Peter Klodt comes from a poor, but very aristocratic German family, consisting of valiant warriors. His great-grandfather was one of the most bright people in the history of the Northern War, who honestly served Sweden with the rank of major general. Peter's father was a general who proved himself on the battlefields in the Patriotic War of 1812. Young years the future sculptor took place in Omsk, where his father served. It was here, in a quiet city, far from the noisy and brilliant St. Petersburg with its temptations and vices, that Klodt became interested in drawing and sculpting, reviving the images of horses in his works, which he created especially picturesquely and realistically.
After studying at the military Cossack school, Klodt returned to St. Petersburg. At that moment he was 17 years old. He entered the artillery school without any problems, but he devoted his free hours with inspiration to his favorite hobby. At the slightest opportunity, Baron Klodt took up a pencil or penknife and drew or carved the figures of horses, while at the same time studying in depth the habits of graceful animals.
After graduating from college, Klodt received the actual rank of second lieutenant and even served for some time in the training artillery brigade, but already in 1828 he left military service, deciding from now on to engage only in sculpture. Two years later, without stopping self-education, he entered the Academy of Arts as a volunteer. He belonged to the workshop of the famous foundry Ekimov, who supervised the casting of the most significant monuments of the early 19th century. It was Ekimov who initiated the student into the secrets of his business.
Klodt was also patronized by the rector of the Academy, Martos Ivan Petrovich, who encouraged the undertakings of a young sculptor who lived in one of the basements of the academy and, as the rumor goes, often kept horses here, from which he sculpted figurines that brought him a good income. It should be noted the foresight and simplicity of Martos, who often invited Klodt to visit and easily agreed to marry one of his daughters - Juliana Ivanovna, who became Klodt's devoted wife.
Sokolov Petr Fyodorovich “Portrait of P.K. Klodt” Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Narva triumphal gates and the first fruits of glory
The diligence and undoubted talent of Peter Klodt quickly brought results. In 1831, together with the sculptors Pimenov and Demut-Malinovsky, he received a serious government order and began work on the creation of an elegant sculptural group of six horses harnessed to the chariot of Glory (now it adorns the arch of the Narva triumphal gates). Klodt's horses are rapidly rushing and rising up animals. They feel wild indomitability and crushing energy, which gives the arch not only a solemn, but also a truly triumphant look.
The ingenious work has received its recognition. The young master was awarded the title of academician, as well as an apartment at the Academy of Arts and a large workshop, where Klodt spent most of his time. Often he aroused rumors and gossip in the refined Petersburg society, in which he appeared as an obsessed artist in an eternally soiled blouse, with a disheveled head, meeting in a dirty workshop the best representatives nobility and even members of the dynasty, not particularly on ceremony and behaving extremely simply.
After completing this work, the author received worldwide fame and patronage of Nicholas I. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Irina Smirnova
How Nicholas I gave horses
The next monumental work that elevated Klodt to the Olympus of Glory was an order for the execution of two sculptural groups "Horse Tamers", with which they first wanted to decorate the piers of Admiralteisky Boulevard (now the Alexander Garden is located on this site - approx.). The order was received in 1832. Work continued until 1841, when two bronze sculptural groups appeared on the Anichkov Bridge on the western abutments, and on the eastern abutments - their plaster copies made in bronze. However, the horses did not stay on the bridge for long: already in 1842, Nicholas I sent them as a gift to the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV, in 1846, newly cast horses were presented to the king of Sicily, Ferdinand II, and even later, copies of The Horse Tamers were installed in Peterhof, Strelna and at the horse yard of the Kuzminki estate near Moscow.
Klodt, who by that time must have already felt sick from this string of horses, decided not to make any more copies. In 1850, bronze statues were installed on the Anichkov Bridge, which were cast according to new models, resulting in a composition of four different sculptural groups representing dramatic story with a consistently developing plot: the conquest of a horse by a man who is victorious in the struggle against the merciless power of nature.
