Grabar’s Biography

Grabar Igor Emmanuilovich (1871-1960) was the Russian painter, critic, the national artist of RSFSR, the full member of the Academy of sciences of the USSR (with 1943) and Academy of arts of the USSR (with 1947) and the figure in the field of protection and restoration of monuments of art. He was born in Budapest. In1880 he came to Russia. From1889 to1893 he studied on a faculty of law at St-Petersburg University. During the same period he worked in satirical magazines, and collaborated with "Niva" as a writer and an artist. In 1893-94 he illustrated literary works of N.V. Gogol. Since1894 he studied in the Petersburg Academy of arts, where for some time he was taught by I.E.Repin. In 1896-1901 he lived abroad and studied under A.Amebe in Munich, after what was engaged in teaching. At this time he experienced influence of the westernmodernist style andimpressionism that has affected a number of his works. In 1901, having returned to Russia, joined an art group called“ the World of art ”.  Overcoming limitations of aesthetic norms of this association, based  on traditions of a national Russian realistic landscape, Grabar in his best works of the beginning of 1900 truthfully and sincerely represented Russian nature [“ the Sun beam ”, 1901, “ the September snow ”, 1903, and in a number of landscapes of 1904: “ The rook’s nests (White winter) ”, “ the March snow ”, “ February azure ”, etc.]. However in a number of these works and works of the following period we see the influence of impressionist tendencies (“ Frosty morning”. “Pink beams ”, 1906).
In 90th of 19 century Grabar started to work as the art critic, and at that time his articles were affected by decadent flows. In 1909-1916 multivolume “History of Russian art ” was published. Grabar was the initiator and the editor of this work and the author of its major sections. The archival material on arts collected in this work is considered to be of great value, because it has enabled to show riches and greatness of Russian art. In 1909-1914 Grabar worked as the architect-builder of sanatorium in" Zaharjino" (near Moscow) which architectural shape has reflected his passion  for Russian classicism and architecture of Revival in Italy.

In 1913-1925 Grabar headed Tretiakov's gallery, where in 1914-15 he made full reexposition, having systematized works of art in historical sequence, and in 1917 he has published catalogue of the gallery that had a significant scientific value.

After revolution of 1917 Grabar managed the Department of protection of monuments of art and antiquity and other museum’s affairs. For many years Grabar was a director of the Central state restoration workshops. The workshops activity had strong scientific basis and resulted in opening of numerous remarkable monuments of old Russian art - icons and frescos in Novgorod, Pskov, Vladimir, and other cities. In 1926-1930 Grabar was the editor of a department of the fine arts of the Big Soviet Encyclopedia. During Soviet time, together with the beginning of his public work certain serious changes occurred in his creativity. His art has gained realistic character in 1930. During this period Grabar created a plenty of landscapes, full of lyrical charm and expressing patriotic feelings of the artist (“ the Winter sunny day ”, 1941, etc.) . A landscape is one of the major areas of Grabar’s creativity, where he has reached the great success. The important place in his creativity belongs to a portrait. In 1930-1940, following the experience of Russian artists-realists of second half of 19th - the beginning of 20th century, Grabar  created the whole gallery of portraits of figures of the Soviet culture: scientists, writers, musicians, actors, artists (acad. N.D.Zelinsky, 1932; acad. S.A.Chaplygin, 1935; harpist V.G. Dulova, 1935; self-portraits etc.). Realistic manner, vivacity and emotional images are characteristic of such portraits, as "Svetlana" (1933).

Work on image of the Soviet person turned Grabar to great historical themes. He created  such pictures as: “ V.I.Lenin on the direct wire ” (1933) and “ Peasants on  V.I. Lenin’s  reception “(1920} (1938). These portraits are based on historical materials, and images of Lenin and Stalin look very true to life. Grabar continued the detailed researches of Russian art, and during Soviet times he addressed to A.Rublyov's creativity (work concerning this matter is published in the book: “Questions of restoration”. The collection of the Center of the State restoration workshops, 1926) and I.E.Repina (the two-volume monography " Repin", 1937; that was awarded the Stalin award in 1941). Since 1944 Grabar  had been a director of Institute of history of arts of the Academy of sciences of the USSR. Grabar  was one of the editors of the fundamental work published by institute about I.E.Repine - “Repine ” (2 vol., 1948-49, in  series “ the Art inheritance ”) Grabar gave  all his effort to educate young Soviet artists and critics, supervising them in painting and heading art high schools.

His paintings are kept in Lenin's Museum and in Tretiakov's gallery in Moscow, in Russian museum in St.-Petersburg and in other museums of Russia. He was awarded with two Lenin's awards, an award of the Red Banner of Labour  and medals.