Ulyanov Nikolai Pavlovich (1875-1949)
In the history of Russian art, the figure of N. P. Ulyanov is, as it were, in the shadows. He did not belong to artistic groups and kept aloof from innovative ways in painting. His gift is not a gift of a discoverer, but a successor and a keeper; He lived up to this role with unfailing dignity.
His first teacher at MUZHVZ (1889-1900) was N. N. Ge, who predicted the future of a historical painter for a student (it came true in the 1930s and 40s with the Pushkin Series and the painting Lauriston at Kutuzov's Headquarters).
But the influence of V. A. Serov turned out to be stronger: Ulyanov became his friend and assistant (in teaching at the Free Workshop at the school and in the studio of E. N. Zvantseva, 1900-07), he adopted the style of drawing and the compositional "formularity" of portraits S. Glagoleva, 1911; V. I. Ivanova, 1920, up to the portrait "K. S. Stanislavsky at work", 1947).
However, the color saturation of Ulyanov's painting of the 1910-20s. and its rhythmic sharpness is already far from Serov's precepts. The artist discovers the metaphorical nature of thinking - he is interested in the compressed symbols of modern civilization, its transience and phantomism ("Parisian Showcase", 1909-11; "Cafe", 1917; "Carousels" and "Swings", 1909-20s). Predilection for sharp angles, for spatial intrigue - for example, for the motif of the mirror repetition of forms ("Self-portrait with a hairdresser", 1919; "A. S. Pushkin with his wife at a court ball", 1937) - is associated with the important theme for him appearances, real and imaginary. Attention to this issue brings Ulyanov closer to the painters of the Symbolist circle.
Ulyanov's inherent combination of symbolist iconic images with natural realism turned out to be akin to the program of the Moscow Art Theater, hence the artist's long collaboration with K. S. Stanislavsky - from K. Hamsun's "Drama of Life" (1907) to M. A. Bulgakov's plays "Turbin Days" (1925- 26) and "Molière" (1933-36). In Soviet times, it was the theater and work on the image of A. S. Pushkin (painting and graphic cycles, 1935-49) that helped the artist to preserve his mastery and cultural organics.
(1875, Yelets - 5.5.1949, Moscow)
Painter, graphic artist, theater artist. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1934).
In the staff of the Art Theater from 1906 to 1908 and from 1923 to 1925, his father was from serfs. As a boy, he was apprenticed to an icon painter, first in Yelets, and then in Moscow. From the workshop on First Meshchanskaya, where the life of the student proceeded in the manner of the life of Chekhov's Vanka Zhukov, he was pulled out by fellow painter V. N. Meshkov, who contributed to Ulyanov's admission to the School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Ulyanov spent more than ten years there. V. A. Serov, who came to the School, played a decisive role in his creative destiny. After the first successes, Ulyanov became close to the artistic elite of the Golden Fleece circle, with S. Sudeikin, N. Sapunov, N. Feofilaktov, M. Saryan, P. Kuznetsov. In 1905, Ulyanov was one of the enthusiasts of the Studio on Povarskaya. He owns the scenery for the play "Shlyuk and Yau" and sketches for "Seller of the Sun" (whose rehearsals, however, did not begin). For the third scene in Hauptmann's play, whose action, on the advice of Stanislavsky, was correlated with the "age of powder", Ulyanov invented exaggerated crinolines and wigs that resembled fantastic cloud towers. Seven princesses in these crinolines sat in seven trellis arbors, through which the sky sparkled in lambs; the mesh on the crinolines repeated the pattern of the trellises. The seven princesses embroidered a golden ribbon that hung softly between the pavilions, unifying the whole picture.