If you carefully look at the sculptures, you can see that in the first group, a naked athlete restrains the horse with effort, in the next one he reins him in with a powerful movement, in the third one the fight reaches its peak - the man is thrown to the ground, and in last track the athlete, falling on one knee, grabs the horse, and, holding the cord with both hands, still gains the upper hand on the animal. There is another interesting detail for observers: the statues of horses “looking” towards the Admiralty are shod, but the statues of those that look towards Vosstaniya Square are not. This is explained by the fact that foundries and forges were located on Liteiny Prospekt, and therefore shod horses "go" from the forges, and unshod horses, on the contrary, follow them.
For his masterpiece, Pyotr Klodt received a professorship and a significant annual pension. It would seem that now he could not worry about a prosperous future, but the sculptor was tireless. His next significant work was the monument to the fabulist Ivan Krylov in the Summer Garden. The publisher of satirical and educational magazines sits on a pedestal decorated with images of animals from famous fables. Last work Klodt became an equestrian monument to Emperor Nicholas I, which stands on St. Isaac's Square. The sculpture is remarkable not only from an artistic point of view, but also from a technical point of view: the statue has only two points of support without any auxiliary support, which cannot but attract attention and cause an admiring exclamation.
The original sketch, created by Klodt, was a rider on a calmly standing horse. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
The latest masterpiece
Pyotr Klodt died in 1867 at the age of 62 after last years life at Halala Manor, Finland. Death overtook the sculptor at the moment when he began to carve a cardboard horse - his last, unfinished creation, a small masterpiece for his beloved granddaughter.
1. Art around us
1. What is art?
A) part of the spiritual culture of mankind
B) historical style
B) folk art
2. Do you agree that all forms of art have mutual language? A) yes B) no
3. What kind of art is music? A) to plastic
B) to temporary C) to space
B) A. Gaudi
5. Where are these sculptures by M. Klodt installed?
A) Moscow - Kutuzovsky Prospekt
B) St. Petersburg - Anichkov Bridge
C) London - a bridge over the Thames
1. What is an artistic image?
B) a generalized idea of reality C) the artist's fantasy
2. What is style in art?
A) the artistic attitude of the artist
B) a generalized idea of reality
C) handwriting, techniques, features
3. What is language in art?
A) ways to convey an artistic image
B) verbal expression of the image
C) an insignificant phenomenon for art
4. Which artist owns these works? A) F. Malyavin
B) V. Borovikovsky C) P. Picasso
5. Who created the Menina painting?
A) O. Rodin B) D. Velasquez C) L. da Vinci
3. Science and art
1. Did art exist in Ancient Greece out of touch with science? A) yes B) no
2. What are the tasks of art and science?
A) different B) common
3. How many Muses did God Zeus have?
A) 3 B) 12 C) 9
4. What were the Muses called in ancient Greece?
1. Who was Leonardo da Vinci. Emphasize the extra (artist, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, engineer, writer, doctor, anatomist, lawyer)
2. What drawing by Lenardo da Vinci symbolizes internal symmetry?
A) Mona Lisa B) Vitruvian Man
B) Mona Lisa
3. Which painting is not by Leonardo da Vinci?
A) 1 B) 2 C) 3
1. What was art called?
A) "magic nugget"
B) "magic crystal"
C) "fantastic stone"
2. Who owns the words from the poem "... It’s not enough to hear here, here you need to listen carefully so that the soul of consonance is flooded together ...» A) N. Rylenkov
B) C)
