Vladimir Andreevich Favorsky: biography, creativity. Favorsky's engravings

The first schedule of the Moscow school is Vladimir Andreyevich Favorsky. Biography of the artist includes not only creativity, but also participation in the First World War, and work on numerous theoretical works, and teaching activities. But first of all he is known as a book illustrator. Many unmistakably recognize his drawings to the works of W. Shakespeare and S. Ya. Marshak.

Youth

It can be said that Favorsky was destined to connect his life with art as the successor of the family tradition. The artists were his grandfather, mother and great-grandmother. The great Russian illustrator was born in 1886 in Moscow. Constantly watching, as the mother draws, he himself took up his brushes and pencils. Initially, painting was perceived by him as a pleasant pastime - no more. But entering the world of art, Favorsky stayed here forever and set as his goal to attach as many people as possible to him. He began his career as a painter, giving great hopes. But later he chose graphics as the closest to the people kind of art.

The artist's childhood, held in the circle of a loving family, was devoid of adversity. The next of kin, - artists, architects, sculptors, - helped to make interest in art become stronger. And when it was time to go to school, in addition to basic education, it was decided to give the boy to KF Yuon's private art school.

Study

Simultaneously with the visit to the school of Yuona, the young man attended evening classes at the Stroganov School. After graduation he went to Munich and enrolled at the Faculty of Economics, but soon realized that this was absolutely not his occupation. In 1906, the young man entered a private educational institution, which was headed by the Hungarian artist of Armenian origin Shimon Holloshi. This teacher Vladimir Andreevich Favorsky will always remember with gratitude as one of his favorite mentors. No doubt, he had a great influence on the formation of young talent and the formation of its artistic principles.

Munich University, meanwhile, Favorsky did not quit and listened there to a course on the history of art. In 1907, he returned to Russia and continued his art studies at Moscow University.

Family life

In the last year of the university, in 1812, Vladimir Andreevich Favorsky married Maria Derviz, a charming girl with a lively character, to all other virtues and a promising artist. Among her relatives was Valentin Serov, who strongly encouraged Maria's passion for art. She studied painting in St. Petersburg and in France. In Moscow, like her future husband, she was a student of Yuon, and then the School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Maria was not destined to become a great artist, but the reason for that is the circumstances of life, and not the lack of talent. Despite this, until the end of the days she was a friend and helper for her husband. The last decade of her life, she worked on memories, thanks to which researchers Favorsky were able to restore some pages of his biography.

The artist had three children: two sons, Nikita and Ivan, and daughter Maria. Both brothers went volunteers to the front, when the Great Patriotic War began. The elder died in the first year of the war, the youngest did not live a couple of months before graduation. And Maria Vladimirovna became a ceramic artist and custodian of family archives.

Maturity of the artist

After graduating from the institute Vladimir Andreevich Favorsky was engaged in teaching activities and worked on the theory of art. With the outbreak of World War I, he went to the front and went through the whole war. In Moscow, the artist returned in 1918 in the rank of ensign. After the army, he quickly joined the creative life of the capital.

The artist resumed his teaching activity. In the 1920s, he manages one of the departments of the Higher Artistic and Technical Workshops (VHUTEMAS), trains students in engraving and woodcuts. In 1923 he became the rector of VKhUTEMAS. Favorsky begins work on the design of books by Pushkin and Tolstoy, and from this time on, book graphics become one of the main affairs of his life.

At the same time, he closely communicates with the philosopher PA Florensky. Cooperation, reinforced by the friendship and kinship of the characters, enriched them both. In many theoretical positions of the artist you can see the influence of Florensky. Together they joined the Left Front of Arts (LEF). Because of the belief about the predominance of the spiritual principle over the intellectual, they were christened by a group of "production mystics".

By the end of the 1930s, the artist became more deeply involved in the theory of art. He writes articles and reports, teaches at the All-Russian Academy of Arts. He continues engraving, books, co-operates with the Moscow Art Theater. Participates in exhibitions in Venice and Paris.

A mature master entered in the 40s Favorsky. The artist received recognition and the opportunity to work on the most interesting orders. His mastery continues to grow, the technique is being improved. The depth of the images and the expressiveness of the stroke are sharpened.