With Meyerhold, about whom Ulyanov retained the most vivid impressions (he owns the famous portrait of Meyerhold in Pierrot's costume), he met again in works for the stage only in 1928 (“Woe to Wit”, costumes). Stanislavsky, immediately after the liquidation of the Studio on Povarskaya, attracted the artist to further cooperation. Ulyanov, who was a participant in the exhibition of a historical portrait in the Tauride Palace (1905), helped Stanislavsky in the production of Woe from Wit (costumes). In Hamsun's "Drama of Life" (1907), Ulyanov received the most important act for the stage director - the stage of the fair. He realized the director's idea by placing tents at different heights - the lights lit inside turned them into translucent screens, the shadows of people swayed on the canvas, the wind strengthened this game, shaking the lanterns. Ulyanov introduced light strikes - pillars of the northern lights appeared, giving even more illusory nature to what was happening at the distraught, sea-covered fair. Everything was complemented by the whirling of a wild carousel (this motif will be repeated in Ulyanov's painting). The director and the artist managed to use the height of the stage box: a huge cold desert of the sky appeared and under it - a bustling theater of shadows. Stanislavsky offered Ulyanov work on "The Life of a Man" and "The Blue Bird", but the period of the artist's stormy theatrical enthusiasm ended. Ulyanov returned to painting. He taught at the Stroganov School, then at VKhUTEMAS. For the stage, he began to work again from the beginning of the 20s. In 1921 he made sketches for Offenbach's Orpheus in Hell and rough sketches for Rebikov's opera The Noble Nest for the Musical Studio of the Moscow Art Theater (not implemented). He also worked for the Maly Theater (designing performances by Molière, 1919) and for the Demonstration Theater (At Diderot's).
Stanislavsky sought a new rapprochement with Ulyanov, offering him participation in Eugene Onegin (Opera Studio) and then persuading him to take on The Days of the Turbins. The artist did not really appreciate this work of his because of its “painterly stinginess”. But it was appreciated by both the actors and the public. “The performance in its external form could seem emphatically traditional, blatantly traditional, but only seem. The artist N. P. Ulyanov felt the strict expressiveness of the play, and he seemed to fade into the background, becoming, as it were, invisible and inaudible. But he was completely imbued with the atmosphere of the apartment with cream curtains, with some kind of conciliatory bluish-silver color of the wallpaper, with strict and precise lines of a slightly sloping room, with meager and few furniture, without being carried away by everyday details. There was a sense of uneasiness in the very air of the simply designed stage. And her inner anxiety was conveyed by the entire team of actors - infected, tormented, cherished by it ”(P. A. Markov. Book of Memoirs. M., 1983, p. 232-233).
Anxiety lived just as deeply in the light and spatial solution of the “Gymnasium” scene - the steep front flights of stairs rising to the portrait of Alexander I (the background of the figure is vaguely visible - the military camp); tall rounded windows filled with darkness.
Ulyanov continued his cooperation with the director, who was unusually dear to him, taking up Molière (costume designs). Stanislavsky accepted with admiration his work on Carmen at the Opera House: “The impression is very great, exciting, good and unexpected. This is Spain! […] I believe everything, everything. In “Carmen” everything is true that will make the production and opera folk, soldiery, peasant, smuggling. This is very good. I embrace Nikolai Pavlovich and congratulate him on his wonderful work. He is now our artistic joy in the theater ”(from a letter to P.I. Rumyantsev dated 03/23/1934). In the Museum. Bakhrushin has more than a hundred sketches of scenery and costumes for the opera staged at the Opera Theatre. Stanislavsky's opera Bizet (1935).
In addition to many drawings made from life during the opera rehearsals of K. S. Stanislavsky, Ulyanov left a portrait painting “Stanislavsky at work” (1947). She completes his series of portraits of Moscow Art Theater figures (O. L. Knipper in life and in the role from The Cherry Orchard, 1904; portraits of L. M. Leonidov and M. M. Tarkhanov; by the way, Tarkhanov served as a model for Ulyanov for Kutuzov in the picture "Lauriston at Kutuzov's Headquarters").
Pushkin and his wife in front of a mirror
Born in Yelets, Oryol Province, lived and worked in Moscow.
Swing
In the history of Russian art, the figure of N. P. Ulyanov is, as it were, in the shadows. He did not belong to artistic groups and kept aloof from innovative ways in painting. His gift is not a gift of a discoverer, but a successor and a keeper; He lived up to this role with unfailing dignity.
K.S.Stanislavsky at work
His first teacher at MUZHVZ (1889-1900) was N.N.Ge, who predicted the future of a historical painter for his student (it came true in the 1930s and 40s with the "Pushkin series" and the painting "Lauriston at Kutuzov's headquarters").