3. Which picture does not belong to?
A) 1 B) 2 C) 3
6. Landscape - poetic
and musical painting
1. What is the merit of the Russians artists of the 19th century A. Savrasov, I. Levitan, I. Shishkin?
A) were impressionist painters
B) portrait painters
C) discovered the beauty of Russian nature
2. What is impressionism in art?
A) passing on fleeting impressions
B) disclosure of the seascape
C) fantasy in painting
3. Who is an impressionist painter?
A) Pablo Picasso B) Claude Monet
B) Philip Malyavin
4. Which paintings do not belong to I. Levitan?
A) 1 B) 2 C) 3
5. What paintings are by Claude Monet?
1__2__3__4__5__
B) C) A. Vivaldi
B) C) A. Vivaldi
A) A. Vivaldi B)
A) A. Vivaldi B)
B) C) A. Vivaldi
B) C) A. Vivaldi
A) A. Vivaldi B)
A) A. Vivaldi B)
1. Art around us
1. A 2. B 3. B 4. C 5. B
2. Artistic image, style, language
1. B 2. C 3. A 4. A 5. B
3. Science and art
1. B 2. A 3. C
4. Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Thalia, Terpsichore, Urania, Euterpe, Erato
5. In
4. Scientific knowledge and artistic knowledge
1. musician, doctor, lawyer
2. B 3. C
5. Art tells about the beauty of the Earth
1. B 2. A 3. A
6. Landscape - poetic and musical painting
1. C 2. A 3. B 4. C 5.
1. C 2. A 3. A 4. B
8. Man in the Mirror of Art
1. individual, group, pair, self-portrait, front, chamber
2. B
3. cult of the dead, transfer of portrait resemblance
4. idialized images of heroes and gods; fusion of spiritual and physical
6. abstract images, connection with the Divine spirit
7. Unification of Antiquity and the Middle Ages
8. A) M. Caravaggio - Lute player
B) A. Durer - Self-portrait
C) E. Greco - male portrait with hand on chest
The ingenious sculptor Klodt Petr Karlovich was going to become a military man from childhood. I chose creativity. And he began to study without mentors. And yet, by the will of circumstances, he became a first-class foundry worker. It was he who gave impetus to the development of this art.
He also made domestic animalistics a self-sufficient discipline...
Family of hereditary military
Pyotr Karlovich Klodt, whose biography will be told to the reader in the article, was born in St. Petersburg in 1805. The Klodt family consisted mainly of hereditary military men. This surname was very poor, but well-born. So, the great-great-grandfather of the sculptor took part in northern war and was considered one of famous figures those battles. Pope Peter was also a military man. He fought against the hordes of Bonaparte during Patriotic War 1812 and was a military general. His portrait is still in the Hermitage gallery.
When Peter was born, his father received a new position and headed the headquarters of the Separate Siberian Corps. Therefore, the childhood and youth of the future sculpture passed in Omsk.
It was in this Siberian city that he developed a passion for drawing, modeling and carving. When he was twelve, he had already carved horses out of wood. In these animals he saw an incomparable charm.
By by and large this hobby passed to young Peter from his father. He sent him paper horses from the army, which were cut out of playing cards. After that, at the slightest opportunity, the future sculptor always tried to draw and carve these animals.
In 1822, the head of the family died, and his relatives immediately decided to return to the northern capital.
Military service
Since the ancestors of young Klodt were military men, seventeen-year-old Peter decided to enter the artillery school. To be honest, there is very little about this period of life. He was seventeen when he became a cadet. Then, a few years later, he was promoted to ensign.
At the same time, when he had free time, he studied horses - he observed their behavior, habits, postures ... In a word, he comprehended these animals as subjects artistic creativity. He had no other mentor than nature. He also continued to pursue his favorite hobby - drawing or carving figures.
In 1827, Klodt, already a second lieutenant, quit his service due to illness. From that moment on, he focused only on his work.
Volunteer of the academy
For two years, the former officer was engaged in sculpture on his own. He, as before, worked from nature, copied antique and contemporary works art. One day, one of the crowned persons presented the great Emperor Nicholas I with a figure of a horseman made of wood. Since the autocrat was very fond of such "toys", he ordered to find a gifted author. As a result, Pyotr Klodt ended up in winter palace and after an audience with the emperor became a volunteer at the Academy of Arts. He also began to receive financial assistance. It was 1829.
From that time on, the sculptor devoted himself completely to art. He began to listen to lectures, got acquainted with new creative people, copied sculptures in palaces and museums and continued to carve figurines of horses with hussars. By the way, in the 30s, these “toys” of his were literally like hot cakes. It is known that a similar wooden figurine of Klodt once adorned the desk of the empress herself. In a word, the talent and perseverance of the sculptor inevitably brought real results. And even earlier than the young creator himself expected.
As for the teachers of the Academy, they approved of his work, helping him to succeed in every possible way. But the direct mentor of the young listener was the rector of the institution I. Martos. It was he who brought him into his house ...