Last years

In the declining years, the artist reaped the well-deserved fruits of his work. In 1956 he became an Honored Artist of the RSFSR, in 1959 - People's Artist of the RSFSR, and in 1963 - People's Artist of the USSR. He receives gold medals at international exhibitions in Brussels, Leipzig and São Paulo. And in the spring of 1962, Favorsky was awarded the Lenin Prize for achievements in illustration. This does not mean that the artist rested on his laurels - he continues to work on a series of drawings, engravings, painting. The artist died in late 1963 as a venerable master. His grave is in Moscow at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Theoretical views

Favorsky carefully designed and designed his theoretical program. The concept was based on lectures that the professor was reading to his students. With them, he began to formalize and systematize his vision of art. As a result, books were born: "On art, about the book, about engraving", "Font, its types and the connection of illustrations with a font", "Lectures on the theory of composition". In them Favorsky talked about the process of interaction with the form and its embodiment on the plane. I considered the topic of interpretation of lines, the role of the plane in painting and graphics. Each type of surface is attributed to the artist's own composition and "representativeness."

On whatever aspect of creativity Favorsky reasoned, the refrain sounded the idea that the production and ideological components of it should be indivisible and balanced. A roll in either direction causes deformation and leads to a degeneration of art. Creativity must be life-affirming, because the concept of truth is inseparable from the concept of beauty. The aesthetization of ugliness for art must be unacceptable.

Book Graphics

Favorsky often said that he does not illustrate the work, but creates a book. He always approached the task in a complex way, creating not only illustrations, but also selecting the font, format, ornament, proportions. All this must be subject to a single stylistic synthesis. The rhythm of indentations, margins and paragraphs should be consonant with the rhythm of the engraving. Favorsky was guided not only by his creative intuition, but also relied on the experience of antiquity and revival. He introduced the concept of "architecture of the book" - the science of proportionality and harmony of all its components.

To each work Favorsky found his approach. The decoration of The Lay of Igor's Host was inspired by Old Russian books. Ornaments and initial letters refer the reader to old manuscript texts. The illustrations to Pushkin's "Little Tragedies" are characterized by high detail, attention to the smallest details. Heroes freeze in theatrical positions and become a symbol of expressed emotion: greed, sorrow, anger, fear. In the illustrations to Gogol's "Shponka" grotesque fantastic creatures appear: giant insects, bird-headed people. The visual series not only complements the text, but also serves as a separate artwork capable of providing food for thought. One of the works of a mature author is an illustration of S. Spassky's novel New Year's Eve. Their style is dictated by the dramatic plot of the work. Figures are sharp, bold, dynamic. The artist confidently plays with the composition, while always achieving an irreproachable result. Favorsky's engraving acquired many admirers and is still appreciated among collectors.

The artist illustrated Pushkin, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Dante, Gogol, Merimee, Burns, and this is not a complete list of his works. Not only the adult literature was designed by Favorsky, he also closely cooperated with the publishing house DETGIZ. Illustration for the poem "If the children of the whole Earth ..." many are familiar from the textbook of literature. Barefooted guys laugh happily and run to the meadow, enjoying a peaceful life. Every Soviet child probably read the collection of Marshak, where there was an illustration to the poem "Moustached Striped" with a naughty kitten.

Other types of creativity

The frames of one art form were narrow for Vladimir Andreevich. He became famous not only for book illustration. In the second half of the 40s, Favorsky performed the cycle "Great Russian generals," where the portraits of outstanding people embody the greatness and power of Russia. One of his best works is a portrait of F. M. Dostoyevsky. A writer appears serious and focused. The artist does not flatter him, does not adorn the reality, does not allow caricature pathos. But in the modest figure of Dostoevsky there is an alarm for the Russian people, love for their country and an extraordinary power of thought.

His favorite technique was woodcut and engraving on wood, but he was attracted to it and linocut. In this technique, the charming "Samarkand cycle" was created. Starting his career as a painter, throughout his life Favorsky periodically took up brushes. Its authorship belongs to the mosaic "1905 year". He was engaged in sculpture and monumental painting. In addition, the artist collaborated with theaters - he made sketches for productions and costumes, and in his youth even wooden dolls for children's plays. Whatever Vladimir Andreevich Favorsky took, he did everything with love and great skill. But in the memory of the descendants, he remained primarily an outstanding graphic and illustrator.