Loriston at Kutuzov's headquarters
But the influence of V.A. Serov turned out to be stronger: Ulyanov became his friend and assistant (in teaching at the Free Workshop at the school and in the studio of E.N. S. Glagoleva, 1911; V. I. Ivanova, 1920, up to the portrait "K. S. Stanislavsky at work", 1947).
Scenery
However, the color saturation of Ulyanov's painting of the 1910-20s. and its rhythmic sharpness is already far from Serov's precepts. The artist discovers the metaphorical nature of thinking - he is interested in the compressed symbols of modern civilization, its transience and phantomism ("Parisian Showcase", 1909-11; "Cafe", 1917; "Carousels" and "Swings", 1909-20s).
Clouds
Predilection for sharp angles, for spatial intrigue - for example, for the motif of the mirror repetition of forms ("Self-portrait with a hairdresser", 1919; "A. S. Pushkin with his wife at a court ball", 1937) - is associated with the important theme for him appearances, real and imaginary. Attention to this issue brings Ulyanov closer to the painters of the Symbolist circle.
Bullfinches
Ulyanov's inherent combination of symbolist iconic images with natural realism turned out to be akin to the program of the Moscow Art Theater, hence the artist's long collaboration with K. S. Stanislavsky - from K. Hamsun's "Drama of Life" (1907) to M. A. Bulgakov's plays "Turbin Days" (1925- 26) and "Molière" (1933-36). In Soviet times, it was the theater and work on the image of A. S. Pushkin (painting and graphic cycles, 1935-49) that helped the artist to preserve his mastery and cultural organics.
Portrait of Mikhail Lermontov
Moscow street
The artist N. P. Ulyanov was born on May 1, 1875 in the city of Yelets, in the family of a district paramedic, the mother of the future artist was engaged in lace weaving.
In 1887 he graduated from the parochial school in Yelets. In 1888, his father took the thirteen-year-old Nikolai to study in Moscow, but, having no funds, he was forced to send his son to an icon-painting workshop on First Meshchanskaya Street. Countryman, realist artist V. N. Meshkov, who himself went through the school of apprentice icon painter, took the boy from the icon painting workshop and prepared him for a year to enter the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.
In 1889-1900 N. P. Ulyanov studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Among his teachers were such prominent realist teachers as K. A. Savitsky, N. V. Nevrev, I. M. Pryanishnikov, and, finally, V. A. Serov, who had a particularly great influence on him. From 1897 to 1900, he was awarded four small silver medals for student assignments (drawing, painting, and so on). In 1900, N. Ulyanov was awarded a large silver medal for the painting "Clean Ponds", and received the title of a non-class artist.
After graduating from the general classes of the school until 1902, Nikolai Pavlovich worked in the workshop of V. A. Serov, opened at the school. In 1901-1907 he taught at private schools of E. N. Zvantseva and A. A. Khotyaintseva.
In 1907, the artist traveled to Italy, in 1909 - to France, in 1912 - on a scholarship from the E. D. Polenova Foundation, he visited Germany and Italy.
From 1902 to 1912 (with interruptions) N. P. Ulyanov participated in exhibitions of the Moscow Association of Artists, in 1907 he exhibited his works at the exhibition "Wreath", in 1911 he participated in the World Exhibition in Rome, in 1911-1923 he was participant of exhibitions of the Union of Russian Artists, in 1923, 1925 - exhibitions of the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia. In 1926, his personal exhibition was held at the State Academy of Artistic Sciences, timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of his creative activity. In 1929, his exhibition of drawings and watercolors was held at the House of Scientists.
In 1915-1918, N. P. Ulyanov taught drawing at the Stroganov School of Industrial Art, in 1919-1920 - at the First State Free Art Workshops, in 1920-1921 - at the Higher Art and Technical Workshops (VHUTEMAS), Prechistensky Practical Institute at the Department of Fine Arts, School of Gifted Children in Bolshie Vyazemy.
In 1917, N. P. Ulyanov became one of the founders of the Professional Union of Moscow Painters. He was a member of the associations "Union of Russian Artists" (1911), "World of Art" (1913), "Four Arts" (1925).
Already in the early period, Nikolai Pavlovich showed himself as a subtle draftsman and portrait painter, a representative of modern and neoclassical. Later, under the influence of cubism and futurism, he developed a peculiar style, splitting the visible world on the verge, but still keeping it in line with the traditional type of painting. In the 1920s, N. P. Ulyanov left the avant-garde search, again returning to the Art Nouveau style. In the 1930s and 1940s, the artist turned to neoclassical images of history and artistic creativity.