Marriage to the rector's niece
In fact, Peter Klodt, whose biography is rich interesting events, became a frequent guest in Martos' house. After some time, he even wanted to marry the rector's daughter. But this did not happen. But he began to be nice to his niece. Juliana Spiridonova - that was her name. Subsequently, she became faithful loving wife and mistress of the house. Their wedding took place in 1832.
Three years later, the Klodt family had an heir - Mikhail. Decades later, he became very famous artist and occasionally worked abroad.
First government order
After the wedding, Peter Klodt (sculptor) received the first government order. It's about about the sculptural decoration of the Narva Gate, which in northern capital. He was kept company by experienced creative personalities such as V. Demuth-Malinovsky and S. Pimenov. Despite the fact that the young sculptor had absolutely no experience in monumental works, he managed to emerge victorious with brilliance. When his six horses were already installed on the attic of the arch, which carry the chariot of the goddess of glory, Klodt (the sculptor, the creator of this masterpiece) received not only the patronage of the Russian autocrat, but also worldwide fame.
In addition, after such a triumph, the 28-year-old self-taught artist became an academician of the Academy of Arts. He also became a professor of sculpture, and in addition to his salary, he began to receive a substantial annual pension. And they gave him a spacious apartment and a workshop ...
From Admiralteisky Boulevard to Anichkov Bridge
When Klodt was working on the design, he received another order from the government. He must create two sculptural groups. According to the plan, they would decorate the pier of the Admiralteisky Boulevard. Their name is "Taming the Horse."
Peter Klodt was able to make models for this project and delivered them to the Academy for discussion. The academicians were more than satisfied with the work of the talented sculptor, and it was decided to complete this order in full.
But since Klodt continued to work on the composition of the Narva Gate, he had to pause in work on the "tamers". After some time, when the first project was completed, the sculptor returned to the previous composition.
However, now he proposed to place the sculptures not on the Admiralteysky Boulevard, but on the Anichkov Bridge.
The fact is that this building was originally a wooden crossing, then a stone one. The bridge was reliable, but very narrow for a large capital. Nicholas I himself understood that reconstruction was required. And in this case, Klodt's "Horse Tamers" would be in place here. In a word, such work would give the bridge a very modern look. As a result, the reconstruction of the building started in 1840.
But even before that, the first group of "tamers" was already ready, and the casters were waiting for the team to cast a work of art in bronze. But the head of the foundry yard of the Academy, V. Ekimov, died suddenly, without leaving, unfortunately, his successor ...
Caster
Without such a professional specialist, casting was generally impossible. But in order to realize all the same his plans, Klodt decided to manage the implementation of these works himself. Moreover, he was trained in foundry skills when he studied at a military school and at the Academy.
At that time, he was considered the only sculptor who perfectly mastered artistic casting. Therefore, he received an offer to manage the entire foundry. He didn't refuse, of course. So for the first time in the history of art, a sculptor who did not have the appropriate education began to head such a workshop.
By 1841, Klodt had already made two bronze compositions and began to prepare for casting. last pair sculptures.
Well, at the end of November of the same year, the Anichkov Bridge was opened after restoration. Finished bronze groups were on the pedestals of the right bank of the Fontanka, and on the left - plaster copies...
Gift story
In 1842, castings of the last pair were made. However, they did not reach the Anichkov Bridge. The fact is that Nicholas I called the sculptor. He said that he wanted to glorify the creations of Klodt. And for this, he decided to donate already cast to the King of Prussia Frederick William IV.
As a result, Klodt went to Berlin. The bronze gift was presented to the Prussian monarch. After that, the sculptures were installed near the main gate. imperial palace. Wilhelm, however, did not remain in debt. He presented Klodt with a diamond snuffbox and presented him with the prestigious Order of the Red Eagle.
Upon returning to St. Petersburg Once again began to cast "tamers". But even this time, this couple did not reach their destination, since at that time the ruler of both Sicilies, Ferdinand II, was visiting Northern Palmyra. The Russian autocrat demonstrated the creations of Klodt to the Sicilian monarch. As a result, Ferdinand liked the way Peter Klodt sculpted them, and he asked to present a couple to him. And so it happened. The bronze couple of the sculptor is in Naples, and the ingenious creator was awarded another order.
