the 19th century. His major works include ''Barge Haulers on the Volga' ...
, who among others, also taught
Igor Grabar Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar (, 25 March 1871 – 16 May 1960) was a Russian Post-Impressionist painter, publisher, restorer and historian of art. Grabar, descendant of a wealthy Rusyn family, was trained as a painter by Ilya Repin in Saint Pe ...
,
Konstantin Somov Konstantin Andreyevich Somov (; – 6 May 1939) was a Russian artist associated with the ''Mir iskusstva'' ("World of Art") movement that began in the last decade of the 19th century. After the Russian Revolution, he eventually emigrated to Pa ...
,
Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva Anna Petrovna Ostroumova-Lebedeva (, 17 May 1871 — 5 May 1955) was a Russian and Soviet artist and painter most notable for her watercolor painting. She was also one of the pioneers of the woodcut technique in Russia. She was one of the member ...
, and
Boris Kustodiev Boris Mikhaylovich Kustodiev (; – 28 May 1927) was a Russian and later Soviet painter and stage designer. Early life Boris Kustodiev was born in Astrakhan into the family of a professor of philosophy, history of literature, and logic at t ...
. It was here, in Repin's studio, that Malyavin began creating some of his most famous early works, including ''Peasant Girl Knitting a Stocking'' (1895), which is the first of his paintings in which he introduces his
favorite color In the Color psychology, psychology of color, color preferences are the tendency for an individual or a group to prefer some colors over others, such as having a favorite color or a traditional color. Introduction An 'ecological Valence (psy ...
, red. Three of these early works, all depicting peasant women, were exhibited at the Moscow Art Lovers' Society Salon. Two of these were bought by
Pavel Tretyakov Pavel Mikhaylovich Tretyakov (; 27 December 1832 – 16 December 1898) was a Russian businessman, patron of art, collector, and philanthropist who gave his name to the Tretyakov Gallery and Tretyakov Drive in Moscow. His brother Sergei Tre ...
for the
Tretyakov Gallery The State Tretyakov Gallery (; abbreviated ГТГ, ''GTG'') is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, which is considered the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. The gallery's history starts in 1856 when the Muscovite merchant Pavel ...
. Malyavin also began to perfect his style of portraiture, creating another series of paintings depicting his fellow-artists from Repin's studio. Among the best of these is that of
Konstantin Somov Konstantin Andreyevich Somov (; – 6 May 1939) was a Russian artist associated with the ''Mir iskusstva'' ("World of Art") movement that began in the last decade of the 19th century. After the Russian Revolution, he eventually emigrated to Pa ...
, who would later found the
World of Art ''World of Art'' (formerly known as ''The World of Art Library'') is a long established series of pocket-sized art books from the British publisher Thames & Hudson, comprising over 300 titles as of 2021. The books are typically around 200 page ...
group. Malyavin's fame spread quickly, and it was not long before society grandees such as Baroness Wolf and Mme. Popova began coming to him to have their portraits painted. From 1895 to 1899, Malyavin painted frenetically. In 1897, he was awarded the status of Artist, but only after much debate, and for his series of portraits rather than his competition painting, ''Laughter'', which depicted Russian women in red dresses in a green meadow. His work was too different, too bright, and it had no plot - it did not fit the contemporary art scene at the time. Thus, in 1900, Malyavin traveled to
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, and took France by storm. French newspapers hailed him as "a credit to Russian painting," and ''Laughter'' was awarded a gold medal and bought by the Museo d'arte moderno in
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
. His work was suddenly in demand, with the Luxembourg Museum in Paris buying ''Three Women''. On returning to Russia, Malyavin married Natalia Novaak-Sarich, the daughter of a rich industrialist from Odessa and a private student at the Higher Art School. They settled in a village near
Ryazan Ryazan (, ; also Riazan) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 C ...
, and Malyavin devoted himself entirely to his art. His work began appearing in the salons of the
World of Art ''World of Art'' (formerly known as ''The World of Art Library'') is a long established series of pocket-sized art books from the British publisher Thames & Hudson, comprising over 300 titles as of 2021. The books are typically around 200 page ...
group, and the
Union of Russian Artists ''Mir iskusstva'' ( rus, «Мир искусства», p=ˈmʲir ɪˈskustvə, ''World of Art'') was both a Russian magazine and the artistic movement it fostered, playing a significant role in shaping the Russian avant-garde. The movement was d ...
. Malyavin reached his peak between 1905 and 1907, during Russia's revolutionary crisis. Unlike other painters, at this time he focused on his "peasant" canvases. These paintings are unusual in terms of their use of bright colors and their large scales, which mark them more than their usually generic titles. In 1906, Malyavin painted ''Whirlwind'', his greatest painting, and the Assembly of the Academy of Arts awarded him the rank of "Academician," "in consideration of his fame in the field of art." Between 1908 and 1910, Malyavin did not display any work, and the official art critics began attacking him more and more frequently. He traveled to Paris, and on his return, painted a large family portrait, which he exhibited in January 1911, at the salon of the Union of Russian Artists. The painting was a failure, and between 1911 and 1915, Malyavin exhibited only the works of the earlier period. In 1918, Malyavin moved with his family to
Ryazan Ryazan (, ; also Riazan) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 C ...
, where he participated in the Ryazan Commissariat for Education's propaganda of art and taught. In 1920, he went to Moscow, where he was admitted to the Kremlin and made drawings for Lenin's portrait. He also painted a portrait of
Anatoly Lunacharsky Anatoly Vasilyevich Lunacharsky (, born ''Anatoly Aleksandrovich Antonov''; – 26 December 1933) was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and the first Soviet People's Commissariat for Education, People's Commissar (minister) of Education, as well ...
, and his works were displayed in Moscow exhibitions. In fall of 1922, Malyavin traveled abroad with his family yet again, to organize a traveling exhibition of his works. The family settled in Paris, where he painted portraits on commission and where his work was exhibited in 1924. In 1933, he toured
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,
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,
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, and
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, exhibiting his work, and in 1935 and 1937, he exhibited his work in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
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, and
Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionNice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionCaucade Cemetery The Russian Orthodox Cemetery, Nice () also known as the Orthodox cemetery in Caucade, is a cemetery located southwest of Nice, France. History and description The cemetery was established on a plot bought by Russia in 1867 on the hill of Caucade ...
. He is noted for changing the portrayal of peasants in Russian painting and for his brilliant use of color. File:Zwei russische schoenheiten.jpg, Two Russian beauties (circa 1905) File:Filipp Malyavin - Вихрь - Google Art Project.jpg, Whirlwind (1906) File:Junge frau auf einer schaukel.jpg, Young woman on a swing
(circa 1910) File:Philip Maliavin- Retrato do Embaixador Smirnoff.JPG, Ambassador Smirnoff (1926)


References


Literature

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External links


ArtNet BiographyPhilip Malyavin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malyavin, Filipp 1869 births 1940 deaths People from Orenburg Oblast People from Buzuluksky Uyezd 19th-century painters from the Russian Empire Russian male painters 20th-century Russian painters Draughtsmen 19th-century male artists from the Russian Empire 20th-century Russian male artists People associated with Mount Athos Mir iskusstva artists