N. P. Ulyanov became widely known for his portraits, in which he acts as a follower of his teacher V. A. Serov. He created a gallery of portraits of theater, literature, science and art figures: A. P. Chekhov, L. N. Tolstoy, M. Yu. Lermontov, K. D. Balmont, O. L. Knipper-Chekhova, composer A. N. Scriabin, director K. S. Stanislavsky, sculptor A. S. Golubkina and others.
His "Pushkiniana" is widely known, in which all stages of the poet's life found their artistic reflection, from lyceum childhood to tragic death: "Pushkin in the gardens of the Lyceum" (1935), "Pushkin in the study" (1936), "Pushkin in Mikhailovsky" (1949), "Pushkin with his wife in front of a mirror at a court ball" (1936), etc.
N. P. Ulyanov developed the traditions of pictorial symbolism in scenography, collaborating with the leadership of the Moscow Art Theater, the Maly Theater, and the Stanislavsky Opera House. Such an artistic vision of Ulyanov led to his long-term collaboration with Konstantin Stanislavsky and other theater directors. He worked as a theater designer, designing performances: “The Drama of Life” by K. Hamsun (1907), “The Tricks of Scapin” by J. B. Molière (1918), “The Days of the Turbins” by M. Bulgakov (1926), “Carmen” by J. Bizet (1935) and others.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the artist was evacuated to Nalchik, then to Tbilisi, since 1942 N. P. Ulyanov lived in Samarkand, taught at the Moscow Art Institute. V. I. Surikov, who is also in evacuation. At the end of 1943 he returned to Moscow.
Nikolai Pavlovich wrote memoirs about L. N. Tolstoy, N. N. Ge, V. A. Serov, A. S. Golubkina, V. E. Meyerhold, K. S. Stanislavsky, A. N. Scriabin (“My meetings ”), as well as autobiographical memoirs. He is the author of several articles and essays on art theory ("People of the Twilight Age").
N. P. Ulyanov - Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1932), corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1949). Laureate of the Stalin Prize of the third degree (1948) for the painting "K. S. Stanislavsky at work” (1947). He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1945).
His paintings are kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery, in the Pushkin House in St. Petersburg, the State Pushkin Museum in Moscow, the Leo Tolstoy Museum and in other collections.
Author's works
Memories of Serov / N. P. Ulyanov. - M.; L.: Art, 1945. - 80 p. : ill.
My meetings: memories: [incl. autobiographical materials about the artist's childhood years in Yelets] / N. P. Ulyanov; ed., entry. article and note. M. P. Sokolnikova. - M .: Publishing House of Acad. Arts of the USSR, 1952. - 247 p. : portr., ill.
My meetings: memories: [incl. autobiographical materials about the artist's childhood years in Yelets] / N. P. Ulyanov; ed., entry. article and note. M. P. Sokolnikova. - 2nd ed., add. - M.: Academy of Arts of the USSR, 1959. - 174 p. : ill.
People of the era of twilight: [Sat. Art. and memories] / N. P. Ulyanov; [prepar. text, foreword and note. L. L. Pravoverova]. - M. : Agraf, 2004. - 558 p. : ill. - (Symbols of time).
Literature about life and work
Muratov P. P. Nikolay Pavlovich Ulyanov / P. P. Muratov, B. A. Griftsov. - M.; L .: State. Published, 1925. - 102 p. : ill.
Catalog Exhibition of drawings and watercolors by N. P. Ulyanova / entry. Art. N. G. Moshkovtsova; comp. S. I. Lobanov. - M.: "House of Scientists" TSEKUBU, 1929. - 20 p.
Nikolai Pavlovich Ulyanov, Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Arts, laureate of the Stalin Prize. 1875-1949: [exhibition catalog]. - M.: Sov. artist, 1951. - 7 p. : ill.
Lavrova O. I. Nikolai Pavlovich Ulyanov. 1875-1949 / O. I. Lavrova. - M.: Art, 1953. - 56 p. : ill. - (Mass b-ka).