To be honest, the same copies are in Russia. For example, in the Golitsyn estate and in Petrodvorets.
pinnacle of creativity
Thus, from 1846, the artist once again cast the sculpture and completed the entire composition. This process, in fact, lasted four years. And in 1850, plaster copies were removed from the bridge, and bronze figures were installed in their place. Thus, Klodt (sculptor) Anichkov bridge finally completed the decoration. The work took two decades. And the whole ensemble brought the master an unprecedented success.
Of course, after the "tamers" Klodt created other sculptural works. However, according to connoisseurs of art, "Anichkov's horses" are the pinnacle of the artist's work.
70 meters relief
P. Klodt (sculptor) continued to work on the most important imperial orders. One of them is the restructuring of the office building of the Marble Palace. So, according to the project, it was assumed that the entire lower floor would be given over to the stables, and the building that overlooks the garden would become an arena. Accordingly, a 70-meter relief was created for decoration, which was called "Horse in the Service of Man." The author was Klodt. In this work, the sculptor depicted scenes of taming horses, road and hunting paintings, cavalry battles...
Most insightful piece
Of the other sculptures of the master, the monument to Ivan Krylov stands apart. Recall that the famous fabulist died in 1844. His death was perceived as a nationwide grief. The next year through periodicals a voluntary subscription was announced related to the installation of a monument to Krylov. Three years later, the required amount was collected, and the Academy of Arts announced a corresponding competition among sculptors. As a result, Klodt became the winner.
Initially, he planned to fulfill the order in the ancient traditions. But in the end he created a truly accurate portrait image.
By and large, all creative life the artist took place under the autocrat, under his direct patronage. Therefore, who could leave a memory of him in bronze? Only Klodt.
As a result, a well-known creator was responsible for the construction Alexandrian column Montferrand. But only Klodt could sculpt a statue and cast it.
At the very beginning of 1857, the laying of the monument was carried out, the next year the master had already begun to cast a bronze equestrian statue king. Unfortunately, during the casting process, a crack appeared, and as a result, a number of parts of the figure were not filled.
In 1859, a second casting took place. This time everything went more than successfully.
However, in order to deliver the statue from the workshop to the installation site, one of the walls had to be broken through. There were no more problems.
Well, in June of the same year, the monument to the emperor was solemnly opened. This work has become not only a true decoration of St. Isaac's Square, but also a masterpiece of world art.
Anatomy
Except direct activity, Klodt Petr Karlovich, whose sculptures are known throughout the world, developed study guides for young talents of the Academy. So, back in the thirties, he cast the famous “Lying Body” from bronze. In other words, this is human anatomy, which was created with the participation of one of the anatomy teachers. A little later, the master created the Anatomy of a Horse.
Master's sudden death
The brilliant sculptor died in the autumn of 1867. Sudden death caught up with him at his own dacha in Finland. They say that in the last minutes of his life, the sculptor Klodt (his works are recognized as masterpieces), as always, carved figurines.
Klodt was buried in the Lutheran churchyard in the northern capital. And in 1936, the ashes of the master were transferred to the Necropolis of Masters of Arts. Then a new headstone was installed.
Almost all of the sculptor's relatives, including his wife, remained at the Lutheran cemetery. Unfortunately, all the graves of the Klodts were irreparably destroyed...
The Anichkov Bridge across the Fontanka River is, of course, an adornment of St. Petersburg. There are four sculptural compositions “Horse Tamers” on it, depicting the confrontation between a man and a horse, which strives with all its might to break free. The author of these sculptures is Baron Pyotr Karlovich Klodt, who mid-nineteenth century earned himself the fame of the greatest "horse" master.
