Russian artist Paul Chelishchev: biography, creativity

Pavel Fedorovich Chelishchev is a well-known Russian artist who has gained fame all over the world. This article presents his biography and creativity, as well as a photo of some of his works.

It is not easy to write about this person. Biographers disagree about certain events in the life of Pavel Fedorovich and their interpretations, there is no single point of view about facts, dates, and different is the assessment of his works and surroundings, philosophical and religious views, as well as the interpretation of his paintings. Of course, art critics still have to figure out the creativity and biography of the great Russian artist.

The Origin and Childhood of Chelishchev

Chelishchev Pavel Fedorovich was born September 21, 1898 in the Kaluga province (the village of Dubrovka). His father was Fyodor Sergeevich Chelishchev, a landowner.

The future artist, apparently, grew up an impressionable, addicted child. He was interested in art quite early: the painted pencil portraits of his three sisters, made in adolescence, were preserved by Chelishchev. Fyodor Sergeyevich supported artistic talent and interest in the art of his son. He invited private teachers for him, who gave him lessons in painting. Fedor Sergeevich wrote the magazine "The World of Art." It is also known that in 1907 the Children's Art School in Moscow had the honor of training Pavel Chelischev.

As a result of all this, the future artist seriously took a great interest in various ways of creative self-expression. At some point, as evidenced by biographical sources, he was greatly interested in ballet. However, drawing became his main passion. Not only the Children's Art School in Moscow opened its doors to him. In 1907, Chelishchev also attended art classes that operated at Moscow University.

There is a legend that says that Pavel's works, performed by him in his teens, were once shown to Konstantin Korovin with a request to take Chelishchev as a pupil. However, he said that Paul is already an artist, and he has nothing to teach him.

Revolution in the fate of Chelishchev

Pavel Fyodorovich's biography would probably continue, as with many talented art lovers, with information about entering MUZhVZ or the Academy of Arts, would abound in creative trips, participation in various art associations. However, the revolution came. In the years 1916-1918. Pavel Chelischev still studied in Moscow, but in 1918 his family, according to legend, on personal orders from Lenin was evicted from Dubrovka. She moved to Kiev, fleeing persecution of the authorities.

Life in Kiev

Pavel Fedorovich continued his art education in Kiev. In the period from 1918 to 1920 Chelishchev studied in the icon painting workshop, took painting lessons from Adolf Milman and Alexandra Exter, attended the Academy of Arts. In Kiev, the artist wrote lyrical landscapes, and also created canvases in the Cubist style. In addition, Chelishchev worked for the theater KA Mardzhanashvili. In 1919 he performed sketches of scenery and costumes for the operetta "Geisha" by S. Jones in the processing of I. Karil. Unfortunately, the production of this performance did not take place. In the same year, the artist entered the Volunteer Army, where he served as a cartographer.

Moving to Constantinople

Further, according to one source, he moved to Odessa in 1920 (here Pavel Fedorovich supposedly worked in the theater as an artist). Other sources testify to his move to Novorossiysk in the same year, from where he allegedly emigrated to Constantinople with the army of Denikin. Confirmation finds only the last fact: Chelishchev arrived in Constantinople in 1920.

In this city he created scenery for a number of ballet productions by Viktor Zimin and Boris Knyazev. In the works of this period, Exter's influence is still quite strong. Together with Knyazev in the spring of 1921, Chelishchev moved to Sofia. Here he designed a book entitled "Exodus to the East: Presentiments and Achievements: The Statement of Eurasians," and also wrote several portraits.

The period of life in Berlin

In the company of Knyazev in the autumn of 1921 Chelishchev settled in Berlin. Here in the early 20-ies of the last century there were many Russian artists: KL Boguslavskaya, AP Archipenko, MZ Shagal, IA Puni, SI Sharshun, and others. In this city, Chelishchev Began to paint portraits to order, still lifes and landscapes. In addition, as a theater artist, he collaborated with the Russian Romantic Theater (worked on its scenery), the Königgärtserstrasse Theater, the Bluebird Cabaret. Chelishchev even created scenery for the Berlin Opera, which put the opera "The Golden Cockerel" by NA Rimsky-Korsakov.

The Paris years

Together with the troupe of Boris Romanov, who directed the Russian romantic theater, in 1923 Chelishchev left Berlin and went to Paris. Here he finally became seriously engaged in painting (before that the artist worked almost exclusively in graphics - book, theater, etc.). Still life of Chelishchev "Strawberry basket" was estimated by Gertrude Stein herself, who bought it. In those years, this writer had great authority in the artistic circles of Paris. Between it and Chelishchev, friendship began. Gertrude patronized Pavel Fedorovich, helped him financially, and also introduced him to his salon, which was visited only by the most talented and famous representatives of the new art.

Chelishchev earned recognition and became quite a popular master. Since 1925 he began to take part in the salons of artists held annually. In particular, Chelishchev participated in the Autumn Salon. In the gallery "Drouet" in 1926 was the first exhibition of neo-humanists, which also represented the work of Pavel.