Nikolai Pavlovich Ulyanov. 1875-1949 / [essay by O. Roitenberg]. - M.: Sov. artist, 1953. - 76 p. : ill.
Rudnev F. Master of psychological portrait // For communism [Yelets district]. - 1955. - July 28.
Klimova M. N. P. Ulyanov: [about fig. artist, representation at vyst. in Moscow. Manege] // Creativity. - 1963. - No. 2. - S. 13.
Logvinov S. Our fellow countryman is an artist // Red Banner [Yelets]. - 1965. - March 21.
Kruzhkov N. Originally from Yelets // Ogonyok. - 1965. - No. 21. - S. 16.
Fedoseeva N. N. Ulyanov N. P. // Journey through the Lipetsk region. - Voronezh, 1971. - S. 293.
Osmolovsky Yu. Painting by N. Ulyanov about Pushkin: [“A. S. Pushkin and N. N. Pushkin at a court ball in front of a mirror, 1937] // Art. - 1975. - No. 7. - S. 48-50.
Nebuko A. Talented artist // Lenin banner. - 1975. - May 10.
Lenyashin V. The value of all living things: [on the work of the artist. N. P. Ulyanova] // Artist. - 1975. - No. 11 - S. 39-45.
Lenyashin V. A. Nikolai Pavlovich Ulyanov / V. A. Lenyashin. - L.: Artist of the RSFSR, 1976. - 46 p. : ill. - (Mass library on art).
A. V. Kuprin, S. D. Lebedeva, N. P. Ulyanov: exhibition catalog / comp. Z. V. Lukina; under total ed. Yu. A. Tarasova; [intro. Art. K. S. Kravchenko, I. M. Blyanova]. - L.: Art, 1977. - 159 p. : ill.
Pravoverova L. L. "The Hermit from Starokonyushenny" // Man. - 1995. - No. 4. - S. 123-126.
Shilov K. Borisov-Musatov / K. Shilov. - M.: Mol. guard, 2000. - S. 94, 133-139.
Muratova E. My early memories of the artist Nikolai Pavlovich Ulyanov // Andreeva I. Elusive creation: meetings. Memories. Letters / I. Andreeva. - M. : Coincidence, 2000. - S. 128-133.
Ulyanov Nikolai Pavlovich // Tulinova O.V. An inexhaustible source of inspiration: artists of the Yelets land: monograph. / O. V. Tulinova. - Yelets, 2007. - S. 17-27. - (Countrymen about fellow countrymen; issue 6).
Polonsky V. My struggle on the literary front: a diary. May 1920 - Jan. 1932: [statements of the author. about N. Ulyanov] // New World. - 2008. - No. 4. - S. 135.
Kukrak S. Pushkinian artist Nikolai Ulyanov// Golden Key. - 2009. - 4 Aug. (No. 16). - S. Illustrated Dictionary of Russian Art: encyclopedia. world art / ed.-comp. N. A. Borisovskaya. - M. : White City, 2001. - S. 478-480.
Glorious names of the land of Lipetsk: biogr. ref. about the known writers, scientists, educators, deyat. art. - Lipetsk, 2007. - S. 395-397.
Artists: Bibliography. decree. - Voronezh, 1982. - S. 16-17.
Events and dates of the Lipetsk Territory for 2010. - Lipetsk, 2009. - S. 68-69.
Internet resources
Solovieva I. Nikolai Pavlovich Ulyanov [Electronic resource] // Moscow Art Theater. A.P. Chekhov: site. - Access mode: http://www.mxat.ru/history/persons/ulyanov_n_p/. - 19.09.2017.
Ulyanov Nikolai Pavlovich [Electronic resource] // Investments in art: site. - Access mode: https://artinvestment.ru/auctions/1114/biography.html. - 19.09.2017.
Fund 2022. Ulyanov Nikolai Pavlovich (1875-1945) - artist [Electronic resource] // Russian State Archive of Literature and Art: site. - Access mode: http://www.rgali.ru/object/11041998?lc=ru#!page:1/o:11041998/p:1. - 19.09.2017.
Abrosova V. Levin and Kitty in old age: [memoirs of N. Ulyanov about Leo Tolstoy] [Electronic resource] // Nezavisimaya gazeta: site. - Access mode: http://www.ng.ru/style/1999-09-16/levin.html. - 19.09.2017.