Born in 1805 in St. Petersburg, part of his childhood and youth Pe tr Kl odt spent in Omsk, where his father was transferred from the capital to command the headquarters of the Separate Siberian Corps. Naturally, Major General and participant in the Battle of Borodino, Baron Karl Fedorovich Klodt von Jurgensburg, saw in his son an exclusively continuer of the glorious military traditions of the family. The boy was sent to study in Omsk cadet corps, from which, however, he often ran away. Once no one saw him for four days. We found him in one of the Kazakh villages, looking at horses. In the characterization that he was given after graduation educational institution, it was emphasized that the cadet showed special abilities for depicting horses. This is the love for animals. And all because Baron von Jurgensburg little Peter cut out horses from paper.
In 1822, after the death of the head of the family, the Klodts returned to St. Petersburg. Pe tr Kl odt entered the Mikhailovsky Artillery School, and in his free time, according to the description of his comrades, "took up a pencil or a penknife and drew or cut horses in small sizes." After graduating from an educational institution, the future creator of sculptures for the Anichkov Bridge received the rank of second lieutenant, served in a training artillery brigade, but in 1827 he retired from military service and decided to pursue his passion - sculpture. He became a volunteer at the Academy of Arts. But before that, for two years he was engaged in self-education, copying modern and ancient works of art and drawing from nature. According to eyewitnesses, Klodt brought real horses to his basement, where he then huddled, and, sitting next to him, painted models for hours, risking getting a hoof on the head. Inside his "apartment" it was dirty, there were lumps of clay, drawings, sketches. People were perplexed: how can a baron live in such squalor? To understand geniuses is not the destiny of every person, the scandalous radio host Howard Stern once noted.
While still on military service, Klodt carved and painted small figures of horses from wood, performed all the details with impeccable accuracy, imitating eyes with glass inserts, making a tail and a mane out of hair. His crafts become popular in St. Petersburg, and soon one of the wooden figurines falls into the hands of Emperor Nicholas I. “Charming. Who is this gifted carver?” asked the monarch, who adored such toys. “Baron Klodt, Your Majesty. Retired lieutenant,” they answered him. After this conversation, a young sculptor without professional art education received an order from the emperor: to carve a detachment of horse guards out of wood. Further more. The "horse" master is involved in the design of the Narva Gate, which was already being worked on at that moment famous sculptors Pimenov and Demut-Malinovsky. Six horses were installed on the attic of the arch, carrying the chariot of the goddess of glory, made of forged copper according to the model of Peter Klodt. The opening of the triumphant Narva Gates took place in September 1834. There is a legend that after this work, Nicholas I said to the baron: "Well, Klodt, you make horses better than a stallion."
The next and perhaps the most famous work sculptor, on which he worked for about 20 years, became "Horse Tamers" - four bronze compositions on the Anichkov Bridge. It is interesting that the tamers and horses were supposed to be placed on the Admiralteyskaya embankment, but later they decided to install them on the supports of the Anichkov Bridge being restored. This idea belonged to Peter Klodt. On this account, there is another legend about how the project received imperial support. Once upon a Palace embankment Klodt's coachman took it into his head, in violation of all the rules of etiquette, to compete in driving speed with the coachman of the sovereign himself and even overtook him. Enraged, Nikolai only managed to shake his fist at Klodt's rapidly retreating carriage. A few days later, the emperor unexpectedly dropped into the sculptor's workshop to inspect the models of the Tamers. For a long time he stood in front of the sculptural group in silence, and then he said: "For these - I forgive!"
The grand opening of the Anichkov Bridge took place on November 20, 1841. Two pairs of sculptural compositions stood on the side pedestals: bronze groups were located on the right bank of the Fontanka, and painted plaster copies were installed on the pedestals of the left bank. Klodt, who in 1838 headed the Foundry Yard Imperial Academy Arts, soon cast two more pairs of sculptures from bronze, but they did not get on the bridge. They were sent to Berlin as a gift to the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm. Klodt himself had to accompany the generous gift of Nicholas I to the capital of Prussia, where his horses were installed in the most honorable place - at the royal palace. However, the descendant of the Westphalian knights and the Russified German baron did not like Berlin at all. “I would trade the local dishes and wines for black bread and kvass - if only to return to Russia as soon as possible!” - he wrote in a letter to his friend, architect Alexander Bryullov. However, King Friedrich Wilhelm generously compensated for the lack of Russian kvass by awarding the sculptor the Order of the Red Eagle of the third degree and a diamond snuffbox.
