Nikolai Konstantinovich Kalmakov, known as Nicholas Kalmakoff (; 23 January 1873,

Nervi Nervi is a former fishing village 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Portofino on the Riviera di Levante, now a seaside resort in Liguria, in northwest Italy. Once an independent ''comune'', it is now a ''quartiere'' of Genoa. Nervi is 4 miles ( ...

, Italy – 2 February 1955, Chelles, France), was a Russian

symbolist Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

painter, graphic artist, and

set designer Scenic design, also known as stage design or set design, is the creation of scenery for theatrical productions including plays and musicals. The term can also be applied to film and television productions, where it may be referred to as prod ...

whose work is characterized by motifs dealing with spirituality,

occultism The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mystic ...

and sexuality.Biography of Kalmakov
@ Maslovka

Biography

He was born to a Russian general who was living in Italy and had married there. His interest in occultism may have been sparked when he was introduced to the tales of the

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm (1786–1859), were Germans, German academics who together collected and published folklore. The brothers are among the best-known storytellers of Oral tradit ...

and

E. T. A. Hoffmann Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann; 24 January 1776 – 25 June 1822) was a German Romantic author of fantasy and Gothic horror, a jurist, composer, music critic and artist.Penrith Goff, "E.T.A. Hoffmann" in ...

by his German governess. Around 1890, his family moved back to Russia and he graduated from the

Imperial School of Jurisprudence The Imperial School of Jurisprudence () was, along with the Page Corps, a school for boys in Saint Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire. The school for would-be imperial administrators was founded by Duke Peter of Oldenburg in 1835. T ...

in 1895. "List of former pupils of the Imperial School of Jurisprudence, who completed the course of sciences there from 1840–1917"
by N. Pashenny (1967) Following that, he returned to Italy, where he became self-taught in painting and anatomy. By 1900, he was once again in Russia; dividing his time between

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

and

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. Although he preferred to work in isolation, he maintained loose contacts with some artists' associations and the St. Petersburg theater world, where he caused a sensation with elaborate and taboo-breaking costumes and stage designs. He also worked as a book illustrator and made personalized

bookplate An , also known as a bookplate (or book-plate, as it was commonly styled until the early 20th century), is a printed or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the front endpaper, to indicate ownership. Simple typographical bookplates are ...

s. Shortly after the start of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he was drafted, but spent only a short time in combat before being transferred to work in a field hospital. In 1920, during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, he left Russia and made his way to France. From 1924, he lived a reclusive life in Paris. An attempt to re-establish himself as a set designer was unsuccessful. His work remained little known and he died in obscurity, at a nursing home in Chelles. Seven years after his death, in 1962, the art collectors Bertrand Collin du Bocage and Georges Martin du Nord discovered samples of his abandoned work in a large

flea market A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously owned (secondhand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal' ...

to the north of Paris. Kalmakoff's works were finally exhibited at the Galerie Motte in February 1964. In Russia, his works may be seen at the

Russian Museum The State Russian Museum (), formerly known as the Russian Museum of His Imperial Majesty Alexander III (), on Arts Square in Saint Petersburg, is the world's largest depository of Russian fine art. It is also one of the largest art museums in ...

, 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 ...

, the

Bakhrushin Museum A. A. Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum (abbreviated as SCTM. A. A. Bakhrushin, the Bakhrushin Museum, the former Literary-Theatrical Museum of the Imperial Academy of Sciences , also known as ГЦТМ им. А.А.Бахрушина) is a m ...

and the

Pushkin Museum The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts (, abbreviated as , ''GMII'') is the largest museum of European art in Moscow. It is located in Volkhonka street, just opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The International musical festival Sviatos ...

References

External links

Works by Kalmakoff
@ ArtNet

@ Visionary Revue
"The Triumph of Passion: Nicholas Kalmakoff's Temptresses and Demons" (Artists of the Weird World # 1)
@ A Thing of Oddness {{DEFAULTSORT:Kalmakoff, Nicholas 20th-century Russian male artists 1873 births 1955 deaths Russian emigrants to France Symbolist painters Russian scenic designers

Biography

References

Further reading

External links