Rostislav Ivanovich Vovkushevsky (russian: Ростисла́в Ива́нович Вовкуше́вский; March 22, 1917 – August 14, 2000) was a Russian Soviet realist painter, who lived and worked in Leningrad. He was a member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists (before 1992 named as the Leningrad branch of Union of Artists of Russian Federation), and regarded as one of representatives of the Leningrad school of painting.

Biography

Rostislav Ivanovich Vovkushevsky was born March 22, 1917, in the city of Polotsk, Vitebsk Province, Belorussia, Russian Empire in family of railway engineer. In 1925 his family comes to Leningrad. In 1936 after graduation high school Rostislav Vovkushevsky entered at the Department of Architecture of the Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he studied of noted art educators Pavel Shillingovsky, Ivan Bilibin, Konstantin Rudakov, and Leonid Ovsannikov. In February 1942, together with the institute, he was evacuated from besieged Leningrad to Central Asia in Samarkand. In June 1942, Rostislav Vovkushevsky was drafted into the Red Army and took part in the Second World War, which led the Soviet people against Nazi Germany and its allies. As gunner he fought on the Volkhov Front and

2nd Belorussian Front The 2nd Belorussian Front (Russian: Второй Белорусский фронт, alternative spellings are 2nd Byelorussian Front) was a military formation, of Army group size, of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. Soviet army g ...

, took part in the liberation of the Nazi occupation of Poland and Baltik Republics. He was wounded and received military awards:

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 193 ...

Medal for Combat Service A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

, Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad", Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945", and others. After demobilization Rostislav Vovkushevsky returned to his studies and in 1949 graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after Ilya Repin in Victor Oreshnikov studio, together with Ivan Godlevsky, Maria Rudnitskaya, Valery Pimenov, Nikolai Babasuk, Victor Teterin, and other young artists. His graduated work was monumental painting named "Climbers". Rostislav Vovkushevsky has participated in art exhibitions since 1949. He painted portraits, landscapes, still lifes, genre scenes, worked as easel and monumental painter. His personal exhibition was in Saint Petersburg in 1995. Most famous for his decorative paintings of still lifes and portraits. His individual style evolved under the strong impression of dating as far back as the 1930s, with the works of French artists Claude Monet,

Pierre Bonnard Pierre Bonnard (; 3 October 186723 January 1947) was a French painter, illustrator and printmaker, known especially for the stylized decorative qualities of his paintings and his bold use of color. A founding member of the Post-Impressionist ...

, André Derain, love to which he retained for life. Painting of Rostislav Vovkushevsky bright and decorative. He uses pure color and half-tones, almost without having to mix paints. In 1949–1959 years Rostislav Vovkushevsky taught painting and drawing at the Leningrad Higher School of Industrial Art named after Vera Mukhina. Since 1949, Rostislav Vovkushevsky was a member of the

Leningrad Union of Artists Union of Artists of Saint Petersburg (russian: Санкт-Петербургский Союз художников) was established on August 2, 1932, as a creative union of the Leningrad artists and arts critics. Prior to 1959, it was called " Len ...

(since 1992, named as Saint Petersburg Union of Artists). Rostislav Ivanovich Vovkushevsky died on August 14, 2000 in Saint Petersburg. His paintings reside in art museums and private collections in Russia, Japan, England, Germany, Italy, in the U.S., France,''L' École de Leningrad. Auction Catalogue.'' - Paris: Drouot Richelieu, 27 Novembre 1989. - p. 66. and others.

References

Bibliography

* ''Artists of the peoples of the USSR. Biography and Bibliography Dictionary. Vol. 2''. Moscow, Iskusstvo Edition, 1972. P.308–309. * ''Directory of members of the Leningrad branch of Union of Artists of Russian Federation.'' Leningrad, Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1987. P.25. * ''L' École de Leningrad. Auction Catalogue.'' Paris, Drouot Richelieu. 1989, 27 Novembre. P.66. * ''L' École de Leningrad. Auction Catalogue.'' Paris, Drouot Richelieu. 1990, 12 Mars. P.98-99. * ''L' École de Leningrad. Auction Catalogue.'' Paris, Drouot Richelieu. 1990, 11 Juin. P.156-157. * ''A Parisian from Leningrad. Rostislav Vovkushevsky''. Saint Petersburg, Costa Edition, 2007. * ''Sergei V. Ivanov. Unknown Socialist Realism. The Leningrad School.'' Saint Petersburg, NP-Print Edition, 2007. P.9, 18, 26, 29, 231, 240, 298, 359, 388–396, 402–406, 413–417, 421-423, 446. , . * ''Anniversary Directory graduates of Saint Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture named after Ilya Repin, Russian Academy of Arts. 1915 – 2005''. Saint Petersburg: Pervotsvet Publishing House, 2007. P.60. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Vovkushevsky, Rostislav 1917 births 2000 deaths People from Polotsk People from Polotsky Uyezd 20th-century Russian painters Russian male painters Soviet painters Socialist realism Socialist realist artists Leningrad School artists Repin Institute of Arts alumni Members of the Leningrad Union of Artists Soviet military personnel of World War II 20th-century Russian male artists

Biography

See also

References

Bibliography