The newly cast bronze "Tamers" replaced the plaster compositions on the Anichkov Bridge in 1844, but they stood there for only two years. Nicholas I ordered to remove them and send them to Naples to the King of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand II. Klodt's horses also appeared in other places - in Strelna, Peterhof and in the estate of Prince Golitsyn in Kuzminki near Moscow. Only in the early 50s of the 19th century, plaster sculptures on the bridge were replaced with bronze ones. At the same time, they differed from the first two compositions: the tamer and the horse are the same, but the plot is new. In four sculptures, Klodt reflected different aspects of the taming of the animal. In the first group, the naked athlete still restrains the horse, in the next one, the drama builds up, with a powerful movement, the man reins in the rearing horse. In the third group - in a fierce and extreme fight, the tamer was thrown to the ground, but in the last composition, with incredible efforts, falling on one knee and grabbing the cord with both hands, the athlete still managed to subdue the animal.
Legends still circulate around one of the compositions. Under the horse's tail, Klodt fashioned someone's face. There are several versions. Either this is a portrait of Pyotr Karlovich himself, or his ill-wisher, to whom the sculptor thus decided to take revenge, or Napoleon. There is still no consensus. For the "Tamers" Klodt received various government awards, and in the process of working on sculptures he was appointed professor at the Academy of Arts, allocated an apartment and a workshop. In addition, he became a member of the Berlin, Paris and Rome academies of arts. In general, the career of a retired lieutenant went uphill. It is not known whether he would have achieved such success in military service.
In June 2005, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Pyotr Klodt, a silver coin was issued in denomination of 2 rubles and a circulation of 10 thousand pieces. Together with a portrait of the master, it depicts one of the sculptural groups of "Horse Tamers" on the Anichkov Bridge, which made him famous all over the world.
Pyotr Klodt was born in 1805 in St. Petersburg into a military family descended from an old German family. His father was a general, a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. Despite the fact that the future sculptor was born in the capital, he spent his youth in Omsk, away from European education and culture. He wanted to connect his life, like his ancestors, with military career- In Omsk, he was a cadet of the Cossack school, and on his return to St. Petersburg he entered the artillery school. Despite this choice, during the years of his studies, at every opportunity, he took up a pencil or a penknife - he carved figures of horses and people - a hobby with which his father "infected".
After graduation, Klodt was promoted to ensign, served in an artillery brigade, but left the service in 1828 to focus solely on art. For two years he studied on his own, after which he became a volunteer at the Academy of Arts: the rector of the Academy, Martos, and teachers, seeing talent and skill in Klodt, helped him succeed. Over time, he became a true master of his craft and was known not only for imperial court but also far beyond. The most famous creation of Klodt is, of course, sculptures horse tamers on the Anichkov bridge in St. Petersburg, but his other works are no less magnificent. "Evening Moscow" invites you to remember the most famous of them.
Horses of the Narva triumphal gates
Klodt carried out this large government order together with such experienced sculptors as S. Pimenov and V. Demut-Malinovsky. On the attic of the arch there is a six horses carrying the chariot of the goddess of glory, made of forged copper according to the model of Klodt in 1833. Unlike the classic images of this plot, the horses performed by Klodt are rapidly rushing forward and even rearing up. At the same time, all sculptural composition gives the impression of rapid movement. After completing this work, the author received worldwide fame and the patronage of Nicholas I. There is a legend that Nicholas I said: "Well, Klodt, you make horses better than a stallion."
"Horse Tamers" Anichkov Bridge
The famous "Horse Tamers" at first had to be located not at all where they can be seen today. The sculptures were supposed to decorate the piers of Admiralteisky Boulevard, at the entrance to Palace Square. It is noteworthy that both the place and the project itself were personally approved by Nicholas I. When everything was ready for casting, Klodt decided that it was not worth taming horses near water and ships. He began to look for a place and rather quickly his choice fell on the Anichkov Bridge, which already needed reconstruction and was rather plain. The sculptor hinted at his idea, and the emperor supported him. Nikolai provided the sculptor with two purebred Arabian stallions - he was allowed to do whatever he wanted with them. Klodt was very useful for his experience gained during his studies at the Academy - at that time he was a student of one of the outstanding Russian foundry workers Ekimov, and by the time the "Tamers" was created, he had already managed to lead the entire Foundry Yard. Seeing the first bronze blanks, the emperor told the sculptor that they came out even better than the stallions actually looked.