The decoration of the ballet "Ode"

Chelishchev in Paris became known as a theater artist. In 1928, Pavel Fedorovich designed the ballet "Ode" for the company of S. Diaghilev. The play was staged according to the clothes of Lomonosov. Sergei Lifar, the main actor, recalled that Diaghilev first instructed the production of someone from his protege, but he did not fit in time, so he had to personally lead it in a situation of general confusion and severe time pressure. The play in the end turned out to be too innovative, even for the Parisian public, distinguished by a special sophistication.

Birth of Chelishchev's own style

At that time, in the processing and merging of the cubical and realistic trends, Chelishchev's own style was born. Mid-20-ies in his work was held under the sign of neo-romanticism (neogumanizma). He created many portraits of his friends and acquaintances. The artist began to be more and more interested in depicting the essence of man, and not his appearance. However, Chelishchev's portraits of the 1920s were still executed in a realistic way. Over time, the idea of dominance of the internal content, its prevalence over the exterior, was transformed into so-called "anatomical" or "neon" heads. They show literally the inner structure of man.

Friendship with Edith Sitwell and Charles G. Ford

In the salon of Gertrude Stein Pavel Chelischev met two people who played an important role in his life: Edith Sitwell (English poetess) and Charles Henry Ford (American writer and poet).

He met Edith Chelishchev in 1928. She became his close friend for many years. In addition, Sitwell became the new patroness of Chelishchev in the art world. She organized exhibitions, morally and financially supported Pavel Fedorovich. In the early 1930s, an acquaintance with Charles Ford took place. In 1934, friends left Paris and went to New York. After a while they moved to Italy. Only with the death of Pavel Chelischev (in 1957) their relationship ended. Evidence of friendship with Edith Sitwell and Charles Ford were numerous sketches and portraits. By the way, after a while in the portraits of the artist began to often appear another character - actress Ruth Ford, Sister Charles.

New York period

The art of Chelishchev in New York blossomed in full force. The artist began working in new areas of graphics - he created covers for magazines Vouge and View, and also designed wine labels. Chelishchev began to work freely in painting, not forcing himself into the framework of this or that style. At this time, psychological portraits, created in a realistic manner, side by side with "metamorphic landscapes" - dummy pictures, executed in a surrealistic spirit. The artist in his works-blende experiments with images of animals, people, trees, leaves, grass, as well as other forms of nature. Photo of one of the works of this period - "Children-Leaves" (1939) - is presented above. By the way, the first such paintings filled with surrealistic figures and forms, Pavel Fedorovich wrote back in 1920, that is almost 10 years before Breton, Dali, Magritte and other surrealists, recognized today.

"Metaphysical heads"

In 1940, Chelishchev created a series of "metaphysical goals" (one of them is presented above). The style of these works was imprinted by the analytical painting of P. Filonov. Human figures in Chelishchev's paintings are shining so that knots, vessels, and skeleton are visible.

It is generally believed that in these works the artist tried to depict the essence of man. By "essence" the artist understood energy. At first he concentrated on the image of nerves and vessels, which, according to Chelishchev, are the ways of energy transfer. Later Pavel Chelischev ceased to portray the "ways". He began to write the energy itself, represented in the form of a structure of luminous spirals, ovals and circles (one of these portraits is presented below).

The first solo exhibition

In 1942 Pavel Chellishchev became officially recognized in New York and throughout the world, whose pictures were already very well known by that time. It was then, in 1942, that his first personal exhibition took place in MOMA, which was a huge success. At the same time, Chelishchev's work "Hide and Seek" (pictured below) became one of the most popular paintings in the museum's exposition, along with the work of Picasso's Guernica.

"New Radiation"

Chelishchev in his life often faced with a misunderstanding. The fame that hit the artist, further exposed his loneliness in a crowd of fans who could not share his views and ideas. Chelishchev in the late 1940s virtually gave up society. Perhaps, because of this, his painting finally lost figurativeness. The artist turned to abstraction. He began to create complex geometric shapes. Chelishchev wanted to show the refraction of the rays of light in a confined space. This style will later be called a new radiant. One of the examples of such paintings is the "Apotheosis" of 1954. A photo of this work is presented below.

Last years of life. Chelishchev's grave

Missing Europe, in 1951, the artist went to Italy, on a villa located near Rome in Frascati. In Italy, Pavel Chelischev lived for several years. During this time, the artist gained great fame in Europe. Two personal exhibitions, held in Paris, had a huge success. Pavel Chelischev died in 1957 in Frascati. He died of a heart attack, which was taken for pneumonia.

First Pavel Fedorovich was buried in Frascati, on the porch of the local Orthodox monastery. Then Alexander Zausailov, his sister, reburied the artist's ashes in the cemetery of Pere Lachaise, in France. However, the first place of burial of Pavel Chelischev is also preserved. At present, the remains of the artist are buried in the cemetery of Pere Lachaise.

Promotion of creativity

After the death of Pavel Fedorovich, Charles Ford and his sister Ruth, the people closest to the artist, did their best to not only support interest in his work, but also in every way popularize Chelishchev's work. They organized exhibitions several times, and also exhibited Pavel Fedorovich's paintings for open tenders. In 2010, an auction of the artist's works took place in New York, where the "Portrait of Ruth Ford" was sold almost 5 times more than the original cost. This picture was the most expensive work of Chelishchev, sold on the market. The poet K. Kedrov, his grand-nephew, has been popularizing Pavel Fedorovich's creativity in our country in the past 10 years.