November 20, 1841 Grand opening Anichkov Bridge after reconstruction, on which Petersburgers went literally in droves. But then the inhabitants did not see true beauty works of Klodt - Nicholas I decided to donate two sculptures to the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm, and painted plaster copies were installed instead. Three years later, copies were made again, but they also did not last long - this time the "King of the Two Sicilies" Ferdinand II became their happy owner. Only in 1850 did the plaster copies finally disappear from the bridge, and bronze figures took their place.
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Monument to Ivan Krylov
The life of the famous fabulist is almost inextricably linked with St. Petersburg - he lived in the city for almost sixty years, rarely leaving it. His death in 1844 became a national tragedy, and a year later a voluntary subscription was announced, the purpose of which was to raise money for a monument to the famous poet. In 1849, Klodt's project wins in open competition. The initial sketches assumed the creation of an almost antique image of the poet, but the sculptor went to bold move- he abandoned the ideas of embodying idealistic images that prevailed at that time, and wanted to depict the poet as accurately as possible, in a natural setting. According to contemporaries, he managed to achieve an almost portrait resemblance to the original. Along the perimeter of the pedestal, the sculptor placed animals - the heroes of Krylov's fables. The monument still adorns Summer garden Petersburg.
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Monument to Prince Vladimir of Kyiv
In 1833 the sculptor V. Demut-Malinovsky worked on the project of a monument to Prince Vladimir of Kyiv - the initiator of the baptism of Rus' in 988. The work ended with the presentation in 1835 of the project to the president of the Imperial Academy of Arts. For unknown reasons, work on the project was suspended for a decade. In 1846, Demut-Malinovsky died, after which the architect K. Ton took over the work, who designed the pedestal in the form of a high tower-like church in the pseudo-Byzantine style. At that time, Klodt was in charge of the foundry of the Academy of Arts and he was entrusted with casting the monument in bronze. Before casting, he had to reproduce a small figurine made at one time by Demuth-Malinovsky in gigantic scale monument. When performing this work, changes regarding the model are inevitable. It is impossible to assess these differences, since it is not possible to compare the draft design with the monument: the draft model has not been preserved. Klodt did a great job on the face of the sculpture, giving it an expression of spirituality and inspiration. The sculptor did his work very conscientiously, moved the statue from St. Petersburg to Kyiv, and very well chose a place for it: it is inscribed in the high mountainous landscape of the banks of the Dnieper.
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Monument to Nicholas I
The monument to the controversial but outstanding emperor was laid a year after his death - in 1856. It was originally complex project, on which several sculptors were supposed to work, but the most important work - the embodiment of the figure of the sovereign - was entrusted to Klodt. He managed to successfully cope with the task only the second time - during the first attempt, the shape of the sculpture could not stand it, and the molten bronze flowed out. The heir of Nicholas, Alexander II, allowed the sculptor to make a secondary casting, which turned out to be successful. In order to take the sculpture out of the Imperial Academy of Arts, where it was cast, it was necessary to break down the walls: its dimensions were so large. June 25, 1859 the monument was inaugurated in the presence of Alexander II. Contemporaries were amazed at an unprecedented achievement: Klodt managed to ensure that the horseman's sculpture rested on just two points of support, on the horse's hind legs! In Europe, such a monument was erected for the first time, the only more an early example such an embodiment of the miracle of engineering was american monument President Andrew Jackson in the US capital. After the October Revolution of 1917, the question of dismantling the monument as a legacy of the tsarist regime was repeatedly raised, but the artistic genius of Klodt saved the monument from destruction: thanks to the uniqueness of the system of only two supports, it was recognized as a miracle of engineering and preserved.
